F E S T I VA L T H E AT R E | Reviews at a Glance R E V I E W S AT A G L A N C E
For full length versions of these reviews, see list.co.uk/festival
8:8 ●●●●● Inspired by the decision, approved by Swiss voters, to expel foreign visitors convicted of crimes, this is a deceptively slight work, whose 25-minute length belies the huge impact of what it addresses. In the compassion and connection that 8:8 generates, it feels like vital theatre for troubled times. (David Kettle) Summerhall, until 25 Aug (not 12, 19), times vary, £8. ANE CITY ●●●●● In an era of extraordinary female coming-of-20s stories, Ane City does not say anything new, and the warmth and momentum that carries the play through becomes unravelled in its inwardly polemic denouement. Both love letter and hate mail to the city that spawned it, it’s an authentic reflection of contemporary Scotland. (Anahit Behrooz) Assembly Roxy, until 26 Aug, 2.20pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11).
ARGUING ON-AIR ●●●●● It’s hard to know where theatre starts and reality stops in this chaotic comedy. Filled to overflowing with a raw, breathless energy, it ends up being as much about its duo of performers as it does about a third-rate outback radio station in rural Australia. (David Kettle) C viva, until 26 Aug (not 12), 4.45pm, £7.50–£9.50 (£5.50–£7.50). BIBLE JOHN ●●●●● Four women who seemingly have nothing in common, discover that they share a mutual fascination with true crime. While the structure feels rather muddy, the piece is a laudable attempt to critique a very modern compulsion. (Katharine Gemmell) Pleasance Courtyard, until 26 Aug (not 13), 3.50pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11).
BLOOD AND GOLD ●●●●● For the first five minutes, Blood and Gold threatens to be an essential Fringe performance. Mara Menzies introduces her hour of storytelling by passionately and persuasively challenging Scottish exceptionalism on the issue of racism, connecting the nation’s historical complicity with slavery and more contemporary acts of racially motivated violence. Unfortunately, her storytelling cycle can’t maintain the link and descends into abstract reflections on good and evil. (Gareth K Vile) Scottish Storytelling Centre, until 26 Aug (not 12, 19), 2pm, £12 (£10).
THE DE NOVA SUPER ●●●●● Although it has many more richly resonant references, The De Nova Super has the atmosphere of Waiting 98 THE LIST FESTIVAL 7–14 Aug 2019
for Godot in space: the duo replace Beckett’s sharp dialogue with evocative choreography and Godot turns up in the form of a sentient computer (which does what they always do by getting freaked out by humanity and becoming tyrannical and murderous). (Gareth K Vile) Assembly George Square, until 26 Aug (not 12, 19), 3pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11). FULFILMENT ●●●●● What’s revealed here through unadorned testimony and drama suggests that one person’s personal comfort is usually achieved at someone else’s expense. That’s probably true, but plays like Fulfilment are going to have to be more persuasive if their complaint is going to seem like more than sour grapes in the face of progress. (Eddie Harrison) Underbelly Cowgate, until 25 Aug (not 12), 3.40pm, £10–£11, (£9–£10).
IF YOU’RE FEELING SINISTER: A PLAY WITH SONGS ●●●●● Adapting a musical work to the stage is notoriously difficult to get right. Luckily, Eve Nichol’s take strikes the right balance. Her writing is excellent: while Stuart Murdoch’s lyrics are well integrated into the plot. However, certain elements feel underdeveloped, and the ending screeches to an abrupt halt. (Deborah Chu) Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, until 26 Aug (not 12), 3.45pm, £16.50–£15 (£15.50–£14). ILLEGAL ●●●●● The topic of migration feels like a nuanced way to address the rise of nationalism and though the sum can’t quite live up to the isolated moments of drama, Jess Phillippi’s incorporation of the challenges of her own lived experience of relocating to Scotland as a single woman feels uncomfortably close. (Adam Bloodworth) Underbelly Cowgate, until 25 Aug (not 12), noon, £10–£11 (£9–£10).
