Archive for category Underbelly
Cutting the Cord
Posted by Martin in Charlotte Monk-Chipman, Cutting the Cord, Underbelly on August 27, 2011
THEATRE
****
Cutting the Cord
Underbelly
‘Cutting the Cord’ is a one-woman spectacle by ‘Flying Eye’ Theatre Company. Sachi; a petite, wildly animated Japanese woman creates a simple, poetic and at times moving piece of experimental theatre which gently explores the topic of immigration and the emotional void between cities on reflection of her autobiographical journey from Tokyo to London and back again.
As the title might suggest, the piece explores the severance from one’s place of birth and the journey for a new sense of belonging. This poetic metaphor of being uprooted is playfully travelled in the show, as Sachi tenderly and comically presents a very watchable story which completely draws the audience in.
Beginning with a little audience participation, Sachi and her equally charming musician lure the audience onto the stage, and the first 15 minutes are unintimidating but theatrically, less exciting. However, It does have the double effect of disorientating the conventions of theatre, and familiarising the audience with each other and the space. This clever transference of the thematic centre and emotional pull of Sachi’s story shows how the concept of the piece was conveyed successfully through her heart-warming character, making this experimental piece relatable and endearing to its audience, where total theatre usually fails.
Frisky and Mannish
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, Frisky and Mannish, Underbelly on August 25, 2011
COMEDY**** Frisky and Mannish
Udderbelly
Laura Corcoran and Matthew Floyd Jones return to the Edinburgh fringe as their alter egos Frisky and Mannish to complete the trilogy of productions with Pop Centre Plus.
Essentially the premise this time around is that Frisky and the gorgeous Mannish have taken it on themselves to open a centre to turn random nobodies in pop stars using their tried and tested series of tests and tasks with hilarious effects. Their ability to take known songs from the charts and the back catalogue of famous pop stars and make them something completely different is a unique talent. So cheesy dance numbers like “Saturday night” become power ballads and the Carpenters are given a new lease of life thanks to N-Dubz. The songsters build to a finale were they put together their own boy band with a little audience help ensuring the audience leave on a high.
What Frisky and Mannish do in terms of their show is being done by several other acts but what sets them apart is the infectious charm they present in their clearly defined characters that are so different from who Corcoran and Floyd Jones are in real life. The humour is topical but never offensive and their enjoyment of performing comes across from the stage to the audience. They are endlessly watchable and the hour long slot doesn’t seem long enough – I could watch them all night. As long as they continue to allow the act to grow greater heights lie ahead for them. For me personally I could sit and watch Mannish for hours alone so don’t miss out on seeing the Pop Centre Plus before the festival ends and life seems just that little bit duller again.
Drags Aloud
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, Drags Aloud, Underbelly on August 22, 2011
COMEDY**** Drags Aloud
Underbelly
It’s becoming a fringe tradition to have the drags aloud girls here to celebrate the season with us, and boy do they do it in style.
The theme for this years show at the underbelly is that of Showgurls! those wonderful women who are just a cut above the rest. We get a plethora of musical numbers from the three ladies intercut with a solo section each. These sections allow the gurls to explain how they came to be in the profession of drag theatre and what it means to them. Two out of three choose to do so in a highly comedic fashion. It’s the third of the drags aloud girls who opens her heart and lets us know it was by doing drag that she came to recognise her Transgenderism and realise it wasn’t a bad thing to want to be who you truly are inside. It was a moment of deep pathos in an otherwise camp comedy hour and really sets the drags aloud team apart from the rest. They also get through a succession of wonderful and colourful costumes. To make up for the quick change periods in the show they use some pre filmed segments on the big screen to join the show together to great effect.
If you’re looking for a fun filled late night comedy production then the Legendary Drags aloud are a must just remember to wear your sparkles when you see them!!
Michael Winslow
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, Michael Winslow, Underbelly on August 19, 2011
COMEDY**** Michael Winslow
Udderbelly
Anyone over the age of 20 will remember a string of films titled “Police Academy”. There was a character called “Sgt Motor Mouth Jones”, performed by Michael Winslow. Now Winslow has made his debut on the Fringe.
