Archive for category Musicals
Cluedo
Posted by Martin in Augustine's, Charlotte Monk-Chipman, Cluedo on August 27, 2011
MUSICALS
**
Cluedo
Augustine’s
‘Professor Plum’ in the library with the spanner? ‘Reverend Green’ in the study with the revolver? ‘Poot Productions’ manage to distort the notion of whodunnit, into who cares?! Unfortunately Cluedo the musical really is as bad as it sounds. As a great fan of this classic board game, I had high hopes for a musical adaptation, but the real scene wasn’t the intelligent parody I had hoped for. At first I thought that the show might be so awful it was brilliant, but this is too great a complement, and the cast were not talented enough to pull it off.
Using awkward follow spots, the lighting also flunked, with poor technical operation but at least this was in keeping with all the other elements. The script wasn’t great, although I did appreciate the brief homage to Chicago’s ‘cell block tango’, and the theme song was unfortunately catchy. But the singing was distinctly average and needed elaborate ‘jazz hands’ choreography to really make it entertaining. It certainly needed to be infinitely cheesier for it to be satirical. A noteworthy performance was given by the archetypal bawdy maid ‘Mrs White’ though, and her performance stood out but admittedly, this was not too difficult given the casts aptitude.
The show only established hilarity in accidental moments, such as Colonel Mustard’s moustache slipping off his lip and onto his chin, which I met with suppressed giggling and streaming eyes, and this was a welcome mishap and I thank the actors’ sweaty lip for this. Such blunders were irrationally funny compared with the show itself, so that when a gunshot failed to sound but someone died, I lapsed into hysteria yet again. True to its roots, this show is murder, and rather than a thrilling original musical, a cup of tea and a dusty old board game is guaranteed to be more entertaining.
Nunsense
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, Edinburgh Academy, Nunsense on August 24, 2011
MUSICALS**** Nunsense
Edinburgh Academy
Local Company “tempo” bring the off Broadway smash hit “Nunsense” to the fringe this festival season. They really succeed in spreading the good word from above in comedy style.
The story of Nunsense follows a group of 5 nuns from a convent in Hoboken New York having suffered the lost of most of the sisters due to a bad batch of Vichyssoise soup and having spent the last of the money on a new plasma TV. Mother Superior Sister Mary Regina is forced to place four of the nun’s bodies in the deep freezer while she tries to raise the funds to bury them. Her cunning idea is to enlist Sisters Mary Amnesia a victim of blow to the head by a crucifix, Mary Hubert ever so repressed, Robert Anne a nun with individuality and flare for a Broadway belter and finally Sister Mary Leo late of the Ballet School. Together they put on a talent show and its we, the audience who are invited to see their efforts.
The show is filled with comedy as every nun joke in creation is given a good airing to belly laughs from the audience along with excellent musical numbers showcasing the power vocals from the 5 leading ladies. Outstanding performance come from Gabrielle Pavone as sister Amnesia as she struggles to remember who she is and why god put her on earth, dolly parton apparently holds the key. For me the knock out performance comes from Niloo Far Khan as Sister Robert Anne as she shows one can believe in god but still be her own person and she gets the balance of conviction and tenderness just right.
The whole production is anchored but a small four piece onstage house band under the direction of Simon Hanson who really do the score justice. That said there were some sound problems and it did feel as though the girls voices were roaring through the speakers to the audience. It’s also a bit of marathon at 2 hours and 20 minutes which is highly unusual for a piece of fringe theatre.
This really is a worthy four star effort and I hope the audiences travel to this venue which is on the fringe of the fringe due to the relocation of assembly this year. So put aside your own religion and get on down to nunsense for a fun musical night out!
Rent
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, Rent, theSpaces on August 22, 2011
MUSICALS** Rent
the Spaces @ Venue 45
Click community productions present Jonathan Larson’s tony award winning production of Rent this festival.
The idea of Rent which is based on Puccini’s La Boheme looks at a group of friends as they face life, love and loss in the shadow of the Aids epidemic of the 1980’s. This was also Jonathan’s final piece of writing before his death and the show imbues many of his friends with in its characters. Sadly for Click productions it’s obvious that this show is a step to far for them.
