The List Festival 2017 - Week 3

l a v i t s fe 17–28 AUG 2017 | WEEK 3 LIST.CO.UK/FESTIVAL

FREE

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LEADING LIGHTS NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER GET SET TO ILLUMINATE THE FESTIVAL

BOOKS | COMEDY | DANCE | KIDS | MUSIC | THEATRE | ART

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CONTENTS FESTIVAL 2017 | ISSUE 3 | LIST.CO.UK/FESTIVAL

Big Fat Bribes

2

Top 20

5

News

9

FEATURES

10

Nederlands Dans Theater

10

Zinnie Harris

12

Summerhall Art

26

FOOD & DRINK

30

Pop-up bars PHOTO: RAHI REZVANI

COVER STORY NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER inspire awe and devotion among dance fans all over the world and this month, they're headed to Edinburgh as part of the International Festival's dance programme.

We caught up with one of their key dancers on page 10.

30

BOOKS

33

Reni Eddo-Lodge

33

Hitlist

34

Cosey Fanni Tutti

35

COMEDY

39

Tape Face

39

Hitlist

40

Sara Pasoe

41

Steen Raskopoulos

46

Candy Gigi

52

Reviews at a Glance

53

DANCE

59

Rain

59

Hitlist

60

Circus Abyssinia

61

TUTU

62

KIDS

65

The Listies Make You LOL

65

Hitlist

66

BambinO

67

Snigel and Friends

68

MUSIC

12

19

COVER PHOTO: RAHI REZVANI

IT'S MAGIC

With an amazing three shows at this year's EIF (Meet Me at Dawn, Rhinoceros and Oresteia), Zinnie Harris is having a busy festival.

We chat with her about it all.

Somewhere at the boundary of comedy and cabaret, magicians are fast becoming hot property at the Fringe. Here, we take a closer look at three top shows.

69

Hitlist

70

Sounding

71

Cell Block Soweto

73

THEATRE Win a delivery from Blue Moon

ZINNIE HARRIS

69

XFRMR

8

Win tickets to Art Late featuring Hamish Hawk

8

Get 2-for-1 tickets to see The Divide

8

Buy one ticket to Dickless and get one ticket to Losing Days free

75

Dollywould

75

Hitlist

76

Wild Bore

77

Woke

78

Borders

89

Reviews at a Glance

91

VISUAL ART

8

93

Zoe Walker and Neil Bromwich

93

Hitlist

94

Shadows of War

95

EVENTS

96

Museum After Hours

96

TOP RATED SHOWS AT LIST.CO.UK/FESTIVAL

It's our last issue of the month, but head to list.co.uk/festival until the end of August for new reviews from across the Edinburgh festivals every day.

Plus, keep an eye on our top rated page to see which show is number one at the end of the month, when all the ratings are in. Our money's on the wonderful Adam, FWIW.

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BIG fat BRIBE

Here at List Towers we’re not above a wee bribe to make us sit up and take notice of a show, here’s some of our favourites the postie has brought so far

CONTRIBUTORS CONTENT Editor-in-Chief Yasmin Sulaiman Senior Digital Editor Scott Henderson Content Manager Rowena McIntosh Deputy Content Manager Murray Robertson Senior Content Producer Alex Johnston Content Producers Henry Northmore, Arusa Qureshi, Kirstyn Smith, Louise Stoddart Subeditors Paul McLean, Arusa Qureshi Work Shadow (Editorial) Kenza Marland SECTION EDITORS Comedy Brian Donaldson Dance / Kids Kelly Apter Festival Food & Drink Louise Stoddart Front / News Rowena McIntosh Music Kirstyn Smith Theatre Gareth K Vile Visual Art Rachael Cloughton PRODUCTION Senior Designer Lucy Munro Designers Carol Soutar, Carys Tennant

An iron-on patch and some funky show-themed emoji stickers from CONFESSIONS OF A PERSONAL TRAINER, Greenside @ Infirmary Street, until 26 Aug.

A self-help book and some ‘Fringe essentials’.

Some people have sex on the brain. SANDRA HALE: SELF HELPLESS!, Just the Tonic at The Caves, until 26 Aug.

DIGITAL Senior Developer Andy Carmichael Senior Designer Sharon Irish Software Developer Iain McCusker Senior DBA Andy Bowles Data Developer Alan Miller COMMERCIAL Head of Account Management Chris Knox Senior Account Manager Debbie Thomson Account Manager Ross Foley, Alistair Chivers Ad Ops Executive Emma Thompson Affiliate Content Executive Craig Angus Digital Business Development Director Brendan Miles Partnership Director Sheri Friers Senior Events Manager Jade Regulski Events and Promotions Manager Rachel Cree

3D underwater adventures courtesy of a ViewMaster slide viewer from EDINBURGH SAFARI, 52 Canoes, until 26 Aug.

Stuffed tights artistically shaped into a penis by Christine Holt of DOMESTICATED, Paradise in the Vault, until Sat 19 Aug.

WANT TO BRIBE US? Send your bribes to: The Keeper of the Bribes The List | Tweeddale Court | 14 High Street | Edinburgh | EH1 1TE

ADMINISTRATION Head of Accounting & HR Sarah Reddie Director Robin Hodge CEO Simon Dessain

Published by The List Ltd HEAD OFFICE: 14 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TE Tel: 0131 550 3050 list.co.uk, email editor@list.co.uk GLASGOW OFFICE: at the CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3JD Tel: 0141 332 9929, glasgow@list.co.uk ISSN: 0959 - 1915 © 2017 The List Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without the written permission of the publishers. The List does not accept responsibility for unsolicited material.

The List provides this content in good faith but no guarantee or representation is given that the content is accurate, complete or up-to-date.

Use of magazine content is at your own risk.

Printed by Acorn Web Offset Ltd, W.Yorkshire.

2 THE LIST FESTIVAL 17–28 Aug 2017

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Fireworks Concert

Monday 28 August 9pm Princes Street Gardens Scottish Chamber Orchestra Conducted by Clark Rundell Featuring vocalist Karen Matheson

Photo Dave Stewart, Studio 2 Photography

Get the best views in the city BOOK NOW EIF.CO.UK Hear the music on the night on Forth 1

10–17 Aug 2017 THE LIST FESTIVAL 3

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DISCOVER NZ AT EDINBURGH 2017 EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE

www.nzatedinburgh.com

AAAAA

Edinburgh Festival for Kids

Modern Maori Quartet: That’s Us! Assembly @14.25

Julia Croft – Power Ballad Summerhall @19.30

Trick of the Light The Road That Wasn’t There Assembly @14.35

AA AA A Broadway Baby

Binge Culture – Break Up White Face Crew – (We Need To Talk) La Vie Dans Une Marionette Summerhall Mondays @18.00 Gilded Balloon at the Museum @10.30

Eleanor Bishop - Jane Doe Assembly @15:00

AAAA The List

Binge Culture – Ancient Shrines and Half Truths Summerhall @15.15 & 18.15

Binge Culture – Whales Assembly Sats and Suns @12.30

Juan Vesuvius : I Am your Deejay Assembly @23.00

10–17 Aug 2017 THE LIST FESTIVAL 4

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PHOTO: VIRGINIO LEVRIO

festival

TOP 20

MUSIC

La Bohème Puccini’s masterpiece is transported from its traditional Parisian setting to the fringes of a modern-day, multicultural metropolis in this new production direct from the Teatro Regio, Turin. Festival Theatre, 25–27 Aug.

PHOTO: ANDY HOLLINGWORTH

PHOTO: DAVID MONTEITH-HODGE

THEATRE

MUSIC

COMEDY

Adam

Sounding

Lauren Pattison

Deeply moving realisation of Adam Kashmiry’s trans experience, featuring the voices of 120 trans and non-binary individuals. See review, list.co.uk/ festival Traverse, until 27 Aug.

Lomond Campbell plays his Black River Promise album and Modern Studies perform new material, bolstered by the Pumpkinseeds. See feature, page 71. Stockbridge Parish Church, 20–22 Aug.

Tremendous coming-of-age tale with razor wit, brutal honesty and genuine vulnerability from the Geordie comedian. See review, list.co.uk/festival Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug. 17–28 Aug 2017 THE LIST FESTIVAL 5

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PHOTO: CARYS ELERI

PHOTO: TIM MOROZZO

THEATRE

MUSIC

Oresteia: This Restless House

Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon

Zinnie Harris reimagines Aeschylus’s 2500-year-old drama Oresteia in this new adaptation that won Best New Play at the Critics’s Awards for Theatre in Scotland. See feature, page 12. Lyceum, 22–27 Aug.

The pop songstress hosts two nights of her ‘torture chamber of disco’, with covers of cheese, disco and all your own favourite tunes. Summerhall, 25 & 26 Aug. PHOTO: CARL FOX

COMEDY

DANCE

KIDS

COMEDY

Joseph Morpurgo

Blak Whyte Gray

Snigel & Friends

Candy Gigi

Morpurgo follows up his Comedy Award-nominated 2015 show with multimedia adventure, Hammerhead.

See review, list.co.uk/festival Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug.

East London hip hop company Boy Blue Entertainment bring their Olivier Award-nominated dance piece to the International Festival.

Lyceum, until 19 Aug.

Dancer Caroline Bowditch creates characters rather than a dance spectacle, aimed at kids aged 6–18 months. See review, page 68. Dance Base, until 27 Aug (not 18–21).

A magnificently insane and surprisingly poignant depiction of adolescence, complete with mad props. See review, page 52. Heroes @ The Hive, until 27 Aug (not 22).

PHOTO: MIHAELA BODLOVIC

THEATRE

VISUAL ART

Woke

The Dragon of Profit and Private Ownership

Apphia Campbell stars in a formidable one-woman show exposing the archaic American justice system through the stories of two black women, decades apart. See review, page 78. Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 Aug.

Zoe Walker and Neil Bromwich’s latest work is a comic revolutionary provocation that taps into a need for collective participation in artistic acts rather than passive observation. See review, page 93, Trinity Apse, until 27 Aug.

6 THE LIST FESTIVAL 17–28 Aug 2017

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KIDS

BOOKS

The Listies Make You LOL

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This perfect comic partnership present scatological humour and hilarious physical comedy that has both adults and children howling with laughter. See review, page 65. Pleasance Courtyard, until 20 Aug.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon interviews author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie about her work and latest book Dear Ijeawale, a series of letters to a friend about feminism and motherhood. Charlotte Square Gardens, 26 Aug. PHOTO: STUART ROBERTSON

PHOTO: DAVID MONTEITH-HODGE

PHOTO: GEMMA SOLDATI

THEATRE

COMEDY

THEATRE

MAGIC

The Nature of Forgetting

Natalie Palamides

Wild Bore

Colin Cloud

Theatre Re’s breathtakingly beautiful and punishingly energetic physical show about early-onset dementia. See review, list.co.uk/festival Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 Aug.

A dark and original Fringe debut that uses eggs as a loaded metaphor to explore femininity, motherhood and abandonment. See review, page 44.

Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 Aug.

A relentlessly inventive exploration of the purpose of theatre from Zoe Coombs Marr, Ursula Martinez and Adrienne Truscott. See review, page 77. Traverse, until 27 Aug (not 21).

Impressive mind-reading from the magician as he guesses professions, pets’ names and embarrassing secrets. See feature, page 19.

Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 Aug. PHOTO: RAHI REZVANI

PHOTO: ADAM HEDGECOE

COMEDY

DANCE

Steen Raskopoulos

Nederlands Dans Theater

Aussie sketch and improv comic takes the, often-disliked, audience participation format and gives it universal appeal. See review, page 46.

Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug.

One of the most revered dance companies in the world, Nederlands Dans Theater present a triple bill of work: Stop-Motion, Shoot the Moon and The Missing Door. See feature, page 10. Playhouse, 21–23 Aug. 17–28 Aug 2017 THE LIST FESTIVAL 7

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READER OFFERS . TO DICKLESS BUY ONE TICKET AND GET ONE TICKET TO LOSING DAYS FREE

The List have teamed up with Initiative Productions to offer our readers the chance to see two incredible festival shows this year, for the price of one.

For every full price ticket you buy to Dickless, you will get one free ticket to Losing Days to use before 28 Aug. Dickless features, a headless cat, bizarre sexual conquests and girls behaving monstrously. Just another night in Dunningham! Peter Shaffer Award recipient Aisha Josiah brings us a tour de force, one person show that explores gender identity, the roles we choose to play and the roles thrust upon us.

Losing Days features live music from Frank Turner’s Tape Deck Heart album, and the debut performance of The Boxroom Larrys. A true story seen through a shattered kaleidoscope, delving into the superhero struggle of mental illness, and smashing the taboos that surround it.

To claim your free ticket, all you have to do is email a copy of your booking reference to contact@initiative26.com.

Book up fast as seats are limited and work on a first come first serve bases.

TERMS & CONDITIONS: The List’s usual rules apply. Offer applies for every full price ticket only.

The offer is subject to availability and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers.

GET 2 FOR 1 TICKETS TO SEE THE DIVIDE

WIN TICKETS.TO ART LATE (FEATURING HAMISH HAWK)

Art Late is a unique chance to experience the varied Edinburgh Art Festival programme by night, with visits to a selection of venues after-hours for tours, artist performances, talks and workshops.

The final Art Late event will begin with a tour at Scottish National Portrait Gallery, followed by three possible routes, taking you to see exhibitions by Zoë Walker and Neil Bromwich, Kate Davis, Bobby Niven, Toby Paterson and Shannon Te Ao, before finishing up at the Fruitmarket Gallery to enjoy music from Hamish Hawk.

To be in with a chance of winning one of two pairs of tickets to Art Late on 24 Aug plus an Edinburgh Art Festival tote bag designed by Toby Paterson, just log on to List.co.uk/offers and answer the question below.

Which artist will feature their work at The Fruitmarket Gallery during the Art Late finale?

ART LATE Scottish National Portrait Gallery National Galleries of Scotland 1 Queen Street | Edinburgh, EH2 1JD 24 Aug, 6pm until late

edinburghartfestival.com TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes 20 August 2017. Entrants must be over 18 years of age.

The List’s usual rules apply.

WIN WITH BLUE MOON THIS MONTH

Get 2 for 1 tickets to see the world premiere of Alan Aykbourn’s epic The Divide at this year’s Edinburgh International Festival. Unfolding across two separate parts, The Divide is an engaging and constantly surprising story of a future world defined by repression, forbidden love and seething insurrection.

A century from now England is hit by a deadly contagion and contact between men and women becomes fatal. An unthinkable solution is enforced, with men and women separated by the Divide.

Decades later, brother and sister Elihu and Soween are growing up learning the ways of their new, tightly controlled society. As they begin to glimpse the cracks in the system, Elihu falls for the daughter of two radical mothers, risking fatal disease and threatening to ignite a bloody revolution.

The 2 for 1 ticket offer is applicable to all performances and price types for both parts of The Divide until 20 Aug 17.

To claim your tickets, simply use promotional code TheListOffer when booking your tickets.

Tickets are available; Online at Eif.co.uk By phone 0131 473 2000 In person at Hub Tickets, The Hub, Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NE TERMS & CONDITIONS: Offer ends 20 August 2017. The List’s usual rules apply.

Offer is 2 for 1 tickets to see The Divide at the King’s Theatre as part of the Edinburgh International Festival.

The offer applies to all performances and ticket prices until 20 August.

The offer can be redeemed online, by phone or in person by using promotional code TheListOffer.

The offer is subject to availability and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers.

Blue Moon has partnered with The List to offer you the chance to win an exclusive delivery of Blue Moon, so that you and your friends can enjoy this artfully crafted beer at home.

Blue Moon is a refreshing, medium bodied, Belgian Style beer which is spiced with fresh coriander and Valencia and Navel orange peel. This North American craft beer is brewed with malted barley, wheat and rolled oats, giving a smooth, complex beer that is best served with a slice of orange to bring out the natural citrus aroma and taste.

The perfect accompaniment for summer barbecues, pairing well with foods such as grilled seafood and chicken. And since everything at Blue Moon flows from an artistic approach to brewing, you can enjoy a perfectly-served pint at pubs and venues across Edinburgh throughout the Fringe, including the Pleasance Courtyard, the Peartree and many more.

To be in with a chance of winning a delivery from Blue Moon, just log on to List. co.uk/offers and tell us:

Which garnish is the perfect serve for Blue Moon? #OnceInABlueMoon TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes 31 August 2017. Entrants must be over 18 years of age.

The List’s usual rules apply.

