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) ****
This show is funny in parts with some ouch moments. It seemed relevant to go to a show about Bush and Blair on a day I had seen two other show based on political figures as diverse as Boris Johnson and Tony Benn. The audience is welcomed into the theatre by Heartbeat (Nicola Blackman) and…
Read more When Blair had Bush and Bunga (Pleasance Courtyard, Saturday 8th August) ***
Tom Stuart is Josh Kilmer-Purcell and this is a love story. John performs as the drag queen Aqua. Josh meets Jack (who is a sex worker), and they move in together. Stuart is sensational. He portrays both Aqua and Jack, and an array of other characters. However, he is dressed as Aqua and manages to capture her…
Read more I Am Not Myself These Days (Pleasance Courtyard, Saturday 8th August 2015) *****
Tom Crawshaw is Boris Johnson, and we are taken on a very funny journey through Boris Johnson’s life. Boris is doing a run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival because he wants to win the Foster’s Comedy Award. This conceit allows the production to be self-referential and highlight the elements which make great comedy. There is much to keep…
Read more Boris: World King (Pleasance Courtyard, Saturday 8th August 2015) ****
What a brilliant idea to fuse Beckett and Tony Benn’s writings. Indeed, the title says it all. This is an exploration of the life and writing of the politician Tony Benn, but with a Krapp’s Last Tape theme. The narrative is told with lots of humour. There’s also some sadness as it is clear that the…
Read more Tony’s Last Tape (Pleasance Courtyard, 8th August 2015) ****
I had such good fun at the Crap Music Rave Party. It felt like being back at the school disco many many years ago. You even get your hand stamped. The thing with this is that the music is cheesy, but it’s not crap, because it gets everyone on the dance floor with a smile…
Read more Crap Music Rave Party (Just the Tonic at the Community Project, Friday 7th August) *****
Testament is a beatboxer and rapper who fuses together hip hop and Blake. It feels like a very odd combination at first, but Testament is so charming and engaging that he takes you with him in a complex performance. Here we have Testament’s own personal story, an analysis of Blake’s poetry, as well as the…
Read more Blake Remixed (Underbelly, Friday 7th August 2015) ****
Julie Raby 