LIST.CO.UK/FESTIVAL Are You Happy Now? ●●●●● First-time Fringe writer and director Sam Wright brings us a pessimistic two- hander about dysfunctional relationships. Mark Booth and Mark Jeary flit between the stories of two gay couples on the outs. The cast make an admirable attempt to convey the emotional intent of the piece but are let down by melodramatic dialogue and fussy staging, creating a confused result. (Suzanne Black) Kiwi Bar @ Walkabout, freefringe.org.uk, until 27 Aug (not 22), 2.30pm, free. Belt Up’s Twenty Minutes to Nine ●●●●● This young company continue their commitment to fine storytelling in this solo piece documenting the unresolved history of an embittered woman (who may or may not be a famous literary archetype), inviting the audience into her secluded world to hear ‘a piece of marvellous gossip’. The actress gives a compelling performance of fine-tuned malice, but an uncertain audience-actor dynamic and the ultimate irresolution of the tale render this somewhat too opaque. (Siân Hickson) C Soco, 0845 260 1234, until 29 Aug, 5.45pm, £10.50–£12.50 (£8.50–£9.50). Brotherly Love ●●●●● Two very different brothers are all grown up but still harbour resentments in this hour- long play. Tensions are high and voices loud throughout but it feels uncomfortable, like walking in on an argument between people you barely know. Special points for spotting Jay’s dad from The Inbetweeners. (Lauren Mayberry) Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 667 7533, until 28 Aug, 5pm, free. 4.3 Miles From Nowhere ●●●●●● Young company Fine Chisel claim A Winter’s Tale as an influence on their Fringe debut, although with two sets of teenage lovers and a Puckish meddler lost in the woods, A Midsummer Night’s Dream also looms large. There are absolutely no dramatic stakes at all here, but the performances are good and a brilliant live folk band is woven cleverly in. Remember their name: they’ll go on to make great work. (Kirstin Innes) Zoo, 662 6892, until 29 Aug, 3pm, £8 (£7). Free Time Radical ●●●●● After a massive flood wipes out London Jensen (Tom Frankland) seeks refuge in the flat of his rescuer Ali (Sébastian Lawson). Amidst a creatively interactive set the duo muses on surfing, relationships and their place in the world in an often physical, wryly humorous evocation of one man’s mid-life crisis that falls short of expectations for a group of theatre makers with such previous good form. (Suzanne Black) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 28 Aug (not 23), 1.10pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11). From the Fire ●●●●● There is some formidable talent at play in this tightly directed show, telling the story of New York’s Triangle Factory Fire of 1911, in which hundreds perished due to poor working conditions. Although set 100 years ago, the themes resonate today, as the women sing of long hours, little pay and the unforgiving liberties taken with immigrants desperate for work. (Anna Millar) Zoo Roxy, 662 6892, until 20 Aug, 10.30am, £10–£12 (£10).
Reviews at a Glance {THEATRE}
I, The Dictator ●●●●● One can’t help but reflect that Romuald Wicza- Pokojski’s production which speaks of Charlie Chaplin’s (Krystian Wieczynski) encounter with Hitler’s henchmen while he struggled for money to complete The Great Dictator, loses a little in translation from its original Polish. For all that, it’s an enjoyable one-man performance with a fascinating story to tell about the collision between politics and art. (Steve Cramer) New Town Theatre, 220 0143, until 28 Aug, 2pm, £10–£12 (£8–£10). James Galea: I Hate Rabbits ●●●●● It’s not that the titular magician’s sleights of hand aren’t impressive – indeed, Galea’s use of false explanations as further misdirection is inspired – but the pick-a-card and ball- and-cup variety of trick he favours is not far removed from what you might see from a Royal Mile street magician, and that’s without having to shell out over a tenner. Add to this Galea’s overbearingly wide-eyed and chirpy stage persona, and it feels as if the magic is elsewhere. (Niki Boyle) The Playhouse at Hawke & Hunter Green Room, 0844 871 3014, until 29 Aug, 7.30pm, £11.50–£12.50 (£10.50–£11.50). Jus’ Like That! ●●●●● Eschewing a biographical narrative, this show about stage magician and comedian Tommy Cooper simply recreates his final performance in all its balmy, cheeky glory. It’s a crowd-pleasing celebration of the utterly unique variety show talent, and Clive Mantle does a terrific job of impersonating him. And, rather than glossing over Cooper’s death on stage, the show embraces it and keeps its audience laughing. (Miles Fielder) Assembly Hall, 623 3030, until 29 Aug, 5.30pm, £14–£15 (£13–£14). Lol ●●●●● A middle-aged housewife, lonely spinster and posh man-eater find they are romantically involved with the first woman’s husband via a dating site. Rosalind Adler gives a lively performance as all three from her own text, with some touching humour in this suburban comedy. We have, however, seen this kind of piece for a decade, and no new ground is broken. (Steve Cramer) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug, 12.55pm, £8 (£6.50). Paper Tom ●●●●● From the trenches of the First World War to the conflict in Afghanistan, Paper Tom (which moves back-and-forth between the two) asks how far British society has come in its treatment of soldiers when they return home scarred psychologically by battle. Straight-forwardly written, variably acted and using often dubious mime and visual effects, it is, nevertheless, a clear and effective piece of issue-based theatre. (Mark Brown) Hill Street Theatre, 226 6522, until 29 Aug (not 24), 12.30pm, £8.50 (£6). Phillipa and Will Are Now In A Relationship ●●●●● A university relationship is tracked via a Facebook wall-to-wall, read aloud by actors backed by a screen with dates to contextualise comments. This is comedy which could be related to by anyone who has ever repeatedly refreshed a profile page that was not their own. (Lauren Mayberry) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug, noon, £7–£8 (£6–£7). Rose ●●●●● As a vehicle