Monthly Archives: August 2016

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2016 – Spank! 25th August 2016

Posted on by

For last show on Thursday night it’s back for the second of our three Spankings this year, because, as the saying goes, we love it! It’s at midnight, of course, at Underbelly Cowgate (Belly Dancer) and will be the usual riot of unexpected misbehaviour and gentle teasings.

A reminder of the blurb: “Spank! returns for an incredible 13th year with sexy hosts, awesome comedians and the inevitable gratuitous nudity. With the most exciting comedy and cabaret talent on the Fringe, don’t miss the ‘best wild night out’ (Scotland on Sunday) at the festival! Spank! You love it! ‘This is what the festival should be about’ (List). ‘Legendary party night? Get down there right away!’ (Time Out). Previous acts include Rhys Darby, Jack Whitehall, Katherine Ryan, Josh Widdicombe, Adam Hills and many more! Ages 18+.” Looking forward to seeing our genial hosts again, the incredible Mr James Loveridge and Miss Abigoliah Schamaun, and I don’t expect to be in bed until very late. Check back very late – or maybe tomorrow morning – to find out just how spanklicious it was, and you can also find out about our first show for Friday.

Post-show update:

This was a truly fun-filled Spank, and not just because of the guests! We started off with The Establishment, whom we had seen the day before at The Fainting Couch; then superb Canadian comic Allyson June Smith, making her UK debut Laura Prangley, hilarious Australian David Quirk, Emman Idama, Fraser Geesin and headline act Patrick Monahan. Naked promo was by Ellen who said she did it for fun and to promote good body image; but we later found out it was because her ex was at the same show with a new date! Patrick’s act was like a game show where Ellen (and her friend) got to choose a new date. James Loveridge’s mum and dad were in the audience and his dad was one of the contestants in the game show. You really had to be there!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2016 – Foil, Arms and Hog: DoomDah, 25th August 2016

Posted on by

I’m expecting our next show to be one of the funniest things we will see this year! It’s Foil, Arms and Hog: DoomDah, at White Belly @ Underbelly, 66 Cowgate, at 21:50 on Thursday 25th. Let’s look at the blurb: “Irish comedy, potato, potato, potato, potato, potato, potato, potato, potato, potato, potato, potato, you racist. Ireland’s top comedy trio. Sold out Edfringe 2009-2015. Over four million hits on YouTube. Fringe favourites Foil, Arms and Hog present a delicious blend of bizarre, surreal and hilarious comedy scenes with outrageous characters and unexpected twists. Book early. ***** (Irish Examiner). ***** (Irish Times). ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). ***** (Edinburgh Festivals). ‘These lads are hilarious’ (Jason Byrne). ‘Very funny’ (Rowan Atkinson). ‘An effervescent hour of fast-paced gags, fizzing with energy, invention and great lines’ (Chortle.co.uk). ‘Quite simply, a sensation’ (Edinburgh Festivals).”

Although they’ve apparently been selling out the Fringe since 2009, I’d never heard of them until an Irish friend came to stay for the weekend a few weeks ago and introduced us to their brilliant comedy videos. Very much looking forward to this one! Check back around 11pm for our instant feedback, and by then the preview blog for our final show of the day should be available to read too.

Post-show update:

What can I say about this joyous hour of comedy? The guys are full of fun and present us with several, original, nonsensically funny sketches. More than that – there’s quite a lot of audience participation, so if you sit near the front you may well get picked on, like me… I ended up being: the Ping Pong ball boy, the fourth person in a one man theatrical play, a real live smartphone and Lanyard man! It felt like I was hardly ever off the stage! Fortunately it seemed to go well. I loved it – would happily watch it again! Very funny and highly recommended!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2016 – Another Fine Mess, 25th August 2016

Posted on by

Breaking our usual rules about only seeing things in Edinburgh that we would not be able to see at home, we’re next off to see Northampton’s own White Cobra Productions’ performance of Another Fine Mess at Space 2 @ The Space on the Mile, 80 High Street, at 19:05 on Thursday 25th. Here’s the blurb: “Laurel and Hardy’s slapstick comedy still makes people laugh nearly 100 years after they made their first film together. Their rib-tickling rendition of The Trail of the Lonesome Pine even got to number 2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1975. Theirs was a partnership – and friendship – that lasted a lifetime. In Another Fine Mess, we meet Stephen and Phil, whose tribute act to the duo includes some of their classic sketches. But as they rehearse in the back room of a pub, a shocking revelation from Phil threatens everything.”

