The Space @Surgeon’s Hall –

7th-22nd

22.15

****

There was a Mexican family who came last night. The teenage boy had lost his father last year, and he came to me in tears at the end of the show, telling me how much he had loved it. It was a really touching moment. 

Sarah Nichols

****

Earlier this year I took my seven-year old niece to see the Animated film, Book of Life, on which occasion I first encountered the Mexican tradition of the Day of the Dead, where the living world & spirit world combine in a raucous celebration of food & tequila. A few months later I was witnessing the same folk-motif in the Surgeon’s Hall, but this time played out through music & storytelling by the Modern Troubadours, a dynamic young company dedicated to ‘connecting people through music & stories.’

*

*

They have brought to Edinburgh a collection of tales from Mexico, North America & even one from Russia, to explore the meaning of Life & Death. Of the Russian tale, the group’s chief bard, the elegant & ever-smiling, ever-interesting Sarah Nichols, told the Mumble, ‘The Russian tale is famous traditional folktale, very important to storytellers. There are a lot of variations to this story and it can be found in many other cultures. The message is an important one, showing that death is just as important as life itself, and it cannot be cheated. We also made it a bit humorous so that it would lighten the mood and get the audience engaged. As a storyteller, it’s a fun one to tell and I can play with it a lot and get the audience to interact. ‘

*

*

Sarah, an excellent harp-plucker herself, is accompanied by two creative & talented musicians (Gaelle Dohen & Aldo Aranda), who play a wild variety of strange instruments which produce a synesthenic affect upon the listener, painting pictures in the mind to colour in the hypnotic word-smithery of ms Nichols. The overall effect which the Modern Troubadours invokes is one of a universal nature – a child of 3 & an old man of 93 will both react equally to such a wonderful combination of sights & sounds, a spell-binding performance drawn from the Mictlan realms themselves. Of the tales, the story of the Weeping Widow – La Llorona –  was the best, a genuinely chilling story which had me completely enchanted.  FOUR STARS

*

Sweet Grassmarket (Venue 18)
Aug 12-30
16:55

I hastened my pace as the afternoon rain started to fall. Luckily I had just purchased a new umbrella to match my outfit. So the water falling miraculously from the clouds didnae bother me too much. This was my first experience of this charming theatre, part of the Apex Hotel in the Grassmarket : a very plush venue indeed. With a friendliness that was warming, I knew this was going to be a good thing. I could already feel it. The whole day was going my way. Being a little early, I took advantage of the cheese and tuna ciabatta with a cappuccino for four quid. It was lovely and a bargain. Divine approves.

Then we got our calling… it was time to meet Nell Gwyn. Up until today I had no idea who she was, so I did a bit of research before hand, discovering she was the one-time Mistress of King Charles II of England and Scotland. Called “pretty, witty Nell” by Samuel Pepys, she has been regarded as a living embodiment of the spirit of Restoration England; a folk heroine with a story echoing the rags-to-royalty tale of Cinderella. This most famous Restoration actress possessed a most prodigious comic talent, & sired two sons by her royal lover: Charles and James Beauclerk, pronounced ‘Bo-Clare’.  ‘Wow,’ I thought, ‘this performance has a lot to live up to.‘ I loved Nell Gwyn already. She was Divine’s kind of Girl.

*

 On entering into the funeral parlor of Ms Gwyn, the first miracle took place. Her perfectly pretty face with painted red lips, came alive and woosh! she sprang to life, mesmerising her audience in an instant with a perfectly cohesive Olde English period language that held ones attention to the max. She held us in the palm of her beautiful hand.The actress embodied the spirit of Nell Gwyn to perfection and gave us a one-woman History lesson. The trials and tribulations of being the exceptionally attractive and entertaining lover to the monarch of the time. Good Time!

*

*

This little Lady was one dynamite talent. The acting was never short of genius, even her tears were real. Now this was a Divine first. Wow. Just Wow. Lucy Formby is the Genius that brought this important Historical Lady to life and fully into our consciousness this afternoon. I have seldom experienced such brilliance. With support from Writer and Producer Laura Ingram, this made for a winning performance that was educational, enthralling, totally captivating, sensual and very entertaining indeed. Its a bit like when you see a band on the rise. One just knows. When you know, You Know. You Know.

*
After the performance I waited to congratulate Lucy Formby  and Laura Ingram on such a piece of brilliance. Miss Formby is going to be an international star. Mark my words. Divine is never wrong about such matters. Just before I left, I thanked Miss Formby once again. To be honest I was a bit star-struck. That was a much needed insight. I cannae recommend this performance more highly. I explained that if I could get the Mumble to create a new 6th Star catagory. It would have been created for Nell Gwyn. So Without Any Hesitation FIVE STARS

*****

Reviewer : Mark ‘Divine’ Calvert 

Pleasance Courtyard – Beneath 

Aug 11 – 30 (all except Monday’s)

16:15

£7.50 – £11

Sitting a top a metal stool, Tom Stuart impressively portrays Aqua, an alcoholic drag queen and an array of other characters including Jack, a hooker and a crack addict. The switches from one character to the next, changing in both voice and mannerisms are so skilful you’d be forgiven for thinking that this wasn’t just a one man show. But it is, and for that success and a performance which is nothing short of fantastic Tom Stuart deserves great praise.