Director Audrey Tang has mixed the schools version with the full Broadway version – and also included moments from the original 1993 -1996 workshop editions which leave a mish mash on stage. It also heavily miss cast, I appreciate the effort it takes to put community theatre on stage, but the ability to sing is a must for any principal character, there were bum notes, and moments where the cast were singing completely out of time with the music. There was also an ensemble member who sang flat pretty much all the way through.
In terms of characters Ruaridh MacPhee stands out as Mark Cohen – especially given that he came late to the role to cover for someone else dropping out. I also particularly enjoyed Jamie Marks performance within the ensemble and he works really hard through a volley of roles and he doesn’t look half bad in a bra, (which incidentally made no sense what so ever). Sadly Claire Jakobsson as Joanne Jefferson comes across more as Mary Poppins with an out of place English accent an while she has an excellent singing voice she is so unsure of herself – it weakens the character immensely.
For me the crucial scene of “Cover You Reprise” following the death of Angel is the emotional sucker punch of the show – this was also the moment that it became obvious the company had little connection with the material as they raced through their 80 minute slot.
There is a good theatre company within Click but they are stretched performing Rent. I’m sure we shall see them back on the Fringe again though, as the talent is there if it’s used properly.
Spring Awakening
Posted by Martin in Augustine's, Brett Herriot, Spring Awakening on August 20, 2011
MUSICALS***** Spring Awakening
Augustine’s
Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group mark the start of their 50th anniversary year with a beautiful and powerful production of Duncan Sheik’s and Steven Sater’s Spring awakening.
The production is based on the original German play by Frank Wedekind, Set in late-19th century Germany, it concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of sexuality. The original play was banned in Germany for a while due to its portrayal of abortion, homosexuality, rape, child abuse and suicide. What director Sarah Haddath has done to beautiful effect is stripped the show back from the wider known Broadway and west end productions and completely allowed her cast to engage with topics involved rather than merely rehearsing a show for the stage. This shows on stage by the complete connection the ensemble cast have with the piece. It is also commendable for removing the dance element and replacing it with a stunning sequence of physical theatre which completely changes the over all affect of the production for the better.
It has been shorted to fit into the 90 minute late night slot but the timing and length only had to the worthiness of the production. Using a black box theatre and a selection of child like chairs to depict scenes allows the audience to really focus on the performances and what performances they are. In the role of Wendla, Emma Middleton excels with conviction at what she wants from sexual contact and at the sheer horror of what underage and unprotected sex can have. Combined with the efforts of Hamish Colville as Melchior who sings with a rich baritone voice, his character paid the price for that of Moritz, played by Finlay MacAulay, watching Finlay on stage is simply breath taking and beautiful as the sheer intensity of the character’s fall into emotional despair brought tears to my eyes, his truly is an unforgettable performance. Special mention must also go to Ewan Mood as Ernst and especially Dominic Lewis as Hanschen. Their depiction of a blossoming gay love is to be commended, with Dominic giving just the right level of sassiness to woo the impressionable Ernst, The kisses felt real and not a straight man playing gay on stage.
The whole show is anchored by a lovely acoustic band under the direction of Luci Holland, and what you ultimately get is one of those very rare moments in fringe theatre and that’s a production that can’t be topped because of its sheer individuality and excellence of performance. This is the stand out musical of the 2011 season and if you’re ready to embrace the freedom of self exploration then this show is a must.
The Improvised Musical
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, C Venues, Improvised Musical on August 17, 2011
MUSICALS**** The Improvised Musical
C Chambers Street
No Shoes Theatre company return to the fringe with the improvised musical, something which is becoming common on the fringe scene however No Shoes do it with style!
As with all impro shows, it’s the sheer guts and talent of those on stage who make the production work. While showstoppers over at the Gilded Balloon work the same idea but always keep the barrier of the audience and stage in place, No shoes is happy to rip that barrier down, borrowing items from the audience for props, enlisting members to play a game to win the chance to have “change the show” card. The vital ingredient to make it work is audience suggestions. At my performance we ended up with a musical called “My Toes Made Rock and Roll” and featured the song “I am no dinosaur”. What happens is an excellent comedy filled hour which delights the capacity audience.