We’ve seen these performers a couple of times now, so I’m looking forward to seeing them again in something new; and this sounds like it should be a lot of fun. Check back around a quarter past eight to see how much we laughed, and by then the preview blog for our next show should be available to read too.

Post-show update:

Intriguing little play depicting the real life anguish of three old friends – two of whom form a Laurel and Hardy tribute act – as they come to terms with some bad news… I’ll say no more on the plot front! Richard Jordan and Paul Fowler’s loving interpretation of Laurel and Hardy is delightfully observed with an excellent feel for the relationship between the two and brings back that charming age of vintage comedy. You’ll be singing The Trail of the Lonesome Pine for the rest of the evening! The packed audience gave it a great reception and if you like Laurel and Hardy you’ll love this!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2016 – Harriet Dyer: ‘We’d Prefer Someone a Bit More Mainstream’, 25th August 2016

Posted on by

For our next show we’re going to see a stand-up comic on personal recommendation. The source of the recommendation is a secret, but if we don’t enjoy the show I know who I’m going to complain to! It’s Harriet Dyer: ‘We’d Prefer Someone a Bit More Mainstream’, performed (unsurprisingly) by Harriet Dyer, at OneUpM @ Cowgatehead, 65 Cowgate, at 17:30 on Thursday 25th. Let’s look at the blurb: “As heard on BBC Radio 4 Extra. Harriet has many voices that reside in her head. Some are legendary and some are a big bag of dicks. All of them love 90s tunes, are obsessed with comedy, but are also pushing to be a lone, off the grid wolf. A tricky beaver indeed. ‘A bundle of whimsical hilarity… a breath of fresh air… will have you in stitches’ (BroadwayBaby.com). If you like your comedy inventive, whimsical and full of tender moments, be still your beatingheart this is indeed for you.”

I’m really uncertain what to expect, but simply checking out Harriet Dyer’s website had me in stitches, so I’m optimistic for some top quality teatime comedy. Check back around 6.45 to see how funny it was and by then the preview blog for our next show should be available to read too.

Sorry – this one’s not going to happen. Practicality and tiredness means we have to miss one show, so the one we hadn’t paid in advance for seemed the logical choice. Hopefully we’ll see Harriet on another occasion! Update: Yes we will! She’s appearing at Screaming Blue Murder this season, so we will have the chance to see her after all!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2016 – Flesh, 25th August 2016

Posted on by

Back to the world of dance, and Flesh, performed by Ugne and Poliana, at Studio 1 @ Dance Base, Grassmarket, at 16:00 on Thursday 25th. Here’s the blurb: “Without name, without identity – the body in its physical, sensual nature. Dreamlike, surreal animal shapes appear and vanish, merge and separate. Familiar and unknown images discovered in flesh. In movement, the body is reclaimed and flesh becomes a place of struggle and reconciliation between human nature and animal instinct. Flesh is a duet of volatile and fleeting realities that seduces and mesmerizes.”

Ugne and Poliana’s website is all in Spanish, and the description of the dance is one of those rather ethereal, abstract and ambiguous affairs which means it could be about anything. Check back around 5pm to see if we understood it and by then the preview blog for our next show should be available to read too.

Post-show update:

For us both this was definitely a show of two halves – or maybe three thirds. The first sequence reveals all the contours of Poliana’s and Ugne’s bodies in unusual, muscular contortions, and although it contained very little movement, was really fascinating to observe. And indeed the final sequence showed the two dancers in other unexpected positions, where they seemed conjoined, creating an almost sub- or ultra-human appearance. However the central sequence, that involved the two hurling each other around the stage felt both very repetitive and lacking in charm or artistry. So all in all we enjoyed it, but I would have hoped for something more telling from its narrative.

