FESTIVAL THEATRE | Reviews
LIVING A LITTLE Comedy drama questions the point of surviving the zombie apocalypse if you’re not going to live a little ●●●●●
The collapse of civilisation appears to have become a theme across 2016’s Fringe, although this isn’t necessarily a serious matter. Set in a world overrun by zombies, Living A Little is a comedy drama filled with booze, partying and the occasional Robin Thicke song. Stereotypical Scottish lad Rob and his sophisticated, camp flatmate Paul are surviving in their secure flat when Penelope arrives and disrupts their life.
The story unfolds over the course of a night in their living
room as Rob, who refuses to give up his party lifestyle, gets everyone drunk and high on ecstasy. Penelope acts as the catalyst who highlights the relationship between the two friends, and allows the two male actors to show their strong comedy skills. Unfortunately, Penelope fails to become a fully developed
character and serves primarily to highlight Paul and Rob’s witty interactions and excellent comic timing. The comedy is consistently strong, compared to the more serious lines, delivered by Penelope, which sometimes lack emotional impact. She brings the outside world in, and with her its chilling stories of a society gone dystopian, yet the dramatic moments often fall flat and fail to merge with the rest of the action.
While the emotional final scene ends the show on a powerful note, it is the skill of the two main actors and the humorous writing that makes for an entertaining hour: Rob’s laddish banter and Paul’s first time on ecstasy are great comedy moments. An uneven apocalypse, perhaps, but, as Rob seems intent on proving, the end of the world is another opportunity for some fun and games. (Adeline Amar) ■ New Town Theatre, 200 0143, until 28 Aug (not 16), 7.40pm, £8 (£6).
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EXPENSIVE SHIT A bold look at exploitation ●●●●●
EQUATIONS FOR A MOVING BODY Emotional show about endurance sport ●●●●● LUCY MCCORMICK: TRIPLE THREAT A brand new take on the oldest story ●●●●●
Following the journey of a single woman from the excitement of 1970s Nigeria through to a club toilet in contemporary Glasgow, Adura Onashile’s ambitious show exposes the consistency of female exploitation. While her years in the encampment of legendary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti appear to have been liberating, and her employment in Glasgow a bitter compromise, Expensive Shit’s heroine remains at the mercy of male power. The four cast members leap between energetic
recollections and mundane modern clubbing. Dynamic ensemble acting, and lively routines to Fela Kuti’s raw funk work-outs, keeps the action fresh and the pace rapid. Onashile’s direction is taut and the design – suggestive of Glasgow's notorious Shimmy Club, where men paid to observe women in the toilets – encases the cast in a prison as subtle as the power structures that control them. Yet the weight of the subject is not supported by
the structure of the show: the repetitive back and forth between eras is predictable, and the shifts in emotional tone are erratic. Nevertheless, Expensive Shit is a bracing and subtle polemic with a twist in the tale. (Gareth K Vile) ■ Traverse, 228 1404, until 28 Aug (not 15, 22), times vary, £18.50 (£13.50).
86 THE LIST FESTIVAL 11–18 Aug 2016
There are so many ways that human beings can push themselves to the absolute limit. Hannah Nicklin is perhaps more aware of this than most. A star swimmer from the age of four, she was on holiday as a 12-year-old when she severely injured both her wrists. Undeterred, she vowed to compete in the Ironman Championships as an adult, and did so: a gruelling triathlon of cycling 112 miles, running a marathon and swimming 2.4 miles.
An engaging and self-deprecating storyteller, Nicklin's warm and intimate show is beautifully written, brimming with insights into sports technique, nutrition, and how the human brain responds to physical pain and positive affirmation alike. The language she uses is intriguing – mountains are 'attacked', and her monologue becomes frenzied, like a commentator. What is less clear are Nicklin's own motivations
– how she managed to overcome such obstacles, and even how she got into sports in the first place. More background would have rounded off her own narrative. Ultimately, it's less theatre production than performance lecture, but it is a compelling, life- affirming testimony to the human spirit. (Lorna Irvine) ■ Northern Stage at Summerhall, 560 1581, until 27 Aug (not 10, 17, 24) 11am, £11 (£9).
It’s not just a clever title, Lucy McCormick really is a triple threat, as they say in musical theatre parlance. She can sing, dance and act to a high standard – she also knows how to make an unholy mess. Or should that be ‘holy’ mess, because McCormick
is here to deliver some of the more salient points of the New Testament, including pivotal scenes such as Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection, and featuring key players such as Mary Magdalene, Judas Iscariot and the apostle henceforth known as Doubting Thomas. At which point you should probably be warned that
if riding roughshod over this material offends you in any way, this really isn’t the show for you. Likewise if seeing McCormick use her vagina as a prop might mess with your sensibilities, then steer clear. But if the prospect of watching three very fine dancers dressed in ripped hot pants portray the Wise Men dancing to Christina Aguilera’s 'Dirty' sounds fun, or any number of other hilarious, provocative routines that give sexuality, morality and pornography a proper shake-up, then get ready for an unforgettable ride (and spare a thought for the clean-up team). (Kelly Apter) ■ Underbelly Cowgate, 0844 545 8252, until 28 Aug (not 22), 8.10pm, £11–£12 (£10–£11).