Festival Radio Project 2009 : Week One Reviews |
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Here are a selection of reviews of Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows, written by the participants of Week One (10th - 14th August 2009) of Media Education's Festival Radio Project. REVIEW: Quest'Quest'Venue: Musical Theatre @ George Square *** The show we attended was 'The Quest, performed by University of Warwick Musical Theatre. This show proved to have some pleasantly suprising elements. This theatrical musical was performed in a small lecture theatre venue in Edinburgh University buildings. The story ran as follows: in a magical kingdom inhabited by humans and elves there is trouble brewing, the king of the humans and the king of the elves must reconcile their differences before the kingdom is destroyed. To prevent this destruction the king must send his three daughters away which is where the show gets it's name. Supporting the plot, dancing and acting of the show was a very competent five piece band who shared a stage with the cast. They played an interesting hybrid of rock and classical music which had heavy echoes of Disney musicals and pantomime. The small but engaged audience consisted of adults and twenty-something year old students who reacted with delight to the many gags and catchy songs in the performance. The Quest would definitely appeal to adults wanting to take their kids to a light-hearted but well-assembled piece of musical theatre. As for our opinion of the show, we probably wouldn't be looking for a repeat performance as it's duration was a bit lengthy and the delivery would definitely appeal more to kids. The show runs from August the 7th to August the 16th at the Musical Theatre venue in George Sq. REVIEW: Flhip Flhop'Flhip Flhop: Everything Happens On The Break'Venue: Zoo Southside The show we picked for our review was 'Flhip Flhop: Everything happens on the break' performed by the Rannell Theatre Company. The reason for choosing this show was it seemed like an unusual and possibly exciting production. The best way to describe the show would be that it is a kinetically-charged mix of psychical comedy, musical trickery and dance. The Zoo is an old- style school building in which the audience was seated in a hall of the building on temporary seating . Basing the performance in such ad hoc surroundings seemed to benefit the show and the pair who performed it used this to build a rapport. The plot was simple: two bored painter decorators indulging in goofy antics, rifling through their bosses record collection and having a not-so-subtle dig at each other. Their use of everyday items and musical gadgetry was inventive and entertaining. It was a broad selection of ages, from children to the more mature who attended this show. Although initially cautious the audience really warmed to the show and reacted with delight to the duo's tomfoolery. We would recommend this show for people of any age who wanted to see a fun, energy-filled show and particularly fans of new psychical theatre. This production will be running at The Zoo Southside Venue from August the 9th to August the 31st. REVIEW: Home'Home'Venue: Zoo Venues Reviewer: Sally It is the second year at the Fringe for Theatre Oikos. This year's offering is a moving and engaging piece looking at the concept of home. What makes a home and how people build new lives when they move away from the place they call home. HOME follows the story of one particular immigrant in Britain today and draws comparisons with immigrants from the past. The story of HOME is told through narrative and physical theatre. The company have created a very aesthetically pleasing performance set to music, which invokes emotion in the audience. As I watched the performance I thought about my own home. Being an English immigrant in Scotland I felt that the performance spoke to me about the nature of immigration and it acknowledged the outsider in all of us. This is an interesting, thought provoking piece that tells a story of an issue that is perhaps more relevant today than it has ever been. In a world where migration is a part of our global society, most people have or will experience what it is like to live away from home and to establish a home for themselves. Ultimately is there any place like home? Is home where the heart is? What does home mean to you? Why not see the show and let Theatre Oikos explore HOME with you. REVIEW: TwentySomething'TwentySomething'Venue: Laughing Horse @ The Hive Address: 15-17 Niddry Street ***** 'TwentySomething’ an excellent new comedy written, directed and performed by six very talented actors who all glowed throughout the performance. Performed in a dingy nightclub ‘The Hive’ I was very surprised by the overall feel I had, it was