8 THE LIST FESTIVAL 10–17 Aug 2017

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NEWS NEWS AND GOSSIP FROM ACROSS THE FESTIVALS

fast ts fac • The first set of Fringe First winners have been announced and include The Fall, Flesh and Bone, Letters to Morrissey, Enterprise and The Believers Are But Brothers.

• The Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award shortlist features 18 shows, including Last Resort, Me and My Bee and Whales.

The winner will be announced on 25 Aug. • Authors will come together at the Book Festival on 23 Aug to pay tribute to the co-founder of Canongate Books, Stephanie Wolfe Murray. The event features Alasdair Gray, Alexander McCall Smith, Mairi Hedderwick and Tom Pow.

HOTTEST TICKETS IN TOWN THESE HOTCAKES WON’T BE AROUND FOR LONG, SO GET BOOKING Alex Love: How to Win a Pub Quiz The B*easts Bubbles and Martini Fleabag The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk Foil, Arms and Hog: Oink From the Ground Up Lauren Pattison: Lady Muck

• Eurovision Song Contest winner Conchita Wurst cancelled an appearance at the Edinburgh International Festival after the musicians she was due to perform with were denied visas.

• Guests announced for Michael John McCarthy’s Turntable / Edinburgh at the Scottish Storytelling Centre include Jo Clifford, David Greig, Zinnie Harris, Karine Polwart and Mark Thomas.

Nina Conti: In Therapy Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Medicine Tom Allen: Absolutely Tim Key: Work in Progress

STERS O P E F TH

Pic O

BOOZY SHOWS It’s a classic festival conundrum: should you get another drink at the bar or head off in search of entertainment? With these shows you can enjoy both.

MOTHER’S RUIN: A CABARET ABOUT GIN A raucous journey through the history of gin, with songs

by Amy Winehouse, Martha Wainwright and Nina Simone and a Four Pillars gin and tonic in hand. Gilded Balloon at Rose Theatre, until 27 Aug (not 21), 6.15pm (& 7.30pm, 18 Aug), £12–£14 (£11–£13).

AT THE ILLUSIONIST’S TABLE Magician Scott Silven hosts an intimate evening in a dining room on the top floor of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. A serious treat for the senses, the evening includes a three course meal and whisky tasting, as well as illusions. Scotch Malt Whisky Society, until 27 Aug (not 19, 21), 7pm, £69.

THE OLDER BROTHERS’ ALMANAC A guide for brothers on how to teach, protect and traumatise each other. Featuring tales of the Wright brothers, the Gallaghers and the Kennedys.

Almost all techniques are applicable to sisters too.

Plus there is free beer for siblings who come to the show together. C, until 28 Aug (not 22), 5.30pm, £10.50 (£8.50).

THE GIN WHORE TOUR Katherine O’Neil’s one-woman show honours historical hooch and harlots. Learn about gin from its origins in Genever right through to the modern gin renaissance. The show includes four gins, as well as tips on becoming a modern Gin Whore.

Paradise in Augustine’s, 21–27 Aug, 8.35pm, £30 (£24).

CRAIG FERGUSON, NICK REVELL & MICHAEL STRANNEY It sends a clear message that someone’s a good sort if they’ve an affinity with animals. So, bravo to Craig Ferguson and his pooch (The Craig Ferguson Show, Gilded Balloon at Rose Theatre, until 18 Aug), Nick Revell and his cat (Nick Revell vs Lily, Evil Cat Queen of Earth Planet and The Laughing Fridge, The Stand 3 & 4, until 27 Aug) and Michael Stranney and his chicken (Michael Stranney: Welcome to Ballybeg, Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug).

CHOIR OF MAN How about a good oldfashioned pub singalong? Your landlords for the evening are a nine-piece male choir who invite you to drink and sing with them. Expect a mix of styles, from pub classics to opera, as well as plenty of foot stomping.

Just try not to spill your pint.

Assembly Rooms, until 27 Aug, 6.35pm, £13–£16.

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PHOTO: RAHI REZVANI

FESTIVAL FEATURES | NDT

SIMPLY THE BEST Nederlands Dans Theater is home to some of the finest dancers in the world. As the company heads to the Edinburgh International Festival, Kelly Apter finds out what it’s like to be one of the fortunate few who join its ranks 10 THE LIST FESTIVAL 17–28 Aug 2017

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NDT | FESTIVAL FEATURES

list.co.uk/festival

‘Y

ou should audition for NDT,’ a friend said to Roger Van der Poel, when he was still training in his native Portugal.

Van der Poel had heard of the company, but never seen them. A few video clips later, it was clear to him that Nederlands Dans Theater was out of his league.

Fast forward two years and the 22-year-old is performing in a Swiss dance company when yet another friend suggests the same thing – as does a visiting teacher. ‘I said I could never join NDT, they’re way too good,’ recalls Van der Poel. ‘But they insisted I went to the audition, so eventually I did – and I was one of the lucky ones.’

Watching him dance on stage, it’s clear ‘luck’ had nothing to do with it. Van der Poel is pure NDT: technically strong, emotionally communicative and able to adapt to a wide range of choreographic styles.

All of which has been refined and honed over time, first dancing with the younger company NDT 2 (an experience which Van der Poel describes as ‘amazing, a great energy, very intense’) before moving up to the main company in 2009.

Back then, was there an expectation he would be accepted into NDT when his three years with NDT2 were up?

‘I think there is always an inner hope that you’ll get offered a contract with the main company,’ says Van der Poel with a smile. ‘For me there definitely was. It depends on how many contracts become available at the end of the season, but when I talked to the director, he said they’d love me to join the company, which was amazing.’

The word ‘amazing’ comes up a lot with Van der Poel, but small wonder – NDT is amazing to watch, so it stands to reason it’s amazing to dance in. Not that it always works like that, but for Van der Poel, the Hague-based company is ‘home’

and the rest of the dancers his ‘family’.

In which case, sitting at the top of that family tree, must be surrogate mum and dad Sol León and Paul Lightfoot. The choreographic duo have created over 50 works for NDT in the past 25 years, including Shoot The Moon and Stop-Motion, both of which will appear in the company’s upcoming triple-bill at the Edinburgh International Festival.

The pieces created by the León / Lightfoot partnership are known for their theatricality and emotional intensity. Audiences love them – but what’s it like working with the duo?

‘Shoot the Moon and Stop-Motion are both emotionally charged pieces,’ says Van der Poel.

‘And there is more storytelling behind them than in some of Paul and Sol’s other works, so right before we start a creation, they always tell us the theme or idea for the piece and explain the ideas behind the set.

‘And then Paul usually creates the more technical side of things, building the steps – and Sol will adjust the storyline and feeling, saying this should go here, this is too much, this should be longer, that kind of thing. They really complement each other, and I think that’s what makes their work so special – the combination of how they work together.’

From the outside looking in, NDT is one of the most revered dance companies in the world – but according to Van der Poel, from the inside, it looks pretty special, too.

‘I think we’re all aware of the importance of the name NDT has created for itself over a long period of time,’ he says. ‘And we can tell by the level of choreographers that come in to work with us – big, top-notch people that maybe other companies try to get and can’t, but we are the lucky ones.’

Again, luck has nothing to do with it . . .

Nederlands Dans Theater, Playhouse, 21–23 Aug, 7.30pm, £11–£35.

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FESTIVAL FEATURES | Zinnie Harris

BRINGING THE HOUSE DOWN As Rhinoceros and Meet Me at Dawn both garner rave reviews, playwright Zinnie Harris has become the unsurprising hit of the International Festival. With the remounting of her Oresteia: This Restless House set to open in the last week of August, Gareth K Vile catches up with one of Scotland’s most dynamic and eclectic writers

Z

innie Harris has long been recognised as one of Scotland’s most enterprising theatre-makers, with a reputation for scripts that express a feminist sensibility and a willingness to confront brutal realities. At this year’s International Festival, she has an incredible three plays: her timely Ionesco reworking Rhinoceros (see review, page 88), first-rate original work Meet Me at Dawn (see review, page 77) and her take on Aeschylus’ Oresteia: This Restless House (pictured, right), which premiered at Glasgow’s Citz in 2016 but will rear its fierce head again in the last week of the EIF. Taking on Aeschylus’ tragedy speaks of her ambition, tackling the trilogy that stands at the beginning of western drama and establishes an argument for male dominance.

‘I was drawn to it because of the breadth of canvas and the muscularity of the work,’ she explains. Yet despite the gravity of Aeschylus’ script, she can see her adaptation in the context of her own interests. ‘For a long time, I have been drawn to stories where I can reconfigure, particularly around the female characters. So, in my original plays, it is putting women in more central roles, in everyman roles: when adapting the classics, taking the received notion of a character, such as Clytemnestra, who is maybe already evil. I felt that if we approached her as if she were a modern character we would have a different telling.’

Harris’ revamp – which won Best New Play at last year’s Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland – draws attention away from the son compelled to avenge his father’s death by killing his mother towards his sister, Electra. All three plays in the trilogy (Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers and The Eumenides) are reworked in the four hour-plus This Restless House – The Eumenides most explicitly to a contemporary setting – while retaining a tragic chorus and grappling with the source material’s preoccupations.

Harris continues: ‘I didn’t just want to say the chorus is too complicated but use it as one would for a contemporary play.’ They are given a more active role, especially in the first play, while Harris realised that Aeschylus’ use of the deus ex machina would not cut it: ‘Having taken an audience all the way through this story with a modern sensibility, I couldn’t just bring a God in to resolve the story.

Aeschylus was making a point about democracy, but there are things to be said about the nature of forgiveness.’ By identifying the resonant

themes that have carried over from the ancient Athenian past, Harris re-energises this seminal myth by discovering contemporary parallels.

The Eumenides – female spirits who avenge matricide – are a case in point. ‘If we saw someone being chased by them today, we would see it in a psychiatric context, internal demons,’ she says. This insight led to her boldest move, setting the finale in a psychiatric unit. Through collaboration with director Dominic Hill, This Restless House becomes an immediate and modern parable about the pressures of familial responsibility.

Hill is a frequent Harris collaborator, and her awareness of his style allows her to explore the limits of scripted theatre. ‘Dominic has been developing a thing with music – so I surprised him with the chorus singing a song, and he makes use of an ensemble feel that I admire – I knew which things he would run with: like me, he’s not afraid of going to the dark place in a play,’ laughs Harris. Hill’s bold vision, which draws on the history of theatre and incorporates suggestive scenography, live music and Brechtian trickery without ever forgetting the importance of strong performances from the actors, has set the pace for Scottish directors over the past decade. And in This Restless House, Harris and Hill make a startling statement of intent, that they are not afraid to take on the classics.

Despite the show’s critical success – Pauline Knowles’ Clytemnestra was universally praised, the script was celebrated for its intelligence and Hill’s trademark directorial style added to the sense of occasion – Harris admits that she was sad when the run at the Citizens ended, and is excited about its second life as part of the EIF. While the ‘Scottish slot’ at the International Festival is often jokingly referred to as ‘cursed’, the decision to programme a show that has already proved its pedigree will go a long way to removing that stigma. This Restless House is a work that rewards repeated viewing, and opens up conversations about the tensions hidden in the family home, the power of men over women and the possibility of reworking the classic Greek tragedies to make them relevant without losing their historical resonance.

Oresteia: This Restless House, Lyceum, 23–27 Aug, 6pm, £10–£32. Preview 22 Aug, £7.50–£23.

Meet Me At Dawn, Traverse, until 27 Aug (not 21), £21.50 (£16.50).

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Zinnie Harris | FESTIVAL FEATURES PHOTOS: TIM MOROZZO

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FESTIVAL FEATURES | Feminist Theatre

RUDE AWAKENING Gareth K Vile muses on three shows that are revolutionising the patriarchal norms of theatre

T

he usual tepid acknowledgements of ‘feminist content’ no longer apply: the most stunning theatre shows at this year’s Fringe are exploding the lazy assumptions and polite formality hidden in the very structure of theatre. Illicit Thrill, Dr Carnesky’s Incredible Bleeding Woman and Wild Bore share an anarchic disrespect for the pieties of the play, drawing on cabaret influences, subverting the male gaze, mashing together broad humour and fierce intelligence in combinations that suggest a revolution in dramaturgy.

While all three shows refuse to conform to predictable storytelling, their intentions are diverse but clearly feminist. There are no tragic male protagonists standing in for everyman, but a multiplicity of voices informing and confusing. Nudity is not merely an instrument for titillation but a confrontation with the commodification of the female body. In rupturing the way that the shows are structured, they crack open the possibility of a theatre that expresses both the oppression of patriarchal values and a future freedom which melts boundaries between high and low art, genders, desire and fulfilment.

Wild Bore is the most obviously aggressive

(turn to page 77 for our review). By using bad reviewing as a foundation for a reflection on the values of performance, they trap critics by forcing them to make a personal response to the show. Sardonically mocking the false objectivity of the critical voice and referencing non-binary experience, Wild Bore celebrates a confusion that is informed and creative.

Illicit Thrill: Tits, Tease and Ten Pound Notes dives into the disreputable world of the stripclub to examine the relationship between the punter and the dancer, using Dr Gypsy Charms’ academic research and experience as one of Scotland’s pioneering burlesque artists. Meanwhile, Dr Carnesky’s Incredible Bleeding Woman repurposes cabaret tricks within a formal lecture to reclaim the magic of menstruation.

The cabaret influence runs through all the shows, in the presentation of individual routines, the gleeful subversion, the desire to entertain and the fragmented narratives: the three-act structure, the noble yet flawed hero, the pieties of political theatre are augmented by sly wit and a constant undermining of any authority. Yet each production retains a serious intention behind the fun, and while they attack different targets, they hit them more powerfully because of the playfulness.

Dr Carnesky’s Incredible Bleeding Woman, Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug (not 21), 2pm, £8–£10 (£7–£9).

Illicit Thrill: Tits, Tease and Ten Pound Notes, The Voodoo Rooms, 17–20, 24–27 Aug, 11.55pm, £10.

Wild Bore, Traverse, until 27 Aug (not 21), times vary, £21.50 (£9.50–£16.50).

PHOTO: DAVID MONTEITH-HODGE

Dr Carnesky’s Incredible Bleeding Woman

PHOTO: LORAINE ROSS PHOTOGRAPHY

Illicit Thrill

Their confidence in their material and bold breaking of format unites these shows as much as their fearless advocacy of freedoms beyond the accepted norms. Dr Carnesky’s Incredible Bleeding Woman deals with a taboo subject, Wild Bore insults the guardians of quality and Illicit Thrill invites the audience to admit their complicity in the act of watching. Whether the companies would acknowledge their similarities is moot: there are key members of the burlesque and cabaret revival in each production, and their methods have evolved from the fearlessness and urgency of activism.

Taken together, these shows provide a way past the rich histories of patriarchal theatre, laugh at the passive acceptance of traditional performance styles and champion a theatre of laughter, informed confusion and liberation.

Wild Bore

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FuturePlay | FESTIVAL FEATURES

list.co.uk/festival

Murray Robertson rounds up the games, gadgets and virtual reality experiences to look out for at FuturePlay, a new festival celebrating the crossover between entertainment and technology

BRAVE NEW WORLD

L

ast year saw the inaugural Edinburgh Digital Entertainment Festival take up residence in the Assembly Rooms. Returning in 2017, it’s been rechristened as the much simpler FuturePlay, offering interactive exhibitions and games in its new home outside the Assembly Rooms on George Street.

The Tech Zone features around a dozen indie games and gadgets. Some of the games are multiplayer only, although singleplayer visitors need not worry as there are plenty of staff eager to join in the fun and explain the ropes. The games include platformers, simple RPGS and more experimental affairs, while the gadgets include a music-making box and a game constructed simply of a wobbly stick controller and a single strip of LEDs as the game screen.

Over in the Virtual Reality Studio, a series of experimental and narrative-based VR experiences await. Abstraction is a curious blend of art and dance featuring giant characters swriling around while you fly higher and higher above them through a surrealistic world. Henry is a delightful story about a hedgehog who has trouble making friends. Created by some of the talent behind Brave and Toy Story 3, it places you in the middle of Henry’s delightful little home which is full of whimsical detail. Lost is a short story set in an intimidating forest which really showcases how impressive VR can be at tricking the brain into believing gigantic robots are towering above you.

But the highlight of the exhibition is undoubtedly Munduruku: The Fight to Defend the Heart of the Amazon, a multisensory journey into the lives of a tribe of indigenous people in the Amazonian rainforest. Enveloped by a cylindrical curtain, a VR headset and headphones, the experience is further enhanced by vibrations, scents and weather effects (generated by a set of fans and heaters). It’s

an extraordinarily relaxing sensation as you coast along the river with the rainforest heat on your face. Alas, due to its 20-minute run-time, it’s only available for up to three people to experience per session.

