Principal Hotel
Aug 6, 8-13, 15-20, 23-26 (20.30) 

Well here we go again! This was my first review of the festival and I had high hopes. My girlfriend was keen on seeing the Faulty Towers experience, but I couldn’t get tickets, I was reliably informed that the Cushty version was as good if not better! This was going to be Cassi’s first show, so I was super excited for her and really hoped it would be great! In fact it was phenomenal – one of the best shows I have ever seen! From the moment we walked into the bar at the hotel the fun started! I noticed this rather out of place woman in a mack trying to engage with a couple who were sitting by the toilets. I twigged straight away it was Cassandra (Rodney’s) not mine, played by Kat Mary who also doubled as an amazing Marlene! I gave her a bit of chat but she wasn’t really biting and continued to engage the couple.

As me and Cassi went through into the bar there was another odd fellow in a black mack looking at me rather suspiciously. I get a few looks for being a bit of a giant, and normally people look away quickly, but this dude was wanting to engage – so the game was afoot! This turned out to be Slater, who also trebled as Trigger and Boycie, who instantly had us giggling before we had even managed to grab a drink. The guy was off the charts, and dare I say my favourite, if there is such a thing with such a quality cast! Then the fun really started as Del boy (Nick Moon) burst into the bar and tried to flog us all hooky watches from his case, followed by Rodney (Lawrence Watling) in snorkel and flippers! Such a great start – could this get any better?

Hell yeah! The full thing from start to finish was an absolute riot! The theme was a pub quiz with a meal chucked in! Please don’t expect too much from the food – it isn’t supposed to be that good no matter how posh the hotel is – it’s a pub quiz after all & it’s supposed to be pub grub! Anyway, we weren’t there for the food, we were there for the giggles – and we had a barrel load of them! Every one of the actors nailed their parts and stayed in character from start to finish. These guys were on point with every mannerism being perfectly nailed, and the show flowed effortlessly and without fault. I could not actually believe we were in there for over 2 hours, it was so good the evening just flew by as we were entertained and mesmerised by the actors and their show!

Undoubtedly, one of the best things I have ever seen; so, so real – as if you were actually with the Trotters as they got up to one of their capers. They had great audience participation, with my Cassi being brave enough to get up and become part of the show. Well done guys, I have been a lifelong fan of Only Fools and Horses and you absolutely smashed it! I could not have asked for a better start to the festival or for a better way to impress my girlfriend – 5 stars out of 5 and a pure 10 out of 10 – thank you Imagination Workshop!

Mark Parker

Script:   Stagecraft:   Performance:

“Let those who play your clowns speak no more than is set down”. Will Kemp is on the move, travelling with a spring in his step away from London towards Norwich. Chased out by embarrassment, though he would never admit it, and the plague. On an eight day trip with plenty of stops along the way, Kemp performs his well known jig to loving audiences, explaining as he goes his recent career changes: from the renowned stage on the south bank of the Thames, to the makeshift open air ones upon which he now taps his feet.

Steve Taylor is excellent as the narrator Kemp, captivating from the very first line. Clearly a seasoned performer, Taylor is so energetic and wildly entertaining. The writing is consistently funny, playing with language in they way an old fashioned comedian might, whittling off subject relevant and pun-heavy jokes. The story is so intelligently considered in this sense, propped up by an impressive knowledge of history and Shakespeare’s work. Occasionally Taylor will himself stumble over a word or two, but his persona is so open and welcoming that it doesn’t harm the show in the slightest, coming off more as a delightful character quirk.

Lyrically composed, the main focus of Kemp’s Jig is the titular hero’s recent departure from The Globe Theatre, over disputes with both the Bard himself and Richard Burbage. Taylor pitches the famous playwright as an obsessive, playfully mocking him as a writer who just wants his words to be read as they are written. “Why must a great actor like you resort to funny hats, red noses and stuffed dogs on wheels?” Kemp voices Shakespeare’s concern, scratching his chin whenever the impression surfaces. Perhaps old “Shakerags”, as he is lovingly referred, has a point, but Kemp makes a formidable argument with his drunken interpretation of Dogberry and his puppet retelling of a scene from the Merchant of Venice.

