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S E E E D I N B U R G H F E S T I V A L . L I S T . C O . U K I N F O F O R M O R E
✽ HITLIST THE RAPE OF LUCRECE Irish chanteuse and Edinburgh favourite Camille O’Sullivan performs Shakespeare’s tragic narrative poem through a potent mix of song and storytelling. ■ Royal Lyceum, 473 2000, 22–26 Aug, 9pm, £10–£30.
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It’s So Nice Energetic piece about Mary, Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I. See review, page 66. Institut français d’Ecosse, 225 5366, until 24 Aug (not 18 & 19), 4pm, £10 (£8). The List Powerful production of Jennifer Tremblay’s dramatic monologue. See review, page 72. Summerhall, 0845 874 3001, until 25 Aug (not 20), 2pm, £12 (£10).
Bravo Figaro! Funny and moving family portrait from Mark Thomas. See review, page 69. Traverse Theatre, 228 1404, until 26 Aug (not 20), times vary, £18–£20 (£13–£15).
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Boy in a Dress Third-gendered, ginger beauty La JohnJoseph makes a show- and-tell of the idea that all identity is a performance. See review, page 67. The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 558 7272, until 26 Aug, 4.20pm, £10.
Bullet Catch Rob Drummond recreates magic’s riskiest stunt in a stunning show that quickens the pulse but is also quietly profound. Traverse Theatre, 228 1404, until 26 Aug (not 20), times vary, £17–£19 (£12–£14).
The Trench Fringe regulars Les Enfants Terribles dazzle Gulliver’s Travels Bold adaptation of Swift’s
with their immaculate show recreating the grim realities of war through drama and music. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 27 Aug (not 25), 1.10pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11). satire from Romanian director Silviu Purcarete and the Radu Stanca National Theatre of Sibiu. King’s Theatre, 473 2000, 17–20 Aug, 9pm (matinee 19 Aug, 2.30pm), £12–£30.
StageWHISPERS
LEWIS BARLOW’S CLOSE-UP MAGIC Despite being a magician, I’ve never experienced the urge to saw anyone in half. Instead, my passion is for close-up magic, where impossible things happen to ordinary items within reach of the audience.
Here are four of my favourite effects, each one requiring over ten years of concentrated practice. Signed Bill in Orange A signed bank note is burnt on stage, before reappearing inside an orange that has been held by an audience member since the start of the show. I don’t touch either the note or the orange, and, as with all of my work, there are no accomplices involved and nothing is prearranged. Coins Across Although extremely difficult, this effect is beautifully simple. Four coins are borrowed, then vanish and reappear, one by one, inside a spectator’s closed fist. Full Deck Stacking A new pack of cards is mixed and examined by a spectator. With just one shuffle, I first deal myself a winning poker hand, then reveal that the entire deck is back to perfect order. I am aware of less than ten people in the world, including myself, that are able to perform this feat. Impossible Prediction An effect from my latest Edinburgh Fringe show in which I ask a random spectator to think of a telephone number. Not only do I determine that number, I reveal that I had predicted their own telephone number before the show began.
Magic is often diluted by unnecessary razzmatazz, but my philosophy is to create and perform effects without smoke, mirrors or stooges that are so strong they speak for themselves. ■ Lewis Barlow: Return of the Close-Up Magician, C Nova, 0845 260 1234, 19–27 Aug, 8pm, £9.50–£11.50 (£7.50-
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