The 6 performers are backed by an onstage band of drummer, Double Bass and the brilliant and Beautiful Gavin Whitworth at the piano; it seems the best musicals this year revolve around him at the fringe! They are of course assisted by the Impro techie who works hard to ensure lighting changes happen as the action develops. A very cleaver twist to the production is watching the performer’s feet. The all start the production in a selection of trainers and socks and by the end there bare foot. They really are the No Shoes Theatre company including Gavin who played the piano barefoot throughout!
If you find yourself at C Venues at 6pm you won’t go wrong with this show! I’m still humming the tunes now!
The Music Of Les Miserables
Posted by Martin in C Venues, Joshua Hepple, Music Of Les Miserables on August 17, 2011
MUSICALS*****
The Music Of Les Miserables
C eca
These singers are destined for the West End. I have never heard such beautiful voices from such young talented performers.
To be honest, I was a bit apprehensive about going to a show that was just titled “The Music From…” as opposed to Les Miserables itself, but I can now fully see why it was designed like this.
This breathtaking show is set in an audition room for something similar to X-Factor or Britain’s Got Talent. The compere, who sits in the audience, asks individuals who are all numbered to come up and sing; either individually or in groups with their prepared song. My favourite performer, and must have been everyone’s, was a boy who can’t yet have reached double figures in age. He sang I Just Can’t Wait To Be King from the Lion King. His performance wowed the audience, and if this was a genuine talent contest he would have undoubtedly flown through to the next round. We also here from slightly older performers, who have much larger and powerful voices and sing songs from other musicals such as; When You’re Good to Mama from Chicago and Cabaret from Cabaret. The male vocals were not anything to complain about either. We hear songs from Phantom of the Opera and obviously the show finale is One Day More, that follows I Dreamed a Dream, both of which are from Les Miserables itself.
Another feature that made the show much more realistic, was when other performers sang, the rest of the cast – or “auditionees” – pretended to muck about in the waiting room during the performance.
A brilliant opportunity for the audience to hear how powerful and beautiful a voice can be.
Jet Set Go!
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, Jet Set Go!, theSpaces on August 17, 2011
MUSICALS****
Jet Set Go!
theSpace on Niddry St
This cult show set with in the high flying world of airline cabin crew can be hit or miss! On this occasion go fly productions pulls it off in style.
Under the direction of Florence Carr the story of four female and two male cabin staff (the males obviously gay) as they take a journey to New York and back with the realisation that love eludes them and just like Fame Love costs. The show offers a mix of musical styles all enhances by the onstage band which includes a violin to great effect.
In terms of spotlight each member of the cast gets there moment to shine but none more so than Martin Kent’s performance as Richard, if you think Alan Cumming in the High Life that’s exactly what Martin is presenting on stage with the addition of compassion added to the sassiness. He shares a duet wonderfully with talented Jack Mosedale as Ryan the boy who wants love but not the campery surrounding the cabin crew lifestyle.
The overall effect of the piece is of fun, laughter and no matter what happens we need to feel loved for who and what we are. This is one musical worth catching down Niddry Street.
Sweet Charity
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, C Venues, Sweet Charity on August 17, 2011
MUSICALS**** Sweet Charity
C Chambers Street
Renown Director Richard Green brings the Northern Theatre Company back to Edinburgh in this there 21st anniversary of their first visit to the fringe with a re-imagining of Sweet Charity.
NTC is at its heart a theatre school aiming to develop talent from across the Yorkshire area whilst pushing the bounds of theatre itself. To a good degree turning Sweet Charity from its sugar sweet 60’s original and moving it to the seedy side of New York’s gay hustlers is a brave and contemporary move. That’s not to say there aren’t women involved in the production there are plenty of them but there relegated to boosting the ranks of the ensemble.
The company put up quite a fight during the performance I saw as they got an audience who were clearly slightly the worse for drink and viewed most of the gay exchanges as though they were something from carry on gaying much to my annoyance. The actual story of charity valentine is intact in the production except she is a he and he who is gay with style. It goes to show no matter your sexuality the need to be loved and accepted is present in us all. There were points in the production were serious drama was being played out on stage and for some reason the audience laughed their way through it which had the opposite effect the story is intended to have. I personally believe laughter covers embarrassment, and that became obvious throughout the show.