Join me on an Elizabethan roadshow with Will Kemp and enjoy a factual, comedic look at one man’s rise and fall in his relationship with The Bard. Will Kemp – Shakespeare’s forgotten clown – and the original 9 day wonder!
Read the full interview…

Still there are more surprises in store. Taylor’s performance covers so much ground in such a short time – relaying yarns about executions and dancing villagers with nothing but pure energy. It is so well delivered that what is sometimes clearly context and set-up never feels like exposition, a testament to Taylor’s incredible ability to sell a story. Had he been afforded a larger space or more time, Taylor may have been able to do more, but the simplicity of the set and hold all trunk that jingles when opened carries a lovely charm. Whether Shakespeare was right to part ways with a jig performer like Kemp may never be clear, but one thing is certain: he would have been excellent as The Nurse in Romeo and Juliet.

Dan Soreen

Kemp’s Jig

The Space on the Mile

Aug 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17 (18:55)

Tweets by @kempjig

Imagination Workshop, George Street,
August 5-26 (17.00)

Script:   Stagecraft:   Performance:

It is not very often that you get invited to a wedding reception during the Edinburgh festival, but if you like tour matrimonials with a sprinkle of drama, gossip and shocking family moments, then book yourself a table at Will and Stacey’s surprise wedding. They may have changed the name from its former Wedding Reception avatar, but they have also increased the humour. Picture two comets hurtling towards each other through time and space and the destructive impact that a of this collision would cause… that’s Confetti and Chaos. Such a delicious menu of laughter and unforgettable comedy gags, all served up with family, cake and cocktails, provides us with a day to remember… but for the participants a day to forget!!!

Confetti and Chaos brings opens its doors to audience participation. The show is designed to make you feel part of the proceedings and it works. Scripts are held close to the actors’ hearts, but the improvisations are fast becoming legendary. Witty and in-our- faces, like a Japanese Bullet Train, the two hours pass without a hitch, leaving only one question? Will Stacey and Will finally tight the knot? Left in a cloud of lies and deceit, the unstable couple scramble frantically to save their wedding day from total annihilation and make a desperate attempt to bring peace to family life. With fantastic acting and gritty lines, this higher-level comedy sketch-show will tickle you in places that you never knew existed. Laugh, cry, shout or scream, you will be left with mantelpiece memories that last forever.

Raymondo Speedie

Assembly Roxy
5th – 25th August (19.30)

At the Fringe today, in the cavernous theatre at Assembly Roxy,  three frolicing clowns – two lassies & a laddie –  can be found existing somewhere between the witches of Macbeth & the Stooges. Basking in the splendour of their monochrome world’s superb grubbiness, they combine gonzo contraptions, giant hammers & wordless gags in a diverse exhibition of their craft. The only sounds are a topnotch score & the shufflings of their feet – zombie flamenco style – between vignettes. Theirs is the theatre of causality, an eddying whirlpool of seamless transitions, & one crazy as heck crucifixion scene.

There is a certain cultish feel to The Long Pigs. It is an incredibly atmospheric, but ultimately unsatisfying piece of physical theatre. It looks absolutely amazing, & if you see this show as an aesthete it deserves 5 stars. The drawback to this, however, is that the combined paraphenalia of the stage aesthetic is far too cluttered, & detracts from the performance of what is in its most stripped down form an elongated series of childish clowneries. The overall effect then, is somewhere in the middle. For lovers of Physical Theatre it is very well done indeed, but such purist dramaturgy is not ideal for all Fringegoers.

Damian Beeson Bullen

Principal Hotel
Aug 1 – 25 (times vary)

Script:  Stagecraft:  Performance:

As we were ushered into the room at the George Hotel, Edinburgh, I was excited to be about to see my heroes come to life, and come to life they did. This gig, a “themed dinner”, was nothing new, having entertained audiences for the past 22 years – an achievement in itself. Over the years the cast has changed many times; Basil Fawlty was this time played by Jack Baldwin, wife Sybil by Karina Garnett and Manuel the Spanish waiter by Oliver Harrison. The three joined us in character to welcome us into the dining room for lunch, and show us to our allocated seats at large round tables. The slapstick started straight away with Basil barking orders at Manuel, all of which were misunderstood due to his poor English, much to Basil’s great frustration. In a circus-like performance, Manuel made mistake after mistake, food was thrown about, while members of the audience were picked upon at the whim of the cast.

I was quite surprised when we were served our food, for were left in relative peace to enjoy it; though the soup, bread and butter we started with was a fiasco. Manuel whispered in my ear asking how my food was and if I required any parsley. I replied none, but that was maybe the wrong answer as he threw my soup on the table making a big mess and making me look bad. We were there to have a good time and laugh loads, which we did just as though we were watching the original TV show, of which only 12 episodes were ever made. From the faithful – rather star-struck – aficionados like me, to people who’d never seen it before, everyone loved this well-written farce. In 22 years they must have honed the experience to perfection; Basil the crazy inept hotel owner, Sybil, forever on his back, and Manuel the genius Spanish waiter.