not at all how I expected to feel. The play set in a bar where a meeting of 6 former friends took place, all characters were struggling with life in general and just wanted to forget their friends and carry on with their own lives, the characters were all completely different with all conforming to stereotypes from the ‘toff’ to the ‘hippy’ to the ‘geek’ and to the ‘lesbian’. All throughout I couldn’t stop thinking why the company had not charged for the tickets because I can guarantee that people would definitely pay for this fresh new show. The cast were very strong and enthusiastic and I particularly liked the character of Michael who was a gay hairdresser, he was hilarious and reminds me of a very close friend of mine who weirdly enough is called Michael. I really enjoyed this piece and look forward to seeing them in the future! A definite 5 stars from me. Well done! REVIEW: Cool Cutz'Cool Cutz'Venue: C Cubed Address: Brodie's Close, Lawnmarket Cool Cutz was an outstanding production by the Lincoln company. This is more for a younger audience, this production is sure to have you rolling off your seats with laugher. The soundtrack was a very good variety of songs. All four characters on stage were naturally gifted and realistic to their profession. I really enjoyed this performance and definitely recommend it to others. REVIEW: Fat Club - The Musical'Fat Club- The Musical'Venue: C Venue Address: Chambers Street Reviewer : Jordan Dawn French meets Broadway. “Fat Club” the funniest new comedy on the block. Take 5 fatties struggling with their bulging weight, they’ve all tried every diet and have failed. Its time to join Fat Club. Bonnie, the over the top team leader, is on a mission to beat fat, she fears fat. This musical comedy from the start will have you gasping for air due to the laughter. Each song, all original and hilarious, will be sure to leave you “hungry” for more. A must see, a great giggle in a great location. REVIEW: RealiTV'RealiTV'Venue: The Spaces on the Mile @ The Radisson Reviewer : Joe and Nicola ‘RealiTV’ gone too far? Does the world’s obsession with reality TV need to stop right now? This clever piece of theatre shows ‘Big Brother’ contestants competing, not for money but for a life supply of medical treatment! ‘Medical Treatment’…I hear you say. Is this the sort of viewing we all have to look forward to? 3 contestants all with individual problems- kidney disease, infertility and AIDS compete to win treatment by completing a number of tasks for EVIL ‘Big Brother’, also the presenter known as ‘Fifi La Fox’. Trickery, Lies and Embarrassment are all the measures which this make believe show tries to inflict on the remaining contestants, all in aim of rocketing viewing figures and the big bonus for its Davina McColl nemesis. The story also reflects on the powerful message, which the actors are trying to communicate. Although a serious production, there are many moments of humour, which creates a feeling of ease throughout the theatre, particularly at the nasty arguments the characters have under the pressure of living in the house. This play is not real life, but will audiences in the future find reality shows like ‘Realitv’ entertaining? Walking out of the theatre the audience leaves with a number of questions in their minds, creating reactions and leaving effects on the viewer, something WACtheatre company certainly achieves with ‘Realitv’. Certainly worth a look! REVIEW: Don Carlos'Don Carlos'Venue: Sweet Grassmarket Address: Apex City Hotel Reviewer : Joe Positioned in an empty hotel room (literally), this classic piece of theatre by Schiller featured a student cast telling the story of Don Carlos who betrays his father King Phillip of Spain by lusting secretly for Queen Elizabeth, the wife of his father. With complex language it was clear that the young cast understood the concepts of this challenging piece of theatre. One particular moment to remember was the sound of the fire alarm lasting around five minutes, fortunately the cast carried on unfased by this event (an event which in my opinion was the most interesting part of the show). Unfortunately, this play failed to engage me and with such complex dialogue I feel that the actors failed to show much expression and to use a range of tones, which could have made it easier to comprehend for those who are less intellectual. With modern costumes and the use of mobile phones, I failed to see the link between the modern visual and the old language. Well done to the cast who tried their best with such a difficult piece. Definitely for those who feel entertained by bland, dictionary language with little emotion or direction. REVIEW: Cafe Amour'Cafe Amour'Venue: The Space @ Venue 45 Reviewer : Jade The show was about a woman who worked in a café and it was all