In terms of performance Ross Hugill as Oscar, Jamie Elliott as Vitoria the movie star and Jan Parker as Herman really stood out, all three of them gave performances worthy of the roles and showed no fear even when the technical team let them down with a complete power failure in the lighting system. It was also nice to see developing talent on stage especially Blaine Williams who has a talent for dance but needs to totally believe in himself and the character he is playing to completely sell the story to the audience.
My biggest praise goes to Max Gallaghar in the role of Charity; he completely excels with a tour de force of someone who has lost love, found it again only to discover it wasn’t meant to be. He took the direction of Richard Green to new heights and allowed the audience to flow with him. For me, he is also very cute and sexy and knows how to turn on the charm, especially in character.
The production is running to the end of the festival and I intend to see it again before then! Make sure you do too.
Little Shop of Homos!
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, C Venues, Little Shop Of Homos! on August 17, 2011
MUSICALS**** Little Shop of Homos!
C Chambers Street
London’s Gay Men’s Chorus couldn’t all make it to the fringe this year, so those darlings in charge have dispatched “The far From Kansas” team to entertain the crowds in mega style.
The story is centred on Hardy Dicks, the premier department store for gay men who have hit hard times during the credit crunch and dwindling sales. The manger has to do something, so he hires a reality TV star to prepare his sales men for the drastic action of selling their products to Metro sexual people. The journey along the way shows the Hardy dicks team that they should be proud of who and what they are and the product there trying to shift.
What we essentially get is an hour long camp cabaret very much in the “are you being served” model with a splash of “little shop of horrors” thrown in. The selection of songs is interesting and quite a few have had their lyrics rewritten to gay them up to great comic effect. The highlight of the performance has to be “you are my sister” the song by Anthony and the Johnsons with Boy George on guest vocals, which is given a beautiful treatment by the boys in the show that swells to a simply stunning all male four part harmony which cascades through the auditorium.
The humour is very thumb in cheek and gets big laughs from the sold out audience, unfortunately due to commitments in London the boys are only appearing on the fringe for 5 performances. Do what you must to get a ticket to a show which will hold the title, most fabulously gay of the 2011 Edinburgh fringe season.
Hitler! The Musical
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, Gryphon Venues, Hitler! The Musical on August 17, 2011
MUSICALS*** Hitler! The Musical
Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel
Controversy is something which the fringe is renowned for and often provides a home for people to share productions which are either accepted or rejected by the audience. A musical based on Adolf Hitler succeeds in being accepted.
The idea of this musical is to basically parody well established musicals and give us a brief insight into Adolf’s early life and the war years using very black humour. Musicals such as “Wicked”, “Les Miserable” and “Sound of Music” are heavily stylised by an ensemble company of twelve women and one man, bravely played by Benjamin Mahns-Mardy who is somewhat of an expert on putting on bras and skirts very quickly.
The show is very slick in direction and pace and turns things on their heads when the lighting technician is pulled from the LX box to give us a song on the power of Adolf’s facial hair. Where I felt the production fails is that it becomes very much the same number being repeated in the same style – which while funny to begin with does become a bit dry and boring and you wish for so much more. There is after all only so much one person can watch of an actor being whacked by an inflatable hammer.
It seems judging by the rest of Gryphons program that there presenting a range of plays and musicals which fit into the Controversial category and the sold out audience in attendance proves that strategy is working. If you’re around the West End of town this is one show worth catching in the passing.
11
Posted by Martin in Augustine's, Brett Herriot, Eleven on August 14, 2011
MUSICALS**** 11
Augustine’s
Musical theatre is often labelled as mushy and over sentimental and camp. There are however moments of dramatic musical theatre which really define the genre. 11 is one of these moments.
The base of the musical is the fact we are now ten years on since the tragic events in New York on September 11th which started a whole new war across the world. War is not a new thing and this musical looks to examine what makes a person cross the line from Patriotism to terrorism. Using a clever flash back technique it lets the audience look at the similarities and differences between World War 1 and 2 plus the war for equality for coloured people in the 60’s right up to 9/11. What really stands out is that in war there are no victor’s just victims, the numbers of which continue to rise as we enjoy the world’s biggest arts festival.
The 6 strong ensemble company play various roles to great effect especially Steven McIntyre who completely compels and engrosses the audience as does Darren Niven during an emotional letter reading scene that even had me crying.
