Edinburgh Fringe 2025 Reviews – Going, #CHARLOTTESVILLE – The play that Trump does not want you to see!, Swan?, Will & Noah: Too Much Time on Their Phones, Girlz, and Oblivion Boys with Gayle Tuesday

Posted on August 12, 2025 by therealchrisparkle

Going, The Space at Niddry Street.We’ve all been there – a hot train, a travelling hobo with a guitar who’s not afraid to use it, and an uptight passenger who looks daggers at anyone who comes near. If that isn’t already a recipe for a journey from hell, it only gets worse when the train comes to a sudden halt due to an incident on the line. Studio B Productions’ finely structured and smartly written Going, inspired by the works of Chekhov, gradually reveals each character’s reasons for going where they’re going; and it develops into a fascinating debate on action versus inaction, and to what extent one should be prepared to make sacrifices for a cause. Two superb performances from Nissryne Dib and James Trewin make this a very engrossing and rewarding production. It does rely on a rather massive coincidence, but you forgive it for the dramatic opportunities it allows! 4 stars.

#CHARLOTTESVILLE – The play that Trump does not want you to see! Pleasance Courtyard.In 2017 Priyanka Shetty moved from India to Charlottesville, Virginia, to embark on a drama course at the University of Virginia, with hope in her heart and an expectation of living the American dream. But something is wrong. Fellow student Trent makes jokes about her race, and when she complains to the Head of Department, she is asked not to rock the boat but instead to develop a sense of humour. But Trent is just a small part of a wider problem. On 11th and 12th August 2017, members of several Alt Right groups marched through the city on the Unite the Right rally, torching and terrifying anyone who wasn’t a member of their group. One activist, James Alex Fields Jr, ploughed his car into the crowds and caused the death of a woman named Heather Heyer. Priyanka Shetty has created this astounding play from interviews with Charlottesville citizens and students, as well as from her own experiences at that fateful time, so as never to forget those dreadful events. She also takes us through various scenes from the Court Case, and the whole project helps maintain opposition to the insidious rise of the Far Right. An immensely powerful and extremely important play, Priyanka brings marvellous characterisations to the inhabitants of the town that became a hashtag. A must-see; if, like me, you knew nothing of this event, this show will plug a vital gap in your education. 5 stars.

Swan? Underbelly Cowgate.`They say a swan is all serenity above the water, but its little feet are going nineteen to the dozen under the surface. Here’s a swan that’s ostensibly a graceful creature, at home on her private lake, not alone because she has a few cigarette butts for company, as well as her current cigarette, Timothy. If only she could find her own Prince Siegfried she’d be the happiest swan ever. But she does have some demanding criteria that any potential Prince must meet to be considered eligible for that prestigious position. Will she ever find contentment? This playful fantasia on Swan Lake examines the backstory of Odette and makes you confront her plight – how would you cope with the constraints that dictate her life? Both funny and sad, Lauren Brady gives an entrancing portrayal as the swan; a complex character desperate for love and acceptance, it’s an unpredictable and very enjoyable mix of comedy, ballet and clown. There’s also quite a bit of good-natured audience participation! 3 stars.

Will & Noah: Too Much Time on Their Phones, Underbelly, Bristo Square.Spending too much time on their phones is a smart concept on which to base a sketch show, and this is Will BF’s and Noah Geelan’s first stab at writing and performing a sketch show for themselves. They both have great comedic skills, bags of energy and plenty of confidence, which keeps the show moving at a great pace. As is always the case with a sketch show, the proof of the pudding is the number of sketches you find funny. Although there were some very funny sketches – I particularly liked the Uber sketch and the Where’s Wally sketch – unfortunately there were too many sketches that only provoked a wry smile at best. But they’re very likeable on stage, and if they can get some sharper material under their belt they will be a force to reckon with. 2 stars.

Girlz, Greenside @ George Street.Every so often, a new girl band hits the big time, from the soul groups of the 60s, to Bananarama in the 80s, The Spice Girls in the 90s, and now – Girlz! Five wannabe stars made it through the rigorous selection procedure to be part of impresario Colin Cashman’s new pop confection; but, as he makes clear, it will be hard work and they’ll have to do what they’re told, because just as easily as he created them, he could dissolve them. Daf Hughes’ exciting and lively new musical tells the story of the Girlz as they come to terms with fame, relationships, addiction, success and tragedy, and dealing with that wretched manager. This is a fantastic production with evocative lighting and costumes, a superb backing track throughout, credible songs, and a remarkable opening dance sequence choreographed by Monique Salle. Some terrific performances, including Meggie Hughes as Nicky and Daniella Mirels as Alex; and the whole show oozes that girl group vibe. 5 stars.