about her past lovers and a man who she has just met. The show was hard to understand and got really boring with just the one actor. There was good acting but it was to confusing with the two voices played by one person. There was a lot of space on the stage that was not used and the movement got really boring. The costumes were very poor it did not look like they put any work into the costumes. The music and sound was different but well done. The show was putting off with the sound and music person how she was on stage and singing on stage if she was behind the curtain it would have been better and not so annoying. The show was also late starting. Overall I did not thing this show was very boring and I would not go see it again. REVIEW: Baba Yaga Bony Legs'Baba Yaga Bony Legs'Venue: Sweet Heart Reviewer : Sally 3BUGS Fringe Theatre presents a Russian folktale about a witch with iron teeth, a beautiful young girl, her evil stepmother and a scary forest, all told in the dark. Sounds intriguing? Well, the reality was so much more than I had imagined. This creative piece is a feast for all five senses. Before entering the space the audience were given brown bread and gooseberry jam, which we were told was ‘All part of the experience’, and I was reminded of Alice In Wonderland. After eating the bread we were led two by two into the space by torchlight and like Alice through the looking glass our journey had begun. The performance was thrilling. The audience were surrounded by noises and feelings. There was a complete breakdown of the boundaries between the performers and the audience, as they touched us, blew on us, whispered in our ears and shouted in our faces. They enveloped us in things that we could touch, splashed us, and wafted strange and wonderful smells all around us. There were moments when the performers turned on their torches and once again we could see. In these moments the actors created powerful physical images and then again we were plunged back into the darkness. The company have succeeded in creating an awesome piece of theatre that takes the audience on a very unexpected journey. It made me feel excited and nervous. I laughed and felt scared. All my senses heightened, I was on the edge of my seat and loving it! REVIEW: Losing Susan'Losing Susan'Venue: The Spaces @ Royal College of Surgeons Reviewer : Jade Z Theatre Company are performing Losing Susan on from the 10th to the 20th of august at space at the royal collage of surgeons at one o'clock. Imagine a member of your family like your mum or your dad becomes forgetful and starts to not remember who you are. Losing Susan explores the effect of Alzheimer’s on a family. It tells the story about a mum of three and the impact on her children. It shows just how much can change in such a little space of time. Starting from forgetting how many to put in her husbands tea to not recognising her eldest face In a photo album the story follows the hard decisions Susan’s family have to make like putting her in to a home, but in a way it brings the family together. The acting was excellent, a lot went into the acting and that’s what made the show so believable and come to life. The costumes were just perfect for the characters ,the chorus was useful to have and worked well. It was clear that everyone in the show put a lot of effort into it and it was easy to understand what it would be like having someone with that illness in your life. The show helped me understand more about Alzheimer's. Overall the performance was superb. Losing Susan was brilliantly performed and I would recommend it. REVIEW: And Then He Said...'And Then He Said...'Venue: Diverse Attractions Address : Riddle's Court, Lawnmarket Reviewer : Sally 'And Then He Said…' an awful lot of boring, poorly acted rubbish. It is not often that you can say that the programme for a show is more interesting than the performance itself. Although black and white it has pictures of the cast rehearsing, a synopsis of each of the scenes and biographies of the cast, producer and director. If it hadn’t been so dark it would have come in handy as reading material to pass the time. The idea behind the performance was to take a 'sideways look at the brief encounters we have every day'. With no script the actors improvise a series of chance meetings in various settings. The concept is an interesting one, it was a shame that the cast did not deliver, and it felt more I was watching an amateur dramatics group mid workshop. There were a few humorous moments within the show, mainly due to the appearance of Lucien a flamboyantly dressed gay man selling 'Titillating Tit Ticklers' and on reflection that was probably the funniest thing he said, and I’m guessing that wasn’t improvised. So if you are looking for a place to catch a nap after