Monthly Archives: August 2015

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2015 – Card Ninja

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Time for another mix of comedy and magic with Javier Jarquin’s Card Ninja show. Let’s read the blurb: “Back due to popular demand, multi award-winning comedian Javier Jarquin returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Card Ninja, a riotous and dazzling display of comedy and card stunts. Following his journey from mild mannered card player to silent assassin using playing cards as weapons, Card Ninja is a one-man comedy show with upbeat humour and smooth audience interaction for anyone who’s ever wanted to be a little bit Ninja.”

Mrs Chrisparkle and I saw Mr Jarquin at one of our Screaming Blue Murder nights in Northampton and he was great entertainment – and, loving a bit of magic as I do, I vowed that we would try to see him again when he had his magician’s hat on. So this production, 15:45 at Sin (great name) on Cowgate, is the perfect opportunity. Hopefully after three quite meaty plays we’ll be ready for some sleight of hand hilarity. It’s not a long show, so check back around 4.30 to see if his magic is as good as his stand-up! The next preview blog will also be available to read too.

Update:

Amazing skill and loads of turtle power! Fast and funny and he’s lethal with those cards. Great fun for all the family. Ninja!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2015 – Births, Deaths & Marriages

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Time for the briefest of lunches and to meet up with our Northampton friends Mr & Mrs Flying the Flag, who have been touring Scotland and the North, and who are joining us for a feast of Fringeyness for the rest of the day – they won’t know what’s hit them! Their first exposure to the Fringe will be Births, Deaths & Marriages, a co-production between Ipswich’s New Wolsey Theatre and People You May Know (who are actually people I don’t know). This is apparently what it’s all about: “Four young people, four big decisions… one long night! Adult life isn’t working out for them and if they don’t do something about it they might be stuck forever. Trapped in the life they thought they wanted, hoping it gets better, but not really doing anything about it… Like planning how you’d spend the lottery jackpot when you didn’t even play. A call to action for a lost generation from the company that produced the triple award-nominated Party Piece (TotalTheatre.org.uk, Stage, Holden Street Theatres). Time to grow up and take charge.”

Personally, I’m not sure growing up and taking charge is all that it’s cracked up to be. Still the play sounds intriguing, and a lot of what I have read about it suggests it’s going to be riveting theatre. It’s on at 14:00 at the Pleasance Courtyard – Pleasance Above, so check back after 3pm to find out how we all got on, and also see what our next show is going to be!

Update:

Clever, funny, rewarding little play with loads of interweaving threads that come together very satisfyingly. Not sure Ipswich comes out of it that well! Great performances from a very confident and skilful cast – and I really liked the use of video! Recommended!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2015 – A Little Respect

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A Little Respect has already received some real rave reviews from its performances at the Brighton Fringe in May, and I confess, I am really pleased I booked this one! It sounds like that rare combination of a tight exciting script and fantastic acting. Here’s the blurb: “Following two critically acclaimed years at the Fringe, A Little Respect is Hungry Wolf’s 2015 offering. Irreverent and dark, A Little Respect is a sexy little thriller filled with intrigue, waspish one-liners and homoeroticism. What first appears to be a traditional piece of situation comedy quickly becomes something sharper and more sophisticated. Stolen kisses, adolescent cruelty and cyber revenge keeps you guessing until the final thrillingly hilarious scene. Fresh, spiky and funny, A Little Respect is a shot in the arm for Fringe theatre. ‘A massive highlight of Brighton Fringe’ ***** (WhatsOnStage.com).”

Hungry Wolf Visionary Youth Theatre is, according to its website, “a new generation of youth theatre for Sussex’s most promising acting talent aged 15-21 years”. But what really impressed me was this extract from the review in “The New Current”: “A Little Respect is a game changer in how Youth Theatre in the UK can be done. Hungry Wolf have made a decision to treat their young company as mature adults which has in turn given them the tools they needed to excel in a show that is as hard and challenging as it is filled with some of the best one liners you’re going to hear.” The show is on at midday at TheSpace @ Surgeon’s Hall – Theatre 2 (so it’s nice and close to our first show today!) Please check back around 1pm to hear our instant reactions, and to see what’s coming up next. Really looking forward to this one!