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2016 – Mercury Fur, 25th August 2016

Posted on by

Next up, what sounds to me to be a most intriguing play. To my shame I hadn’t heard of it before but it sounds full of the challenges I relish from theatre. It’s Mercury Fur, performed by Fear No Colours, at The Main Space @ C Cubed, Celtic Lodge, Brodie’s Close, Lawnmarket, at 13:00 on Thursday 25th. This is from the official website: “In the burning and blood-soaked ruins of London, two brothers prepare a child for sacrifice as their only means of survival. Philip Ridley’s savage masterpiece asks how far we will go for the ones we love.”

Not too much information there, but I’ve done some research and it looks to me like Mercury Fur might resemble an Edward Bond’s Saved for the 21st century? I’m primarily going to see it because we saw both Fear No Colours’ productions of two Sarah Kane plays last year and they were superb. By Edinburgh standards this is quite a long play so check around 3pm to see how it went and by then the preview blog for our next show should be available to read too.

Post-show update:

Just like last year, the thing that impresses me most about Fear No Colours is their ability to create vibrant, passionate and indeed violent theatre in a very confined space with incredible physical control and accuracy. This is a gripping and engrossing production of a play that, personally, I feel isn’t a patch on the Sarah Kanes they took on in 2015. It has a fascinating concept of how you get your kicks in a post-apocalyptic London, and there are some riveting sequences, but on the whole I feel the play is about half an hour too long. It’s also not as eloquent as Edward Bond! Great performances though, and terrific ensemble playing. Not physically gory but you need a strong mental attitude to survive!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2016 – Us/Them, 25th August 2016

Posted on by

Now this one doesn’t sound like it will be a laugh a minute but I think, if sensitively done, it should be superb. It’s Bronks’ production of Us/Them, on at Main Hall @ Summerhall, 1 Summerhall, at 10:00am on Thursday 25th. Let’s read the blurb: “During a hostage drama in a school in Beslan that started in September 2004, the greatest of evils, terrorists, chose the greatest good, a group of children, as their victims. Us / Them is not a straightforward account of this terrible drama, but is about the entirely individual way children cope with extreme situations. With humour and a matter-of-fact approach, it contrasts the views of children with those of adults. Brussels-based BRONKS is one of Belgium’s leading theatres for young audiences. A lightness of storytelling, breathtaking scenography and a strong cast create a thrilling, unmissable theatrical experience.”

I confess it is a long time since I had thought about the Beslan hostage crisis, but such experiences should never be forgotten, so I welcome the chance to consider it again, perhaps from a new angle. Check back around 11.15am to see what we thought and by then the preview blog for our next show should be available to read too.

Post-show update:

Gytha Parmentier and Roman van Houtven bring the school terrorist massacre to life in an exciting and dynamic way, weaving a (literal) spiders web of experiences all round the stage, creating bombs out of black balloons, drawing the school layout on the floor and walls. With elements of “Curious Incident of the Dog in the night time”, and always preserving the simplicity and naïveté of the children involved (giggling at “breasts”, being embarrassed to take their shirts off) this is a most thrilling and riveting theatrical performance. No wonder we saw them receiving two Fringe awards at the end of the show. Certainly my hot contender for Best Play of the Fringe this year. Go if you can!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2016 – Rob Deering’s Beat This, 24th August 2016

Posted on by

Difficult to know how to follow Eurobeat, but this sounds like it will be a lot of fun – Rob Deering’s Beat This. It’s on at The Dining Room @ Gilded Balloon Teviot, Teviot Row House, at midnight on the night of Wednesday 24th. Here’s the blurb: “The live music-based game show and late-night Fringe favourite from ‘brilliant musical comedian’ (Time Out) Rob Deering returns. ‘Employing live music mash-ups and megamixes (not enough of them nowadays) and music trivia, nimble-fingered Deering pits comedians and audience against each other’ (Comedy Central). The festival’s not the festival without Beat This, the perfect end – middle, if you’re that badass – to your evening. New show with four top-notch guests every time. Previous guests include Alan Davies, Gary Delaney, Nick Helm, Miles Hunt, Sarah Millican, Andi Osho, Frank Skinner and Josh Widdicombe.”

So this should continue both the musical and the comedy themes. I don’t think we’ve seen Rob Deering before but I’m expecting him to be damn funny. I’m not bad at recognising music either, especially if it’s pre-1988! Check back shortly around 1.15am to see how well we did (and if we’re still awake!) and by then the preview blog for our next show should be available to read too.

