TPN: The Edinburgh Fringe Show » Theatre Reviews 2006

[Review] Top Gun – Need For Speed

Ewan — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 08:15:42 +0000

There may be critically acclaimed productions, with perfect script writing, world class actors and stylish direction exhibited by many Fringe Theatre shows – and while Top Gun at C is lacking in those areas, it more than makes up for it with a KC-135 Tanker full of enthusiasm.

What we have here is soemthing that was dreamt up at 2am in the morning, and someone else having a lightbulb moment… and thus the stage is set for a squadron of F-14 jets to take to the stage in a show tht sums up what the Fringe can be about – taking a concept, pushing it like crazy and seeing if you can make a hit show. And while there’s no colun inches being burned, the cast plant their tounge into their cheek just enough to be a pastiche, but not enough to be a serious homage. This is probably the one criticism of the show – what exactly is the goal?

If they can answer that, then student unions the world over have a headline act. And if they can raise enough money, I ‘d love to see how well this would work as a movie…

Ewan Spence

[Review] Crunch

Ewan — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 09:05:25 +0000

You are welcomed to Crunch by a sweet guitarist enquiring to your health and if the audience had fruit for breakfast? Enter the apple.

Then there’s the Adam and Eve apple, the Newton apple, an apple Jack called John, Wilhelm Tell and Snow white. There are songs, some funnier than others, and funny lines: “can’t tell Wilhelm Tell from Adam”, and this you have to see to get, but somehow “I’ve got an apple on my headâ€ works a treat too.

All along Adam and Eve is trying to replace the apple Eve ate and the audiences tuning into a plethora of accents â€“ a handful for the dwarfs alone. Of the four actors at play itâ€™s clear the guitarist/God/apple Jack/Austrian vice-regent Gessler/a mirror image and the snake/Newton/Wilhelm Tell/evil queen are the two stronger, but they all do a fair bit of hamming it up â€“ it is revue after all – to a hilarious outcome for anyone into revue/musical/theatreâ€¦.and sometimes thereâ€™s an apple for you too.

KGN

[Review] Tony Law: The Dog of Time

Ewan — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 09:03:23 +0000

Canadians really are different, aren’t they? No-one envies the task of a little-known comedian trying to warm up a small audience early on in the Festival, but Tony Law did a fine job, drawing us out of the drab theatre and into a surreal world of sausage dogs, worm holes and hula hoops.

Two ‘country hick’ personas, one white South African, concealed a more serious environmental agenda, although Law’s green politics come sandwiched between his more surreal perceptions of the world. Apparently, “many of you will have experienced what it feels like to be a giant”. Law’s stabs at bigotry and head-in-the-sand politics got big laughs, but it is some of his sillier remarks that still make me smile at odd moments: after all, why is it only the wolves that look after abandoned human babies?

Gaye Belle

[Review] The Umbillical Project – Cut and Uncut

Ewan — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 09:02:04 +0000

This project is about what happens when a play has two different directors for two casts in two different venues. Cut wasn’t much shorter and actually referred to the writer having cut the umbilical cord to the play she wrote by giving it to another director. She directed the Uncut version herself.

The play tells the story of a woman struggling to cope when her cheating husband has a stroke and she feels obligated to care for him. The afternoon show Cut was missing in humour and an altogether drab experience. The evening showing of Uncut, however, immediately presented a funny, sad, warm and troubling play and an all together engaging experience. Neither performance had a clearly defined ending, but at least the Bedlam audiences didnâ€™t need to be prompted with bowsâ€¦.

It wasnâ€™t the different venues, but simply that the Attic ensemble couldn’t carry the piece without the set or direction of the Bedlam performance. The good performances were the exception in the Attic with the Australian nurse, the husband after the stroke and the brave Audrey Tautou Look-a-like actor struggling to make the woman come alive. At the Bedlam it was the other way around where one minor male part could have done with some improvement.

The experience of the two plays was as black and white as the costumes chosen for both performances â€“ you could argue the baby died once the umbilical cord got cut.

Should you still go see both as a complete project? I actually think you should. And see Uncut first as Cut makes no sense otherwise.

KGN

[Review] Midnight Cowboy

Ewan — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 09:01:45 +0000

The story is well known thanks to the book, the movie, the poster and an unscripted Iâ€™m walking here from Dustin Hoffman. Add to that the knowledge of the Director John Clancy and the writer Tim Fountain, my expectations were stacked up.

I wasnâ€™t even in a particularly good mood and the initial country tunes didnâ€™t bode well. Tops 3 minutes later I was hooked. The songs changed to Dylan and particularly actors Charles Aitken (Joe) and Con O’Neill (Ratzo) gave their all. Other characters equally erased memories from the pages and celluloid and I recommend this play to anyone over 16 as well done sex scene doesnâ€™t deserve their nervous giggles.

The stage setting deserves a mention: itâ€™s swiftly and seamlessly changed, and perfectly befitting this essentially timeless story of two outcasts finding comfort in each other. At the end many were sniffling and if not for the lights coming up, the applause would deservedly have lasted a bit longer.

Kirsten Nielsen

Review] My Name Is Rachel Corrie

Ewan — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 20:44:22 +0000

This is the one-woman portrayal of a real-life tragedy: how a young American peace activist died tried trying to help the beleagered Palestinians. The drama traces the personal journey which took Rachel to Palestine, and ultimately to her brutal end under an Israeli bulldozer. A bleak rubble-filled urban backdrop, coupled with the sinister sound of artillery in the background combine to maintain the tension throughout this moving and harrowing play.

It is a considerable feat for one actress to carry the whole drama so convincingly, although it must be said that the play was simply too long for some people. Although moved to tears at points, my sympathy with the main character began to evaporate during what felt like the endless diatribe at the end. The writer is passionate and understandably angry, but the length of the show (90 minutes) diluted the power of the message.

My Name is Rachel Corrie
Pleasance Courtyard

Gaye Belle

[Review] The Dream Dealer

Ewan — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 19:44:22 +0000

I think it would be fair to say that in John Kielty, the Fringe has found the 21st century’s Child Catcher. Playing the titular role as part Faust, part Bela Lugois and part Vincent Price, the Dream Dealer uses his addictive ice creams to capture the souls of the unwary school children looking to escape real life in the world of dreams.

For the adults in the audience, the metaphor is easily recognised, but the cast (aged between between 10-14, John Kielty and Jonny Field being the only adults) carry this musical with enthusiasm and passion. Seeing the troop thoroughly enjoying themselves is as much a part of the Fringe as the stand-ups travelling up from London. Particular mention goes out to our hero, Finn (Alex Palmer), who manages the solo songs with aplomb, and carries the emotions and frustrations as he watches his school mates, who start out as the all-singing all dancing troupe that you’d expect, slowly become enthralled and addicted to the Dream Dealer’s Iced Dreams.

But, you go away thinking that for all the musical numbers, for all the strong messages, for all the upbeat cheery numbers, it is the evil of John Kielty scaring an entire audience as he descends from the stage into the aisles that will stay with you and haunt you in the mornings.

Recommend for ages of around 9 to 14 for the message, and all other ages for the spectacle.

The Dream Dealer
Playing until 13th August

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