The Immersive Gallery takes residence in a container which houses two HTC Vive VR headsets. The Vive differs from other virtual reality systems because it uses special laser technology to track the user’s movements around a small space in the real world (the limits of which are visible through the viewfinder should you wander too close to a wall). Combining this with Google’s Tilt Brush software enables budding artists to paint in a 3D area the size of a small room, where the brushstrokes magically hang in the air. Artworks are more widely housed within an enormous space which you can navigate around using simple ‘teleportation’ controls. Gamers will most likely feel right at home with the Vive’s controls (using two wands to paint and navigate), but it’s intuitive enough that most people should get the hang of it, thanks to the chaperones on hand. There are also two interactive artworks to explore. Handria by artist Handiedan comprises a series of threedimensional collages which you can walk around explore, while Dustin Lewis (aka Mr Clandestine) has created an exhibit called Queen Alala, best described as an audio-reactive temple. By using the Tilt Brush scaling tool, it’s possible to observe the work as if it’s the size of a human head that you can simply walk around, before you resize it until it towers above you like a mountain. In conjunction with the reactive soundscape, it’s this unique ability to explore space, scale and time that marks the Immersive Gallery out as a fascinating use of this burgeoning technology.

FuturePlay, Assembly Rooms, until 28 Aug, times vary, prices vary.

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Pleasance Futures

The engine that drives the Pleasance Theatre Trust BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE

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“YOUNG PLEASANCE IS EXTRA-ORDINARY”

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Quotes refer to Young Pleasance’s previous shows

A fast-paced physical farce of peril, espionage and vacuum cleaners

pleasance.co.uk 0131 556 6550

Providing opportunities to develop artistic ideas, talents and skill is at the very heart of The Young Pleasance, The Charlie Hartill Special Reserve, The Network and our associates programmes.

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Magic | FESTIVAL FEATURES

list.co.uk/festival

MAGIC MAN With magicians selling out shows and not a rabbit in sight, magic fanatic Rowena McIntosh reviews some of the most exciting mind readers and illusionists at this year’s Fringe

AT THE ILLUSIONIST’S TABLE Immersive performance that will leave you questioning your free will ●●●●● The format of At the Illusionist’s Table stands out from the majority of Fringe shows. It’s two and a half hours rather than the standard 60 minutes, includes a three course meal and whisky, and has a grand venue – the Scotch Malt Whisky Society – all to itself. Here, we are not an anonymous audience watching the performance from the dark. Instead, 12 people are seated with illusionist Scott Silven around a lavish candlelit table.

Silven is a warm and welcoming host, who seems genuinely delighted to be in our company. He eases us into the evening with a number prediction routine before moving onto mind reading using playing cards. Acknowledging that this is done through vocal and facial clues, he steps it up a notch, planting images in our own heads.

When Silven leaves the room between courses, the group marvels at the illusions and ponders their workings, and it feels like a collective experience. The addition of whisky tasting to proceedings initially feels a bit forced but Silven ties in the smoky aromas of the spirit with a visualisation.

The combination of food, drink, flickering candlelight and Silven’s dulcet tones gives this performance an immersive edge. A routine based on word association is brilliantly clever and his final flourish will leave you asking if any of your choices were really the result of your own free will.

■ Scotch Malt Whisky Society, until 27 Aug (not 19, 21), 7pm, £69. >> Scott Silven 17–28 Aug 2017 THE LIST FESTIVAL 19

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FESTIVAL FEATURES | Magic

Ben Hart

Colin Cloud

<<

COLIN CLOUD: DARE Seriously impressive mind reading from a magician at home on the big stage ●●●●● Colin Cloud knows your embarrassing secret. He knows the surname of the friend you haven’t seen in three months. He even knows what you had for lunch, and he’s happy to announce it in front of a live audience in Dare.

As the audience enters the Pleasance Grand, we’re each given a mask of Cloud’s face and he appears on video asking us to post a selfie on social media so our friends can comment with a random word.

Cynics might argue this is just free advertising (and it works, check out the #edfringe hashtag just after 8pm). But with magic often met with claims that participants are set up, this method allows people outside the show to also be involved, and for there to be a record of what words were chosen.

Cloud’s speciality is mind reading and prediction, and during the show he successfully guesses professions, serial numbers on banknotes and pets’ names, all the while keeping the audience engaged with his easy charm and confident stage presence. Guessing embarrassing secrets is particularly impressive, due to the level of detail he brings to the revelations. He moves quickly between routines and the fast pace means sometimes the cue to applaud is missed.

In a neat role reversal, Cloud teaches a member of the audience to be a mind reader, implanting in her mind the six digit code to his iPhone. In true showman style, he ends with a wickedly good finale, a homage to Sherlock Holmes, who would always hide in plain sight.

■ Pleasance Courtyard, until 26 Aug, 8pm, £12.50–£15 (£11–£13.50).

BEN HART: BELIEF? Master of sleight of hand and a captivating host ●●●●● ‘How many magicians does it take to change a lightbulb?’ asks Ben Hart. ‘Stop trying to work it out and just enjoy it.’ Belief? has a very simple set-up, with nothing on stage except a small table fitted with a camera so we can watch his hands closely. Hart is a master of sleight of hand, manipulating playing cards, ‘wishes’ in a glass and even removing his watch, ring and money from his wallet before making them reappear where they all were.

His opening gambit about time is a bit wordy but Hart quickly proves himself to be a captivating host, with cheeky jokes, quick thinking and great comic timing. When an audience member who was meant to join him again for the final trick leaves, leaving a note saying she had another show to go to, he handles it like a pro and has the whole room laughing along with his misfortune.

It’s a varied show with card tricks, prediction, tapping people using only shadows and even the classic circus trick of linking rings together – except this isn’t done with stage props but rings gathered from members of the audience. Hart is a thoroughly versatile magician and his wellcrafted show explores questions about the power of mystery over knowledge.

■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 27 Aug, 5.45pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11).

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On Monday 21st August, Elizabeth Allen of London’s Pidgin fame will be cooking a Michelin starred banquet, charting her own culinary journey.

Find your tickets at list.co.uk/sanpellegrino

10–17 Aug 2017 THE LIST FESTIVAL 21

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FESTIVAL FEATURES | The Zoom Club

SNAP HAPPY With so many fun and colourful kids shows around at the Fringe, August is a great time for mini photographers to get out their cameras and get snapping. This month, The Zoom Club – the creative digital arts hub for children and young people based at Summerhall – welcomed a group of budding paparazzos and introduced them to four artists whose shows have a strong sense of visual fun and excitement. After a day of experimentation, they came away with some playful shots. Here they are, along with the young photographers’ thoughts on the shows and their newfound skills

22 THE LIST FESTIVAL 17–28 Aug 2017

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The Zoom Club | FESTIVAL FEATURES

list.co.uk/festival

EATEN

BY OLIVIA (10), EVIE (10), AND REBECCA (9)

The show was really funny but also really educational. It helps you think about where your food comes from and made us think a lot more about why we eat what we eat.

Even though there were only two performers, I thought it was put together really well and it just kept being interesting. It’s also nice that they got people up on stage.

I wish I had been picked but I couldn’t think of a good poo question to ask!

I think I was expecting a more grown-up theme but I really liked how it turned out to be fun and interesting and a bit silly too. My favourite bit was when poo was born and how the characters changed into one another all the time.

Mamuro and Lionel were fun to meet! Mamuro talked to us

before his show to explain why he made the show. We talked about what it is like to be an animal that everyone wants to eat and why we want to eat some animals more than others.

Mamuro said Lionel hadn’t eaten a child yet so we created our own explorer to feed to him. We also made our own Pooologist expert who could help Lionel understand where his food goes in his body. It was tricky fitting Lionel into the shot as he is really tall but he was kind of flexible so we squished him in.

Thinking of the ideas and building the different sets was fun and seeing the show and meeting the actors was definitely the best part of the day.

■ Summerhall, until 27 Aug (not 21), 12.15pm, £8 (£6).

>>

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FESTIVAL FEATURES | The Zoom Club

<< A STRANGE NEW SPACE

BY FRANCESCO (6) AND IVOR (7)

The planets were all sticky and the astronaut tried to eat us! And we were her alien friends. All of the audience were aliens and in the first part she was scared of us. She wanted to tell us where she lived and about her family where she was happy back on earth. Then she ate our skin because it was actually lasagne and then she also tasted the moon.

It tasted yucky.

All of it was my favourite part but I loved when

she squirted water at us. 10 out of 10 equals 20, because we enjoyed it so much.

Tessa is the actor and astronaut and she was very funny. She went on an adventure in our space cave that we made. We made a monster in our cave too and we were her alien friends. Then we took a photo with the big umbrella light that is really, really flashy.

■ Summerhall, until 27 Aug (not 21), 10.45am, £8 (£6).

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The Zoom Club | FESTIVAL FEATURES

list.co.uk/festival

THE BACKYARD STORY

BY FRANCESCO (6) AND IVOR (7) (PLUS INTERACTIVE PUPPETRY WORKSHOP AT THE ZOOM CLUB) I felt as though the clothes were a real person. The way the puppeteers made the clothing interact and have personalities helped it seem like they were really alive. During the workshop I learned how you can layer clothes up to seem like a full body, with a jacket for a body and then the legs dangling underneath.

The puppeteers were very funny and used their voices too to make the clothes seem alive. It was a good way to warm up and think about what the actors must have to do to get ready for their show too.

My favourite bit in the workshop was when my puppet legs kicked another pair of the legs in the bottom. We were monsters too. The show was really cool too. There was one sad bit and a baby cried really loudly but I didn’t cry because I wasn’t scared.

■ Summerhall, until 27 Aug (not 21), 11.45am, £10.

JIHAN’S SMILE

BY LAURIE (13), AARON (12) AND ANNIE (11) I liked how the story started in a very dark place and gradually got happier.

It made me feel happier too. The way dialogue was used to create the heavy sadness and then bits of colour and happiness would arrive being loud and chaotic, I think that was good for capturing younger audience’s attention but it also created a strong contrast and atmosphere.

It seems the show is aimed at a younger audience but it has a very contemporary message because of the violence we hear about in the West Bank. Meeting the company and seeing their performance was really inspirational as they have probably been through quite a lot in their everyday lives and they just push through it to still do

their thing and dream. It must mean a lot to them to be able to share with other people what their country is like and show a bit about what they’ve been through.

It was definitely there in the plot, the theme that there is light in this place.

There is not just darkness and you have to always try to find the light behind the surface.

We wanted to create the feeling of a fairytale or dream in our photos and also the idea that happiness is always within you even when you feel sad.

There’s always more than one side to everyone. We used the contrast between monochrome and very bright colours to represent this.

■ Summerhall, run ended.

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FESTIVAL FEATURES | Summerhall Art

Clockwise from left: Colombo Art Biennale, Jane Frere, Protestimony, Richard Lees, Liliane Lijn, Alastair MacLennan

STATE OF THE ART Alongside its theatre, dance and music offerings, Summerhall’s free visual arts programme is an essential element of any visit to the venue. Here, David Pollock picks half a dozen highlights to check out, whether you’re searching for new exhibitions or just looking to kill some time between shows

COLOMBO ART BIENNALE – RETURN: IN SEARCH OF STILLNESS The Colombo Art Biennale had a more difficult birth than most international art festivals, having been founded in 2009 when Sri Lanka was still in the midst of civil war. Created to help bring communities together, this retrospective of work features 13 artists, including Pala Pothupitya’s demonic masks carved from the pages of atlases, Anoli Perera’s male gaze-averting photographic portraits of women through the medium of their hair and Radhika Hettiarachchi’s striking photographic testimonies of women who survived the war. It’s a selection which is as instructive as it is inventive.

■ Until 24 Sep ●●●●● JANE FRERE: #PROTESTMASKPROJECT Frere, who is based in the Highlands, started her CAT (Creative, Aesthetic, Transgression) project in 2014, using social media to instigate a form of mass protest against troubling events in Bahrain, Gaza and America. Here, the image of the cat mask she created takes on new and succinctly effective use as a symphonious chorus of angry Twitter heads roar their disapproval of everything at the audience, from ‘#FAKETRUMP’ to ‘BIG DATA’ and ‘PSYOPS’. If Twitter has a face, then this is it.

■ Until 24 Sep ●●●●●

PROTESTIMONY: WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT CALAIS . . .

Created by Lujza Richter, Marthe Chabrol and Hari Read of London not-for-profit IMAGINE, Protestimony is a small recreation of a corner of the Calais refugee camp made from chipboard, palettes and old shopping trolleys strewn here and there. Its informational areas tell us much about the day-to-day of Calais and the structure is an immersive and oddly effective fusion of sculpture and documentary.

■ Until 24 Sep ●●●●● ALASTAIR MACLENNAN: AIR A LAIR Born near Perth and based in Belfast since 1975, MacLennan’s retrospective range of sculptural and angrily black-painted work speaks of violence and destruction, and not just in the context of his regular subject, the Troubles. ‘Body of (D)earth’ is striking, a scorch-marked wooden beam balanced on a thin, all-white table topped with a mound of soil. ‘Lies in Weight’ features a pile of discarded glasses, as though the remnants of some unspoken Holocaust, and there’s also the delicately sinister ‘Vael’, a mound of scrunched tissues, black ink seeping from their core.

■ Until 30 Sep ●●●●●

LILIANE LIJN: EARLY EVENTS – FIVE NARRATIVE SCULPTURES (1996–2000) American-born and an early exponent of ‘kinetic text’ with 1962’s ‘Poem Machines’, Liliane Lijn’s work is represented here by a series of small structures which break the boundaries between sculpture and video art.

Presented in darkness, these small, black huts and shelters are embedded with tiny screens that show moving images of rolling waves crashing against the shore and home video footage. They’re a fascinating and distinctive little selection, although the feeling is that they just scratch the surface of this artist’s work.

■ Until 24 Sep ●●●●● RICHARD LEES: THIS IS HULL! ROCK AGAINST RACISM Channelling the punk energy of the Rock Against Racism era, but in a distinctive manner which owed nothing to the safety-pinned style which has become lazy shorthand for London of the time, Richard Lees’ elegant gig posters for gigs by bands like Posers Revolt, Timber Flesh and My Silent War are beautiful, dynamic woodcuts in stylised monochromatic colour, which conjure ideas of the blocky, situationist sloganeering posters of the Mai 68 riots, German Expressionism and Saul Bass.

■ Until 24 Sep ●●●●●

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Stuart Maconie | FESTIVAL FEATURES

list.co.uk/festival

A MARCH IN TIME

PHOTO: ANDY HOLLINGWORTH

During the austerity-hit year of 1936, 200 men from Jarrow travelled on foot from the north of England to Westminster pleading for employment. Stuart Maconie tells Brian Donaldson about walking in their footsteps

S

tuart Maconie likes a good walk. The BBC6 presenter and former NME journalist has long written about the joys of rambling, striding and strolling for the likes of Country Walking magazine and in his own publication Never Mind the Quantocks. But for his latest book (and now stage show), Maconie wanted to don his chunky boots for a specific project that tied together a moment of British social and political history.

‘In 2016, I was thinking of doing a long walk that had a narrative and could link up places, and instantly thought about the Jarrow march which covered about 80% of England. I then saw that the 80th anniversary was approaching, so thought I’d do it day by day as they did it and stay in the same towns so I could produce this snapshot of then and now.’

With their north-east community ravaged by a cruel recession, some 200 men (and intermittently their local MP, Ellen Wilkinson) took to the highways and byways of England and headed for the House of Commons. Once there, the marchers would hand in a 10,000 signatures-strong petition which they hoped would lead to a rescue package of jobs. Almost inevitably, the plan failed, with the petition mysteriously lost and Walter Runciman, the President of the Board of Trade, callously stating that ‘Jarrow must find its own salvation’.

‘Some people think they were hunger strikers, some that they were hunger marchers, and some people think it was a political protest intended to bring down the government,’ notes Maconie of this much misunderstood crusade. ‘In fact, it was a bunch of guys, 200 of them and their MP, asking for assistance: “could you build us a steelworks?”

It was basically people asking very nicely for work. Some people think that’s why it was a failure because where the Suffragettes threw bricks through windows and made demands, the Jarrow people went cap in hand to a government that simply ignored them.’

For Maconie, then and now are not as distant as some might assume.