Update:

That was just brilliant! A clever, funny, moving play about bullying and how to deal with it. It should be compulsory viewing for everyone. Superbly acted too. Everything you could want from a play about bullying and much more. Ovation material!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2015 – Real Life Becomes a Rumour

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10:00 in the morning is a bit early for breakfast on holiday, let alone seeing a play, but with any luck at least one of us will make this one! Real Life Becomes a Rumour is a new play courtesy of the White Box Theatre Company. Here’s the blurb: “In a new pitch black comedy, three ‘salesmen’ reunite in a shabby apartment in the middle of nowhere. What begins as a light-hearted affair soon turns into a much darker occasion, as the three men’s jovial discourse becomes tinged with threats and aggression. Soon an unexpected fourth guest arrives, an ambivalent figure who raises the tension even further. The audience watches as a game of one-upmanship cascades into a wild power struggle, as more of each character’s shady past is revealed.”

Sounds intriguing! I’m hoping for some good meaty morning drama and maybe a few neat twists. Writer Tom George and director Joe Taylor make up half the cast and it will be interesting to see their commitment to the performance – I’m sure it will be great! The show is on at TheSpace @Surgeon’s Hall – Theatre 1 and lasts an hour so check back shortly after 11.00 to see how we got on, and what our next show will be.

Update:

An intriguing little play, involving gangsters, murder and charades, so not without its fair share of black humour. Convincingly performed with some neat twists and a nicely ambiguous ending.

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2015 – Piff the Magic Dragon – Breakfast at Piffany’s

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So I’m going to copy and paste from the first paragraph of my previous blog as it suits the same purpose, mutatis mutandis! OK so this is another of the productions that breaks my rule about only booking shows in Edinburgh that we can’t see back home in Northampton, because Piff the Magic Dragon has played our beloved theatre in the past and hopefully he will again – but we haven’t yet had the chance to see him, and Piff the Magic Dragon – Breakfast at Piffany’s fitted perfectly into our busy schedule, so it was a no-brainer!

Gosh, writing blogs is a piece of cake. I remember seeing Piff on TV and I thought he was hilarious – it was on that programme where the magician had to fool Penn and Teller. I’m pretty sure Piff passed the test. I love his down-in-the-mouth sullen expression, like he’s really having the most miserable time. Here’s the promotional blurb: “What do Shania Twain, David Copperfield and Penn & Teller have in common? They’ve all had Breakfast at Piffany’s, and this year you can too. Direct from Las Vegas, Piff the Magic Dragon and Mr Piffles return to the Fringe with new tricks, old snacks and sweet, sweet prizes. ‘The right amount of wrong’ (Las Vegas Review Journal). ‘Jaw-dropping … An hour with Piff is priceless’ **** (List). ‘Piff the Magic Dragon steals the show. A stand out act’ (Metro). ‘A complete mastery of his craft’ (Scotsman).”

Shamelessly lifted from his website, this tells you some more about the show: “Part magic show, part game show, part cry for help, Breakfast at Piffany’s sees Piff split the audience into teams to fight for points and prizes, and along the way witness incredible magic tricks, delicious snacks, surprise special guests and epic thumb wars.” Sounds – well – magic, really. The show starts at 22:40 at Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows, and I can’t wait. If you’re still up, check back around midnight for our instant reactions – and you can also find out how tomorrow morning’s shaping up for us.

Update:

Well I was advised earlier by a friend that Piff didn’t in fact fool Penn & Teller but it doesn’t matter much. He is a great magician and his sullen, deadpan act makes him the Jack Dee of the magic world. I found the structure of the show slightly annoying – being split into teams who gained points in the most random method, and at times the backing music was unbearably loud and distracting. But it’s all very funny and very clever, not to mention highly surreal. A very enjoyable way to end the day!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2015 – Nina Conti: In Your Face

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OK so this is one of the productions that breaks my rule about only booking shows in Edinburgh that we can’t see back home in Northampton, because Nina Conti has played our beloved theatre in the past and hopefully she will again – but we haven’t yet had the chance to see her, and Nina Conti: In Your Face fitted perfectly into our busy schedule, so it was a no-brainer!