What he does is amazing – he really is a man of 10,000 sounds – everything from a bloke having a piss right through to a recreation of Jimi Hendrix live at Woodstock. He gives a full hour of belly laughs as he recalls his life growing up in the Motor City, Detroit and how radio infused his sense of sound. He also gives us a graphic demonstration of his ability to upset many an air steward. He also excels in his affectionate tribute to Star Wars – where an extract is projected on to a giant screen and the sound track is replaced by Winslow voicing the characters and special effects. He closes the performance with a tribute to Louis Armstrong.
This man is unique. His show at the up side down cow is selling out well in advance, so even though it may be a struggle, I’d say get a ticket while you can. This is one comedian who is unforgettable.
Death Song
Posted by Martin in Charlotte Monk-Chipman, Death Song, Underbelly on August 18, 2011
THEATRE
***
Death Song
Udderbelly’s Pasture
Centring around a Mexican immigrant on death row; although his incarnation is unclear for a while, the non-linear narrative explores the relationship to his aloof daughter, and his new girlfriend and how these relationship fluctuations alter the dynamics of the piece.
Considering ‘You Need Me’ are a storytelling theatre company, the plot is a little confusing, perhaps sacrificed at the expense of exploring the creativity of the piece. However it was by no means unintelligible, and did contain an interesting narrative twist, but it felt very rushed. As it was only an hour long, perhaps with a longer slot it could have reached its full potential and tied up the loose ends in the plot. It certainly felt like a working progress, which ultimately it is; as on the company website, the shows blurb is under a different show title altogether, under the projects in development heading.
As so much of the action takes place in the aisle and even right up behind the raked seating, from my front row seat I suffered from craning my neck to watch the performance and decided early on that I would just have to listen to the action taking place behind me and chance a few painful glances every so often. Although creatively, this decision worked quite well in the portaloo sized performance space, it felt like a piece of theatre which had been developed for a much larger space making the most of what they eventually had.
The shows main asset which drove the piece was its effective use of live sound effects, and music, which was layered with pre-recorded music successfully. For the sound effects, the actors created these in plain view, amplifying a variety of props with a microphone to create a sound score which was perfectly timed to their mimetic movements. This clever feature really gave the overall concept something to cling onto, and without it, the aesthetic would have nose-dived.
The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik
Posted by Martin in Adventures of Alvin Sputnik, Sophie Alexander, Underbelly on August 17, 2011
THEATRE
*****
The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik
Underbelly
Set in a world in which Mother Nature has taken her revenge; the ice caps are melting, people and polar bears are desperate to survive but stand very little chance against the rapidly rising water. This is a dying world, in need of a hero. Enter, the eponymous character Alvin Sputnik, who, with little left to lose embarks on a quest to save the planet.
This is a simplistic tale, but one which captures emotions inherent in humanity. We experience loss, hope and love, all within the space of a wonderfully romantic hour of pure abandonment.
The staging of this magnificent, Disney eat your heart out type show, was beautifully managed, with lighting and the gentle mandolin tracks toying with the audiences emotions and making us ever more empathetic with a little animated stick man. The mixture of puppetry, animation and mime kept the show fresh and interesting, whilst being easily inventive too; a plastic bag used as a jelly fish wafting around in the ocean was met with many ‘oohs and ahs’.
It is not the most intricate of tales, and in all honesty that much doesn’t actually happen, but it is relatable, winsome and utterly enchanting. An absolute ‘must see’, of the Edinburgh Fringe, 2011.
Of Sound Mind
Posted by Martin in Charlotte Monk-Chipman, Of Sound Mind, Underbelly on August 17, 2011
THEATRE
****
Of Sound Mind
Udderbelly’s Pasture
Poised in a plush coral coloured armchair with a slightly dazed yet pondering expression hitched on her face, Yvonne Grady stars in Ronnie Dorsey’s one woman play; and with a rather reserved blurb, one doesn’t know quite what to expect from ‘Of Sound Mind’.
Immediately as Yvonne begins to perform, it is clear that this is a hidden gem of the Fringe. Her tone is conversational, delicate, confident, yet broken, and always engaging. She delivers such a natural paradox in her performance that it is difficult not to be drawn into her nostalgia, and her understated physicality is perfectly suited to the play’s script which tastefully (if one can use such a word given the context) deals with the theme of Paedophilia and an overwhelming loss of innocence.
She performs with a smooth ability to weave in and out of the anecdotal memories and slips effortlessly into off-hand remarks about horrific events which have governed her childhood, and spurred her vigilante vendetta to rid the world of as many creeping cats (a metaphor used for paedophiles) as she can hunt down.