After an endless stream of gags and scenarios that were all brilliant in themselves, the action finally gathered to one last crescendo as Jack Baldwin’s Basil grew in stature and finally lost the grip completely as he strode around doing John Cleese’s famous silly walk, finger on his face to signify Hitler’s moustache, shouting and screaming about the Second World War in that typical, over-the-top style. As the three took their bows, there was one more sarcastic comment from Basil – he just couldn’t help himself! I can only thank this production for entertaining me, feeding me and having the entire audience in stitches all the way through.

Daniel Donnelly

Underbelly Cowgate
1st – 25th August (14.20)

Script:   Stagecraft:   Performance:

Danny and Julia have a ruptured marriage with a child in the middle. Danny has to move to a trashy apartment near the freeway and life keeps going downhill hill for him. He truly loves his daughter, but every attempt to be closer to her seems to push his old life further away. Life is not any better for Julia, who does things she doesn’t want to in order to maintain her adderall habit. All this set under the suffocating rains of Phoenix’s Monsoon Season.

Richard Thieriot brings brilliant comedic delivery in his portrayal of Danny. His cringeworthy attempts to be a good dad reminded me of George Costanza in Seinfeld, with a more psychotic edge. Therese Plaehn is very convincing as a trashy and selfish Julia, trapped in a cage of her bad decisions. I really enjoyed the thunder-storming, nightmarish atmosphere of the play and the deeply dark humor.

The show made me wonder how I might react if I found myself in a life out of control? I would hope not to damage other people, as Danny and Julia do in Monsoon Season, but I can’t really judge them for doing what they thought was right at the time. I think if I find myself in a bad situation, I will remember Danny and Julia and try to not be like them, I will try to be patient and wait for the Monsoon Season to end.

Michael Beeson

In ten steps, Chain of Trivia takes the audience through a succession of rock ‘n’ roll greats, starting with The King and finishing at Queen. Each artist is smoothly segued into the next through a piece of common trivia. You won’t be hearing about Elvis dying on the toilet though, the facts really are most obscure and are interesting enough to warrant a regular series of interested murmurs from the audience.

As soon as Russell Clarke took to the stage and explained his entrance song, Aretha Franklin’s Chain of Fools, it was clear that we were dealing with a professional. A radio broadcasting background has rendered Clarke a very capable public speaker – it was no struggle for him to pack fifty minutes with rock ‘n’ roll trivia and I would bet he could have done three hours had the venue let him.

We all know who Elvis Presley is and certainly what he became, but I tell his story from when he was a kid, how he accidentally invented rock and roll as we know it and became the biggest star in the world. I hope everyone else will be as amazed as I was when I managed to link Elvis to another internationally famous singer by just an awesome bit of trivia. Russell Clarke
Read the full interview…

Clarke has openly admitted that his musical knowledge ends in the mid-nineties, and you could guess this from the content of Chain of Trivia. The show is described as a journey of facts on some of the most significant rock ‘n’ roll stars of the last sixty years, but really it touches only on fifteen years’ worth of rock ‘n’ roll’s whitest artists from sixty years ago. For me, the show was missing a link to the present day. Although Clarke was championing the rebellious, youthful nature of rock ‘n’ roll, the show could have benefited from a touch of that spark.

You can’t really hold this against him though – this era is clearly his burning passion and he really does a bang-up job of keeping the trivia interesting. His ability to weave the facts together makes it feel as though you’re being read a story and his presentation demands respect. Chain of Trivia is certainly worth a visit for any nostalgic rocker.

Eilidh Sawyers

Chain of Trivia

theSpace @ Surgeons Hall

2-10 (15.05) / 12-24 (13.05)

Tweets by @ROCKTOUR

www.rocknrollroutemaster.com

Photography by Marcia Davis

Gilded Balloon Rose
Aug 3-25 (22.15)

Script:  Stagecraft:  Performance:     

Searchers is like a lost episode of Twin Peaks, exploring the shadow cast by a slice of sweet apple pie which is America. It starts with a rock n’roll intro by the four piece band and moves into a philosophical monologue by the shows star, Mary. Wondering where America came from, she sets out on the fabled road odyssey and comes across country music and surreal mysteries along the way.

Everything about Searchers is tight: the staging is eerie and beautiful, the guitar solos blow your mind, the drum and bass make you want to shake, and there is epic poetry weaved throughout. Searchers is a true Americana cultural experience. It would take months of travelling the grand expanse of America’s highway system to understand what this show packs into one hour.

