LIST.CO.UK/FESTIVAL REVIEWS AT A GLANCE FESTIVAL THEATRE
And the Girls in Their Sunday Dresses ●●●●● Two women (brilliantly played by South African comedians Hlengiwe Lushaba and Lesego Motsepe) find themselves waiting endlessly in a queue to buy rice from the government. Despite being their differences, circumstance kindles a friendship between them and that, in turn, engenders a spirit of defiance. Princess Mhlongo has updated the 1970s-penned play for the post-Apartheid era, so its criticism of government failing the less fortunate and its rallying cry to subjugated citizens now has universal resonance. (Miles Fielder) Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 27 Aug, 1.30pm, £14–£15 (£12–£13). And They Played Shang-a-Lang ●●●●● If a semi-autobiographical jukebox musical about salad days in Scotland sounds grim Derek Douglas’ nostalgia fest is surprisingly good fun. Amateur company Craft Theatre’s 15-strong cast perform with such gusto and evident enjoyment that you can’t help but give in. It’s more of a skit-night and mass karaoke session than a musical per se, but Liam Rudden’s production has a tumultuous comic brio, with a cast you just want to be part of. (Matt Trueman) The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 558 7272, until 26 Aug, 12.50pm, £10 (£8). Angels ●●●●● Iain Robertson is mesmerising as Nick Prentice, arrested on suspicion of murder and damned in the eyes of the investigating detective by the ‘incriminating’ evidence of some pornographic fan fiction involving Nick and Scarlett Johansson. Beneath his vivid recreation of the events leading up to the cat-and-mouse game in the prison cell, playwright Ronan O’Donnell makes perceptive points about alienation and the life of the mind, all in an astonishing register, whose earthy naturalism belies some striking poetry. (Allan Radcliffe) Traverse Theatre, 228 1404, until 26 Aug, times vary, £17–£19 (£12–£14). An Appointment with the Wicker Man ●●●●● The National Theatre of Scotland’s play-within-a- play, which depicts the Loch Parry Players attempting to bring their latest masterpiece to the stage is a purposefully preposterous production that parallels the events of the famous film. There are a couple of missteps: some of the comedy is too broad and, while the final song is a fun way to end, narrative-wise it is a mistake. But An Appointment with the Wicker Man never pretends to be anything but populist theatre and as such it’s a success. (Henry Northmore) The Assembly Rooms, 0844 693 3008, until 26 Aug, 3.10pm, £16 (£12). As Ye Sow ●●●●● Stewart Pringle’s ghost story follows protagonist Clifford (Jeffery Mayhew) as he adjusts to life in a retirement home. Are the ominous noises and flickering lights the imaginings of a confused old man or is there something supernatural at work? The cast is a bit hesitant at first but ultimately there are strong performances from everyone involved. Combined with the clever use of lighting and sound they build the tension, creating a world where darkness lurks beneath a veneer of civility. The final reveal will leave you gasping for breath. (Henry Northmore) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 27 Aug, noon, £10–£11.50 (£8–£10). Call Me! ●●●●● The interweaving lives and loves of three single girls and one new couple come together to create a scarily accurate portrait of dating in the modern world. The action jogs along, although the piece switches suddenly from an amusing exploration of the number of different media on which one can be rejected in today’s society to a trite conclusion. There’s just enough wit to keep proceedings from slipping into bland sentimentality. (Kirstyn Smith) Sweet Grassmarket, 243 3596, until 26 Aug (not 25), 10.10pm, £7.50. Clinton the Musical ●●●●● Brothers Paul and Michael Hide tell the story of two Clintons here – one the promiscuous, randy Billy, the other the more socially conscious William Jefferson Clinton. The engaging, talented ensemble makes good use of a relatively small space to sing, dance and guffaw their way around the highs and lows of Clinton’s outrageous (mis)fortunes. The Hillary, Lewinsky and Ken Starr- inspired laughs come thick and fast. And while some of the dialogue is a little hit and miss, the show’s catchy songs and first-rate performances hint at a show with great potential. (Anna Millar) Gilded Balloon, 622 6552, until 27 Aug, 1pm, £10 (£9). Comedian Dies in the Middle of Joke ●●●●● It’s November 1983. In a dingy London comedy club, the derided Joe ‘Pops’ Pooley is about to die on stage. Literally, at the end of a bullet. But this is no ordinary Fringe play, as the roles of the fictional crowd and the comic himself are taken by the actual paying audience in short bursts as each table moves round to recreate the same scenario over and over again. Joe’s routine is flashed up on an autocue at the back of the room with ‘performers’ being instructed by the play’s writer- facilitator Ross Sutherland not to try and