Dorsey’s use of imagery allows a subtlety in the treatment of the themes, and provides moments of really dark humour which Yvonne’s patter simply melts into. She becomes the charitable murderer with a modesty which charms the audience into supporting her butchery of paedophiles and feeding the metaphorical cats to her real life dogs. She conveys the character without a hint of depravity, but perhaps this is what it lacked. But, no sooner had he made you laugh, Dorsey’s clever script reverts her tangential path inevitably back to hard-hitting horrors which creep up on you, and make the thematic centre all the more real.
Yvonne gives an admirable performance, never wavering at the sound of four separate mobile phones interrupting the show; and cutting the atmosphere drastically. She remained steadfast and elegant, creating a truly endearing character in the face of such a sinister subject. I recommend seeing this show; it deserves a great deal more attention that it seems to be getting at present.
Catie Wilkins: A Chip Off the Odd Block
Posted by Martin in Catie Wilkins, Martin Walker, Underbelly on August 14, 2011
COMEDY
***
Catie Wilkins: A Chip Off the Odd Block
Underbelly
Rich subject matters for comedians – one’s parents, children, partners or other embarrassing relatives or spouses. If a comic is going to approach this area yet again, better that they come up with something original.
Appearing in Edinburgh as a debut Fringe comedian, Wilkins explains that her pedant father turned his back on the Swinging Sixties, in favour of accountancy training for a supermarket. Meanwhile her mum is an over emotional time bomb, exploding unpredictably at irregular intervals.
Fortunately this familiar family stuff is given a fresh kick by an energetic, infectious and compulsive performance – Wilkins is much slicker than a debut Fringe comedian should be. It was extremely wet the night I attended, the audience wasn’t exactly in the best of moods, but Wilkins very quickly lifted the room and cheered everybody up.
She’s good. And speaking as someone who prefers his comedians edgy – which Wilkins palpably isn’t – I look forward to seeing her career develop. If she can win ME over with this sort of material, then she’s on to something.
Chris Martin: No. Not That One
Posted by Martin in Chris Martin: No. Not That One, Martin Walker, Underbelly on August 14, 2011
COMEDY
***
Chris Martin: No. Not That One
Underbelly
This is Chris Martin’s debut hour at the Edinburgh Fringe, having previously played ten or fifteen minute club spots. He is charming, competent, and with the exception of a little (probably unintended) casual homophobia, pretty inoffensive.
He’s a nice guy, and is the boyfriend that your mother would love. To be fair, your mother would probably go for his humour as well. The script is well structured, properly paced and very well executed. He’s an observational story teller – Martin could adequately cover for Michael McIntyre on TV, should he phone in sick. There are enough people out there, who see this as a compliment, to ensure his future success.
It does take a particular kind of skill to make the mundane, like parking a car, funny. The reality is that it just isn’t enough for me. I did laugh more than once during this hour, but I left the theatre thinking, “so what?”
Free Run
Posted by Martin in Free Run, Joshua Hepple, Underbelly on August 14, 2011
THEATREFree Run
***
Underbelly
Free running is a relatively new type of sport, which involves running and jumping over objects such as buildings. It is primarily meant to be performed outside, as one of the fundamental features of parkour (which also means free running) has no limits.
I was extremely impressed by the capabilities of these performers, that included around six well-built men and one quite scary-looking woman. Many dance-type shows at this year’s Fringe include one female performer that almost always performs a very different type of act from the rest of the performers. This is obviously a way to let the males rest, but I don’t know if the girl always fits in well to the style of the whole performance.
The set was laid out with three wooden blocks and a case made out of bars, that allowed these men to show off their skills. From bar-to-bar to jumping between blocks; these flexible performers never seemed to let the audience down.
It is all very well having very talented performers, but they must be choreographed and directed in a style that would let them show off their abilities to their full potential, and this is where I felt the show was let down.
There will never be a stage big enough to demonstrate the full capabilities of these free runners, so therefore the audience was shown videos of them running on an extra-large projector between scene changes. I felt that these went on for too long, as I didn’t feel the audience had paid to watch material that is free on youtube. The material was sometimes adapted into scenes that the performers were also on stage for. For example, in the initial act the actual performers graffiti-ed while the projector was simulating the graffiti. This was set in the South Bank of London, where free running started. I’m not sure that all of the audience members got this link.