I was completely fascinated throughout the show and didn’t want it to end. I feel fortunate to have received a flyer for Searchers, and I must say you are fortunate to be reading about it now. Searchers is a must see at the Edinburgh Fringe 2019.

Michael Beeson

Somewhere in the realms where entertainment meets expertise reigns BBC Radio’s Russell Clarke

Hello Pili, you are a young Argentinian living in London – where, when & why did you cross the Atlantic?
Pili: So, last year during my summer holidays, I decided to come to London for a month to take a screen acting course and I loved the multi-cultural vibe here so much that I decided to stay longer. Then those few months turned into 6 months! Then after 6 months of acting classes, I decided to audition for Drama Studio London, got my Visa sorted and here I am. It’s definitely a challenge to study and act in a different language but I love the challenge.

Eden McDougall

Hello Eden, you’ve shot 18 short films since leaving drama school 4 years ago. Do you have a preference between stage and screen?
Eden: I can’t choose! I like to have my cake and eat it so I do a bit of both. I hadn’t done any theatre for a while so when I stumbled on this, it was perfect timing and I couldn’t refuse a part like this – playing a girl for a month!

Hello Jack, away from the stage you are a martial arts expert, can you tell us more?
Jack: Yeah, I grew up training a tradition Korean art which I started when I was 5. And when I was 18, I competed for Team GB at the World Championships and won 3 gold medals. Since then I’ve taken the performance aspect of competing and thrown it into my acting and stage work.

Hello Hannah, can you tell us about your training?
Hannah: Yes! So, I moved from Manchester two years ago (I think) and went to Rose Bruford to do a foundation in acting and I’ve not gone back since. Since then I’ve been living in London. I did a couple of months at Identity school of acting where I got to do a really fun showcase with Ian McFarlane before I got into DSL! It’s been the best and I’ve made some friends for life.

In a world where you can get entertainment ‘on demand’, what makes theatre special?
Jack: The live human interaction and energy in the room of live theatre is unmatchable in performance. You can capture that energy on camera sometimes but you will capture it all the time if you’re in the room, I think.

Phil Vergara

When did you first develop a passion for theatre?
Pili: I always loved movies and theatre. When I finished high school, I studied drama at Uni. I also was lucky enough to go to the theatre with my dad from a young age and he really pushed me to achieve my dreams.

How did you find working with Igor Zolotovitsky?
Jack: Working with the Moscow Arts Theatre was a dream come true. We are so grateful to ETEFI. We got the wackiest week imaginable and got to experience loads of different ways of accessing the work including Butoh dancing! And meet like-minded creatives from Europe and Russia.

Hannah Hughes

You are studying together at Drama Studio London, what’s the institution like?
Hannah: Drama Studio is like a home away from home. It’s like a big old family. It’s got a focused feel in the training but you feel supported and looked after by our tutors and directors. Shoutout to Kit Thacker for helping us believe it can happen!

What’s the last thing you do before you step out on stage / the curtain goes up?
Hannah: I like to take a minute by myself after walking around the space, to ground myself and breathe deep. Then I would probably just pray to theatre Gods I don’t fuck it up.

Have you ever done any immersive theatre before? How are you going to prepare for unexpected audience responses?
Eden: I don’t think you can ever second guess an audience but as long as we’re having fun, they’re having fun and we as a cast are all on our toes the whole time, I’m looking forward to the unexpected challenges chucked our way. Bring it on!

Jack Thomas

You’re performing at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe; what are you bringing to the table?
Jack: We are bringing a silly comedy that is put together by friends. It’s created a performance that brings across everybody having a good time; so, the audience gets to join in on the good time, especially with the immersive experience we’re bringing.

Do you guys socialize much outside your formal drama duties?
Pili: Well Eden is pretty new to the group but Hannah, Jack and myself basically live in each other’s pockets most of the time. We’re almost telepathic with each other.

You’re playing Camilla after she’s been turned into a boy. Is it fun playing a woman?
Eden: So much fun! My favourite bit is when Camilla discovers she has a penis! We went charity shop hunting for my costumes and scared off a few of their customers with our in-shop catwalk display.

You’ve got 20 seconds to sell the play to somebody in the streets of Edinburgh, what would you say?
Hannah: Hey guys! Do you like drinks, immersive theatre, comedy and magic? We have your seats warmed up for you upstairs. Our play is about three witches trying against all odds trying not to turn to stone. Sounds fun, right? That’s because it is, we can’t wait to see you there!

B’Witches

The Outhouse Bar

Aug 15-25 (14.00)

Tweets by @bwitches1

www.bwitches.co.uk