Oblivion Boys with Gayle Tuesday, Gilded Balloon Patter House.Nostalgia – that’s doubtless the reason we chose to see the Oblivion Boys (Stephen Frost and Mark Arden) together in a double-act for the first time in decades. They always had a touch of the surreal about their material, and they knew how to use precision timing in their frequently nonsensical exchanges. However, I’m afraid their act hasn’t aged well. There’s a lot of hitting each other – and not particularly playfully – which now comes across as barely suppressed toxic masculinity. And that pinpoint precision of delivery is now sadly absent as they mumble and stagger through a few routines. Things brightened up enormously when they introduced as their guest artiste Gayle Tuesday, legendary Page 3 stunnah, who’s shagged dozens of footballers and brings new depths to the art of shallow. A fine comic creation by Brenda Gilhooly, it’s been way too long since we’ve seen Gayle, and although her material was not quite as good as it could be, you can’t help but love the essential kindness and simplicity of the character. So it was a delight to see Gayle, but, alas, the Oblivion Boys didn’t work at all. 2 stars.

Review – Falkland Sound, Royal Shakespeare Company at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, 5th September 2023

Posted on September 6, 2023 by therealchrisparkle

The Falkland conflict; I remember it so well. I turned 22 during those alarming 74 days in 1982, and if it had escalated to full-scale extended war, I would have been ripe for conscription. Everyone watched and waited; hanging on every word reported by the Ministry of Defence’s Ian McDonald’s daily TV updates, gripped by Brian Hanrahan’s journalism: I counted them all out and I counted them all back. The nation was divided when the Belgrano was sunk as it was sailing away from the exclusion zone – your attitude towards it basically depended on whether you were a fan of Thatcher. It was the era of Gotcha! and Stick it up your Junta! And of course, the conflict was Thatcher’s golden key to No. 10 for the next eight years.

Rather than concentrating on the conflict’s effects on Thatcher and her government, Brad Birch’s new play tells the story of the Falkland Islanders themselves; their way of life, their environment, their national attachments (to Britain, and by nature of location, to Argentina), their relationships, their work, their leisure. 8,000 miles is a long way away, and few Brits ever get to visit the Falklands, so any extra insight into this loyal community is always welcome. Although they still had access to the pop music of the time, it still seems a world apart; letters take ages to arrive, and the prospect of coming to Britain to study is just a pipe dream for most. Still, if your boss is kindly disposed, he might allow you to let off steam with the occasional two-nighter, which sounds like the maddest hangover experience ever.

This is a bold attempt to remind ourselves of the conflict and also that the Falklands are still there, still part of Britain, and still loyal. The characterisations of the islanders are both creative and powerful, with much of the narrative coming from two outsiders – John, who has arrived from England as a teacher, and Gabriel who works at a scientific research establishment and is Argentinian. The experiences they share with us, both concerning their day-to-day lives before the invasion and how they survived both the occupation and the liberation, are told with moving realism and sensitivity.

However, these scenes are also juxtaposed with life back in Britain, where the Conservative government was very unpopular and Tory grandees were looking for a way to make Mrs Thatcher look good again – and the Falklands invasion was the perfect opportunity. However, these scenes are depicted in a completely different way; unlike the realism of the Falklanders, the government figures are caricatures. They don’t even have names, just numbers, and there’s an almost pantomime-like ridiculousness to the way they behave. As a result, for me, the UK scenes are much less successful than the Falklands scenes.

There’s also the problem that, with a lot to say, Brad Birch’s play gets very wordy and rather heavy going at times; to the extent that I found some of the narratives rather difficult to follow, with so many characters involved, including those who are not actually portrayed on stage, so there’s a lot of reported activity and conversation. As the play progresses, the writing improves as Mr Birch can concentrate on the immediate issue at hand – the arrival of the British troops and the recapture of the islands. But overall, the play does feel a bit chewy and long.

I wasn’t sure about the music; not so much the local playing at the drinking get-togethers, but more why the characters would break into the occasional rendition of, for example, Supertramp’s Goodbye Stranger or Spandau Ballet’s Gold. And it didn’t really aid our understanding of the play to have the islanders regularly picking up their buildings – houses, church, shop, etc – and moving them around the stage. I think the idea was to indicate whereabouts in Port Stanley each scene was set; but in reality it’s just a distraction.

There are some very good performances – Tom Milligan’s John and Eduardo Arcelus’ Gabriel stand out, as does Joanne Howarth’s Mrs Hargreaves and her impressive Mrs Thatcher impersonation. Joe Usher is excellent as Robbie, the British soldier who basically represents the entire British army. At our performance Oliver Hembrough who plays Geoff/Dad was indisposed and assistant director Mariana Aristizabal Pardo stood in, presumably at very short notice, and enabled the performance to go ahead – so three cheers to her!

A fine attempt to tell this important and still relevant story, and it’s a fascinating insight into the lives of the islanders themselves. It’s a little heavy, a little slow, and a little inconsistent. But there’s much more that’s good about it than isn’t.