Overall, I felt that this performance was a group of some of the most agile and athletic people that there are, but I did not feel that they were in the best surroundings to show this off.
Lunch With Quattro Formaggio
Posted by Martin in Jodie Fleming-Stanley, Lunch With Quattro Formaggio, Underbelly on August 13, 2011
COMEDY***
Lunch With Quattro Formaggio
Underbelly Cowgate
A licentious lunch date with 4 sizzling sex-loving kinky faux-Italian swingers! I wasn’t sure what to expect from this show, which is semi-set in the backdrop of an Italian restaurant. Semi because the actors narrate the fact that the italian restaurant concept is something they’ve chosen due to their love of pizza, and it was a quirky name that came to mind and they built the performance from that.
Other skits include a sexy version of blind date with questions like ‘how would you attempt to have sexual intercourse with me if you saw me exercising my glutes in the gym’ and what culinary innuendo would you use to have sexual innuendo with me on a date’. There is the expected swingers skits, though in both of these just as the 4-some are getting down and dirty, Andrew returns in pants, red socks and a gas mask and puts the quattro off proceedings. They gyrate around each other; simulate sex; grope each others’ body parts; feed chocolate cake and squirty cream into each others’ mouths; simulate blow jobs with feather dusters and indulge in a charity cream cracker eating contest.
The skits are so varied that it’s impossible for the actors to become typecast, which also means the audience doesn’t really develop a bond with them. I feel that so much emphasis is placed on having the sketches as overly sexed and shocking as possible (buying babies and removing their legs to make cake mixers) that it comes off as rather unconvincing. Undeniably the actors all totally committed to the roles, especially Andy and the more prominent female. Perhaps less sketches and tailoring the actors to their specific roles would elevate this a star, as there is definitely a niche for a totally over-sexed performance like this – especially at lunch time!
An enjoyable hour of scintillating comedy – just don’t go with anyone you wouldn’t discuss blow jobs and anal fisting with!
Meryl O’Rourke – Bad Mother
Posted by Martin in Jodie Fleming-Stanley, Meryl O'Rourke - Bad Mother, Underbelly on August 13, 2011
OMEDY****
Meryl O’Rourke – Bad Mother…
Underbelly Cowgate
A one-woman show exploring how much of our personalities are shaped by the experiences of our parents. O’Rourke has a very sad and poignant story; her Jewish grand-father was killed in a concentration camp, and her mother – a half-german child at the time – witnessed him being taken away. This lead to her being a panicked, anxious, needy woman throughout O’Rourke’s life, affecting her social development and ability to be self-sufficient.
It sounds like this could be a depressing show, however the genre is very aptly comedy as O’Rourke’s way of presenting this in a palatable manner to the audience is to lather the topic in humour. ‘As a relocation specialist, Hitler beats the couple of cunts on Ch4 – because of the Nazis, I live handy for Oxford Street’. O’Rourke gives us an insight into the individual lives of those blighted by the holocaust, as well as the reverberating effects on the lives of generations much further down. O’Rourke is sure some of her mother’s parenting techniques were incredibly unhealthy and damaging – but processes this with her natural humour; ‘clearly my mother was actually a parenting maverick … they thought she was crazy in the ’80′s when she thought paedophiles were everywhere, but actually …!’ O’Rourke’s comedy career is a product of her mother’s insane obsession with showbizz, which included her mother taking her on stalking escapades at a time when celebrities listed their addresses in the phone book.
O’Rourke uses the visual queue of a washing line of family photos, and quips about how this will affect her own ability to parent her daughter. Already she feels she’s failed, like the time she turned up at the nursery in a PVC catsuit. She feels the biggest talents she have are things it would be inappropriate to pass down, like ‘how to give a great blowjob – that’s just something i can’t share!’
Meryl O’Rourke has a natural wit that few possess. Her material barely seems scripted, and she throws in shockers like she’s never known the existence of a moral compass. She is aware of her potential to offend though, and apologises at several key points throughout the show which detracts a bit. In order to successfully deliver cutting edge black humour, it has to be done with conviction and without apology. This show could easily be a 5-star.