‘The autumns of 1936 and 2016 had a lot of parallels, such as this strongman populism on the rise: Hitler and Mussolini then, Trump and Putin now; a Labour Party and leader who was seen as incompetent and a Tory Party recently returned to power; there was a fractious relationship with Europe at the time and while they had Blackshirts on the streets, we have the EDL. I wanted to tease all that out, but I also wanted to look at the way the country looked, so the towns I walked through would have had mines and steelworks; of course, they’ve gone completely.’

While the Jarrow marchers had themselves, a labrador called Paddy, and a harmonica band for company, Maconie had Twitter, weather apps and Spotify to keep him entertained or informed of what lay ahead on his adventure. Despite the pleasures he encountered in the towns he visited (sampling crazy-hot curries in a Leeds gurdwara to bumping into graphic novel legend Alan Moore in a Northampton bookshop), it must have been a lonely old road at times?

‘I just remember checking into my hotel in St Albans thinking, “I’ve kind of had enough of this now. It’s been fun but I’m now cold and tired and would like to go home”. The places were interesting, but to get to them, a lot of the time I’m just stomping along a busy A-road beside a dirty ditch for a few hours a day. It’s not a long distance walk I’d recommend to anyone who was thinking of doing something like the West Highland Way.’

Stuart Maconie: Jarrow Road to the Deep South, Gilded Balloon at the Museum, 21–27 Aug, 7.30pm, £12. Long Road from Jarrow is out now published by Ebury.

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SUPPORTED BY

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FOOD & DRINK Caorunn Gin Garden

The A Club

THIRSTY WORK Louise Stoddart rounds up the best pop-up bars keeping us hydrated this August

RECOMMENDS . . .

P

erformers from across the globe aspire to be part of the world’s largest arts festival in Edinburgh every August. They’re not the only ones: drinks brands and bars also strive to get a piece of the action, opening pop-up watering holes across the city during the festival. Visit secret gin gardens, browse the work of young Scottish artists while sipping cocktails or get involved in whisky tasting sessions on a canal boat trip while eating Scotch eggs – whatever your bag, here are some of our top tips.

CAORUNN GIN GARDEN

GINGER One of Edinburgh’s bestkept secrets, this amazing Indian/Nepalese restaurant will totally change the way you see Indian food. The Ginger Special Chicken is unforgettable, so get that order in.

Hotel du Vin, until 31 Aug Caorunn, the handcrafted Highland gin, have launched a gin garden in Hotel du Vin’s courtyard for the Edinburgh Festival.

Visitors can enjoy a selection of cocktails, including Garden Mojitos and Caorunn’s take on the classic French 75. Relax in a retreat of orchard apple trees and browse artwork from a selection of young Scottish artists.

THE A CLUB Merchants’ Hall, until 27 Aug Arbikie return to Edinburgh with their pop-up live music venue and cocktail bar, The A Club. Set in Merchants’ Hall, the bar features some of the top names in jazz, folk and rock music, including Ali Affleck, Glasgow funk band Charlotte Marshall and Scottish trad artist, Ryan Young.

DAFFY’S GIN TERRACE

ginger-restaurant.co.uk

G&V Royal Mile Hotel, until 31 Aug The chic Hotel G&V have turned their outdoor bar into Daffy’s

Gin Terrace for the month of the festival. The Edinburghbased copper-pot gin distillers are serving their signature D&T’s as well as G&Bees Spritz cocktails – a concoction which combines Daffy’s Gin, apricot brandy, orange blossom, soda and home-grown honey from G&V’s rooftop beehives.

WHISKY ON WATER Lochrin Belle, until 27 Aug (not 21, 26) Indulge in a spot of whisky tasting on the Scotch Egg Club’s riverboat journey along the Union Canal. Try six different Dewar’s drams and cocktails, each paired with cheese, chocolate, scotch eggs and more.

TANQUERAY’S SECRET GIN GARDEN 56 North, until 18 Aug The car park at 56 North has again been transformed into a secret gin garden by Tanqueray Gin. The secluded terrace serves gin and whisky cocktails and is only open for the duration of the Fringe. As they don’t take bookings, visitors should reserve a table in the restaurant itself and head to the secret garden before or after their meal.

BRAMBLE X CUSTOM LANE Custom Lane, until 28 Aug (Fri–Sun only) Those wanting a break from the festival can wander down to Leith where one of Edinburgh’s most popular cocktail bars have opened a pop-up at Custom Lane beside local coffee producers, Williams & Johnson. The bar is only open on the weekends and offers bespoke Bramble cocktails as well as a selection of quality craft beers.

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RENI EDDO-LODGE The author and journalist discusses her controversial book on race One of the themes at this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival is This Woman Can. The strand features several endurance cyclists, in partnership with Women’s Cycling Forum Scotland as well as courageous stories of survival, celebrations of female role models and feminist thinkers leading the discussions on race, equality and gender. And one of our top picks from the strand is freelance journalist and blogger Reni Eddo-Lodge.

Eddo-Lodge is the author of 2016’s Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, a seething take-down of commonly held attitudes towards race and racism in the UK and beyond. The book sparked fierce discussion and continues to inform debates about race and its relationship to privilege, class and gender. Chaired by The Guardian’s Claire Armitstead, the event has BSL interpretation. (Rowena McIntosh) ■ Reni Eddo-Lodge, Charlotte Square Gardens, 18 Aug, 4pm, £12 (£10).

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BOOKS HITLIST Yasmin Sulaiman picks out the best events taking place during the second and third weeks of the Edinburgh International Book Festival HEATHER MCDAID & NICOLA STURGEON WITH ELIF SHAFAK It’s sold out, but seeing these the Scottish publisher, First Minister and Turkish author in conversation is still one of our top picks for the Book Festival’s second weekend.

So try and bag a return if you can.

Charlotte Square Gardens, 18 Aug, 11.45am, £12 (£10).

RENI EDDO-LODGE The author of Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race heads up to Edinburgh to discuss her controversial tome. See preview, page 33. Charlotte Square Gardens, 18 Aug, 4pm, £12 (£10).

PAUL AUSTER The giant of American literature talks about his latest release, 4 3 2 1, in a year in which he too (like the Fringe and International Festival) celebrates his 70th birthday. Charlotte Square Gardens, 18 Aug, 8.15pm, £12 (£10).

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

ZADIE SMITH The White Teeth author comes to Edinburgh to chat about Swing Time, her first book in five years. Charlotte Square Gardens, 19 Aug, 6.45pm, £12 (£10).

A TRIBUTE TO STEPHANIE WOLFE MURRAY The founder of Canongate Books sadly passed away this summer.

In this special event, friends and members of the book world get together to commemorate the influential figure and publisher of Lanark. Charlotte Square Gardens, 23 Aug, 7.15pm, free.

CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE WITH NICOLA STURGEON Join two book festival favourites, as Adichie chats to the First Minister about her latest novel, Dear Ijeawale.

Charlotte Square Gardens, 26 Aug, 9.45pm, £12 (£10).

COSEY FANNI TUTTI WITH IAN RANKIN A chance to catch the punk icon in conversation with author and fan Ian Rankin. See feature, page 35.

Charlotte Square Gardens, 27 Aug, 8.45pm, £12 (£10).

who are we now?

1000 authors in 900 events include: The Unthanks, Adrian Edmondson, Siri Hustvedt, Isla Fisher, Limmy, Juno Dawson, Harry Baker, The Last Poets, Reginald D Hunter, Robert Webb, Richard Ford, Maggie O’Farrell, Ian Rankin, Charley Boorman, Eimear McBride, David Mitchell, Luke Wright, Peter Høeg, Hanif Kureishi, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Aravind Adiga, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Ned Beauman, Nicole Krauss, Jackie Kay, Will Self, Ali Smith…

Book & browse events: www.edbookfest.co.uk @edbookfest

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Cosey Fanni Tutti | FES FESTIVAL BOOKS

list.co.uk/festival al

WRECKING Cosey Fanni Tutti, darling of the alternative scene and punk pioneer, talks to Neil Cooper ahead of her Book Festival appearance where she’ll discuss her colourful life with author and fan Ian Rankin

W

hen Cosey Fanni Tutti’s autobiography, Art Sex Music, was published earlier this year, it provided a remarkable account of life on the frontline of a very English counter-cultural underground. Over its 500 pages, Art Sex Music also lays bare a deeply personal tale of how a smart and fiercely individual working class teenager from Hull called Christine Newby landed in the thick of an alternative artistic firmament. All of which should make for an electrifying conversation between Tutti and author Ian Rankin as part of a List-sponsored Edinburgh International Book Festival event.

‘I’d been planning to do a book for years,’ says Tutti of the motivation behind Art Sex Music. ‘A lot of my work in music and in exhibitions is very autobiographical anyway, so it made sense to try and get it all down in the one place.’

The first part of the book relates how, after falling in with a bad crowd led by future partner-in-crime Genesis P-Orridge, Newby/ Tutti became part of live art troupe, COUM Transmissions, which eventually morphed into industrial music auteurs, Throbbing Gristle.

When COUM’s Prostitution exhibition, which

included images of Tutti posing in pornographic magazines, appeared at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London in 1976, Tutti, COUM and TG were famously denounced by Scottish Conservative MP Nicholas Fairbairn as ‘wreckers of civilisation’. It was a badge of honour that stuck, and provided the title for Simon Ford’s soon-to-be-republished 1999 COUM/TG biography.

Where Ford’s book put P-Orridge at its centre, Art Sex Music exposes a fuller and at times bleaker picture of a relationship that saw Tutti at the beck and call of P-Orridge’s manipulations, offset by her increasingly independent personal and artistic emancipation. Tutti’s later adventures with life partner and fellow TG member Chris Carter, first as Chris and Cosey, then Carter Tutti, are also recounted.

As with her book, Tutti talks with a matter of fact directness that belies the extremes of some of the things she relates, with much of the material drawn from revisiting her diaries.

‘I read about all the troubles I had during those times,’ she says. ‘I never buried any of it, but because I’m in such a happy place now, looking back, I suppose I was surprised at how relentless it all was.’

This year saw Tutti return to Hull for a COUM

Transmissions retrospective shown as part of her home town’s year as UK City of Culture.

‘It was a fantastic thing to do,’ she says. ‘At the time we were doing these things – and it was the same with Chris and Cosey – nobody was really interested, and we had no idea how we were influencing people. It’s as if we’ve found our place in the culture, and for that to happen in our lifetime is really rewarding.’

Beyond Art Sex Music, a solo exhibition at Cabinet in London is planned, as are various re-releases of Chris and Cosey albums and new work with Carter. Last month saw a 7’’ vinyl release of a chugging Chris and Cosey remix of the title track from the Charlatans Different Days album, featuring a vocal by actress Sharon Horgan.

Also guesting on the album was Ian Rankin, who in interviews has related how he first heard Throbbing Gristle while at university. Tutti is looking forward to the forthcoming meeting of minds. ‘I started reading his stuff when I was doing my Open University degree,’ she says, ‘so it will be nice to finally meet him.’

Cosey Fanni Tutti with Ian Rankin: Ruffling Feathers, Charlotte Square Gardens, 27 Aug, 8.45pm.

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FESTIVAL BOOKS | Top Tips

TOP TIPS Plan a day out with the many events on offer at the Edinburgh International Book Festival over the next week and a half

FRI 18 HEATHER MCDAID & NICOLA STURGEON WITH ELIF SHAFAK You’ll be lucky if you can get tickets for this long sold-out event with the First Minister, Turkish author and coeditor of Nasty Women. But if you’re at liberty to queue for returns, we think it’s a must. Charlotte Square Gardens, 11.45am, £12 (£10.)

MATT HAIG Reasons to Stay Alive, his excellent book on his own mental health, cemented Haig’s position as a writer of note back in 2015. This year, he’s in Edinburgh to talk about his much anticipated new novel, How to Stop Time. Bosco Theatre, 12.30pm, £12 (£10).

RENI EDDO-LODGE See preview, page 33. Charlotte Square Gardens, 4pm, £12 (£10).

LUKE WRIGHT Long-time Fringe favourite Wright heads to Charlotte Square

A Tribute to Stephanie Wolfe Murray

Gardens to talk about inequality and austerity. If you miss him here, you can also catch him in Frankie Vah, his new play at Underbelly.

Charlotte Square Gardens, 5.45pm, £12 (£10).

PAUL AUSTER One of this year’s most anticipated events, Auster takes to the stage for the second time in August, this time to talk about his latest novel 4 3 2 1. Charlotte Square Gardens, 8.15pm, £12 (£10).

LAURIE PENNY The celebrated writer and commentator chats to Jenny Niven about politics and feminism, following the release of Bitch Doctrine. See interview at list.co.uk/ festival Charlotte Square Gardens, 8.45pm, £12 (£10).

SAT 19 JENNI MURRAY See the Radio 4 broadcaster and Woman’s Hour presenter chat about her heroines through her book, A History of Britain in 21 Women.

Charlotte Square Gardens, 3.15pm, £12 (£10).

NADINE AISHA JASSAT, JOELLE OWUSU & LAURA WADDELL If you’ve been anywhere near the book world this year, you’ll have heard of the wonderful Nasty Women, a collection of vibrant essays published by Scotland’s own 404 Ink. Here, three of the contributors talk about their work. Charlotte Square Gardens, 4.30pm, £12 (£10).

ZADIE SMITH Smith returned to the literary fray last year with Swing Time, her first novel in five years. Hear her talk to Stuart Kelly about the book. Charlotte Square Gardens, 6.45pm, £12 (£10).

HIS BLOODY PROJECT BY GRAEME MACRAE BURNET The Royal Lyceum Theatre present a theatrical exploration of scenes from the Booker Prize shortlisted novel, followed by a discussion with the creative team and the author.

Charlotte Square Gardens, 8pm, £15 (£12).

SUN 20 JESSICA THUMMEL & TOMMY WIERINGA Jessica Thummel’s impressive debut, The Cure for Lonely, won the Dundee International Book Prize last year, for its searing portrait of a transgender man trying to live freely in 1980s USA. Here, she and Tommy Wieringa (A Beautiful Young Wife) talk about their work. Charlotte Square Gardens, 3.30pm, £8 (£6).

JEMIMA FOXTROT, IONA LEE, SABRINA MAHFOUZ & SOPHIA WALKER Four of the UK’s most exciting spoken word artists perform their work. Charlotte Square Gardens, 4pm, £12 (£10).

ALI SMITH Autumn is one of Ali Smith’s best novels yet. Here, she chats to Daniel Hahn about a captivating piece of work and the possibility of Winter.

Charlotte Square Gardens, 5pm, £12 (£10).

MR CAREY & JOE HILL The authors of The Girl With All the Gifts (Carey) and The Fireman (Hill) get together to chat about their post-apocalyptic visions. Charlotte Square Gardens, 5.45pm, £12 (£10).

UNBOUND: TRUE STORIES LIVE – LOST & FOUND Molly Naylor introduces a range of storytellers who will take to the stage to tell their true tales to tonight’s

audience. Charlotte Square Gardens, 9pm, free.

MON 21 ABIR MUKHERJEE & KAITE WELSH A chance to see two emerging historical crime authors: Welsh’s first book The Wages of Sin features medic-detective Sarah Gilchrist, while Mukherjee follows up his Calcutta Police Force-set book A Rising Man with A Necessary Evil. Charlotte Square Gardens, 2pm, £8 (£6).

MAGGIE O’FARRELL O’Farrell returns to the book festival, this time to talk about her memoir of near-death experience, I Am, I Am, I Am. Charlotte Square Gardens, 6.45pm, £12 (£10).

UNBOUND: BEATING NEW PASSAGES A night of words and music exploring Scotland’s relationship with India, featuring Yorkston/Thorne/Khan, Aziz & Dal, Abir Mukherjee and Nalini Paul.

Charlotte Square Gardens, 9pm, free.

TUE 22 HEINZ HELLE & LOUISE WELSH With No Dominion, Welsh concludes her Plague Times trilogy. Here, she speaks alongside German author Helle, whose Euphoria is an engaging post-apocalyptic tale of its own.

Charlotte Square Gardens, 8.45pm, £12 (£10).

UNBOUND: MEET THE LAST POETS The Last Poets have been dubbed ‘the godfathers of hip hop’. See them perform and hear more about their history and influence. Charlotte Square Gardens, 9pm, free.

WED 23 A TRIBUTE TO STEPHANIE WOLFE MURRAY This special event commemorates the life and work of Stephanie Wolfe Murray, the co-founder of Canongate Books, who died this year. Among her many formidable achievements was the publication of Alasdair Gray’s Lanark, and Gray himself will be talking at this event, among a host of other friends. Charlotte Square Gardens, 7.15pm, free.

