Having learnt my lesson from previous years, I booked most of the shows each day in one venue. Today was the start of my Northern Stage at Summerhall day. The first show was a monologue about a horrific fire which took place in August 1978 at the Cinema Rex in Abadan, Iran. The story is…
Read more Cinema (Northern Stage at Summerhall, Monday 9th August 2015) ***
It was the end of my third day and I’d had two late nights, so why not a third? This is a piece by Luke Barnes who is an exciting young playwright and the author of Chapel Street and Visitor. Barnes’ writing and Middle Child’s energetic performance is thoroughly entertaining. The production is…
Read more Weekend Rockstars (Underbelly, Sunday 8th August 2015) *****
The Disco Years was a fun show with a little bit of audience participation. Patrick Monahan talks about his Iranian background alongside a backdrop of 1970’s disco music. Monahan had a great way with families and managed to involve the children in the audience in the show without it being embarrassing. Monahan managed to sustain…
Read more Patrick Monahan. The Disco Years (Gilded Balloon, Sunday 8th August 2015) ***
Firstly, I had to go to at least one show in the Udderbelly which had moved from its usual spot in Bisto Square to George Square. The Uddrbelly is basically an upside-down purple cow! That’s amusing in itself. Shit-Faced Shakespeare is Shakespeare performed with a pissed up cast member. It’s fairly amusing and OK for an…
Read more Shit-Faced Shakespeare (Udderbelly, Sunday 8th August 2015) ***
Rebecca Perry performs this monologue with humour and some song. The show does what it says on the tin (title in this case). The show is the story of a girl (Joanie Little) working in a coffee shop because she can’t get a graduate job. Joanie has got a degree in Anthropology and puts that…
Read more Confessions of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl (Gilded Balloon, Sunday 8th August 2015) ****
Ruaraidh Murray plays Bobby and Megan Shanley plays Allie in this beautifully written complex narrative played as a narrative. Bobby is frightening and threatening. Allie finds herself in an abusive relationship with him. What should have been a love story ends up as a story of violence and revenge. It’s one of those productions that…
Excellent. I got my own drum and had enormous fun playing it. I’m not sure that my playing made any difference, and I was certainly off the beat for much of the hour, but I had great fun. Drum Tribe is from South Africa and as well as an immersive experience, the music was sensational.…
Read more Drum Tribe (Gilded Balloon, Sunday 8th August 2015) ****
Wasted was the first thing I saw on my third day at the Fringe. Today, the Sunday, would be a Gilded Balloon, Bisto Square day. At first, when we entered the theatre, I thought that the production might be an experimentation with immersive theatre in a tiny space. The audience is invited into the nightclub, to…
Read more Wasted (Gilded Balloon, Sunday 8th August 2015) ****
I really enjoy these late shows where you have no idea who will be on the bill. As I usually do, I aimed for the front row, where there were several spaces. This was good luck, I thought, considering that the queue had been so long. It soon became apparent that the compare was…
Read more Late Show (Pleasance Courtyard, Saturday 8th August 2015) ****
I loved this mix of ballet, contemporary dance, classical music and dance music. Indeed, it was a nice change to see a large company of dancers and musicians on stage at the same time. Further Information https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/balletronic#overview My verdict: ****
Read more Balletronic (Pleasance Courtyard, Saturday 8th August) ****
Julie Raby: A Dyslexic Writer 