fGStival 69m _ 8pm
*****
OEALER’S CHOICE
Patrick Marber‘s gatne used to be stand-up comedy. Dealers Choice reveals a stronger suit: he's a spectacularly good playwright.
As you'd expect from
the gambling theme. Dealer ’s Choice is about winners and losers. risk- takers attd bluffers. But Marber — who also directs this Royal National Theatre production — plays his hand craftily. His characters are really bidding for their identities attd relationships.
An excellent. all-male cast deal out the laughs at the beginning: the ace up
Wagers of sin: Dealer's Choice
Marber‘s sleeve is to raise the darkness stakes steadily. while still comittg up trutnps as a joker. The smart money says it'll play to a full house. (Andrew Burnet)
I Dealer’s Choice (Fringe) Royal National Theatre. Fringe Club (Venue 2) 226 5 I38. until 28 Aug. 7pm. £8.50 (£7.50).
A helter skelter history of music from ' Amadeus to Abba, Bach to Bohemian Rhapsody - World Class musicianship meets
Marx Brothers clowning.
WED 7 - SAT 3T AUG
oAOPM VENUE 33
COMEDY MANIAC MUSIC GURU
HANS LIBERG
’ABSOLUTELY SENSATIONAL
A WORD OF MOUTH SELLOUT AND DESERVEDLY SO.’
THE SCOTSMAN l995
PLEASANCE 9,131.55 .5559
**
NORMAN LOVETT
Sitting itt Norman Lovell's sllow is like being in the pub with someone you kttow really well. l‘le‘s witty. good company and he makes you laugh. Sotttetimes.
But there's a feeling that if you weren't sittittg here. you might be ltavmg a better tittte somewhere else. The laid-back. tangential character he adopts doesn't help.
lint Rt’l/ /)tt'ur/ falls. interest is added by hittts that he'll be returning to the series. ‘l‘m not allowed to say anything - all the characters have been sworn to secrecy. There must be a clue iii what I'm sayittg.' says Norman. who played Holly the computer. More of a chat than a comedy show. (Stephen 1 'aysmith) I tlorman lovett (Fringe) Norman Lovell. Cafe Royal (Venue -l7) 556 254‘). until 3l Aug tttot l9). 7.30pm. £0 (£5).
llovls Presley: teels like the genuine anlcle
follows is often funny. insightful and touching. The backbone of Presley's show is a collection of tightly-written poems. crammed with witticisnts. twists and glorious one- litters. Hovis is a big John Cooper Clarke fatt attd it shows. The highlight. however. must be his impressions. ‘()rvi|le sings the Sex Pistols' is a real treat. This is raw talettt. ttot polished. but in spite of the rouin edges it feels like the genuine article. (Catriona Craig) I Poetic Ott-licence (l-ringe) Hovis l’resley. The Moscow Bar (Venue l()3) 556 (i375. until 3| Aug. 7.30pm. £4 (£3).
*‘k‘k
HASPUTIH: THE HOLY DEVIL
Hull University's 7. Theatre Company are back at the Fringe with a new operelta cltarting the rise attd fall of Rasputin — ‘a poet. a healer. . . sometimes a chastity stealer'.
Whilst the original tnusic is adequately performed by a string quartet. the songs seem
Norman lovett: llolly hinter
tit
beyond the range of the cast's voices and. with the notable exception of Debbie Standage's Clill'llltl. they all labour ovet' the complex lyrics — first night nerves'.'
An entertaining and brief production nevertheless. And if stage make-up is anything to go by. then Bela Lugosi is ttot dead. bttt ittstead is
HOVIS PRESLEY - POETIC OFF- LICENCE
Hovis Presley shuffles on stage and adjusts his glasses. He looks like a big kid who's jttst been dragged iii to see the dentist. Appearances are deceptive. though: what
D U N DE E BOXOFFICE R t-. l’ 'I‘ it t, \ l R t. 01382 223530
DEMARCO IN DUNDEE Bridging the gap batween Edinburgh. Dundee. Scotland and the Baltic
13 - 17 AUGUST, 7.45PM
DZE YA?
The Belarus State Theatre Company “Slavonic theatre differs... Improvisation is an art... a pleasure to watch... countlessly finely observed touches of charicature and detail "
The Scotsman ‘95
'I‘II'KI'L'I Uith ( '()\( SJ II ICSI)\\ I3 H (il SI- \|.|. Il('I\I- IS (3
playing the tttad tiiottk. (Alan Crawford)
I Rasputin: Ihe llon Devil (Fringe) 7. Theatre Cotttpatty. Soutltsitle (Venue 82) (it)? 22l2. until 24 Aug (ttot 20) 6pm. £4.5()(£3.5()).
****
GRAHAM HORTON
Seeing Norton iti l-‘ot/u'r 727/ or ('urmt/ Know/edge will do little to prepare you for the live experience in Assembly's aptly named \Vildman Room. Camping it tip outrageously iii a vile blue suit. the self-styled Spernt-i‘yleister of gay comedy tells it as it is in a show that will have prudes mortified itt seconds.
The wonder of it is that even while he's being horribly (aitd hilariously) filthy. the air of an angelic cltoirboy still hangs about hint. leaving us with the improbable feeling of having witnessed a warnt evening of family entertainment by the end. Go. attd prepare to be caressed . . . (Marc Lambert)
I Graham Norton (Fringe) Assembly Rooms (Venue 3) 226 2428. until 3| Aug. 7.55pm. £7.5()/£8.5() (£(i.5()/£7.5()).
* t v: THE WOW SHOW
The Wow Show have been liketted to the Crazy Gang and the Marx Brothers. However. neither comparison goes even halfway towards explaining the unnatural four-way marriage that exists between these insanely funtty men. who cavort like children denied adult supervision for far too long.
Their show could be once-in-a-lit'etime funny or slightly llat. It just depends on how they are feeling. Typically. they only return to the rehearsed script after every other avenue ltas been explored. The result is a hysterical and risky plunge into mania. but it is delinitely a risk worth taking. (Catriona Craig) I The Wow Show (Fringe) Assembly Rooms (Venue 3) 226 2428. until 24 Aug. ()pttt. £8.5(l/fi7.5() (£7.5()/£b.5()).
Rviw tar rtin
Witt
Unmlssahle Very good i it t Worth seeing it it Below average it You've been warned
40 Tlte List me: Aug WW» I