Paul Foot: Still Life
Posted by Martin in Martin Walker, Paul Foot: Still Life, Underbelly on August 13, 2011
COMEDY
****
Paul Foot: Still Life
Underbelly
Followers, or rather connoisseurs, of the openly gay Paul Foot will be familiar with the OCD like attention to detail on which his routines are based. ‘Still Life’ takes it to a whole new level – it seems to take an age for his back stage introductory announcement to conclude… even longer for him to talk us through what would happen when the show finally began. Everything had to be just right and there were many false starts. This is all, of course, part of the fun.
More and more people have cottoned on to the humour of Foot. Those pockets of the audience that didn’t ‘get it’ in previous years, were nowhere to be seen tonight. There’s a Pythonesque quality to his material – in that on paper, it really shouldn’t work. I doubt whether anyone but Paul understand why it does.
Satisfyingly, we’ve seen a glimpse of how his humour might work on television. His appearance on Buzzcocks, alongside his friend, Noel Fielding, has proven that his act can translate to the small screen with relative ease. He also proved that he can improvise. That skill was tested successfully tonight when a sketch involving the audience and a stuffed animal, could have gone horribly wrong.
If the execs at the BBC are reading this – give Paul Foot his own show.
Croft and Pearce – Funnier than It Sounds
Posted by Martin in Croft and Pearce, Jodie Fleming-Stanley, Underbelly on August 12, 2011
COMEDY***
Croft and Pearce – Funnier than It Sounds
Underbelly
A well-thought out sketch show with two naturally funny artists. The subject matter is topical but not exactly ground-breaking, though Croft and Pearce have put an original slant on it – eg a Royal Correspondent discussing ‘Kate Middie’s muff … is it pierced?’, ‘Pippa Middleton’s ass’ and stds; an envious creative writing teacher; an over-bearing brownies leader wanting to ‘sex things up’, and my personal favourite – a woman auditioning for an incontinence advert.
Croft and Pearce have a special chemistry, and deliver what is one of the most articulate and well produced sketch shows I’ve seen. Their characters vary throughout the production, and don’t fall into the ‘typecasting’ prevalent in other duo sketches.
A goodway to start your day of festival fun off, with lots of laughter and audience participation.
Bluebeard: A Fairytale for Adults
Posted by Martin in Bluebeard: A Fairytale for Adults, Rex de Vil, Underbelly on August 11, 2011
THEATRE
****
Bluebeard: A Fairytale for Adults
Underbelly
Admittedly when reading the blurb ‘A Fairytale for Adults’ one cannot help but fear that some other moron in face paint on the Royal Mile has crafted a show to have Angela Carter turning in her untimely grave. Forget this – Milk Presents Theatre Company, a collection of graduates from London’s Central School of Speech and Drama, have approached the idea with maturity and style, and an awareness that has ensured an original and exciting examination of the latent messages that are embedded in the fairytale narratives with which we consider ourselves familiar.
Although heavily constructed to generate all the effects of the production (including both lighting and sound) the set harbors a organic and playful air that harmonizes handsomely with the Perrault folktale upon which the performance is based and uses as a medium for its points of analysis. A bike rigged up with a generator powers a dim light for moments of haunting tension, an overhead projector combined with coloured gels and even dishes of water and dye is employed with innovation complementing both the moments of humour and poignancy that infuse the show. Despite the success of the visual direction, I must admit that the employment of sound was for me the highlight, not necessarily in the variety of amusing cabaret style compositions that were supplemented with wit and irony – the discordant guitar twangs of the opening scene and electronic pulses of both archaic and contemporary contraptions conjured a world not too far from something PJ Harvey may inhabit, an appropriate setting for this classic tale of seduction and slaughter.
When another audience member is singing along to a number satirising gender constructs and the heterosexual family ideal in the venue’s male toilet after a performance, you know you’re on to a winner. With focus and funding Milk Presents Theatre Company are sure to have a prosperous and exciting future.
Ruby Wax: Losing It
Posted by Martin in Jodie Fleming-Stanley, Ruby Wax: Losing It, Underbelly on August 10, 2011
COMEDY****
Ruby Wax: Losing It
Udderbelly’s Pasture
A comedy on the subject of mental illness seems like a paradox, and few others could deliver such a topic in as articulate, sensitive and yet heartily humourous manner as Ruby Wax.
The pace of this show is a bipolar flurry; swinging between maniacal exhuberance and catatonic reflection. Wax presents us with a plethora of information on the phsyiology behind mental health, lathered in a candid portrait of her own experiences.