Dramatic, raw and moving. Complete with fish tank boobs, a sparkly dress, stilettos and a blonde wig we see Aqua spiral out of control in this dark, honest portrayal of a life of sex, drugs, love and desperation. With little more than a stool and a table, the stage framed by strips of coloured florescent light, this depiction is electric. Extreme elation and highs are swiftly followed by trouble and pain. Show girl performances and nightclub meltdowns, Aqua is vulnerable and destructive. Hilarious yet tragic and so real concerned faces fill the room.

Descriptions of New York city plus clever stage and prop use transport the audience straight to the setting and you really believe Aqua is where she describes. A script of both conversation and out loud thinking, we get an insight into Aqua’s inner thoughts making the play both intimate and soulful. A mesmerising show which will smack you in the face and demand your attention. I couldn’t recommend this show enough. Don’t miss it. FIVE STARS

*

Reviewer : Louise Mason

Greenside @ Infirmary St

(7-8, 10-15, 17-22, 24-29)

18.30

****

*

Now this was an engaging piece of art from start to finish. An exploration of mental health and relationships, played out with a cast of two; an Irish beauty and a Romanian gentleman. The play takes the audience on a journey through the relationship that they share, with more than one aspect of tragedy raising the shadows of each of our heroes. All the base, horrible bits of being in a relationship are on show : lack of trust, infidelity, jealousy and dementia. Yes, dementia… a really tragic & thoughtful addition to the play. There are nae that many thirty-something, pretty things that suffer dementia.

*

https://vimeo.com/135357484
*

I loved the unique way that the stage set was changed by the turning of a chair. On the whole this was a story of enduring love. Despite the difficulties that this sweet couple were going through, it felt as though they still had a few years left in them. Having being celibate for a year myself, it made me wonder why we bother going into relationships at all…. Ashes Afar is surely a gentle reminder of the benefits of being single… but the heroine enjoyed the carnal arts, she talked about it a lot.

*

*

The Vanner Collective‘s contribution to this year’s Fringe has a brilliant script and is very well acted, & left me embracing my inner bachelor and feeling a more than a little disturbed. Well It Is The Fringe! FOUR STARS.

*

Reviewer : Mark ‘Divine’ Calvert

With nervous anticipation and sweet desire, the show starts with a heart warming scene between two young lovers spending their first night together before the war breaks them apart. Charming and moving, we witness a heartbreaking tale of love, changed paths and tangled lives. Three scenes wonderfully examine crucial encounters between two people as they grow old and their lives change in unseen ways. A beautiful mix of passion in both love and frustration. Funny when its right and heartfelt throughout. The play is a beautiful reminder of how war can cause casualties in love as well as death. An exquisite view into two lifetimes of love and loss.

*

*

Transfixing actors Sam Underwood and Valorie Curry are an absolute treat to behold. Valorie Curry’s British accent is perfect! Polished set changes, old fashioned lingerie and magical moments only add to the beauty of the play. A quintessential British delight. FIVE STARS

*

Reviewer : Louise Mason

B’est Restarant

6th-31st August
13:30 & 19:30
  £45.00 – £49.50

As I arrived at the quaint B’est Restaurant, I found a crowd of overexcited festival-goers readying themselves for the return of the classic Fringe fare – Faulty Towers Dining Experience. Pre-drinks were served in a covered alleyway, where giddy punters giggled through the lanky antics of a smartly dressed Basil Fawlty, who ushered the crowd with his trademark annoyance… “Health & Safety! For Goodness Sake! Come Along!” Once inside the restaurant, we found ourselves in an interactive audience, being served our dinner while at the same time witnessing the manic happenings that play out inside that famous Torquay hotel. It wouldn’t go down so well in the ‘real’ world, but here in the B’est restaurant, we all delighted in the frustrating & abusive customer service of Mr Fawlty – which was enhanced perfectly by the professional service staff, filling in the comedy gaps with a deft & discreet touch.

*

*

The physicality of Basil is a joy to watch & the interactive play between his increasingly nervous energy & his inept sidekick, Manuel, was flawless. The latter was particularly hilarious, especially when he began to spoon-feed my date – even I don’t get to do that! Adding to the boys comes the ever effervescent energy of Sibyl Fawlty, whose role was played to perfection. The meal, well, it was fine enough, but we were really here to witness Manuel’s bumbling, Basil’s impatience & Sibyl’s futile attempts to keep decorum. A complex & contagiously hilarious mix – I, for one, will be back next year! FIVE STARS

*****

Reviewer : Emily Oakman

 Venue 13

12th-29th

11:30

£6-£8

Venue 13 is a charming wee theater, tucked away in the Cannon Gait, it is always welcoming and houses some of the best surreal, experimental theater. Today I saw Nudity, Free Beer and Good For Kids, which definitely ticked all the boxes for surreal. Performed by an American theater company called Yuffa, I reviewed a performance by them last year that left me confused but enthralled. The Good for Kids bit was excellently presented by two very colorful characters, the lady presenter being one of the most attractive women I have seen in quite some time. So when she doubled as a stripper (The Nudity Bit) Divine was blushing. So beautiful and so sexy.