Post-show update:

Well I surprised myself by being the only audience member to recognise the legendary Radar Love by Golden Earring, which won me a “strong audience point”. Happy with that! Our star guests were Matt Green, Tiffany Stevenson, Stu Goldsmith and Tom Allen. I can see how this show has easily attained its cult status, and Rob Deering’s ability to play virtually any tune under the sun on the guitar is simply phenomenal. The gameshow element is fairly loosely structured, and I doubt whether Mr D would have been happy with any of the Eurovision suggestions that kept running through my head. Very good natured fun and perfect late night entertainment for rock aficionados.

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2016 – Eurobeat, 24th August 2016

Posted on by

Hurrah for the return of Eurobeat! We saw the original production three times – once at Milton Keynes, once on its press night in London (get us) and once on a Eurovision fans’ party night. That production starred Mel Giedroyc and Les Dennis and it was exceptionally funny. So we can’t wait for its return, with a brand new set of songs vying to become the winner, and hosted by Rula Lenska and Lee Latchford-Evans. It’s on at The Grand @ Pleasance Courtyard, 60 Pleasance, at 21:45 on Wednesday 24th. Here’s what the website has to say: “An irreverent, hilarious, sequin-soaked celebration of the international phenomenon Eurovision Song Contest. This year’s honour falls to Moldova, a country determined to present a fantastic new glittering contest against all odds. Ten countries compete for the coveted title and you hold the power by voting live to determine the winner at each exhilarating, high-energy performance. The evening is hosted by the glamorous former KGB agent Katya Kokov, and the three-time winner of Moldova’s Got Talent, Nikolae Nikovsky. Both desperate to make this a fabulous night to remember -no matter what it takes. The party just got bigger!”

If this is anything like the previous incarnation of the show, this will be one of the best things we’ll see all year. Check back shortly around 11.30pm to see how brilliant it was (and who won!) and by then the preview blog for our next show should be available to read too.

Post-show update:

This has got to be the most “West End” type show we’ve seen all week, with nothing held back on the costumes and choreography; however, sadly, the backing music was too loud for the voices and Mrs Chrisparkle had difficulty following the lyrics. Ten brand new songs to titillate our European fancies, all hilarious in either word, presentation or both. Eurovision fans will recognise Loreen, Ruslana, Sertab and Jedward (and many more I am sure). For our performance, Norway won with their staggering “We are Vikings” by Hammer of Thor. Wonderful tongue in cheek presentation by the frosty (maybe very slightly too frosty) Rula Lenska and the irrepressible Lee Latchford Evans. Oh and there are some surprising faces announcing the jury scores. Enormous fun!

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2016 – The Fainting Couch, 24th August 2016

Posted on by

So far in our Edinburgh experiences, we haven’t been that lucky on the Burlesque front. Last year we didn’t get to see the show I’d planned, and the year before we saw a show that was complete pants. So we have high hopes for the first of this year’s two attempts – The Fainting Couch, on at Fingers Piano Bar, 61a Frederick Street, at 19:50 on Wednesday 24th. Here’s the blurb: “Welcome to the wonderful world of The Fainting Couch, where high art meets old-school raucous cabaret. Hosted by Scunthorpian songbird Elsie Diamond and featuring burlesque bombshells, opulent opera stars, pornographic poets, cataclysmic comedians and manic magicians. Dare you enter The Fainting Couch?”

Yes, I dare. Here’s hoping for a pot pourri of saucy fun and unexpurgated glamour! Check shortly after 9pm to see if we were wowed and by then the preview blog for our next show should be available to read too.

Post-show update:

Unquestionably vastly superior to the Best of Burlesque show we saw two years ago. The charming, bubbly and sexy Elsie Diamond fronted a superb collection of artistes. Johnny Macaulay dressed as a vampire bogeyman ate some razors; Kim Chaos did a raunchy burlesque strip; posh entertainers The Establishment unnerved us with their audience participation, opera singer Carmen Monoxide planted a smacker full on my lips, and The Creative Martyrs gave us a very austere comedy act – the Flanders and Swann of Burlesque – which included one of them simulating oral sex on me. Ah well, always one to push the boundaries – and Mrs Chrisparkle was last seen removing a stocking from the leg of Miss Elsie Diamond, so all’s fair in love and war. Classy, sophisticated, funny and sexy!