Wax smothers her descent into a nervous breakdown hell with such descriptive humour that the audience leaves both better-informed and invigourated. We haven’t been emotionally drained, and there’s room for self-analysis. Envy, narcissism and regret – these are Wax’s triggers, and as she passes onto us her successful distraction techniques from the evils within, we’re left with the distinct impression that maybe we do all have a bit of the crazy … and maybe Wax really has discovered ‘the manual’.
The let down for me was the Q&A session at the end. The success of this show, to me, is that removes stigma and ignorance around mental health in a very upbeat way - and i understand the aim of the Q&A is to reinforce this. However the dread that overcame me with the very real anticipation of fellow audience members emotionally whoring themselves was something very unpleasant to me.
Definitely a must-see! Wax is candid, informed and has all the answers!
Craig Hill – Blown By a Fan…!
Posted by Martin in Craig Hill: Blown By a Fan, Jodie Fleming-Stanley, Underbelly on August 10, 2011
Comedy**** Craig Hill – Blown By a Fan…!
Udderbelly’s Pasture
Hill explodes on stage like a molotov cocktail of camp, and as always the mostly middle class heterosexual audience love it. They just can’t get enough of this incredibly funny man who with every essence of his being personifies the stereotype of a sex-hungry, promiscuous yet jolly gay.
The audience listen with rapturous attention as Hill quips with them about the pretty generic topics of where they’re from (Dundee – bad hair and trainers); what they do; (mostly just ‘a big flaccid penis’ of admin related jobs) and lifestyles (although he presumes that an audience member is straight when she’s actually there with her girlfriend). Hill seemingly has knowledge of every little town in the UK, and no one can fault his seamless rapier wit that no one is safe from!
I couldn’t help get the feeling though that the best bits of Hill’s performance were the parts where he regaled us with tales of previous shows or situations he’d found himself in. Like the Kilmarnock granny who’s allergic to teeth and Elaine Paige dirty granny dancing with an ill-fitting wrap around skirt. I feel if Hill’s show was more about him and less about the banal people who seemed too drunk or incapable of holding a cognisant conversation, it would be elevated to another level. The constant ‘what’s your lovely name’ which seems to be Hill’s intro-catchphrase made me moan inside by the end of the show. I just wanted to hear more from Hill!
This will be one of the fastest hours of your life, as Hill cuts through the audience like a cheese slicer through as block of cheddar! Oozing sex, Hill has the audience right where he wants them … those who don’t want him want to be him!
Cabaret Whore: More! More! More!
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, Cabaret Whore: More! More!, Underbelly on August 10, 2011
CABARET*** Cabaret Whore: More! More! More!
Underbelly
Sarah-Louise Young has been performing versions of Cabaret whore at the free festival for the past two years and she as made the leap to a fully fledged hour long slot at one of the big four venues with a good degree of success.
The show starts with Sarah-Louise in character as Bernie St Clair, a washed up lounge singer from New York greeting the audience as they enter the performance space. Bernie has a strong hint of one Liza Minnelli in terms of the vocal tone and the style of vocal singing performance and in-between songs allows us into a life that despite being bitter remains upbeat and positive to her adoring fans in the darkness.
We are then introduced to Kasia an eastern European performance artist with a passion for hearing god from a ukulele. This is a stab at mixing politics with comedy and for me was slightly lost on the audience but does work well in the musical numbers. Kasia gives way to Babydoll a strange creation of character based on a child star who refused to grow up and performs with a 3 foot doll. The humour includes a stab at incest which I found uncomfortable to watch never mind laugh at which is why the show fell from a four star to a three. The show is rounded off with La Poule Plombée a depressive French diva missing her glory days while contemplating suicide. This is strong character based on Edith Piaf and is by far the funniest character and brings the hour to a close with a rousing sing a long in French with her audience.
Sarah-Louise performs hard but the choice of comedy material makes it a show that it times is hard to laugh at, but if your open minded enough and want to try a caustic cabaret hour then perhaps this is the show for you.
Worbey and Farrell: Well Strung!
Posted by Martin in Tony Challis, Underbelly, Worbey and Farrell: Well Strung! on August 10, 2011
COMEDY
****
Worbey and Farrell: Well Strung!