EILEEN MYLES The inspiration behind Transparent, don’t miss this chance to see American poet and performer Eileen Myles own the stage. Charlotte Square Gardens, 8.45pm, £12 (£10.)

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Top Tips | FESTIVAL BOOKS

list.co.uk/festival

WED 24

Jessica Thummel

UNBOUND: MULDOON’S PICNIC A rare chance to see this show from Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Muldoon, who rarely stages it outside New York.

Join Muldoon and his band Rogue Oliphant and their special guests for a night of words and music. Charlotte Square Gardens, 9pm, free.

FRI 25 SALLY BEAMISH & EVELYN GLENNIE WITH DAVID MITCHELL Two of Scotland’s most celebrated musicians chat to author David Mitchell about emotional responses to music. Expect a mix of discussion and musical performance. Charlotte Square Gardens, 3.15pm, £12 (£10).

NICOLA BARKER One of Britain’s most underrated novelists, Nicola Barker comes to the Book Festival to talk about her new novel H(A)PPY. Charlotte Square Gardens, 8.30pm, £8 (£6).

UNBOUND: NEU! REEKIE! JOCK SCOT UNBOUND Legendary Edinburgh poet Jock Scot joins Neu! Reekie! alongside special guests, including Salena Godden, Don Paterson and Tam Dean Burn.

Charlotte Square Gardens, 9pm, free.

THE UNTHANKS Another musical outing for novelist David Mitchell today, as he talks to folk duo The Unthanks about their reinterpretation of the music of Molly Drake (mother of Nick). Charlotte Square Gardens, 9.45pm, £12 (£10).

SAT 26 SIMON GARFIELD One of the UK’s most engaging nonfiction authors, Simon Garfield has most recently turned his attention to time in Timekeepers. Here, he talks about our obsession with time.

Charlotte Square Gardens, 5.30pm, £12 (£10).

SAYEEDA WARSI The UK’s first Muslim Cabinet Minister, the ex-Conservative Party chair heads to the Book Festival to discuss Islam and British society from her unique vantage point. Charlotte Square Gardens, 6.45pm, £12 (£10).

ANDREW O’NEILL Long-time Fringe stand-up Andrew O’Neill turns his talents to the page in A History of Heavy Metal. Charlotte Square Gardens, 8.15pm, £12 (£10).

CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE WITH NICOLA STURGEON

The much-loved author of Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah talks about her most recent book, Dear Ijeawale, with Scotland’s First Minister.

Charlotte Square Gardens, 9.45pm, £12 (£10).

UNDBOUND: DIVE: HOMAGE One of Scotland’s favourite nights, Dive Queer Party pitches up at the Spiegeltent for fun and mischief with Miss Annabel Sings, reflecting on 70 years of queer culture. Charlotte Square Gardens, 9pm, free.

SUN 27 HARRIET HARMAN The gender make-up of the House of Commons has changed a lot since Harman was first elected in 1982. Here,

she talks about her life and political work, and her memoir A Woman’s Work. Charlotte Square Gardens, 11.45am, £12 (£10).

PATRICK NESS The author of A Monster Calls discusses his newest young adult novel, Release, his most personal offering yet. Charlotte Square Gardens, 1.30pm, £5.

ROBERT WEBB The Peep Show star and comedian comes to Edinburgh to chat about his memoir, How Not To Be A Boy. Charlotte Square Gardens, 6.45pm, £12 (£10).

COSEY FANNI TUTTI WITH IAN RANKIN

See feature, page 35. Charlotte Square Gardens, 8.45pm, £12 (£10).

UNBOUND: THE FLINT & PITCH REVUE One of Scotland’s favourite spoken word nights, this incarnation features poets Rachel McCrum and Sara Hirsch, plus Hings author Chris McQueer and music from Laurence Made Me Cry. Charlotte Square Gardens, 9pm, free.

MON 28 UNBOUND: THE LAST NIGHT ON EARTH A longer edition of Unbound for the last night of the festival, as Dive Queer Party returns with more queer fun and mayhem. Charlotte Square Gardens, 7pm, free.

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TAPE FACE

PHOTO: MATT CROCKETT

Kiwi comic bids an entertaining farewell The power that Tape Face wields is almost tangible. How many other comedians could claim to have such a grip on their audience? As he strides through the throng plucking people out to take part in his exquisitely crafted onstage antics, there’s never a chance that one of them will turn down his forced invitation: his tactic of simply walking away after pointing out his choice seems to leave his guest powerless to refuse. Once up there, everyone takes a gentle ribbing with grace (he does a lot of sarcastic watch-tapping), as though a silent rebuke is easier to swallow than a verbal one.

This compilation show, featuring routines he insists will no longer be performed once this month is out, is set backstage in a decrepit dressing-room an hour before his next gig

begins. Listening to the Shipping Forecast, Tape Face nods off only to find a packed Pleasance Grand in his dream. While mere mortals might find themselves totally naked or wholly unprepared in such a scenario, the Kiwi mime artist is in full control as he lures up individuals or couples or trios to take part in a Michael Jackson tribute, a surreal game of golf, and a recreation of Swan Lake.

A gloriously playful finale sends us off into the night with a smile while we imagine the Tape Face left behind, on stage, presumably taking on a new audience with guile, wit and his undeniable power of persuasion.

(Brian Donaldson) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 Aug, 9.40pm, £13–£17 (£12–£15.50). ●●●●●

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FESTIVAL COMEDY | Hitlist

COMEDY HITLIST Brian Donaldson picks out some of the comedy highlights from week three of the Fringe LAUREN PATTISON One of the finest Fringe debuts in years as the likeable Geordie lass delves deep into her soul for a gagladen emotional trip. See review at list. co.uk/festival Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug, 5.45pm, £7.50–£10 (£7–£9.50).

STEEN RASKOPOULOS The one-man sketch machine is on top form once again, bringing us a chess player, a horse with big dreams and an employee being disciplined. See review page 46. Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug, 8pm, £11.50–£12.50 (£10.50–£11.50).

TAPE FACE This delightful best-of show proves Sam Wills to be an expert manipulator of audiences, enticing them into playing golf and dancing to Michael Jackson. See review, page 39.

Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 Aug, 9.40pm, £13–£17 (£12–£15.50).

CANDY GIGI A top-drawer off-kilter jaunt into the

Joseph Morpurgo

adolescent mind via props, shocks and audience camaraderie. See review, page 52. Heroes @ The Hive, until 27 Aug (not 22), 1.15pm, £5 or Pay What You Want.

SARA SCHAEFER In Little White Box, the US comic apologises for her country and recalls a weird religious upbringing.

See review, page 51. Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug, 7pm, £9.50–£12.50 (£8.50–£11.50).

JOSEPH MORPURGO With Hammerhead, the Austentatious guy has succeeded in delivering a worthy multimedia success to the epic Soothing Sounds for Baby. See review at list.co.uk/festival Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug, 8pm, £13–£15 (£12–£14).

MARK FORWARD We’ll have to see whether Mark Forward Wins All the Awards, but whatever the end result, he’s brought us one of the top stand-up hours this month. See review, page 44. Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 27 Aug, 8.15pm, £10.50–£11.50 (£9.50–£10.50).

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Reviews | FESTIVAL COMEDY

list.co.uk/festival

ANDREW O’NEILL’S BLACK MAGICK FUN HOUR

THE STARSHIP OSIRIS Sci-fi pastiche and high-energy romp ●●●●●

Bewitching and eloquent comedy ●●●●● Andrew O’Neill spells magick with a ‘k’, so you know he’s serious. Any remaining doubt is dispelled when he begins the show in rams’ horns, swinging incense and intoning an invocation. He asks the gods Mercury, Hermes and Thoth to inspire him to write a great Fringe show and proceeds to explain for 60 minutes how magic manifests in daily life.

At first bewildering – O’Neill fires one-liners, unaccompanied punchlines, musical interludes and very old references at a blistering pace – he uses his intelligence and eloquence to combine anecdotes about his wife, musings on the power of words, absurd imagery, nods to his metal-headedness, and excavations of what makes comedy work to induce an incantatory state of near-constant laughter.

Not many comedy shows prompt the audience to re-examine their worldviews and theories of knowledge. O’Neill accomplishes this while remaining gut-bustingly funny. Mercury is also the god of commerce, which bodes well for O’Neill’s bank balance, though it would be a shame not to give the man himself credit for this bewitching, beguiling and bombastic hour. (Suzanne Black) ■ Liquid Room Annexe, until 27 Aug (not 21), 5pm, free.

LUCY PEARMAN: MAID OF CABBAGE Immersive trip into the vegetable patch ●●●●●

George Vere: writer, director, producer, actor.

This self-proclaimed genius is convinced that his tacky Star Trek rip-off is a work of staggering brilliance, but the rest of his cast aren’t so sure.

Pitched somewhere between Galaxy Quest and The Play That Goes Wrong, The Starship Osiris would be a perfect companion piece to Kill the Beast’s Don’t Wake the Damp from last year’s Fringe.

It starts as a sci-fi pastiche – complete with crappy special effects, rubbish robots and cheesy songs – before descending into mutiny as Evans (Adam Willis) breaks character and leads the revolt against their pompous leader. The first half is funny but the second half really shines, personal grievances bubbling to the fore as the cast bicker and brawl.

The ingenious script blurs the line between fact and farce with Vere and Willis excellent in their dual roles but Lola Claire, Molly Bird and Jo McGarry also deserve praise for their performances, alongside Ian Fleming who provides live music and the odd deadpan one-liner. It’s worth noting that there’ll be a special performance on the last day of the run of Vere’s ‘masterpiece’ in all its glory as ‘originally intended’ by the man himself. (Henry Northmore) ■ Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug, 5.20pm, £10.50–£11.50 (£9.50–£10.50).

When Lucy Pearman enters the room in her Edwardian-style maid outfit, there’s a deceptively unassuming quality about her. ‘Traditionally, unmarried maids were sent into the vegetable garden to choose the perfect cabbage,’ she tells us. But this task proves far from easy, with her ‘bad side’ threatening to rear its ugly head.

Relying heavily on the participation of her audience, Maid of Cabbage is in many ways an involuntarily immersive experience. One person becomes Joey the horse, while another is her soldier lover, identified by the occasional snippet of ‘Crank That (Soulja Boy)’. But despite the unpredictability of people’s reactions, Pearman does well to respond to whatever is thrown at her.

The search for that elusive cabbage may form the basis of an outlandish plot, but it’s the sudden transformation from maiden to monster that highlights Pearman’s eccentric approach to clowning. The combination of the dramatic change of lighting, sound and quick costume switch-up works to draw attention to the absurd nature of both character and storyline. (Arusa Qureshi) ■ Heroes @ Monkey Barrel, until 27 Aug, 12.30pm, £5 or Pay What You Want.

SARA PASCOE: LADSLADSLADS A curiously unsatisfying new hour ●●●●● Breaking up might be hard to do, but such a traumatic event can prove to be a trigger towards greatness for creative types.

This is most markedly felt in the world of music, where everyone from Sinatra to Adele has released albums scratched from the pain of separation. As Sara Pascoe details at the beginning of LadsLadsLads, she became single last Christmas for the first time since 2001. Not that she’s been in a solid relationship for 15 years, just that she’s been ‘overlapping’ a lot.

This break-up is with fellow comic John Robins, and is told in rather exploitative detail (others might call it ‘honest’) as the festive season turned sour. Robins cried a lot, which is fine for Pascoe as men’s tears turn her on. Of course, chances are that this is her version of an alternative fact, as the truth appears to slip and slide all over the place here. Pascoe’s stage garb (stockings, sequins, spangles and shoeless) is certainly not a prime example of her regular wardrobe. And while it’s unlikely that she really is in favour of certain aspects of incest, maybe she’s telling it straight when claiming to be bored by galleries, theatres and, well, art of pretty much every kind.

The truth might be hard to get a handle on during Pascoe’s new show, but the laughs are never too far away. She has great lines about old people and Brexit, failing to realise exactly where Costa Rica lies on the map, and taking down a bloke who dubbed her ‘too tamponny’, but ultimately this feels like a show without a clear purpose and devoid of an obvious destination.

It’s usually a good sign when a Fringe hour culminates and you’re left wanting more. But in this instance, the vague flimsiness that’s just passed might leave some feeling decidedly unsatisfied. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 Aug, 7pm (& 3.30pm 20, 22 Aug) £10–£13.50 (£9–£12.50).

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Reviews | FESTIVAL COMEDY

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ANDREW RYAN: DID YOU GET HERE ALRIGHT?

SEAN MCLOUGHLIN: YOU CAN’T IGNORE ME FOREVER

Cork native preaches love and understanding in the face of personal trials ●●●●●

Feisty if often distracted set from a man who loves a tangent ●●●●●

‘See what happens when Ed Byrne sells out?’

Andrew Ryan says, surveying a packed room with suspicion. If tonight’s punters have just stumbled upon the comedian by accident, they won’t have been disappointed by this captivating hour.

Ryan is still dwelling on being told to ‘go back home’ by a heckler in Watford, using this wouldbe Irish-baiting as a means of exploring modern xenophobia. He's a charmer but those playful moments don’t dislodge the focus of the show which offers intelligent, mature analysis, Ryan conceding that our experiences inform our prejudices.

But an hour of ‘let’s all be friends’ would be no fun at all. So, Ryan gleefully pokes fun at British arrogance, bemoans the near impossibility of getting on the housing ladder and sighs at a world where mob justice sees every mistake punished ruthlessly.

He mines his own awkwardness and personal misfortune for cathartic laughs, and they come quick and fast. One minute rapturously funny, the next vulnerable and thoughtful, Andrew Ryan’s new show is a disarming delight. (Craig Angus) ■ Assembly George Square Studios, until 27 Aug, 6.45pm, £7–£11 (£6–£9).

From the off, Sean McLoughlin promises the crowd he won’t address them directly but within moments the tortuous drinking habits of a young punter have him going off at a delightful tangent. It’s a shame he doesn’t indulge the audience much beyond that because he has a nice line in skittish banter.

McLoughlin laments that his fifth show in as many years is his first born outwith crisis, although that’s not to say he’s in any way happy with his lot in life.

He’s certainly not coasting by on braggadocio.

Taking self-deprecation to a new low, he paints a rather pathetic portrait of sexual inadequacy, career stagnation and underachievement in general.

Most of McLoughlin’s funniest material deals with sex, with a routine on jealousy generating some of his biggest laughs. He has an annoying habit of breaking off mid-set, concerned by what he deems to be a muted response to the material (‘it’s a Tuesday night!’ he exclaims, confusingly, as a call to arms), and also has a distracting habit of chuckling under his breath at his own jokes. But that’s part and parcel of this excitable and feisty performer. (Murray Robertson) ■ Laughing Horse @ City Café, until 26 Aug, 6.45pm, free.

MIRANDA KANE: CROSSBONES A touching and engaging one-woman show about sex workers ●●●●● Imagine a Horrible Histories episode on the topic of medieval prostitution as presented by someone with intimate knowledge of the sex industry, and you’ll have a good idea of Miranda Kane’s latest show.

After stumbling across the Crossbones burial ground in London for the ‘outcast dead’ (read: prostitutes), Kane felt compelled to investigate further and share the stories of those lost to time and social propriety.

Energetic, engaging and often with a nervousness to her delivery, Kane explains, quotes and re-enacts her way through some unbelievable moments from the past and the women that have been edited out of history books. Her previous show, The CoinOperated Girl, covered her experiences as a sex worker and Kane draws on this personal perspective to create parallels between treatment of the 13th and 21st century versions. A quick trawl through the Audiovisual Media Services Regulations passed in 2014 that bans certain acts from being depicted in pornography reveals that little has changed.

The hour is as educational as it is entertaining with Kane privileging untold stories over contrived punchlines and ending on an unexpectedly touching note. (Suzanne Black) ■ Sweet Grassmarket, until 27 Aug, 4.15pm, £8 (£6).

CHAPSHTICK Nonsensical surrealism ●●●●● This is an (almost) silent comedy performed by actors and clowns Simon Brown and Luke Nowell, which in part serves as a kind-of mediation on modern manhood and elsewhere simply features some fun scenes bolstered by a set of enjoyably absurdist ideas. They kick off with a skit where the pleasant, cultured guy never gets adequate female attention against the youthful and conventionally good-looking ones. Travelling through a framing structure of various sketches featuring a running gag of sporting activities that get a bit out of hand, there’s a visit to the barber’s that produces too many combs.