Here’s the blurb: “She’s won a British Comedy Award, stormed Live at the Apollo, Russell Howard’s Good News, Sunday Night at the Palladium, and made a BAFTA nominated film – all without moving her lips. Nina creates a new show each night by plucking inspiration from the audience. Strap into the mask as Nina gets in your face. With the help of Monkey and a bag of tricks, truly anything can happen in this unmissable improvised adventure of hilarious witchery. ‘Uproariously hilarious’ **** (Scotsman). ‘Nina Conti is a genius’ (Mirror). ‘A gem … funny, poignant, novel’ (Guardian).” I’m not sure if we’ve actually seen her before – I may have seen a brief appearance on a TV show but it was some time ago, so we’re going in to see her “fresh”, as you might say, with no preconceptions about what the show will be about, apart from the fact that it features puppets and I expect it to be very funny! And if it’s going to be fully improvised, just bouncing off what the audience chucks at her, it could be astonishing! Actually I have a feeling the audience might play a considerable part in this show… (hashtag awkward)

The show is at 21:00 at Pleasance Courtyard – Pleasance One and lasts an hour so check back shortly after 10pm to see how it all went – and to discover where we will be for our final show of the day.

Update:

Nina Conti, what a star! This is a really inventive show where the audience become the puppets. Daniel, a German actor, Chelle and Mark on honeymoon, Andrew and Justin, BA air stewards, were all made to do ridiculous things in front of a packed audience. She is amazingly quick witted – and hilarious. Sound issues, when we heard interruptions from other frequencies only made it funnier. Brilliant show!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2015 – Trygve Wakenshaw: Kraken

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I’m hoping that after the seriousness of the previous play Trygve Wakenshaw’s one-man Kraken performance will jolt us back into a good mood! Here’s what the blurb says about it: “Last year’s multi award-winning, critically acclaimed total sell-out returns. From award-winning Gaulier trained clown comes Trygve Wakenshaw’s physical comedy, KRAKEN. Beautifully strange stream of consciousness idiocy. Best Comedy: Adelaide Fringe 2015. Best Comedy: Perth Fringe 2015. Time Out Top 10 Shows 2014. Edinburgh Underbelly Award 2014 ‘Delirious and surreal’ ***** (Age). ‘Blissfully funny’ ***** (Time Out ).”

There’s not a huge amount to go on there, and even though I’ve also seen the video trailer I’m still left a little in the dark. Mr Wakenshaw looks like a young Terry-Thomas (well, a bit) and it looks as though he keeps us entertained with physical comedy and mime. This is an interesting sentence from his website: “Trygve takes the audience from fun with unicorns, to sword-swallowing, to snake charming, weight-lifting, beatboxing, self-boxing, and the birth of a baby elephant.” That’s some feat of engineering. OK I’m ready for some boxing. The show starts at 18:00 at the Underbelly Cowgate (Belly Button) and if I haven’t been head-butted by a unicorn, I’ll be back with my instant reaction shortly after 7pm. Check back to find out what our next show is too!

Update:

I’m not sure I’ve ever spent an hour in the company of a mime before but Trygve’s show is heaps of fun! I loved how he jumped from tangent to tangent, and the inventiveness of his interaction with the audience was brilliant. Tip: get in the queue early (unlike us) as the venue isn’t great for this type of performance – the rake is quite shallow and you need a clear view to appreciate everything he gets up to! Really enjoyable!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2015 – The Solid Life of Sugar Water

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Well there’s a play title to conjure with. What on earth can The Solid Life of Sugar Water refer to? I’ve seen an interview with the author and I suspect it’s going to have a rather sweet and sour meaning. In the meantime, here’s the blurb: “’It’s not like riding a bike. Sex. It’s far more complicated.’ Phil and Alice are in love – familiar, flawed, ordinary love. Phil and Alice are on a journey, but this journey doesn’t have an A to Z. Tender and compelling, this world premiere from award-winning playwright Jack Thorne is an unsettling play about loss and love. Jack Thorne recently adapted the cult Let the Right One In for the stage, while for television his credits include Glue, Skins and Shameless. All performances include audio description and creative captioning.”