IVANKAPLAY ●●●●● Over an hour-long monologue, McLean Peterson delivers a tirelessly committed performance, mimicking Trump’s daughter’s mannerisms and intonation in a way that is impressively creepy. She may as well actually be on stage: this show may seem narrow in outlook, but it feels expansive and constantly rich. (Adam Bloodworth) Underbelly Cowgate, until 25 Aug (not 14), 1.50pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). LADYBONES ●●●●● While the portrayal of mental health – in this case OCD – has advanced in the last decade, the genre is now taking on a distinctive set of tropes and structures, rendering personal experience as an uncomplicated narrative through illness to redemption. Charming and quirky, with a winning performance,
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Ladybones falls too easily into a familiar and generic narrative pattern. (Gareth K Vile) Pleasance Courtyard, until 26 Aug (not 12, 19), 11.25am, £9–£11 (£8–£10). LIKE ANIMALS ●●●●● Peter the dolphin is used to draw upon the true case of a 1960s study undertaken by Margaret Howe Lovatt, during which she had sexual encounters with her dolphin subject. Through dreamlike ‘human’ scenes and laughter-inducing animal imitations, the show examines emotional attachment in its most oppressive form. (Becki Crossley) Summerhall, until 25 Aug (not 12, 19), 2.15pm, £12 (£10).
LONG PIGS ●●●●● Dark, blood- soaked, and amusing, Long Pigs is the ideal Edinburgh circus act. Set in a strange abattoir filled with creaking instruments and ominous shrieks, three little pigs undertake a strange task: to rid the world of every red clown nose. Part Burke and Hare gothic, part ridiculous physical theatre. (Anahit Behrooz) Assembly Roxy, until 25 Aug (not 7, 12, 19), 7.30pm, £14–£16 (£13–£15).
LOVE (WATCHING MADNESS) ●●●●● Based on performer Izzy Kabban’s own experience with her mother’s bipolar disorder, SpeakUp Theatre’s one-woman show investigates the complexity of growing up with a mentally ill parent. Despite being slightly underdeveloped, the analysis of the subject is a commendable aim. (Katharine Gemmell) Pleasance Courtyard, until 26 Aug (not 18), 11.35am, £10 (£8). A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DROLL ●●●●● When Cromwell banned theatre, it went underground into pubs and taverns, with bawdy updates of the shows like A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is a rewarding glimpse into a barely remembered form, which led directly to music hall and stand-up. But
it could do with more unbridled energy to make it compelling. (David Kettle) Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 26 Aug (not 13), 10.45am, £8–£9 (£7–£8). NEARLY HUMAN ●●●●● It’s hard to see Nearly Human, from London-based progressive brass band Perhaps Contraption, as theatre. But surrender yourself to the radiant harmonies and slick choreography, and you’ll get swept up in their abundant energy. (David Kettle) Pleasance Dome, until 26 Aug (not 13), 11.50am, £9–£12 (£8–£11).
PATHETIC FALLACY ●●●●● Vancouver-based performer Anita Rochon created Pathetic Fallacy as a means of examining humankind’s evolving relationship with the weather. Rochon’s decision to absent herself implicitly points the finger at the arts community, forcing us to examine our own contribution to the current climate crisis. This is especially resonant at a festival on the Fringe’s scale. (Deborah Chu) CanadaHub @ King’s Hall, until 25 Aug, 5pm, £11 (£9).
PINK LEMONADE ●●●●● The narrative follows Mika, as they uncover their transmasculine identity, navigate through the micro-aggressions that come with being a person of colour, and pick apart toxic expectations of masculinity: a crafty introspective on gender, sexuality and race, that marks a triumphant Fringe debut for a dynamic young artist. (Katharine Gemmell) Assembly Roxy, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25 Aug, 3.45pm, £10 (£9). PHOENIX ●●●●● Phoenix is an ambitious one-man musical with a fun concept and a lot of hard work. Andy Gallo plays Ash Phoenix, a wannabe rock’n’roll star who is suddenly landed with the responsibilities of fatherhood. At times likeable, funny, and sweet, overall Phoenix doesn’t quite hit the right note. (Anahit Behrooz) Pleasance Dome, until 26 Aug (not 13), 1.20pm, £10–£13.