make his material funny. It’s unclear what the aim is here: the core idea is hardly original and it seems like a lot of effort to go to in order to show critics that making people laugh is a tough gig. (Brian Donaldson) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 27 Aug, 2.30pm, £9.50– £10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). Confessions of a Grindr Addict ●●●●● Felix is getting ready to go out for a date. For a long time he’s relied on meeting guys via Grindr, for not much more than, well, you know. What follows is a series of anecdotes about where Grindr can lead, from awkward encounters with male prostitutes to a surprisingly charming evening with a foot fetishist. The show too often feels like listening to a drunk, neurotic friend who keeps boring on about their failed romances. Nevertheless, Felix does occasionally brighten into rather sweet optimism, he’s genuinely likeable and the show also tentatively manages to explore the impact of technology on modern relationships. (Charlotte Runcie) Assembly Hall, 623 3030, until 27 Aug, 9pm, £11–£12 (£10–£11). Dickens’ Women ●●●●● Miriam Margolyes’ show is a more-or-less chronological biography of Dickens, interspersed with dramatic extracts portraying the characters that his real-life encounters with femininity inspired. If it’s a little too lecturing at times, Margolyes’ presentation is good-humoured and engaging, as well as balanced: she has no delusions about Dickens’ chauvinism. It would be nice to see a little more of the twinkle in Margolyes’ eye, but nevertheless this is an appealing 90 minutes in the company of a true pro. (Laura Ennor) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 25 Aug, 2.30pm, £16–£17.50 (£14–£15.50). The Fantasist ●●●●● The visionary- idealist-romantic of the title is a French woman who is tormented by her bipolar disorder. The hallucinatory bright highs and the dark depths the troubled protagonist experiences are given dramatic representation through an innovative combination of physical theatre and puppetry. Unfortunately, these visually striking sequences are not matched by the straight dramatic scenes that connect them, which are poorly scripted and perfunctorily performed. (Miles Fielder) Underbelly Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 27 Aug, 12.25pm, £8–£9 (£7–£8). Good Grief ●●●●● Gone Rogue’s likeable, funeral-set musical might start
off in a subdued atmosphere of deep sorrow, but by the end of the show most of the mourners have ended up half naked, high on hash cookies or reeling from shocking family revelations. Using a family gathering to expose simmering tensions has been done many times before, but this is still great fun, creatively foul-mouthed and full of nice touches – from a horrendously irritating voicemail recording to a sex-mad French teacher. The plot meanders but on the whole it’s an hour of delightful schadenfreude. (David Kettle) C eca, 0845 260 1234, until 27 Aug, 12.15pm, £7.50–£8.50 (£5.50–£6.50). Hand Over Fist ●●●●● Joanna Bending is devastatingly effective as Emily, an eerily child-like pensioner struggling to recount the events of her past as her memory of it slips away. In this one-woman show, Emily tells the story of a fateful night in the 1950s three times. The audience must pay close attention to connect up her intricate misremembering into a clear picture of what happened and why it was so fateful. Details of this beautifully textured play continue to click into place long after the show has ended. (James T Harding) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 27 Aug, 1.55pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10). How to Start a Riot ●●●●● Mark Duggan’s death at the hands of the police sparked four days of violent disorder and looting all over England. But, as Worklight Theatre point out, flames don’t spread without fanning. Michael Woodman, performing alongside Joe Sellman-Leava and Callum Elliot- Archer, has clearly had his worldview turned around by recent events and the soft-spoken 23 year old has started to question the state’s benevolence and perspicacity. The real beauty of How to Start a Riot is watching that embryonic thought process unfurl itself. (Matt Trueman) theSpace @Surgeon’s Hall, 0845 508 8515, until 26 Aug, 7.05pm, £7 (£5). Man 1, Bank 0 ●●●●● Patrick Combs certainly has a good story. Better still, it’s true. A young man, with a sea of credit card debt, deposits a $95,093.35 junk mail cheque into his local bank, as a prank. But the joke is on the branch when they accidentally cash it. The story’s David and Goliath aspect provides a powerful tool as Combs encourages his audience to experience every emotional high and low with him. It could easily have been shaved back to an hour, but there’s more than enough here to keep us entertained. (Anna Millar) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 26 Aug, 5.15pm, £10.50– £12.50 (£9–£11). A Midsummer Night’s Dream ●●●●● In detention with