Mandy: Prince of Darkness, Greenside @ George Street.
If anyone has dominated the machinations of the Labour Party over the past forty years, it’s Peter Mandelson. Prince of Darkness, the Dark Prince, we all have our nickname for him; the Machiavellian powerhouse who worked tirelessly to influence Labour’s change of fortunes from the hard Left of the early 80s, to Blair and Brown, and of course his presence is very much felt even today, with his recent role as Ambassador to the United States. And not a thing has ever gone wrong in his glittering career, right? He’s always had immaculate judgment and never been involved in any scandals… oh wait… this is Lord Mandelson we’re talking about; and this show depicts him as an urbane, sincere servant of his country, his only flaw being his excessive humility. Of course, anything untoward has never been proved. Richard Stirling truly makes you think you’re in the room with Mandy himself, with a studied, controlled and thoroughly believable impersonation, with some nice moments of Blair and Brown chucked in for good measure. The show is a genuinely fascinating account of UK politics since the 1980s as seen from the Mandy perspective. A well-constructed narrative written by Stirling contributes to a compelling performance, and you can completely understand how this man could have wrapped political leaders around his little finger for decades. Quietly riveting and thoroughly entertaining. 4 stars.
Just Blokes, TheSpace on the Mile.
Mental health – especially for men – is one of the big, yet easily brushed under the carpet topics of our day, so Tori Kay’s Just Blokes is a welcome contribution to our understanding of the problem. Donny, Daniel, Kylie and Seb share a flat; all of them with their own problems and their own ways of dealing with them. Five minutes in these guys’ company and you quickly see just how easy it is for one person to be the target of bullying, under the guise of banter, by the rest of the group. But it isn’t always the most obvious person who suffers the most. The characterisations are recognisable, and the way they treat the women in their lives, sadly predictable. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, they say, and although this production is far from Hell, the good intentions don’t fully get realised in the writing or performances. Despite having the smallest roles, it’s the women in this production who stand out. The writing is a little clunky at times and the direction needs some fine tuning, but if this somehow helps someone to speak out and ask for help, that’s the best possible reaction to the play. 2 stars.
Christian Dart: GUMSHOE!, Gilded Balloon Teviot.
No police tactic is too excessive for Detective Gummo, as he solves a case of moyder in 1940s New Yoik. A delightful parody of those Philip Marlowe/Raymond Chandler movies, Christian Dart’s outrageously creative Gumshoe! returns for another year – an hour of pure comedy escapism. Given that it’s an intricately plotted one-man show, the element of improvisation within the play is truly impressive. He’s an extraordinarily quick thinker, bouncing off any and everything that the audience throws at him, which makes every performance different. The whole show is brilliantly self-deprecating, ridiculous and hilarious, with an amazing energy level and terrific physical comedy. You could get exhausted laughing – and if you sit in the front, you may well end up involved! A comedy masterclass. 5 stars.
January 6th the Musical, TheSpace Triplex.
What’s this? A musical about the insurrectionists at the Capitol in Washington DC on January 6th? Is that really suitable material for a musical? Of course not. But then this is not a musical about insurrectionists. It’s a show about two wannabe theatre stars who accidentally get caught up in the Capitol riots whilst preparing to break into the famous DC theatre scene on their birthday – yes, they share the same birthday. It’s an easy mistake to make. They’re innocent, naturally, although Patti Lupone calling for them to be blacklisted doesn’t help their career prospects. Jessie Ballard and Kiely Sugayan’s January 6th the Musical is a fresh, funny and energetic show, tinged with Fringe magic. The songs (not that there are many) are tuneful and singalong, the vibe is upbeat and frothy, and the performances are engaging, chirpy, and loads of fun. Its success lies in its charm, and the fact that it doesn’t try to overstretch itself and do too much. Bright, mischievous and thoroughly entertaining! 4 stars.
You Talkin’ to Us?, TheSpace on the Mile.
Exploited by your boss? Forced to work 30 hours a week overtime? Miserably underpaid in poor work conditions? Then hire an out of work lawyer to unionise your workforce! But supposing your job is hard-nosed gangster? Or even soft-nosed? Authentically Productions’ You Talkin’ to Us? has a brilliant, ridiculous central premise and is wittily written by Daniel Sanchez O’Brien. Full of attack and performed with gusto by Arran Hogg, Liam Scobie, Kirsty MacVicar, Daniel John Doherty, and Callum Latham, it establishes a lovely sense of the ludicrous whilst just about hanging on by a toenail in reality. Kudos to Messrs Scobie and Latham for the most devastatingly effective stage punch too! My only criticism is that the voices were a little too loud for the small acting space, but otherwise I recommend it for a good laugh in an unexpected setting. 4 stars.
Robin Grainger: Lemonade, Assembly George Square.
It’s always a privilege to spend an hour in the company of comedy genius Robin Grainger. Having spent many previous shows covering trauma, his new show Lemonade takes all those earlier lemons and makes them into… well, lemonade. Concentrate on the good things in life is his message in this show. In true Grainger style, the show starts gently before building into a giant comedic frenzy – at one stage I was genuinely wiping away tears of laughter. Recollections of pets past and present, trips to the local swimming pool when he was a boy, love for his family and friends, and battles with his robot vacuum cleaner – all perfectly judged and expressed comedic nuggets. I loved how his French Bulldog only speaks in French – c’est bizarre. With his enthusiastic and ebullient stage presence, he always gets just the right level of self-deprecation; as a result, it’s very easy to identify with his stories and experiences. A visit to the Fringe is nothing without Robin Grainger! 5 stars.