Then we had a Rock Star and his Girlfriend. I’m not too sure what their roles were, apart from looking good. Both Rock Star and His Girlfriend had brilliant Hair. The girlfriend’s blonde and black ringlet hair was outstanding. Both babes stripped for the show, stopping at underwear and stockings. More is always less, this had Divine howling and wolf whistling. So tasteful nudity, very burlesque from two very beautiful ladies indeed. So, Experimental, Sexy, maybe a bit Kinky for Kids, There was free beer, but at mid day it was too early for Divine. To be honest it was more of a cold shower I was needing. Very Good, But Not For Everyone.A Very Good Looking Show. THREE STARS.    

Reviewer : Mark ‘Divine’ Calvert

Venue 13

15:45

11th-29th (not 17th)

£6-£8

Sitting in Holyrood Park, listening to the sound of bagpipes with the sun blazing down, a nice tone was set for my visit to see Bayou Blues at the Edinburgh Fringe. Venue 13 is set up just off Carlton road on Lochend close &  in such a quiet and atmospheric space I felt this was going to be a very interesting piece of theatre. The set design is simple but eye-catching… a run of thin curtains and a stage was all that Shaina Lynn utilised to create the perfect blend of theatre & storytelling… all dished out through her sublimely-crafted acting skills.

Shaina delivered her play with conviction, emotion, expression and feeling… commanding my attention for 45 minutes of pure concentration as I heard her evolving story of life in New Orleans. Hers is a strong and powerful tale of a blacker-than-black girls struggle with life in New Orleans before and after the great storm of 2005 by Hurricane Katrina. In an already racially oppressed society, her outcast colour prevented her from making any progress in life in a society that could never classify her as beautiful. Her experiences of extreme prejudices and haunting memories of that fateful day in 2005 leave you feeling touched and humble. I would recommend this show to anyone who has an interest in both history and theatre. A very moving Four Stars.

Reviewer : Spud

Underbelly, Cowgate

6th August

3.15pm.

Tickets from £11.50 

Multi-Award winning, internationally acclaimed, Fringe favourites, The Last Great Hunt return with an undeniably impressive feat of puppetry, Bruce. Bruce, is a yellow foam brick, indeed are all of the show’s many supporting characters are played by that same foam brick. There are minimal props, and yet with lighting, mime, voice-work, and some skilful puppetry, this two-man show populates the stage with a multi-generational tale of lives intertwined, of heroism, failure and redemption, love, loss and parenthood. Two men in blackout suits, a handful of props, one foam brick. It is undoubtedly impressive stuff, slickly professional, and will, no doubt, be wildly popular.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9rmq4ZajpA

I’d particularly recommend Bruce to a father looking for something to see with his teenage son/s – there’s a bit of swearing, but aside from that it’s totally teen-appropriate. People who like to be straight-up audience when they go to a show will also feel right at home here –Bruce requires zero audience interaction, your job is to sit there, shut up and be impressed, and you almost certainly will be. Plot-wise, Bruce is exceptionally tight, everything ties together in a clever and meticulously thought through way, making for plenty of twists and surprises. The group of friends to one side of me, in their early twenties, loved it; the woman on the other side of me cried a little, she found the end so moving, a gaggle of high school students marvelled at the technical wizardry of the whole thing “how do they do it?” Personally, the script left me a bit cold: all the characters, and much of what they said, felt familiar from worn-out rom-coms, and nineties blockbusters. Bruce himself was too much a feckless chump for me to really invest in his fate, or be convinced by his eventual redemption- in fact I was rooting for the villain. The whole thing is very cleverly done, but not necessarily clever… there’s not much thinking required here. Ultimately, Bruce is full of great gags, and has a properly climactic ending. If it all feels a little… soulless to me, well, the packed out crowd’s rapturous applause suggests that most people don’t share my reservations. They love Bruce. Maybe you will too. FOUR STARS

Reviewer : Katie Craig

4 Stars

Assembly George Square Studios

Aug 9-18, 20-30

14:00

Adam Riches Comes Good!

*****

Now this was a blast, a lovely afternoon’s bit of entertainment. Five suitors looking for the hand in marriage of a pretty girl; an all-star cast of comedy actors, including the very theatrically talented Adam Riches, perfectly bringing to life the characters and personalities of Gogol’s classic play. Tom Parry’s adaptation takes us back to a time of an opulent Victorian age, where the Village Hag plays Cupid. Hilariously, Cupid is called Fanny, and she stinks. That’s the only thing that stinks though. I found myself  immediately captivated by this slice of quality light entertainment.

*****

Divine loved the characters of Stephen the butler, whose metamorphosis into Stephanie made me giggle. The hero of the tale, a handsome Civil Servant, employs the services of Smelly Fanny to find a suitable wife.The results are most engaging and very, very entertaining… warming the hearts of this audience. A Tragedy! A Comedy! A Winner!  A bit like Marriage itself I suppose. FIVE STARS

Reviewer : Mark ‘Divine’ Calvert