Shellshocked – An Explosive New Play, Pleasance Courtyard.

Another superb production from the team that brought us Jesus Jane Mother and Me last year. Philip Stokes’ gripping and intense new two-hander brings an artistic but vulnerable young man who has seen the horrors of war into the clutches of a creepily authoritarian older man. The young man seeks employment as the older’s apprentice, and has been sent by his mother to impress the “master craftsman” into giving him a job. But jealousy – both professional and personal, and the drive to create a powerful work of art that will immortalise the artist, coupled with the young man’s PTSD following action in the Second World War, all combine to create a mentally unstable battle of wits which has to be resolved one way or another. Strong performances from Lee Bainbridge as the intimidating and prissy artist Mr Lupine, and Jack Stokes as his wannabe apprentice Wesley, desperate for an income to provide for his poverty-stricken family. Full of plot twists and surprises; the production doesn’t really need the occasional incidental music which slightly distracts from the intensity of the text. Nevertheless, a chilling and truly creepy start to one’s Fringe day!

Casting the Runes, Pleasance Courtyard.

You could hear the proverbial pin drop all the way through this superbly atmospheric and chilling supernatural thriller; an adaptation by Box Tale Soup of M. R. James’ original 1911 short story. Noel Byrne plays Professor Dunning, the smugly confident lecturer who can explain anything supernatural as trickery and deception; and Antonia Christophers plays Rebecca, the sister of  John Harrington, who recently died from a freak accident. Desperate to warn Dunning that his life is in danger, she tries to convince him that Karswell, a mysterious man who has been trying to get Dunning to publish his work, was involved in the death of her brother – who had published a review critical of his work. But will he listen? Stunningly acted, and slickly presented, with a beautifully versatile set; and some truly expressive puppets playing the many other roles that weave in and out of the story. A gripping play that never lets the tension subside and has you on the edge of your seat throughout. I was hooked on their every word! Simply magnificent.

Glitch, Assembly George Square.

Edith Alibec acts out her own smartly written monologue about a young woman who attends a school reunion, the starting point for her getting back in touch with old contacts. Over the course of the next hour we learn about her loves, her attempts to earn a living, her friends present and past; and primarily her mother, who has always fascinated our heroine because she wears a false breast due to her mastectomy. It’s a rather sad tale and Ms Alibec tells it with conviction and intensity. She sits on a chair in the centre of the stage for the entire performance apart from a couple of times when she stands – and then sits back down again. I can’t help but think her story could have more impact if the presentation wasn’t so static; and perhaps it’s also a little overlong. Nevertheless, it’s a powerful performance of an eloquent text, and we get to know the heart of the character with great insight and emotion.

Gwyneth Goes Skiing, Pleasance Courtyard.

I don’t keep up to date with the gossip columns so I wasn’t aware of the hoo-ha surrounding Gwyneth Paltrow and her skiing court case, but here’s a way of finding out about it in a slightly less serious manner than reading the newspaper reports. Awkward Productions return to the Fringe after their hugely successful Diana The Untold and Untrue Story last year with Gwyneth Goes Skiing, and, as you might expect, it features snowstorms, snowballs, Alpine squirrels and rabbits and the legendary (well it is now) Deer of Deer Valley. Linus Karp also returns, giving his portrayal of Diana last year a quick adjustment to present Gwyneth Paltrow as the epitome of commercial exploitation and Hollywood shallowness, together with Joseph Martin as Terry Sanderson – not an optician – who bumped into her on the slopes. Literally. As with Diana, the show ropes in a number of audience members to play additional roles, and as always at the Fringe, these moments provide some of the stand out memories of the show. Whilst Gwyneth never reaches the heights of Diana, there are still some very funny scenes and characterisations – even if some of it feels a little repetitive and too long.

Liam Farrelly: Flipbook, The Stand Comedy Club 2.

Liam Farrelly’s new show is primarily about his becoming a father at the age of 21 and how it immediately made him grow from a boy to a man. Let’s face it, he never foresaw having to attend baby ballet lessons in his mid-twenties (let alone taking his daughter there). Fortunately, it’s all a success story, as his flipbook (hence the title of the show) reveals with a finale of happy family images. Liam is a terrifically gifted comedian, cramming loads of material into the show with barely a moment to take a breath; and most of his comic observations land well – you certainly don’t come away feeling short-changed. There are a couple of pauses where he refers to the video screen to play a couple of short animations – these come across as completely unnecessary, as he’s a good enough comedian not to rely on supporting gimmicks. He has the best joke of the Fringe for me so far, as part of his opening sequence about why he doubts that Hogwarts is meant to be based in Scotland – I’m not going to tell you what it is! His sincerity shines through and really helps the act go with a swing. A very enjoyable hour!

Arturo Brachetti: Solo, Pleasance at EICC.

It’s been many years since I last saw Arturo Brachetti, and my memory is that his act was based on his being a quick-change artist beyond compare. But Solo, his new show at the Pleasance in the Edinburgh Conference Centre, is much more than that. Loosely based on a nostalgic trip around his old home, each room reveals a series of TV characters, movie stars and chart toppers that Mr Brachetti brings to life in an extraordinary sequence of costume changes. But it’s also a laser light show, mime, magic and even sand painting, all brought together with his inimitable panache. There’s even a role for his occasionally wandering shadow! A show that’s particularly suitable for children – the majority of whom in our audience sat agog at what was going to happen next. Beautiful, charming, and amazingly skilful.

Tarot: Shuffle, Pleasance Courtyard.

Those three funsters, the Tarot pack are at it again with a new show, Shuffle; in a nutshell, there are various tarot cards on display on stage and each of them represents a sketch, and it’s up to us, the audience, to make the choice of which cards to choose and which to, well, discard. But is it a free choice? And, moreover, does it matter? Adam, Ed and Kath are on terrific form with a variety of sketches, all of which work (and that’s not something you can say about virtually any other sketch show). If you’re not careful, you’ll be singing that dreadfully catchy song at the end of the show all the way home. Always worth seeing during the Fringe – and Shuffle shows them at the top of their game. In the words of Carly Simon, even though they’re taken out of context, nobody does it better.

1 Hour of Insane Magic: After Dark, Gilded Balloon Patter House.

Luke Osey, Elliot Bibby and Cameron Gibson team up to present a late night version of their Insane Magic show, with guest artistes each night. The magic tends to fall into one of two categories, card tricks or mind reading; but both are performed with cheeky good humour and an amazing amount of how did they do that-ness. Don’t think that just because you’re not sitting on an aisle seat that you won’t be called up to help them – there’s a lot of audience participation in this show. And, to be honest, there’s not a lot of additional adult material deployed that might scare Granny – just some good, old-fashioned, perplexing magic – what’s not to like?