However, interspersed in between are diversions into more surreal territory, and the whole thing culminates in a nonsensical finale where the star is an unsuspecting audience member.

Like many at the Fringe of late, it’s no surprise that this pair trained with Philippe Gaulier in his Parisian clown school. And they learned well, presenting neatly executed physical comedy, with their performances in each scene completely on the money.

While they certainly know their stuff, overall the show is lacking in solid punchlines. Their quiet skits build up well but in the main the pay-offs are a touch weak. The most successful however is a wonderfully bizarre chess game where the pair teasingly play each other using a series of random objects, from a stuffed penguin to a shocking pink effigy of the Eiffel Tower.

On this reviewing date, there were a few issues with sound cues, but the pair dealt with it good-naturedly and carried on regardless; it only resulted in displaying their easy, familiar working relationship. Ultimately, this Chapshtick debut feels somewhat underwritten and would benefit from some reworking but an entertaining and pleasing hour still remains.

(Marissa Burgess) ■ New Town Theatre, until 27 Aug, 4.10pm, £9 (£8).

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NATALIE PALAMIDES: LAID Nurturing theatrical comedy from surrealist act ●●●●●

PHOTO: GEMMA SOLDATI

Underneath the Alice in Wonderland ribbons and twee mannerisms lurks an expert messer. Natalie Palamides is a young surrealist comedian from Pittsburgh who’s been training lately with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, an improv troupe co-founded by Amy Poehler, with members including Broad City’s Ilana and Abbi, Maria Bamford and Zach Galifianakis.

Palamides’ Fringe debut is dark and original, one gory scene in particular is so creepily well-executed it might still be bringing on wincing flashbacks days later. Starting out deliberately slow, with Palamides hatching from a giant egg, she explores the scene with Snow White innocence. There’s an excellent tension that grows between little girl gaucheness and an utterly in-control evil puppetmaster, pulling her audience’s strings with very finessed nonchalance. Her squeaky voice morphs well into cartoony children and Gone With the Wind Southern belles, and echoes the sinister but sweet style of New York comedian Kristen Schaal.

She’s written the whole show around eggs, pulling them from an endless hidden stash up her skirt. Every day she lays one and faces the same dilemma: should she eat it or nurture it? Using the eggs as a loaded, edible metaphor, she explores femininity, motherhood, abandonment, romance, cooking and paedophilia, all while splattering her tarp-covered set with yolk and shaving foam.

An experimental theatre show with (occasionally forced) audience participation, LAID is unsettling comedy played with just the right amount of surprises and sassypants confidence.

Although many of the Upright Citizens Brigade have gone on to do mainstream TV and films, Natalie Palamides is still having fun in the weirdo hinterlands of comedy; but it feels like she could turn her hand to that stuff too if she wanted. Who knows what else she has up her sleeve (or frilly knickers)? (Claire Sawers) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 Aug, 4.15pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11).

PHOTO: SCOTT MCLEAN

PHOTO: JANE HOBSON

MARK THOMAS: A SHOW THAT GAMBLES ON THE FUTURE

NEXT BEST THING: HOW TO BE GOOD AT EVERYTHING

MARK FORWARD WINS ALL THE AWARDS

Political comic keeps up high standards ●●●●●

Sketch show with a lack of commitment ●●●●●

Excellence with a dash of absurdity ●●●●●

After last year’s incredible theatre show, The Red Shed, Mark Thomas returns to the Fringe with more traditional stand-up fair. We’re here, Thomas tells us, to work together as a group. Our job is to vote (with our cheers) for the best prediction of the future proffered by fellow audience members pre-show.

And by ‘best’, he doesn’t mean what we’d like to see (Corbyn as prime minister, Trump assassinated, one woman’s marriage not ending in divorce: yes, sometimes the predictions get pretty personal), but which one we think is most likely to occur. It’s a fun concept, and one which is certainly boosting the coffers of Paddy Power, where Thomas heads with the £1 bet donations after each show. And at some point in the future, should our group prediction come good, a charity somewhere will benefit.

Compared to the heart-stopping suspension and heart-breaking tenderness of The Red Shed, this show might seem a little slight. But he’s still Mark Thomas, which means we’re treated to the best kind of political rantings, underscored by some moving memories of a young Thomas growing up in the shadow of his violent father. (Kelly Apter) ■ Summerhall, until 27 Aug (not 19), 6pm, £15 (£12).

Sketch comedy double-act Jay Bennett and Katie Davison promise a seminar of sorts in which the audience will leave knowing everything. Fauxworkshops with cringeworthy management-speak and a David Brent-style lack of awareness are an established comedy genre. This show, despite the advertising blurb, is not that. It morphs into a mime performance before jumping again to skits relying on ‘volunteers’, then some pee, poop and sex stuff, with a song to top it all off. It ends up as a mish-mash of genres that doesn’t commit to the seminar format; the mime and sketches have no clear through-line, and there are lulls during an episode involving an imaginary hat and the return to the poo motif.

Katie, as the sexually repressed braggart trying to keep everything on track, and Jay, as the sexobsessed fool who unwittingly derails her efforts, have great rapport and the moments that developed their relationship were more-ish. Unfortunately, the best material on the day of this review was contributed by audience members whose bemusement and animosity towards the duo’s antics inspired them to make their own entertainment. (Suzanne Black) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug, 4.45pm, £7.50–£9.50 (£6.50–£9).

Like fellow Canadian Tony Law, Mark Forward is a surrealist comedian who constructs bizarre narratives in service of precisely engineered laughs. Even the most seemingly throwaway gag is later revealed to be part of a greater whole, so a sketch about buttering bread segues into a ridiculous radio commercial before ending up as an elaborate musical number.

Forward is evidently well aware of how absurd he’s being, often unable to keep a straight face and frequently breaking off to mockingly reprimand the crowd for not fully indulging him (tonight’s audience is clearly delineated between those who are onboard and those who are not). Constantly prowling around the audience, there’s a tangible sense of anticipation about how far he might go for a laugh.

Some of his strongest material calls to mind the early work of Rhod Gilbert, particularly his intricate conjecture on what would happen if a bear went to heaven. A fantastic reinterpretation of a classic children’s rhyme serves as the perfect way to conclude this glorious hour, before Forward outdoes himself by throwing his all into a barnstorming ending that finally unites the whole room. (Murray Robertson) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 27 Aug, 8.15pm, £10.50–£11.50 (£9.50–£10.50).

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FESTIVAL COMEDY | Reviews

STEEN RASKOPOULOS: THE COOLEST KID IN COMPETITIVE CHESS Spreading the universal appeal of sketch improv ●●●●●

PHOTO: ADAM HEDGECOE

A sketch show highly reliant upon audience participation inspires dread in many comedy fans. But once again, Aussie sketch and improv comic Steen Raskopoulos achieves maximum enjoyment with minimum pain inflicted. He rattles through a whole host of sketches using well-chosen accomplices from the crowd, prerecorded dialogue and the ability to shrug characters on and off at will. Those who have seen Raskopoulos’ previous shows will recognise familiar characters, though knowledge of them is not necessary for full enjoyment.

Bookended by the titular chess player, his characters veer from the everyday disappointment of a bad haircut to a horse with dreams of being a small business owner, all held together by several through-lines of story, and peppered with high-energy palate-cleansers that keep the pace up.

An extended segment featuring an office employee at a disciplinary meeting is particularly delightful as, by this point, the audience has figured out its role in the night’s success. What makes the ‘volunteers’ so willing to put themselves at risk is the sense that he’s not motivated by malice. When one woman falters in complying with his instructions, he ratchets down the façade a few notches to make her feel comfortable, gives her a wee cuddle and draws out what he needs for the sketch without sacrificing momentum or laughs.

By the hour’s end, the audience members, emboldened by seeing earlier participants escape without physical or mental harm, are willing to do anything asked of them. Raskopoulos takes an oftendisliked form of comedy and, in his very skilled hands, gives it universal appeal. (Suzanne Black) ■ Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug, 8pm, £11.50–£12.50 (£10.50–£11.50).

PHOTO: HUNTER ALLENSAMI IBRAHIM

MARIA SHEHATA: WISDOMLESS Plodding show with a discerning crowd ●●●●●

ANDREW DOYLE: THOUGHT CRIMES

KAE KURD: KURD YOUR ENTHUSIASM

A political critique ravaged by irrelevance ●●●●●

Cocky yet amiable debut ●●●●●

Maria Shehata is a US comedian from an Egyptian family, and in Wisdomless she explores cultural differences, relates stories of her life in LA, and details how she met her boyfriend and settled down with him in the UK. Plodding onwards with an enduring smile despite an indifferent reaction, Shehata expresses surprise at her observation that while US audiences are prone to cheer when she makes upbeat proclamations, UK crowds such as this one tend to sit in silence, waiting for the punchline.

She says this despite the fact we’ve already established that tonight’s throng is significantly international with very few Brits. Perhaps she’s not used to such a discerning gathering but it seems reasonable that we might respond more animatedly if she told more jokes during her comedy show.

There are no great stories through this hour and just as many good gags. Shehata fails to bring her anecdotes to life and makes no effort to imbue her characterisations with any personality. There are some interesting observations on her conservative family and nice stories about dating, but this journey has been watered down so much that the jokes are simply too few and far between. (Murray Robertson) ■ Just the Tonic at The Caves, until 27 Aug, 8.20pm, £8–£10.

Andrew Doyle surveys British politics from his perspective as a gay, Corbyn-ite Catholic and, between bouts of audience-baiting banter (and sexual advances), locates his dissatisfaction with left-leaning life in the UK. With a pedigree in political comedy as co-writer of Jonathan Pie (the fictitious political correspondent who can be seen on YouTube), this is all familiar territory for Doyle and his run-down of each British political party does feel rather cursory.

It is surprising that for a show in Scotland he does not acknowledge the different political landscape north of the border: Scottish Labour are a different beast to Corbyn’s lot and, for him, the SNP may as well not exist. It hints at a lack of effort that’s replicated in his attack on left-wingers as Guardianreading devourers of avocado, as well as lazy potshots at Ed Sheeran. A section in which Doyle slags off Scotland’s education system serves no function, narratively, thematically or comedically.

He does make some good points about the nature of the EU and the pitfalls of identity politics in what could have been a necessary critique of why the left is currently losing out to the Brexiteers and Tories.

(Suzanne Black) ■ The Stand, until 27 Aug, 6.30pm, £12 (10).

Walking out to the theme of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Kae Kurd points out that he won’t be performing an hour of Jewish comedy. Instead, this is a debut show which platforms the young British-Kurdish comic’s burgeoning talent as a gag writer and live comedian.

Kicking off with rather humdrum observations about being in a bunker with a black backdrop (classic Jihadist behaviour that), Kurd spends a fair whack of time slamming ISIS for their beliefs, actions and comedic possibilities, while also spying western flaws.

So he lays into the hypocritical reaction of the press to a Muslim doing well while representing the UK and wondering whether racism makes you live longer.

An hour of slating all and sundry is perfectly fine, but there comes a time when, even as a comedic notion, some other ideas should be thrown in. So, in that light, Kurd is not a fan of online petitions or street activism but doesn’t offer up any decent suggestions of alternative campaigning that could be more effective. Armed with a very decent Kevin Bridges impersonation, Kurd is a cockily amiable soul with lots of potential which might well be fulfilled when he narrows his targets down. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 Aug, 5.30pm, £10–£12 (£8–£10).

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DOUBLE DENIM

URZILA CARLSON: FIRST EDITION

EDD HEDGES: WONDERLAND

Low-brow games, music and imbibing ●●●●●

An enjoyably fresh outlook ●●●●●

Genuine if overly packed hour of stand-up ●●●●●

Strewth (to speak the lingo), what a fun show this is to end the day on, particularly if your day has involved a few beers. Though it’s not compulsory, Double Denim offer you the chance to pop your party pants on and get ready to bust a groove.

Michelle Brasier and Laura Frew have organised a soiree and we’re all invited. There’ll be games, cheesy 90s dance music, communal imbibing of coke (the liquid variety) and a whole lot of denim.

Already a big hit at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, the glittery pair make for cutely enthusiastic and excitably childlike hosts; when caught out not having done something, Michelle has the best nervous giggle heard in a long time, while Laura castigates her for that forgetfulness.

But it’s not all pass-the-parcel and copping off with guys in the front row as there are some setpieces here to be enjoyed too. Brasier has prepared an art piece based on her adolescence which sees the inclusion of some extra-large sanitary pads and a bottle of Blue WKD. Just as abstract is their graphic recreation of a hymen breaking, fully choreographed by the pair. This is a whole load of high-energy antipodean silly. (Marissa Burgess) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 Aug, 11.15pm, £8–£11 (£7–£10).

South African-born, New Zealand-based and big in Australia, Urzila Carlson might be making her Fringe debut but she’s the antithesis of the wide-eyed newbie. She adopts a confidently brash and occasionally barbed persona. Carlson’s general through-line of ‘live and let live’ is slightly undermined by a one-sided takedown of those who have chosen to remove certain things from their plates (sugar and dairy for two) or those who are forced to eat differently because of allergies.

But as harsh as she can be on others, Carlson is equally prepared to pick apart her own flaws.

Dubbing herself as a ‘big unit’, she thanks the West’s charity work which resulted in all that free food being sent to Africa. While her source material can often be rather vanilla (airports, housework), her observations are enjoyably fresh.

Just as you feel you have the measure of Carlson’s comedy and settle into being treated to an hour of caustic stand-up, she pulls a personal trauma out of the bag, knocking both the balance and audience sideways. While it’s certainly a moving story, it does feels as though it should have been saved for a separate show. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Assembly George Square Studios, until 27 Aug, 7.45pm, £10.50–£11.50 (£9.50–£10.50).

Edd Hedges is a feckless, inoffensive, young, white male comedian. You know the type. He recounts tales of his lack of success with life in general in an effort to make his particularly typical existence sound different. You can’t fault his craftsmanship, though, as he weaves his comical misfortunes into a cohesive narrative, hopping backwards and forwards between childhood and one fateful night.

Despite his 23 years, he has plenty to tell and, as small references to big events begin to build, he blasts through several Fringes-worth of material that a more thrifty comedian may ration. But as generous as he is with his material, Hedges offers something more special: genuineness.

What first appears to be competent yet familiar stand-up reveals itself to be a nuanced and captivating piece of storytelling with Hedges drawing upon some uncomfortable subjects to create an enthralling narrative that elicits a huge emotional response. Some flubbed deliveries mar some of the jokes and it takes a little while for Hedges to set up the story but, trust us, it’s worth it. The show, and the man himself, offer more than meets the eye. (Suzanne Black) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 27 Aug, 4pm, £8–£9.50 (£7–£8.50).

TWO PLUS ONES: HUGE NIGHT IN

PHOTO: HUNTER ALLENSAMI IBRAHIM

Interminable sketches marginally alleviated by high-energy ●●●●● The trio of Two Plus Ones proclaim themselves to be ‘the neediest sketch group in town’. There’d be a lot of competition for that prize you’d imagine, and it’s difficult to know what else would make this lot stand out from the crowd. The crew is comprised of Luke Sumner (the ‘dweeby’ one), Josh Chana (the ‘chilled’ and ‘vain’ one), and Archie Henderson (look out: he’s the ‘crazy’ one, folks). Initially, the idea is set-up that Josh and Luke have a special kinship that goes back a long way leaving Archie clearly positioned as the outsider. There are various places that such a scenario could have gone, but having placed it in our minds, the concept is more or less dumped.

Instead, there are the usual array of sketches that are good, bad and very poor indeed. On the upside is the Penny Farthing routine where the inventor of this wonky vehicle is also responsible for other weirdly out-of-scale products. But then they go and ruin it all by making a pun around ‘rap’ and ‘wrap’ that should never have made it out of the rehearsal room alive.

There’s a pleasing spot of physicality with a massive red shoe, but while the cannibal’s last meal and the participatory finale of the spirituality-yogic class may vary in length, they share common ground in both being interminable. There’s also a degree of predictability, so when the running gag about swear words being censored by disgruntled tech (aren’t all the techs who are brought into a show in that mood?), you just know that somewhere down the road, a bleep will arrive in the wrong place.

Clearly there’s an energy to this threesome that will serve them well up to a point, but sharper writing should be a priority before their Huge Night In inspires more people to hit the town.

(Brian Donaldson) ■ Just the Tonic at The Caves, until 26 Aug, 9.15pm, £6 (£5) or Pay What You Want.