for Art Malik’s powerful and practised acting skills, this oblique drama about a father and daughter’s troubled relationship is strongly successful. His daughter Keira, however, is quite shrill when playing a child. But the play’s theme of identity takes so long to emerge fully that at times the show seems a little directionless, despite the taut structure and stylish staging. (David Kettle) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug , 5.25pm, £13.50–£14.50 (£12.50–£13.50). Scottish Sperm ●●●●● Smartly scripted and well performed, Scottish Sperm concerns three young Americans and their interweaving relationships. The lightning-fast deadpan delivery keeps things progressing at a steady clip, but the play’s strength is also its major failing – the characters are so articulate and highly-polished that it’s near impossible to develop any lasting sympathy with them. And that title is truly awful. (Niki Boyle) theSpace @ Jury’s Inn, 0845 508 8387, until 27 Aug (not 21), 6.40pm, £4 (£3). The Sexual Awakening of Peter Mayo ●●●●● This is sex for a generation of awkward Brits who relate to Mark Corrigan more than they might like to admit. Quirky characters and quick-fire dialogue are let down only by technical gaffs with house lights, not to mention backstage staff who talked during several scenes. (Lauren Mayberry) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug, 2.45pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7–£8.50). The Star Child ●●●●● Fairytale fun and a cautionary but light tale about the dangers of vanity from nimble young ensemble Tell Tale Theatre, who have created a sweet piece of storytelling theatre, marred only by the odd bit of stilted delivery. In a small space they effortlessly conjure myriad scenes through a combination of winningly original prop use and elegant physical set pieces. (Laura Ennor) Udderbelly’s Pasture, 0844 545 8252, until 29 Aug, 11.40am, £8–£9 (£7–£8). Tales from Edgar Allan Poe ●●●●● Those familiar with Poe’s ‘The Raven’ may be amused at Backhand Theatre’s proud boast that Sir Derek Jacobi voices the titular bird, who speaks only two words (albeit repeatedly). ‘The Raven’, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ are the rather terrifying ghost stories on offer here, told with (occasionally over-emphatic) vigour and energy. (Niki Boyle) C ECA, 0845 260 1234, until 29 Aug, 10.45pm, £9.50–£11.50 (£7.50–£9.50). Tea with Queenie ●●●●●● This tiny-audienced show (Queenie can take a maximum of three for tea) takes you right into the messy home and mindset of an old lady who lives by herself. There’s no getting away, no matter how uncomfortable she makes you. Although it could benefit from a dramaturg, this is a very moving tragic-comic piece, with some very decent cake. (Kirstin Innes) Greenside, 557 2124, until 27 Aug (not 21 & 22), 3.30pm, £6.50 (£5).
Tonight Sandy Grierson Will Lecture, Dance and Box ●●●●● Genealogy combines with a cultural and political history of the modern world and some benign audience participation in this charmingly imperfect play. From a drum and bass club in Lisbon in 2010, it traces the (quite literally) unbelievable 123-year life of Grierson’s ‘great grandfather’, Arthur Craven. The conceptual script doesn’t always convince, but Grierson’s performative magnetism leaves a deep impression. (Mark Brown) Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 28 Aug, 7.50pm (22 Aug 9.45pm), £13 (£12). The Tour Guide ●●●●● A real Edinburgh tour bus, a real leaflet with a route map and all the sights, a real MacTours uniform, and an actor playing a tour guide who’s going off the rails. But the ripe potential of having an audience who are more or less literally captive – not to mention transportable – could have been better exploited, and the emotional storyline feels stale and clumsily handled. (Laura Ennor) Departing from Market Street, 226 0000, until 28 Aug (not 22), 6.15pm, £14.50 (£12.50). Translunar Paradise ●●●●● Backed by accordion and voice, two dancers play out a relationship using only actions and mime, covering courtship, pregnancy, miscarriage and the after effects of war. A moving and evocative portrayal of the pain of bereavement, highlighting how romantic truly requited love can be. (Lauren Mayberry) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 29 Aug (not 23), 3.40pm, £9.50–£10 (£8–£9).
Two Johnnies Live Upstairs ●●●●● What starts out as an innocuous tour of the family home with a charming French guide slowly descends into a look at an increasingly bizarre world. Encounter a different bunch of eccentric characters in each nook and cranny as reality and madness are intertwined in the disturbed mind of a man for whom onions – and Sean Connery – are everything. (Kirstyn Smith) Institut français d’Ecosse, 225 5366, until 26 Aug (not 20 & 21), times vary, £10 (£8). The Wright Brothers ●●●●● An interesting subject is given lively treatment in this show about American bicycle manufacturers-turned-amateur aviators Wilbur and Orville Wright’s conquest of the skies. The story of their protracted attempts to construct a powered flying machine and fly it on the desolate sands of Kitty Hawk is infused with an appropriate sense of wonder. What’s lacking is the recreation of the exhilarating experience of the actual flight. (Miles Fielder) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 27 Aug (not 21), 1.30pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10). Young Pretender ●●●●● Nabokov Theatre’s Young Pretender starts off in excellent form with witty dialogue and a fast-paced breathless delivery, portraying a naïve Bonny Prince Charlie holding on to idealism while on the cusp of failure. Even with well-written material and a talented cast, the production is unfortunately let down by a performance that fails to engage the audience, and ends up seeming like an exercise in dramatic parrying. (Tammy Le Vasan) Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, until 28 Aug, 4.40pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50).
18–25 Aug 2011 THE LIST 75
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