lunch then this could be the show for you. If you’re in search of thrilling theatre and inspirational art then keep looking. REVIEW: Vision'Vision'Venue: Sweet ECA Address : Edinburgh College of Art ** 'I saw a light a pale blue light' If your are confused by this then you know the feeling after watching this musical. After a very energetic start you start to wonder whether you have inadvertently stumbled into the wrong show. The description in the fringe program bares no resemblance to the show what so ever. While it promises '17 rock and pop songs as, Punks Goths and Chavs.' the only thing that resembles this slightly is the priest. That dressed as a punk leaves the audience puzzled what the relevance is to the priests character. The performers were very good and highly talented but seem to have been let down by poor direction. Having an orcastra on stage as well as too many performers made the stage seem small and cramped. The poor use of stage, which lead to the performers during dance numbers banging into each other, took away the ability that the performers clearly had. If this show had been staged at a bigger venue then it would have worked and wowed audience with the casts true potential. Overall, the shows true potential was not reached due to the poor direction. This show gets two stars based solely on the performance of the cast. REVIEW: Lucky Dip'Lucky Dip'Venue: C Venue Address : Chambers Street Reviewer : Jordan and Alix **** A fresh new comedy, which looks at a competitive couple who find love in the strangest place. THE BATH! The cast of 3 create a splash - with their eccentric characters owning the stage. This fast and raunchy production will be sure to have you rolling off your seats with laughter, not to mention the pumping 80’s soundtrack, which complemented the overall production. A must see, well worth the time. A 4 star production. REVIEW: Crave'Crave'Venue: C SoCo Address : Chambers Street Reviewer : Nicola and Lisa ** Royal Holloway Theatre presents Sarah Kane’s ‘Crave’, this is performed at C.soco on Chambers street. A very slow production that involved four actors all of whom were strong and enthusiastic, all actors showed great potential however the production as a whole lacked a clear knowledge of how to keep an audience entertained. From my understanding the play was set in a diner this was made crystal clear by the set overall the only part for me that I truly interpreted. With help from the interesting flyer I understood that the characters involved were faced and challenged by there “ turbulent past” and “ tormented future” however, without the help from this flyer I would have been lost literally. The production being that of a poetic nature made it extremely hard to follow throughout. This style was uninteresting and very bland with no scene changes or any movement between the characters. By the end of this 1hr 15minute production I felt relieved that it was finally all over. The play as a whole was hard hitting and very depressing due to the actors’ style of dialogue, but without being fully able to grasp the concept of the story I was unable to enjoy it fully as I am often known to enjoy a great drama. Overall I would rate ‘Crave’ directed by Tasmin Bell 2 stars only because the set was powerful and the actors gave it their all. REVIEW: Myriad'Myriad'Venue: The Zoo Address :140, The Pleasance Reviewer : Lisa ***** Collisions Dance Company, a relatively new group which formed early in 2008 by a very young talented man David Beer. Performed at The Zoo, the Pleasance, and this venue although slightly small was just perfect for this cast of dancers. Myriad the title of this production meaning a number of different elements, this title could not have been suited more. The performance was made up of ballet and modern contemporary that told the story of the struggle for escapism. The cast of three dancers performed without stopping for fifty minutes, which amazed me, as all throughout the performers were strong, enthusiastic and utterly fantastic. As an ex-dancer myself, I often find it hard to watch company’s perform so well as I am known to get a little jealous as I no longer dance myself but with this performance I felt that it was a privilege to be watching it. All three dancers were unique in their style but that is definitely what made the whole thing special. All were very dedicated and had put a lot of time and effort into the show, with one of the girls telling me later that she had cancelled her holiday in the sun to come and spend three and a half weeks in the not so sunny Scotland!!! If you are studying dance or are interested in dance at all you would be silly to miss this inspirational performance. For me it is without doubt 5 stars.
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