The Score is refreshingly light and dam powerful and really adds to the excellence of the overall production. The show also use a large visual display of chilling pictures from both world wars right up to rolling news footage of not only 9/11 but 7/7 too, for me the most chilling picture used is of an empty Nazi Gas Chamber which is an image that continues to transcend time.
This production really does showcase the best of Scottish talent both on and off the stage and is without a doubt a massive hit of the Musicals and Opera section at this years fringe. I book your ticket for this production while there are still some left.
The Chess Game
Posted by Martin in Chess Game, Inverleith Church Hall, Joshua Hepple on August 10, 2011
MUSICAL
**
The Chess Game
Inverleith Parish Church
This year Forth Children’s Theatre brought The Chess Game to the Fringe. FCT have performed at the Fringe for many decades and normally produce very high quality acts; however, I felt let down this year. The Chessgame demonstrates hierarchy and anarchy. It asked many questions such as: what is a democracy? and who is in charge of a state? The show asks the audience to reflect on who we put in charge of our lives and why.
The influence of the media and role of the army are pulled up and the musical works to highlight the futility and absurdity of war. As the cast had performers as young 10, I felt that some of the younger actors perhaps did not have the maturity to convey the gravity and depth of these issues. The leads were played by Julia Carstairs and Rebecca Gilhooly, who portrayed the black and white queen. By far, they outshone the other performers. Saying this, FCT has lost many of its incredible performers in the past, who made FCT what it was.
In this performance, there were around 40 young actors who did not seem to have the ability to be light and agile on the stage. The biggest drawback was the lack of excellent voices. When the chorus sang as one, they were fine and so were the two queens; however, in many of the solos by the other performers, they found it impossible to reach the high notes which dramatically let the show down. If you are a proud parent or friend of one of the cast members, this show is pleasant enough with a few comic moments for you to enjoy. The general public, however, may not be able to appreciate it as much as a standard show in the Fringe.
Heroes, Heroines and Villains
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, Heroes/Heroines and Villains, St George's West on August 10, 2011
OPERA
***
Heroes, Heroines and Villains
St Andrew’s and St George’s West
Edinburgh Studio Opera return to the fringe with a daring performance of opera’s best-loved arias and scenes.
Opera is often overlooked in terms of the fringe as it’s seen to be a major part of the international festival. It’s good to see there are quality companies producing accessible opera with in the fringe. A 21 strong company perform a selection taken from Dido and Aeneas by Purcell alongside Nixon in China by Adams the most modern of the operas to appear at the lunchtime session. We are then treated to an extended excerpt from Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel from 1893. The company performs Act 3 Scene 3 in the witches’ kitchen to great aplomb with Susan McNaught reveling in the role of the witch oozing nastiness. This is followed by Janacek’s Cunning little Vixen with Brendan Glen excelling in the role of the cockerel before the company move on to Le Nozze di Figaro with the Finale in the countess Bedroom getting loud approvals from the audience. To close the show we are treated to a simply outstanding performance of Rodolfo’s Apartment from Puccini’s La Boheme. Laura Reading is quite simply breathtaking in her delivery and is for me the star of the production. The company’s finale is taken from Bizet’s Carmen is a rousing and well executed finish to the 50 minutes.
Unfortunately the venue doesn’t allow for dramatic lighting and set but excellent costumes, tight direction from Michael Richardson which ensures the venue is used to its best and makes for a delightful lunchtime’s opera production.
From the Fire
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, From the Fire, Zoo on August 10, 2011
MUSICALS****
From the Fire
Zoo Roxy
Following a sell out and critically acclaimed workshop run in New York, Bonny Doon productions, From the Fire makes its European premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe festival.
From the fire is deeply powerful and dramatic Oratorio which remembers the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911. This fire saw the deaths of 146 immigrant girls from the mostly Jewish and Italian communities. The fire came a year after the Uprising of the 20,000 the first significant strike by women in history. Up until the point women did not have the vote and were woefully underpaid and vastly over worked compared to their male counter parts. This is also taken into the story as well as the social change created following the fire. It’s the echo of the deaths of these women which continue to reverberate around the world today.
