Mr Jones, Greenside @ George Street.
Next year it will be 60 years since the Aberfan disaster, when a coal tip slip engulfed the village of Aberfan, trapping the village’s children in the school and taking 144 lives including 116 children. I am too young to remember it, but my parents, and all the adults of my childhood memory, would talk of it in hushed, sad tones and grim sadness. Liam Holmes’ brilliant new play, Mr Jones, tells the story of the disaster but from a different angle; that of a survivor coming to terms with the loss of a brother. The play offers us three different ways of dealing with the grief; escaping from the community, retreating into a silent shell, and bravely trying to continue as best one can. Immaculately written, with a genuine feel for the love of a small community, and superbly acted by Mabil Gwynne as Angharad and Liam Holmes himself as Stephen, this stunning play is truly emotional but superbly structured to allow for regular opportunities to reflect and celebrate the humour in everyday life. Mrs Chrisparkle was in tears at the end – and she wasn’t the only one. A must-see highlight of the Fringe. 5 stars.
It’s Gonna Blow, Pleasance Dome.
Pompeii, 79 AD. We’re queueing up to get into the citizens’ meeting to air our grievances and seek the Gods’ blessings – or if not the Gods’, then at least the Mayor’s. With rumours flying around that Herculaneum is being destroyed by fire and earthquake, it’s so regrettable that the mayor is a conspiracy theorist and a climate change denier. Still, when you’ve still got a bottle of Vesuvio Noir, there’s always hope. Once again, Fishing4Chips bring a historical event to life with a cast of four playing dozens of quirky characters – and plenty of audience participation too! Extremely funny and delightfully inventive, this farce is performed at breakneck speed, by the brilliant Yasmine Meaden, Elinor Solly, Sean Wareing and Freddie Walker, who set up a terrific rapport with the audience. Tremendous fun. 4 stars.
Elon Musk: Lost in Space, The Space at Surgeons Hall.
Everyone loves Elon Musk, right? Just listen to the cheers of the crowd as he ascends into outer space! He’s on a mission to Mars, accompanied only by his specially programmed super computer robot, who will keep him on course and in touch with Ground Control. Basking in his global superiority, he’s only too happy to keep the President of the United States waiting; after all, Trump’s only in charge of his little part of the world for four years, but Musk – he’s the world leader for evermore! Still, even the best systems aren’t infallible, and sometimes those robots grow just a little too big for their boots… David Morley’s Elon Musk: Lost in Space is a fun concept and has some great lines; at its best, it’s very funny. However, it’s also remarkably weird, with some anachronistic contributions, including from Sir Patrick Moore (a regrettably poor vocal impersonation), who died in 2012, long before Musk became a household name. Ben Whitehead nicely recreates Musk’s boorish behaviour with a very good physical performance, and Sarah Lawrie is excellent as the robot; even so, listening to a robotic voice, no matter how well delivered, does get tedious over the course of an hour. Some good ideas, and some funny passages, but overall, the rocket never quite touches down. 3 stars.
Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, Underbelly Bristo Square.Is it really bad of me never to have come across the wit and voice of Laura Benanti before? Self-proclaimed one-time Tony award winner, four-time Tony award loser, she brings heaps of personality to her one-woman show, named in honour of her plain-talking older daughter. On her third marriage (this one sounds like a keeper), she has some great stories about making it on Broadway, and how being a people pleaser can take you to places you really shouldn’t go. And don’t mention the perimenopause! With a raft of witty and moving songs, accompanied by her three musicians, Laura brings immense style and sophistication – as well as masses of laughter – to her hour of comedy and music. A perfect comedy cabaret. 5 stars.
The Black Hole, The Space at Venue 45.Ah, those carefree early days of young love, how blissfully enchanting they can be! Two young people, apparently in the early stages of a relationship, are exploring each other’s personalities, as well as their bodies, finding out what each other likes and what they don’t like. They clearly both like whisky – and fortunately, he has brought an extra bottle along. But as the explorations delve deeper, the truth can become hard to take. This is a very intense piece of writing, which could perhaps have benefited from a little more light and shade, but it holds the audience’s attention throughout, and Rosalind Jackson Roe and Vkinn Vats, who also wrote and directed it, give strong, unsettling performances. 3 stars.
Ali Woods: Basher, Underbelly Bristo Square.Ali Woods doesn’t want to boast, but his life is going pretty well at the moment. When you reach the perilous age of 31, and all your friends are getting engaged, there’s a lot of pressure to do the same. This is the sparking point for an hour of terrific comedy reminiscences, including nights on the town with the lads when you’re 18, his strangely intimate relationship with his dad, the sad degeneration of a t-shirt to a pyjama top, and generationally different attitudes to social media. Ali is a lively and energetic figure on stage, with a swift and sure delivery of his meticulously well-planned material. Very likeable and very funny, he quickly gains a confident rapport with the crowd, and his set went down a storm. 4 stars.