Mr Goodfellow, seven secondary-school pupils are forced to perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream. However, the school setting is quickly dropped, forgotten for a bog- standard staging. London-based Custom/ Practice’s production works only as an introduction to Shakespeare’s play – and even then, lacks the fun and invention to turn anyone onto his work. The text is recited rather than embodied. There is one exception: Mr Goodfellow himself, played with real rhythmic flair, both physical and vocal, by Lanre Malaolu. (Matt Trueman) Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 27 Aug, 4pm, £14–£15 (£13–£14). My Elevator Days ●●●●● What do we leave behind in an ever-changing world? The old man in front of us will never get the 19 million Google results of Grace Kelly, with whom he shares a birthday. Given his borderline hermitude, can he even hope to linger in someone’s memory? Following his dog’s death, he’s left with only an elevator for company. Gentle and sage, Bengt Ahlfors’ play rambles around, fraying towards the end, but it’s a pleasurable and soothing
diversion that never loses sight of harsh reality for cutesy smaltz. (Matt Trueman) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 27 Aug, 12.30pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Poe’s Last Night ●●●●● Dawn of the Dead actor David Crawford is not at his best as a rather fidgety Edgar Allan Poe, seemingly unsure of his blocking and avoiding eye contact with the intimate audience. Asking for feedback at the end of the show, Crawford becomes noticeably more likeable; I sense the performance will rocket when he is happy with the material. but those looking for an introduction to Poe should go elsewhere. (James T Harding) Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 477 7007, until 26 Aug, 1.15pm, free. Rémy ●●●●● Set in the year 1825, Claire Gaydon’s play opens with the protagonist, a member of Napoleon’s now fallen Grand Army, imprisoned in a cell. Rémy recalls his adventures as a soldier, but he also brings to life various ‘experiences’ he has imagined himself to be present at, such as his appearance at the storming of the Bastille. It’s a bittersweet, and often very funny, account of the power of the imagination and the pull of hero worship. (Miles Fielder) Paradise in The Vault, 510 0022, until 27 Aug, 5pm, £7 (£5). Simple Matters ●●●●● This international troop of clowns present mime and physical comedy and, though skilled, grossly misread the audience to a less than comedic effect. Relying on ‘volunteers’, interaction that could work with a boozy, up-for-it Saturday night crowd comes across as aggressive in the face of a small lunchtime audience. Two skits stand out: a strong-women routine showcasing some excellent contortion skills, and a witty little love story involving an apple and a bed of nails. The few bits that work aren’t enough to enliven a dull hour of audience harassment. (Suzanne Black) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 26 Aug, 1.30pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10). Strong Arm ●●●●● Finlay Robertson’s solo show – which he writes and performs – is a brave, no-holds-barred examination of just how far we’ll go to better ourselves, slickly directed by Kate Budgen and with a pacing that’s swift and sure. Robertson’s performance is strong throughout, and his language is a pleasure to hear. But we feel so little emotional connection with his enigmatic central character that it’s hard to fathom what Robertson’s underlying message is. Nevertheless, it’s a fine and thought-provoking show. (David Kettle) Underbelly Cowgate, 0844 545 8252, until 26 Aug, 4.10pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10). Tenderpits ●●●●● Tenderpits is ostensibly autobiographical but it’s hard to make out Anthony Johnston’s story amidst all the screaming, wanking and singing. Johnston speaks with animals, dresses up as the Little Mermaid and talks about sex. A lot. The bare facts just about make it through. We discover Johnston was born in Canada, moved to New York and found life tough. He has also suffered real tragedy, losing his sister and grandmother. It feels like he is using theatre as therapy and makes for an extremely alienating production. (Miriam Gillinson) Underbelly Cowgate, 0844 545 8252, until 26 Aug, 9.30pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). Unhappy Birthday ●●●●● Amy Lamé’s Unhappy Birthday is less a show than a Dadaist happening, and from the moment the audience sidle in, bedecked in party hats, into her venue, we are just as much a part of the show as the birthday girl herself. If you’re not a fan, you’ll still be intrigued by Lamé’s near mental breakdown, and if you are the anecdotes, music and insider references will keep you delighted. Wonderfully smart and disturbing, in the best possible way. (Kirstyn Smith) Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 26 Aug (not 20), 23 Aug–20 Sep 2012 THE LIST 139