You may think this is quite a heavy production to be seeing at breakfast time but I felt totally engaged with the subject matter as we are transported back through time thanks to innovative projections, clever chorography and tight direction from Cecillia Rubino. The production is anchored by Musical Director Kris Kukul at the piano accompanied by Mastaka Odaka on double bass and banjo. The score which is based on a combination of poetry and new written lyrics is both evocative of the period as well as appealing to today’s audience. The show has lots of compassion but is never mawkish, the cast work cohesively together as an ensemble despite issues with the sound and it’s obvious that they believe in what they are performing.
The production has a very limited run in the festival of ten performances only and I assure you that it’s a production which will live long in the memory.
Showchoir! The Musical
Posted by Martin in Angus Wyatt, C Venues, Showchoir! The Musical on August 9, 2011
MUSICALS*
Showchoir! The Musical
C Chambers Street
With the rising popularity of Glee and an increasing number of show choirs forming across the UK, Showchoir! The Musical has a relevant concept behind it, and one which was able to draw a near-full house to this particular performance. However, I feel that the original concept and very limited number of comedic moments were the only positives to this show. That said, the plot for the musical is basically the past, present and future storyline of the fictional ‘New Directions’ from Glee – this meant that a perfectly acceptable concept was cheapened by a predictable copy-cat storyline. Another interestingly original idea was the portable mirror backdrop, although this didn’t really work and added very little to the overall experience of the show.
The acting was poor and lacked conviction, quality and believability. The choreography was cheap and often out of time. The cast were unprofessional and deficient of the ability to hold focus whilst on-stage but not in-scene. Additionally, the vocals were pitchy and dynamically unbalanced and the lyrics uninventive. Even the big musical numbers were boring, as they lacked vocal power and the support of a full band (there was just one man on one keyboard) – it felt more like a community show in a village hall rather than something worthy of a place at the Fringe. The only number I actually remember was one which repeatedly featured the lyrics ‘no day like today’ – methinks someone has been stealing from Jonathan Larson’s Rent – I also felt that this would have made a better closing number than whatever it was that did round-off the show, and it would have ended this awful performance about ten minutes earlier.
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, Gilded Baloon, Showstopper Improvised Musical on August 9, 2011
MUSICALS**** Showstopper! The Improvised Musical
Gilded Balloon
Showstopper returns to the Gilded Balloon for its fourth year in a row and grows ever more popular thanks to the amazing talents on stage.
The Key to understanding showstopper is that the show doesn’t exist until the audience arrive and start giving ideas to the narrator played by showstopper co-founder Dylan Emery. At the performance I attended the audience came up with bumbleland, the bees versus the wasps and the search for the truth beyond the cupcake tree. Once the idea is establish the talented cast begin the hour long musical with the narrator interrupting and either enhancing the direction of the musical or altering it completely. Small things like a microphone failing are quickly written in with the object being that by the end of the hour there is brand spanking new musical ready to be delivered to theatre producer known only as Cameron.
I was genuinely stunned by the excellent improvisational skills of everyone involved; being able to produce both ballads and huge musical numbers of the cuff is a unique talent. Credit also goes to a very gifted Lighting operator as he too works hard creating of the cuff lighting states and special effects.
The production works so well because it uses a cast of well-established professional musical theatre improverts and one who shone for me was Pippa Evans playing the warlock her voice was resonant throughout.
The hard thing about reviewing such a show is that it is so unique; the musical I saw will never be seen again! I thoroughly recommend going along and experiencing the musical magic of Showstopper! The Improvised Musical.
Wasted Love
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, C Venues, Wasted Love on August 8, 2011
MUSICALS**** Wasted Love
C Chambers Street
One Academy productions are really hitting a home run with this wonderfully beautiful production being staged at C venues.
The story leads us through an emotional therapy support group meeting where we encounter 4 males and 4 females effected by the bad side of Love and question why they cant find the kind of love they so desire.
The entire company sing with passion and desire and there isn’t a stand out performer as they all shine in equal measure, many showing multiple talents by playing various instruments. The show is anchored by Musical Director Gavin Whitworth at the piano but also pleasingly taking a full character part with in the show itself.
This is without a doubt a delight of a comedy musical which appeals across the board as it’s for good or bad a part of the human condition in the way in which love affects us. It can hurt, be scary and also be the most joyous thing in our lives irrespective of whom we love and feel love from.