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ROB AUTON: THE HAIR SHOW Hirsute funniness from the genre-bending comic ●●●●●

PHOTO: JULIAN WARD

Rob Auton is nothing if not committed to his craft. Since September, he’s been growing his hair and beard for his latest hour and he’s not going to stop until the very last performance.

Not just in August: ever. Much to his parents’ ire, he’s got a few bookings for next spring already.

His previous Fringe outings have also focused on one theme: yellow (The Yellow Show), water (The Water Show), sleep (you get the gist). But The Hair Show is one of his best yet. With his face already reaching Brian Blessed-levels of hairiness, Auton saunters on stage donned in a cape dripping with fake hair and an even hairier tie. If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was auditioning to play a wildling.

Instead, he launches into a typically meandering set of jokes, poetic musings and playful crowd interactions touching on a range of hirsute themes, from his mixed feelings about hairdressers to the way people’s perceptions of him have changed since he’s grown more dishevelled.

As always, it’s endearingly shambolic but artfully put together.

It feels like Auton is growing into his chaotic form; the final third particularly is the closest he’s got to a cohesive stand-up set in the last few years, and had some in the crowd experiencing uncontrollable giggles. Today, his audience game is on point too: he turns the dial from hysterical to really very sad (there are tears) with ease, and he makes light, hilarious work of the reviewer in his front row taking conspicuous notes.

Auton is a generous, charming performer, with a strong fanbase, but if you’re new to his work, The Hair Show is an excellent start. It’s a warm, wonderful hour that proves there’s no one quite like him at the Fringe. (Yasmin Sulaiman) ■ Just the Tonic at The Caves, until 26 Aug (not 14), 3.55pm, £5 or Pay What You Want.

PHOTO: PHIL PROVENCIO

CARMEN LYNCH: LYNCHED A sour and lacklustre set ●●●●●

CHRISTOPHER BLISS: WRITING WRONGS

SIMON EVANS: GENIUS Magnificently pessimistic hour ●●●●●

Fine character creation from Rob Carter ●●●●● She may be playing in one of the Fringe’s balmiest cupboards, but Carmen Lynch’s stage persona borders on the chilly. Dubbing stand-up as a lot like therapy where she’s complaining in a room to people who can’t leave, Lynch certainly does a lot of whining. All of which would be fine if it was backed up by memorable punchlines, but there’s not a whole heap of them kicking about in Lynched.

Among the stuff that gets on Lynch’s wick are public displays of affection, the morning-after pill and unnecessary use of ‘super’ (which doesn’t stop her from describing her mother as ‘super-Spanish’).

Somewhat sadly, she receives her biggest laugh in the final minute for drawing attention to the fact that she looks a bit like Mr Bean.

But it’s Lynch’s attitude to her gathering that leaves behind a little sour note; it’s unclear what benefit there is to having a go at an audience for looking at her in a curious manner. Maybe we’re all on the edge of our seats just waiting for the jokes.

Still, the fact that Amy Schumer thinks she’s the bees knees will more than compensate for any negativity coming her way from Edinburgh crowds.

(Brian Donaldson) ■ Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, until 27 Aug, 4pm, free.

Christopher Bliss might claim to be an author but he falls down on the most basic of levels. For one thing, most writers know the difference between novels and chapters, but this gap in his knowledge is just one failing of the ignorant Bliss. Sending us on our way with a copy of ‘A Murder and a Robbery at the Same Time on the Train from London to Shropshire’, Bliss has to deal early on with a walk-out from a couple who were presumably here believing that a book event was taking place.

So lovingly crafted has Rob Carter moulded Bliss that such a reaction is not a surprise: the book he hands out contains his mobile number just in case you want to keep in touch with Bliss during Fringe time. After his initial gambit of a spooky ghost story, it’s clear that another spirit haunts this place: saddled with slightly impeded vocals and hampered with a vaguely over-enthusiastic superiority, Bliss has more than a touch of the Rik Mayalls about him.

Conjuring up fictional characters such as Peter Book, Moira Wisp and Nicholas Bigboy, Bliss leads us in recreating some excerpts for this often hilarious depiction of a man who believes his own hype. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Voodoo Rooms, until 27 Aug, 2.55pm, free.

Where once human civilisation had the genius of Albert Einstein, John Stuart Mill and Plato, now we have memes and ‘motivational quotes about fish’.

This troubles Simon Evans who, observing the modern world, doesn’t like what he sees one bit and wants to get some things off his chest. After an hour in Evans’ company, you’ll come round to his infectious pessimism. Genius is a magnificent work that has Evans castigating our political leaders, skewering the DUP, and wondering what the hell led us to consume mindless television like Love Island.

This obsession with decline stems from Evans’ own physical and mental faculties being supposedly past their sell-by date. We can take him on his word, but his ability to tell a joke is untempered.

Cloaked in corduroy, he sips from a whisky glass and delivers an unrelenting deconstruction of everything that’s wrong with us. No one is safe.

Genius contains two routines in particular that have the room howling with laughter. Evans is so hilarious that you stop caring whether he’s on your exact political wavelength. It feels insignificant.

Genius is a formidably funny show of fantastic intellect. (Craig Angus) ■ Assembly George Square Studios, until 27 Aug, 8.20pm (& 9.40pm 18 Aug) , £13–£14 (£12–£13).

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Reviews | FESTIVAL COMEDY

list.co.uk/festival PHOTO: NATHANIEL MASON

DOMINIC HOLLAND: ECLIPSED

BUTT KAPINSKI

CHRIS KENT: MOVING ON

Spider-Man's dad on his son’s success ●●●●●

Ludicrous immersive comedy at its finest ●●●●●

Engaging storytelling let down by detail ●●●●●

In the Fringe world a long, long time ago, Dominic Holland was quite the big deal. But his early stand-up achievements have been well and truly usurped by that of his son Tom, aka the new Spider-Man. If we hate it when our friends become successful, what can it do to a person’s soul when their offspring outpaces them in the business they’re both in?

When the toddler Tom showed off some fancy footwork, his mum believed him to be destined for showbusiness glory, while dad was on hand to offer some words of wisdom about not expecting too much in the industry.

These pep talks all occurred prior to Tom landing big parts such as Billy Elliot in the West End, and later as Peter Parker (papa Holland seeks some solace at the prospect of spooking young folk by telling them that he’s Spider-Man’s father).

He might use it a little too much, but Holland snr has perfected the glazed expression and middledistance stare of someone who can’t quite believe what’s actually happening around him. His stand-up abilities are still intact, though the meanderings about being a fiftysomething (prostates, balding, and trips to the garden centre) are the least engrossing parts of his semi-tragic tale. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Voodoo Rooms, until 27 Aug, 4.40pm, free.

Straight out of the seedy depths of a dark and downbeat film noir, private eye Butt Kapinski has a murder mystery on his hands. Recruiting a slew of characters plucked from the audience, he sets about cracking the case.

The alter-ego of US performer Deanna Fleysher, Butt is a parody of old-school Hollywood detectives, shrouded in over-the-top hyper-masculinity and world-weary cynicism. With exaggerated movements and an almost undecipherable speech impediment, Kapinski is an incredibly entertaining, if bizarre, creation. The room is arranged in a way that Fleysher can weave easily between people’s chairs.

She uses this to full effect, with Kapinski’s built-in street lamp illuminating the reluctant faces of wouldbe participants with an accusatory glare.

This is immersive theatre at its best, where the show’s success very much depends on the whims of its audience, who at any point could derail the whole plot. But Fleysher’s strength lies in her ability to manipulate any scenario, even if facts get muddled along the way. A fully realised character and a ludicrous and racy storyline make this an excellent piece of theatrical comedy. (Arusa Qureshi) ■ Pleasance Dome, until 27 Aug (not 21), 8.10pm, £8–£10 (£7–£9).

Moving On is an entertaining hour from a fantastic storyteller. Beginning with his move to England and culminating with the birth of his son, Chris Kent moves seamlessly between anecdotes, painting vivid and funny pictures. From a hate-fuelled rant about estate agents, to unpicking YouTube motivational videos, the Irish comic takes the audience through the ups and downs during a turning point in his life as a comedian, husband and man.

However, the show could do with some definite editing: often overly detailed, and containing gags which were somewhat on the obvious side, the stretches with little in the way of laughter lasted too long. The few moments of audience interaction also fell flat, as Kent struggled to think on his feet in response to shout-outs from the crowd. At times, it all felt too rehearsed and lacking spontaneity.

Despite this, his ability as an orator is undeniable.

The climax of his tale, involving the arrival of baby Jack, had the captivated audience on tenterhooks.

A funny man with a talent for narration, Chris Kent’s latest Fringe offering is less belly-laughter stand-up, and more a pleasant, engaging and amusing story.

(Kenza Marland) ■ Assembly George Square Studios, until 28 Aug, 5.15pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50).

SARA SCHAEFER: LITTLE WHITE BOX Compelling and smart Fringe debut ●●●●● Taking to her stage with possibly the most low-key entrance in showbusiness history, Sara Schaefer feels duty-bound to (quietly) apologise to each and every one of us for the current resident of the White House. But there’s a twist to that apology which we would have seen coming a mile off were it not for Schaefer’s subtle beginning.

There was nothing especially subtle about her religious upbringing in Virginia, and here she references the mad rituals from church camp which have left deep psychological scars.

The mantra which gives the show its title is buried so far into her psyche that its sudden reappearance knocks her for six.

When Schaefer discusses the night terrors which bolt her awake and in desperate fear for her safety, it’s tempting to view them as a metaphor for the America she is so worried about. Her Trump material acts as a jumping-off point to try and unpick the unholy alliances which make up the Christian far right. How can it be that the liberal values she took away from Bible class can be interpreted so differently? Admittedly, it’s a curiously naïve sentiment to espouse given that history is packed with texts, speeches and positions being read in diverse ways (everyone across the political spectrum has plucked out the bits that suit their agenda in everything from Rabbie Burns to Animal Farm).

While lambasting Christian fundamentalists and the conspiracy theorists that are more or less controlling the US now, she also has little truck with the new-agey spiritualists who turned her mother’s funeral into a living nightmare. This a compelling, smart and tack-sharp hour which Sara Schaefer delivers with a panache that takes us nervously by the hand down into the murky rabbit hole of modern America. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug, 7pm, £9.50–£12.50 (£8.50– £11.50).

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FESTIVAL COMEDY | Reviews

CANDY GIGI PRESENTS: BECKY RIMMER’S BAT MITZVAH! A wonderfully barking foray into the adolescent mind ●●●●● It’s Becky Rimmer’s Bat Mitzvah. She’s got the sparkling rhinestone frock, 90s tunes on the decks and everything’s going to be great. But only if her mum Gaye stops crying, dad Mervyn quits sleeping with men, and her ‘boyfriend’ Benjamin actually turns up. As we’ve come to expect of Candy Gigi, this is an absolute riot (almost literally) of a show and, as ever, it’s certainly not for the faint of heart as she pushes interactive clowning to its extremes, way beyond the comfort zone.

There’s plenty of audience participation (this reviewer made a hash of ‘performing’ as Becky’s mum and her hated friend Sarah) as Gigi / Rimmer bullies all of us into doing something. That said, there’s a weird camaraderie of us all being in this together. No matter how terrifying she is, we still want to get involved.

There are plenty shocking moments to be enjoyed this year: impertinent questions of a downstairs nature, botched surgical procedures and a lot of fake blood. Plus Gigi has brought a carfull of inventive mad props both old and new; there are naked suits, merkins with penises attached, plus sheets with holes, and something pink and fluffy with eyes: we’ll leave you to guess what that might represent.

What takes this a notch above Candy’s previous work is that in among the gore and the grotesque, the most monstrous of whom is the spoilt party girl herself, there’s a surprisingly poignant depiction of adolescence. This is particularly evident in the songs about an impatience for her first period to arrive. Gigi captures something of that delicate age where girls begin to transition into women, yearning to grow up yet still being little girls in so many ways. Magnificently insane. (Marissa Burgess) ■ Heroes @ The Hive, until 27 Aug (not 22), 1.15pm, £5 or Pay What You Want.

ATHENA KUGBLENU: KMT A smart and relatable hour ●●●●●

LUKE MCQUEEN: THE BOY WITH TAPE ON HIS FACE

GAVIN WEBSTER: IT’S ABOUT TIME WE HAD MORE WOMEN IN THERE

All-round comedy madness ●●●●●

Geordie comic takes aim ●●●●●

What we need in society is an intellectual exchange of ideas and a thirst to learn more about one another.

This is what Athena Kugblenu manages to convey in a way that’s neither earnest nor preachy, just a goodnatured hour of ideas that’s hard to disagree with.

‘KMT’ stands for ‘kiss me teeth’, something she describes as an ‘ethnic noise’, the sucking-teeth sound people make when they’re not impressed.

Turns out she’s been doing a lot of that lately. Brexit, Trump, the general election, the fact her Indian mother and Ghanaian father gave her a Greek name.

‘It’s important to laugh,’ she reminds us. ‘But don’t laugh too much at black jokes if you’re not black.’

Much of the show is made up of this good-natured ribbing, but there’s more to her act than merely pointing out differences between people. Kugblenu explores identity: her first visit to Ghana when she was 18 left her feeling more British than ever, and there’s a balanced mix of intellectual discussion and pop culture, including a subtle but stellar Kardashian joke. KMT isn’t always linear and some repetitiveness creeps in, but Athena Kugblenu is so smart and amiable that any chaos makes her even more relatable. (Kirstyn Smith) ■ Underbelly Med Quad, until 27 Aug, 5.50pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).

The heights (or depths) Luke McQueen will go to in the name of comedy have been well-documented.

His commitment to the joke has previously led him to seemingly soiling himself in public while trying to win his girlfriend back, disrupting a pub full of geezers watching the football so he could perform a gig, and packing out a room that he had falsely advertised as hosting a Frankie Boyle show. For this year’s ‘happening’, he’s pretended to be Tape Face, a move which he reckons has enticed some fans of the silent Kiwi comic into a comedy club basement.

Going somewhat against the grain of a regular McQueen outing, there are no walk-outs tonight as a rapt crowd witness him toiling through an hour which is mainly focused on his failing career (though there are plenty stand-ups in town this month who would love to similarly fill such a room).

There are pranks aplenty as he insults his front row, blasts someone with a daft hair dryer, and sings outlandish musical numbers. Call it anticomedy, call it absurdist nonsense, call it what you will; but a Luke McQueen gig looks, feels, sounds and probably smells like no other. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Heroes @ Monkey Barrel, until 27 Aug, 10.40pm, £5 or Pay What You Want.

Back at the Fringe for supposedly the last time, Gavin Webster wants to end on a high and so spends the hour talking about members of society he dislikes the most. After clarifying that the show title is not a reflection of his own thoughts, there’s a sense of relief from the audience, who were apprehensive that a set of highly controversial comedy was on the horizon.

Webster identifies the groups he dislikes: the self-righteous, the hippies, the militant liberals, the reactionary amateur accountants and . . . kids.

According to him, the world would be too boring if they were our leaders. Instead, we should adopt a ‘pay taxes and don’t murder’ policy to encourage a (much) more liberal lifestyle. You may disagree, but he doesn’t care, and it’s his nonchalant attitude which makes listening to his tangents all the more entertaining.

Webster’s tendency to get sidetracked is a little wearing by the finale, and the occasional mention of Nazis and different religious groups are not his finest moments. But at the age of 47, he’s nailed the structure of his show and if you’re ever in need of a comic to make you feel more relaxed about life, Gavin Webster is your man. (Louise Stoddart) ■ The Stand II, until 27 Aug, 7.35pm, £9 (£8).

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Reviews at a Glance | FESTIVAL COMEDY

list.co.uk/festival

REVIEWS AT A GLANCE For full length versions of these reviews, see list.co.uk/festival

Abigoliah Schamaun

ADAM HESS: CACTUS ●●●●● The breathless, runaway train that is Hess hurtles through anecdotes about signing up for medical trials as a way to make cash and combat loneliness; his germphobic mum; and a fiasco involving a rowing boat and a leotard.

The room seems split, with some enjoying the machine-gun approach, others wishing he’d slow down and flesh out the good bits. (Claire Sawers) Heroes @ The Hive, until 27 Aug, 6pm, £6 or Pay What You Want.

ADAM ROWE: UNBEARABLE ●●●●● This Scouser has written a show about how lazy, rude and up himself he is. Except he’s obviously none of those things. He turns most disasters (bad reviews, the purchase of a six-quid jacket from Primark, a first date to Liverpool’s Slavery Museum) into solid yarns, told in a selfdeprecating but still deliberately gobby style. (Claire Sawers) Just the Tonic at The Mash House, until 27 Aug (not 14), 7pm, £5 or Pay What You Want.

