Loft Clearance, Greenside @ Nicolson Square.
A fascinating spoken word journey through one woman’s experience of having to clear a loft. Eileen Mahony shares with us some of the extraordinary discoveries she has made lurking in those boxes – plus hints on dealing with photos, collections and all those little personal nostalgic memories that inevitably get teased out of our brains if we’re challenged to throw out things that remind us of our late loved ones. Plus, the difference between collecting and hoarding – and I’m pleased to announce myself as very much on the collector side! Engaging and thought-provoking, and it’s something that most of us will have to contend with at least once in our lifetimes.
Long Long Long Live, Greenside @ Infirmary Street.
Three mini-plays on the themes of homelessness, poverty, and injustice, all set against the millions of pounds that were spent on the funeral of Her Majesty the Queen last year. There’s a lot to think about in these short plays, and they set us an emotional challenge which continues long after you’ve left the theatre. It’s a small studio, but the talented group of three make the best of the space available and tell the stories with technical skill, humour, and commitment. I admired and appreciated the fact that they modulated their voices for a smaller acting space, rather than shrieking into our ears like some other acts.
Adam Flood: Remoulded, Monkey Barrel Comedy (The Hive).
Adam Flood has spent £350 on a voice-changing device and he’s not afraid to use it. In an hour packed with fast and funny material, he takes us on a tour of his childhood and early adulthood, remembering the people and the experiences that brought him to where he is today. He has a brilliant gift of garnering notable facts about the random people he talks to in the audience and bringing them back into his material later on in the show. At the end of the show, he also lets us in to the lies that he has told during the last hour which is revealing to say the least! Extremely funny, with a superb lightness of touch, I reckon Mr Flood could be One To Watch.
Kevin Precious: The Reluctant Teacher, Laughing Horse @ The Counting House.
Kevin Precious has a wealth of experience as a school teacher and reveals the truth about the teaching experience – from dealing with disruptive, disrespectful kids and ghastly colleagues to the future of teaching and how we can con fresh meat into taking these appalling, low-paid roles under the pretence of making a difference. An assured pair of hands, Kevin takes us through the highs and lows of his profession and makes those of us who are not teachers very grateful for our career choices.
Mark Thomas: Gaffa Tapes, The Stand Comedy Club.
Mark Thomas on his usual blistering form with a show chock-full of anti-Tory sentiment (phew!) and some superb material regarding the death of the late Queen. In these very troubled times it’s important to give vent to a voice that is so far from the pap-consuming, Lee Anderson-worshipping fodder that we see everywhere in the media, and question the garbage that we’re all being fed. Terrific stuff.
N.B. We arrived twenty minutes before the show and were told it was “standing room only”. Really? I don’t recall paying half-price tickets for a sub-standard show experience? Yet another example of Edinburgh Fringe shows disrespecting their audiences by over-selling the venues. Would you expect to stand if you’d booked a table in a restaurant? No! Then why should it be different at a comedy show. Poor form! (Actually, a better analogy is standing for an hour train journey – no one thinks that’s acceptable, it’s a sign that the trains are badly run!)