So one thing’s for sure – the play is written by an accomplished author. It’s also co-produced by the Graeae Theatre Company and Plymouth Theatre Royal so it has an excellent pedigree. Described by the author as a play about recovery, I think this is going to be hard-hitting and difficult, and I’m expecting both of us to need access to some Kleenex before it’s over. But there’s only one way to find out, and I am expecting this to be a very high quality production. It’s on at 16:00 at the Pleasance Dome – Queen Dome, and please check back again around 5.30 for our instant reactions. We’ll also have the preview blog for our next show available.

Update:

That was a very powerful play. Beautifully staged, delicately written, tackling immense subject matter head on in a very raw way. I loved how it challenges the assumptions made by two people in a sexual relationship, and I thought how it showed their relationship “journey” was completely charming. Hard-hitting, but really worth it – and two very moving performances too.

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2015 – Gurpal Gill: India’s Strongest Man (1982)

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If you know us from any other part of life then maybe you are aware, gentle reader, that Mrs Chrisparkle and I are big fans of India – it’s our favourite travel destination. And when I saw the photograph of the slightly (dare I say it) scrawny Mr Gill as India’s Strongest Man it instantly made me laugh out loud. Here’s the blurb: “The highly anticipated Fringe debut from London comic Gurpal Gill. Expect elegantly interlaced character comedy, stand-up and film as he unravels the heroic story of India’s Strongest Man (1982) and the pathetic story of Gurpal Gill (2015).”

Sounds like a delightful juxtaposition of strengths and weaknesses. Mr Gill is new to us and I am looking forward to seeing for myself how he creates a comedy routine from this setup. I can tell he’s a quirky comic – he has a twitter account and has promised never to tweet – you follow him for his silence. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a considerable amount of surrealism to his act. We will find out when we see him at 13:00 at Just The Tonic at the Mash House – Attic, and I will let you know how we got on when the show is finished, around 2 pm. Come back so you can also see what show we’ll be off to next.

Update:

The show is a blend of India’s Strongest Man and what he did next, contrasted with Mr Gill as he is today. He is very good at getting the audience on his side and encouraging us to laugh at the vain ridiculousness of his comic creation, but he’s at his best when he’s just Gurpal from Reading, talking about the ordinariness of his life. A naturally very funny guy, who chops and changes the content of his show, depending on how he feels! You may have read some very negative online reviews – I would say, if you think this is the kind of show you’d enjoy, trust your own judgment. We thought it was quirky and funny, and you can’t ask more than that!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2015 – Macaroni on a Hotdog

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And already it’s Wednesday! Our first show today (19th August) is the slightly gut-wrenching-sounding Macaroni on a Hotdog. Here’s what the promotional blurb has to say: “Everyone has a wedding disaster story, this family has 50. Inspired by true events, one actor plays six characters in this cringeworthy one act. Weenies, weddings and wipeout! The fun in this family is in the dysfunction. A sell-out, top 10 show at its debut in the Minnesota Fringe, reviewers judged it a must-see. One actor, six characters and lots of laughs. Five-star reviews for Sandra Thomas’s last appearance in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, (The Property Known as Garland, 2012).”

I’m not sure the title and the synopsis really go together, but I suspect there’ll be some grossing-out involved somewhere along the line – or else the photograph is misleading too. I rather like her description on her Facebook page: “Sandra Thomas stars in a one woman show, Macaroni on a Hotdog. A stunning performance full of lust, loss and lots of noodles.” Sounds like the perfect pre-lunch show! It’s on at 11:35 at TheSpace @ Surgeon’s Hall – Theatre 3, so I’ll let you know whether it satisfied the soul or gave us indigestion when I feedback instant reactions around 12.45. By then the next preview blog will be up and running for you to peruse too!

Update:

That is one very funny little play! Sandra Thomas does a great job with all the different characters and there were a few scenes where I was literally shaking with laughter. Beautifully written and highly entertaining – definitely one to see!