Edinburgh based writers John and Gerry Kielty have a deft comedy touch while always remaining real and it shines through, especially in the character of John as performed by John McLarnon who poses the question, can we truly love anyone else until we love ourselves?
Director Andrew Panton knows his stuff and works the small C+2 venue to his advantage and ensuring the audience are fully included in the production which both grabs and maintains the attention at all times.
Wasted love is a standout piece of new writing on the festival this year and concludes with a brilliant twist at the end of the story. The message I took from it was Love should never be wasted.
Catch this amazing show on the fringe while you can as I am sure it’s destined for even greater heights in the future.
Scene of the Titans
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, C Venues, Scene of the Titans on August 6, 2011
Musical**** Scene of the Titans
C Chambers St
This little gem of a musical playing at C+2 shows exactly why new writing based on a TRUE story works so well on the musical stage and why we must encourage these writers to try there ideas on the fringe as well as developing there productions for the west end and beyond.
The story of the Titans, Ireland’s first Gay friendly rugby team as they take on the challenge of the Bingham Cup is both inspired and at times emotional to watch. The Bingham cup itself was born of tragedy in order to do honour to an act of bravery which still transcends human thought to this day.
The lead character of Terry performed wonderfully by Luke Hier leads us through various flashbacks of the teams formation introducing us to a wealth of characters including cute boyfriend Colin, played by Sam Fowles, the boy with a crush, Cillian played by Ashton Montgomery and the rest of the team including drag queen manager Sophia who is played by Dario Cacioppo and Randy Grab on Alternate performances.
Terry’s Journey is at times perceived to be naïve as the initial impetus for setting up the team is to win the heart of the boy Colin, however it becomes so much more as he discovers that life and love do so often hurt irrespective of sexuality. What impressed me most about the production is that fact the team are Gay is normalised, which is especially humbling given the pressure religion still holds over Ireland.
Luke Hier’s performance is simply outstanding as his deep eyes convince you of the pain, the hope and love his character faces as he comes to terms with himself and the world around him. Great direction of the piece by Kate Andrews given the constraints of the venue is to be applauded as is the Pre taped Music of Adam Robbie, which pleasing allows the cast to perform without microphones so we can hear the emotional raw edge of the many voices which at times blend into a wonderful acapella moments. Choreography by Sarah Jane Dooley further enhances the experience. There is also some wonderful casting idea’s involved in the show where females play males to great effect.
This show is one which proves that a captains love for his men, a mother’s love for her son as they set out on the journey to Dublin, reaffirms the power of the Musical Theatre.
This really is the one of the must see productions of the 2011 Fringe season.
Spring Awakening
Posted by Martin in Brett Herriot, C Venues, Spring Awakening on August 5, 2011
MUSICALS**
Spring Awakening
C Venues @ 13:30
Frank Wedekind’s once banned play of Morality and Sexuality was given a new lease of life thanks to the book and lyrics created by Duncan Sheik and Steven Slater.
The stories tale of redemption, forgiveness and hope born of love is not a common choice for a schools production but Gordonstoun School have taken on the challenge which works to a degree.
Using a beautiful set made of wooden ladders, and a ring of trees with a cascade of leaves lying around the intimate stage of C-1. There is also a nice live band positioned high up by the lights of the stage giving a good soundscape to the show.
Oscar Macdonald plays the pivotal role of Melchoir the Rebel and succeeds in getting to grips with a highly complex emotional character and is supported by Aynsleigh McGhie as Martha the Abused also shining in an emotive role.
Where the production fails is mainly due to the battle with the sound element, the cast of 14 are all wearing head mic’s even though some of them stick out like a sore thumb with strips of Elastoplast trying to cover black mic cables on white actors. The sound came and went from the speakers and we also had random flashes of moving lights which were quite clearly not part of the action.
The staging of the production meant there was no masking of the wings, and idea which can work if the cast are aware they can be seen and easily pull focus from the stage. Sadly this happened on to many occasions with performers having discussions, costumes being fixed and altered when it clearly was inappropriate and on one occasion an actor went flying over a piece of set.
My particular bug bear is surrounding Rob Luke’s performance as Hanschen, Hanshen is a character coming to terms with his homosexuality and the world around him. What should be deeply emotional and complex coming to terms and showing of love with Simon Dethleffsen character of Ernst is reduced to nothing more that Comedy Fodder which is in stark contrast to Wedekind’s intention.