Underbelly
Roll up for an hour of musical mischief. These two lads will have you laughing – and co-operating. Here we have four hands on one piano, playing music of many genres, classical and many other favourites. You can also make sure they are behaving themselves at the piano by watching their ultra-dexterous hands on the big screen.
Don’t be worried about being on the front row here. You will be well-treated and you may even get a very pleasant surprise! I particularly enjoyed their very creative use of the time spent playing Beethoven’s Fur Elise. There are plenty of jokes and playful sparring between the pair. Get along and forget all your cares and enjoy the skill and repartee of these two lovely guys.
Laurence Clark: Health Hazard
Posted by Martin in Joshua Hepple, Laurence Clark: Health Hazard, Underbelly on August 5, 2011
COMEDY
****
Laurence Clark: Health Hazard
Underbelly
It is a hard task for anyone to do stand-up comedy, let alone for someone who does not perform comedy while standing up. Laurence Clark is back at the festival once again with another funny yet informative comedy. Clark has gone down a slightly more cautious route than his other acts, such as “Spastic Fantastic” which was about attitudes an perceptions of disability. The privatisation of healthcare seemed to be quite a dry subject, though Clark – through the medium of PowerPoint presentation – makes this into a fun, enjoyable hour.
During this one man show, Clark is able to provoke many different emotions from the audience. As Clark has cerebral palsy, he has a very intimate relationship with healthcare. He mentions how much more health insurance would cost in America just because of his impairment. He would have been charged so much more; this raises many questions about the ethics of privatised healthcare. Clark also, as in other shows, interviews members of the American public and manages to show us some quite thought stimulating responses from America. An all round great show with many laughs.
Mythbunking
Posted by Martin in Angus Wyatt, Mythbunking, Underbelly on August 5, 2011
COMEDY***
Mythbunking
Underbelly
Any show which can pull in a full house, during the afternoon, to the damp caves of the Underbelly, on just its second show is sure to do well at the Fringe. Furthermore, any show which features the comedy stylings of YouTube sensations Matt Lacey and Tom Williams, and is produced by the wonderful Unexpected Productions is guaranteed to be a popular crowd-pleaser.
‘Mythbunking’ has all the makings of being a great comedy hit, but I felt that it is not yet bedded in to its new venue and Fringe setting – I suspect that this is partly due to the recent start of its run, and also due to the hectic Fringe schedule of its stars (who also feature in the main Unexpected Items show). The result of this was that there were come awkward moments when occasionally lines or thought trains were forgotten and Tom and Matt were left to improvise – which, incidentally proved to be surprisingly successful for them!
Nonetheless the audience loved every moment and seemed to appreciate the improvised comedy created by the duo at usually off-putting moments such as late-comers and minor technical faults. There are some hilarious sections of the show and amusing use is made of multimedia through image and video projections and sound – I never thought I’d hear the lyrics of Tinnie Tempah’s ‘Pass Out’ altered to be a reference to the laddish and drunken shenanigans of Dame Judi Dench. This show even has a healthy dose of audience participation and, although I am not usually a fan, the audience seemed to be up for a laugh despite the dark, dripping surroundings.
I have no fear that this will soon become another great show for the team at Unexpected, but it just needs a little more rehearsal, performance and confidence to make it the show that it deserves to be.
Totally Tom
Posted by Martin in Angus Wyatt, Totally Tom, Underbelly on August 5, 2011
COMEDY****
Totally Tom
Underbelly
I shamelessly chose to go see ‘Totally Tom’ based on one YouTube video, a few reviews and some rather attractive advertising. However, I have now been enlightened as to the ways of this crazy comedy duo and I have to admit, I am highly impressed. Not just handsome chaps, the two Toms have created a highly witty and hilarious sketch show featuring everything from ‘Bratwurst’ – an entertaining ‘Skins meets Schindlers list’ style soap – to a re-creation of Oscar-winner ‘The King’s Speech’ but with a gay twist – some of these really have to be seen to be believed!
There was a brilliant balance between the two stars and neither outshone the other, each taking their turn to be the main character in each sketch, and each performing with vibrancy, energy and unparalleled talent. The show is clearly well written and extremely well rehearsed – this was only their second show, yet there was not a single noticeable mistake. The audience seemed entertained throughout, although perhaps enjoyed some sketches more than others. It would be impossible for me to pick a favourite sketch, although Queen Jumanji and the mocking of Shakespearean asides deserve a special mention for their side-splitting qualities.