A production with promise, let down by technical and staging issues and trivialisation of emotional story elements.
Sunday in The Park With George
Posted by Martin in C Venues, Charlotte Monk-Chipman, Musicals, Sunday/Park With George on August 5, 2011
MUSICALS
***
Sunday in The Park With George
C Venues
Inspired by the famous painting ‘A Sunday afternoon on the island of La Grande Jatte’ by Georges Seurat, and performed by the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, this classic Sondheim musical premiered at C Venues with limited success. It was unfortunate that due to technical difficulties, the opening night was delayed by 20 minutes, and even as we were admitted to the auditorium, I was unsure whether the opening sequence was Brechtian, or a continuation of the technical disruptions. This caused confusion later in the plot, where the lighting display at an art gallery fails and I was left wondering whether the actors were making slick use of adlib. Perhaps it was these circumstances which affected the energy of the show, as I felt that it was slow at times, and lacking something. It certainly was not an absence of talent, the cast were undoubtedly talented musical theatre performers which shone though in confident solo’s but I felt their strength lay in the ensemble numbers which showcased effortless beautiful harmonies, especially in the title song which was a powerful opening and closing number.
The costume was fitting to the two periods, which was important to distinguish the time jump in the second half, but even with the visual aids, I found it confusing how the actor who played George in 1884, wore a costume very similar to his modern outfit, and also played a character with the same name. It was also a close match to the original painting, and a replica of this dominated the scenery. Selected props were cardboard cutouts, such as the parasols, and even the dogs, which were painted using a similar brushstroke to Seurat. This was a clever aesthetic choice to tie in the actors blocking with the subjects in the painting, and was particularly effective in the still tableau of the aforementioned painting, with the exception of the spare soldier which was intended to be a comic tool, but it didn’t seem to add anything to the show.
The leading lady who played ‘Dot’ stole the show for me, but I was unconvinced by the characterisation of ‘George’ who as the artist ironically lacked depth. A common criticism of Musicals is the lesser acting ability, and sadly this let it down across the board, as it was not as strong but elements of comedy were mastered neatly, and the singing was to a very high standard. I think the company could have been more adventurous with their revival of this show, but it was a confident performance, if a bit dull.
FRESHER the Musical
Posted by Martin in Angus Wyatt, FRESHER the Musical, Pleasance on August 5, 2011
MUSICALS****
FRESHER the Musical
Queen Dome, Pleasance Dome
With widespread publicity and boastful reminders of its 2010 Best New Musical award, FRESHER created quite an expectation for potential audiences – but I am happy to say that this was an expectation which it lived up to. Within minutes of its opening, this hilarious and highly realistic portrayal of the start of university life had justified every award it had won and potentially began the nominations for this year’s awards. The score was incredible, the characters believable and the energy maintained throughout. Having relatively recently experienced what it is to be a FRESHER, I felt I was able to connect with the characters who were excellently portrayed by five young, promising and highly talented actors. It would be difficult to pick a stand-out performer of the show, but in terms of character believability, convincingness and all-round aptitude I would have to say that Alexis Gerred, who plays Tuc Harris wins it for me; although the vocal talents of James Darch as Basil Wood are hard to beat. Likewise, singling out specific musical numbers is a challenge, but ‘Best Years of Your Life’ is stunning both musically and vocally and provides a great close to the show.
Sally Torode has taken a great concept in creating the storyline for FRESHER, but its real genius lies in the hilarious lyrics and brilliant musical score both by Mark Aspinall. The only disappointment however was that this show is deserving of a fuller band, more vocal depth and a larger venue – the Queen Dome, three-piece band and occasionally slightly empty vocals didn’t really do the original score and overall show complete justice. Don’t get me wrong, this is an incredible show and one deserving of several awards, but there were just a few minor qualities missing in this particular performance which prevent me from giving it a full five star review.
Regardless, FRESHER is one of the best musicals I have seen in my three years of coming to the Fringe and I fully intend to download the cast recording which is apparently now available on iTunes. All I hope is that this already amazing cast can rouse that extra 10% in vocal richness in order to give it what it needs to walk away with another handful of awards and critical acclaim.