My one query which hangs over this show is that it carries a 14+ rating, yet a myriad of expletives feature including the ever-despised ‘C-word’ – perhaps the producers would consider revising this to guard a great show against any unnecessary audience complaints. Regardless, Totally Tom is a comedy hit and will no doubt draw critical praise during its Fringe run – and hey, if you’re somehow not massively overwhelmed by their comedy, at least go for the view – these boys know how to brighten up the gloomy Underbelly venue!
Laundry Boy
Posted by Martin in Charlotte Monk-Chipman, Laundry Boy, Theatre, Underbelly on August 5, 2011
THEATRE
***
Laundry Boy
Underbelly
Horizon Arts with Richard Jordon Productions present a ‘perverse romantic comedy’ betwixt reality and comic book fantasy. Although the logo resembles that of a soap powder box, and given the connotations of the title and set, the language is filthy, at times brutal, and undoubtedly funny. It is teeming with fetish and sexual fantasy displayed through the eyes of Terry Orange; who performs the duration of the show wearing only tight superhero pants, and a del boy-esque dressing gown. The show is sexually driven, and as the characters were introduced, each woman was hotter than the next, and wearing more revealing attire. But the flippant use of female sexuality in particular was so extreme and consistent, that the irony was clear. On one side there was a dominatrix red pvc clad woman armed with a whip and killer heels with a fishnet stocking over her face, and the other side, a school girl Barbie doll who repeatedly offers herself to Terry asking ‘would you like me to sit on your face?’ and as the plot became more ridiculous, it almost became a parody of itself. The audience bears witness to a truly bizarre animation of Terry’s childhood illustrations, against a laundrette backdrop which has been painted with thick black lines in keeping with the comic book style. As the madness unravels, Terry’s mental state is questioned, somewhat clinically, always in a false, factual cheeriness which adds to the overwhelming ‘trippy’ vibe that I took away with me from watching this show. Memorable moments include a display of Objectum Sexuality with a hoover which then morphs into its 80’s roller disco human counterpart, personified with a terrible impression of a Chinese accent; presumably a reference to a ‘made in china’ stamp. The show was perhaps overlong, and overstepped its sense of ending, but the energy and pace was consistent, and the actors were committed to their exaggerated characters, even if they were just irritating at times.
The Hamiltons: High-Jinks with the Hamiltons!
Posted by Martin in Angus Wyatt, High Jinks with the Hamiltons, Underbelly on August 5, 2011
COMEDY***
The Hamiltons: High-Jinks with the Hamiltons!
Udderbelly
The notorious Hamiltons returned to Edinburgh with the pop of a champagne cork (no surprise there!) and a flourish of lighting effects. Despite the show starting half an hour late and the audience having been stuck outside in the rain (welcome to Edinburgh!), spirits seemed to be high – and I’m not just referring to the gin coursing through Christine’s veins. The pre-set for the show had a vaguely nautical theme to it and included a slideshow of hilarious images of the pair, who then appeared from inside a black box in a sort of camp-magic sort of way. There were some minor technical issues with microphones and Christine’s clashing pink and orange attire was verging on visually offensive, but other than that the show seemed to run pretty smoothly. Whether it was intentional or not however, the couple used clipboards to keep a track of who their guests were which I felt distanced them from more professional chat-show hosts and distracted from the hilarity at times.
The biggest downside to the show was that the bonkers Christine seemed to hugely overshadow a rather reserved Neil, almost preventing him from ever being involved – I felt that the elderly couple sitting in front of me who occasionally nattered about this and that (rude!) talked more than one of the stars of the show – it is clear that Christine wears the trousers, but I only wish a better balance had been created between the two performers. The brilliance of a chat-show such as this is that each performance will bring different guests and therefore a different atmosphere and quality to the overall experience. Admittedly, this makes my job as a reviewer challenging due to the fact that one show could be side-splittingly hilarious throughout and therefore in five-star territory but the next day could be awful.
Nonetheless, this is a light-hearted fun show with some hilarious moments and an unexpected full audience participation ending. The Hamiltons are like Marmite – you either hate them to the point of fabricating rape allegations, or you embrace their ridiculousness and pay £11 to see them here at the Fringe – for what it’s worth I would rather opt for the latter…I can’t be done with the paperwork and legal fees.