ADITI MITTAL: GLOBAL VILLAGE IDIOT ●●●●● In our age of globalisation and hyperspeed communications, it can be easy to believe we know what’s going on all over the world. With the laughs evenly dispersed throughout (except when Mittal mentions Britain’s colonial past and the tension rises), the hour would benefit from a defined ending but is illuminating and unique without feeling like a lesson. (Suzanne Black) Underbelly Med Quad, until 27 Aug, 6.35pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).

ALEXANDER FOX: RINGO ●●●●● The main inspiration for Fox’s drumming career came from Ringo Starr, who acts as a pen-pal mentor until the tragic day that the letters stop coming. We can’t fault him as an allrounder, but Ringo may have appeared less chaotic if Fox had channelled his efforts into creating a more coherent plot rather than just a stream of unorganised jokes. (Louise Stoddart)

PHOTO: MARKO DUTKA

ABIGOLIAH SCHAMAUN: NAMASTE, BITCHES ●●●●● A confident and easy host, Schamaun’s new show covers the various cult-like activities she’s undertaken in the pursuit of wellness and community.

Her chatty banter and easy audience participation, chanting back Bikram phrases, means the show doesn’t dip and a theatrical ending neatly ties up a positive hour. (Rowena McIntosh) Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug, 7.40pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9).

Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug, 5pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£9).

ANDY BARR: TROPIC OF ADMIN ●●●●● We’re in trouble: there’s turbulence and the plane is going down. Welcome to Barr’s show / desert island, a place governed by the image of Richard Wilson on a beach ball and a crazy school administrator called Andy. With its graphic costume changes and a load of shabby props, this is exactly what you should expect from a Fringe show. (Marissa Burgess) Heroes @ Dragonfly, until 27 Aug, 10.40pm, £5 or Pay What You Want.

ANNE EDMONDS: NO OFFENCE, NONE TAKEN ●●●●● Edmonds is just as capable acting the stereotypical mid-30s lady growing increasingly confused with men as she is exploring darker themes: the worst (or best) way to accidentally kill a friend, wanting to kill herself when she sees happy families. Her upbeat facade and natural ability for observational stuff makes the truly macabre moments all the more delicious. (Kirstyn Smith) Underbelly Med Quad, until 27 Aug, 7.55pm, £11–£12 (£10–£11).

CALLY BEATON: SUPER CALLY FRAGILE LIPSTICK ●●●●● Beaton hangs the show around her experience as a single mother of an autistic son and this may have been the draw for a packed crowd. After introducing us to her domestic situation and a frequentlyused flipchart of diagrams, she lets loose on a wide range of topics, though the logic of some of her set-ups doesn’t quite ring true. (Suzanne Black) Just the Tonic at The Community Project, until 20 Aug, 1.25pm; Just the Tonic at The Caves, 22–25 Aug, 10.40am,

£5 (£4) or Pay What You Want.

DAMIEN POWER: UTOPIA – NOW IN 3D ●●●●● The Aussie stand-up’s vague premise is our never-ending quest for utopia which he defines as ‘a fantasy you never arrive at’. Most comics would kill for a ten-minute skit that slays the room but Power has three, covering modern church preachers, mainstream comedians, and the collapse of civilisation in the face of an oncoming asteroid.

(Henry Northmore) Assembly George Square Theatre, until 27 Aug (not 21), 8.20pm, £11–£12 (£9–£10).

DANE BAPTISTE: G.O.D. (GOLD. OIL. DRUGS.) ●●●●● Baptiste takes a look at the new altars we worship at: gold, oil and drugs. Throughout, he takes an unflinching look at the realities of being black such as the rush of adrenaline he feels passing police officers and the much higher likelihood of him spending time in prison. It can be uncomfortable, but the audience is rapt. (Rowena McIntosh) Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 Aug, 9pm, £12–£14 (£10–£12).

DANIEL COOK: FOR MONEY ●●●●● There’s delirium in the air as the breathless Cook takes to his stage, spitting out a hilarious ‘critique’ of his venue. Normally, such pace would inevitably drop but he somehow maintains it all the way through to his finale as he considers cash, greed, and the curious tale of Brian Eno and the watch. (Brian Donaldson) Just the Tonic at The Caves, until 27 Aug, 1.20m, £5 or Pay What You Want.

DANNY O’BRIEN: RACONTOUR ●●●●● The Irish comic has energy to burn in his show about family,

Catholic rituals and motorcycles.

He’s an amiable sort, but the serious material too often bumps up against the jovial anecdotes rather than offering a smooth, complementary ride. (Brian Donaldson) Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug, 10.20pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50).

DAVE CHAWNER: C’EST LA VEGAN ●●●●● You may well be wary of seeing a show that so boldly wears its colours on its sleeve but Chawner’s herbivorous title belies a humble, thought-provoking hour. He has a complicated history with food and throughout, he is at pains to stress he’s not trying to preach or convert: self-deprecation is more prevalent than barbs aimed outwards. (Kirstyn Smith) Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, until 27 Aug (not 25), 7pm, free.

ELEANOR COLVILLE: BIGAMOUS ●●●●● Colville’s solo debut is a jaunt through Character Comedy 101: silly voices and deranged characters abound as she arranges for two audience members to get married. She slips in lines that seem throwaway but are self-referential and smart, linking the show in and out of itself, before tying it up in a successfully conceived bridal bow. (Kirstyn Smith) Just the Tonic at The Mash House, until 27 Aug, 9.20pm, £7 (£6).

FIN TAYLOR: LEFTY TIGHTY RIGHTY LOOSEY ●●●●● Following on with what he himself terms an ‘arrogant start’ in slagging off Bill Hicks, Taylor makes it clear that he’s unafraid to court controversy even if he does so with tongue firmly in cheek.

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FESTIVAL COMEDY | Reviews at a Glance way of telling stories, and this is a thoughtful, provocative and hilarious show. (Murray Robertson) Just the Tonic at The Tron, until 27 Aug, 10.20pm, £6.50 or Pay What You Want.

or dodgy will be a matter of opinion, but the Jewish gags book thrown at him by his father seems to be serving him well.

(Brian Donaldson) Laughing Horse @ Finnegan’s Wake, until 27 Aug (not 22), 1.30pm, free.

GRAHAM DICKSON IS THE NARCISSIST ●●●●● Another of the Austentatious alumni, Dickson has concocted a rapier-sharp debut, a series of darkly comic sketches and character work. The meat of The Narcissist is lampooning the idea of the tortured artist and while unashamedly literary, it’s instantly accessible, and builds towards a manic crescendo that plays out beautifully. (Henry Northmore) Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug, 8.10pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).

JAMES ADOMIAN: LACKING IN CHARACTER ●●●●● With a more focused set, US act Adomian has a killer show in his armoury, but his material here is a little scattergun.

He has an excellent and fresh routine about Trump and is a decent mimic, but a little bit of research into British audiences might have resulted in toning down the alienating namechecking of cultish American figures. (Brian Donaldson) Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 27 Aug, 9.15pm, £10.50–£12.50 (£9.50–£11.50).

HARI SRISKANTHA: CLOWN ATLAS ●●●●● Once mistaken for Romesh Ranganathan, Sriskantha is on a dual mission: to ponder the notion of happiness and for people to pronounce his name properly. He’s recently married which gives him plenty to chew on with the former and has a workshop in place for us to get a handle on the latter. Warmly affectionate with some good gags, Sriskantha might soon be a name to look out for (and say properly).

(Brian Donaldson) Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, until 27 Aug, 4.45pm, free.

IVOR DEMBINA: OLD JEWISH JOKES ●●●●● Among the modern stand-up types in town, there’s a spot of old-school in a pub backroom worth investigating. Whether you conclude that some of Dembina’s material is edgy Juan Vesuvius

JENNY COLLIER: FANTASTICAL BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND JEN ●●●●● By the time you’ve left the room you’ll know Collier’s personal ‘downstairs’ habits and health pretty well. She doesn’t hold back but why not, given that plenty male comics do that all the time? Overall her delivery is measured, almost matter of fact, which only serves to emphasise the cheeky bits. (Marissa Burgess) Laughing Horse @ Espionage, until 27 Aug, 5pm, free.

JO CAULFIELD: OLDER. WISER. SMARTER. MEANER. ●●●●● Caulfield doesn’t suffer fools. Instead she gets on stage and tears them gently to bits with her pithy snark and languid disdain, all the while with a twinkle in her eye. She’s a slick and confident (but

not arrogant) comedian, but sometimes her mock ‘can’t-be-arsed’ shtick feels a bit too real. (Claire Sawers) The Stand VI, until 27 Aug (not 21), 7.50pm, £10 (£9).

JON POINTING: ACT NATURAL ●●●●● Pointing is Cayden Hunter, a self-absorbed, narcissistic actingclass tutor, who takes us through the thespian motions to turn us into actors.

The piece is brilliantly performed but almost too precise as it feels like we actually are in an acting class. The parody is too subtle and gags too weak as he tries to find his elusive ‘dandelion’ girl. (Marissa Burgess) Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 Aug, 7.15pm, £9–£11 (£8–£10).

JUAN VESUVIUS: I AM YOUR DEEJAY ●●●●● To truly understand Juan Vesuvius, you have to think of his show as part music lesson, part club night, with added physical and propbased comedy and a hint of full-frontal nudity. The creation of Barnie Duncan, his Venezuelan DJ legend provides an educational hour, but also one that’s hugely enjoyable and gleefully surreal in equal measure. (Arusa Qureshi) Assembly George Square Theatre, until 27 Aug, 11pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11).

KEIR MCALLISTER: HEY, YOU’RE ONLY COSMIC DUST ●●●●● Some comedians have a weird, magical sixth sense for what’s funny in a story, their antenna twitching at some banal, easily missable detail, then mining it for gold.

Sadly, McAllister keeps overtaking the good stuff, and lingering beside the not-so-great elements, though his chat with the crowd lifts some weaker parts of his script. (Claire Sawers) The Stand II, until 27 Aug, 3.50pm, £9 (£8).

LOBSTER QUADRILLE: CARABET ●●●●● Carabet is a show of absurd theatre from a Philippe Gaulier-trained trio that is naturally low on traditional jokes and punchlines, but is gripping and disarmingly funny nonetheless.

The innovative trio have crafted an hour that’s almost always amusing, and occasionally strikes gold. Those prepared to take leave of reality and get lost for an hour should look no further.

(Craig Angus) Laughing Horse at The Newsroom, until 27 Aug, noon, free.

LOYISO GOLA: UNLEARNING ●●●●● To many South Africans, Gola is known for co-creating and anchoring a satirical news show while in his second Fringe hour he’s attempting to ‘unlearn’ some of the thoughts and preconceptions he’s formed in his 34 years. It’s a loose enough structure for him to frame a myriad list of stand-up topics and there are plenty laughs along the way. (Marissa Burgess) Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 Aug, 9pm, £9–£11 (£8–£10).

MADDY ANHOLT: HERSELVES ●●●●● There’s little point in denying that Anholt has comic acting in spades

but her multi-character assault here is just too low on decent gags to fly. A predictably delusional reality-TV ‘celeb’ kicks proceedings off while the radiostation cleaning lady who ends up DJ for a day and the agoraphobe trapped in a corner while delivering her podcast work far better. (Brian Donaldson) Underbelly Med Quad, until 27 Aug, 1.30pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50).

MARJOLEIN ROBERTSON: RELATIONS ●●●●● It’s refreshing to hear from this Shetland comedian, whose hour of stories about growing up there is raw and genuine. Robertson’s stage presence and narrative style is informal and charming, with the moments of sexually explicit content woven through cleverly. Arguably, the most interesting parts are her thoughts on Shetland’s heritage, and a small venture into politics. (Kenza Marland) Black Market, until 26 Aug, 6.15pm, free.

MICHAEL REDMOND: I WROTE A JOKE IN 1987 ●●●●● Handling hecklers with aplomb must come naturally for someone in the business for 30 years, but each new irritant can pose a different challenge. Thankfully, the heavily moustached Redmond isn’t overly put off his stride and regales us with tales of moving from Dublin to London, and the (fully justified) grudge he holds against the showbiz Pasquales. (Brian Donaldson) Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 Aug, 6.30pm, £10 (£9).

MICHAEL STRANNEY: WELCOME TO BALLYBEG ●●●●● As a representative of the Ballybeg tourist board, Daniel Duffy (Stranney’s alter ego) is here to champion his Northern Irish hometown with a very special video presentation. When the projector predictably fails, he regales us with pride-filled anecdotes about the village, and by the end, we’re all rooting for our small-town hero. (Arusa Qureshi) Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug, 6pm, £7.50–£10 (£6.50–£9).

NEIL DELAMERE: BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE PENSIONER ●●●●● Framed by the story of how Delamere accompanied his 82-year-old dad on a meals-on-wheels delivery, there are diversions aplenty in the Irish comedian’s show. He constantly appears to get distracted and goes off on tangents, telling us of childhood swimming competitions and feeding alligators for charity as well as a little old Catholic lady shaped like a question mark. (Marissa Burgess) Gilded Balloon at the Museum, until 27 Aug, 9pm, £12.50–£13.50 (£11–£12).

PHIL WANG: KINABALU ●●●●● Wang muses on the realities of being a British East Asian, acknowledging some of the stereotypes present in his family history, mocking white assumptions and skilfully treading the tightrope between race and racism. Many

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++++ -Broadway Baby ++++ -The List ++++ -The Times

‘‘a masterpiece of theatre”

- Liverpool Sound and Vision

Red Ladder Theatre Company present THE DAMNED UNITED at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe, following the show's sell-out world premiere at West Yorkshire Playhouse - spring 2016.

Adapted for the stage by Anders Lustgarten, from the acclaimed novel by David Peace.

1974. Brian Clough, the enfant terrible of British football, tries to redeem his managerial career and reputation by winning the European Cup with his new team. Leeds United.

The team he has openly despised for years, the team he hates and which hates him.

Don Revie’s Leeds.

THE DAMNED UNITED takes you inside the tortured mind of a genius slamming up against his limits, and brings to life the beauty and brutality of football, the working man’s ballet.

To win two tickets to see The Damned United go to List.co.uk/offers 56 THE LIST FESTIVAL 10–17 Aug 2017

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Reviews at a Glance | FESTIVAL COMEDY

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comics will attempt this at the Fringe, but few will succeed so well as Wang; with humorous self-deprecation, killer punchlines and just the right amount of risqué, he hits the target each time. (Rowena McIntosh) Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 Aug, 7pm, £10–£12 (£9–£10).

PRINCES OF MAIN: NEW YEAR’S EVE ●●●●● The ex-Footlights trio Princes of Main are keen to fast-forward to the end of this awful year and celebrate the dawning of 2018. From a nod to that embarrassing Oscars blunder to more personal narratives about their own key moments of 2017, the show is packed full of varying characters, plotlines and props all used to entertaining and sometimes ridiculous effect. (Arusa Qureshi) Bedlam Theatre, until 27 Aug, 9.30pm, £10 (£8).

RACHEL FAIRBURN: HER MAJESTY ●●●●● This Manchester stand-up is a warm storyteller, occasionally talking too fast so words get lost, but her comedy persona has tons of charm. Her descriptions of relatives are good fun: her grandma was patient, kind and a sulker who used silence as a weapon, while her Welsh dad used to think, before she was diagnosed with OCD aged five, that his child was just haunted. (Claire Sawers) Just the Tonic at The Community Project, until 27 Aug, 4.05pm, £5 or Pay What You Want.

RACHEL JACKSON: BUNNY BOILER ●●●●● Jackson is an expert in picking terrible men, whether it’s a UKIP supporter, a violent and manipulative cult leader, or a ‘posh prick’. The Edinburgh native is a gifted performer; but Bunny Boiler is regrettably one dimensional (Jackson meets boy, sex happens, something goes wrong, they part ways) that’s engaging at first but with repetition gets tiresome. (Craig Angus) Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug (not 24), 10.30pm, £7.50–£9.50 (£6.50–£9).

RACHEL PARRIS: KEYNOTE ●●●●● Parris has been invited back to her alma mater (Loughborough Academy) to give a speech to teenage girls who are soon to be starting the rest of their lives. Keynote is a tightly structured hour, with meditations on the foolishness and excitement of youth, all the anxieties those years bring and how the pursuit of happiness is never ending. (Craig Angus) Pleasance Dome, until 28 Aug, 8.20pm, £8.50– £11.50 (£7.50–£10.50).

RICHARD HERRING: OH FRIG, I’M 50! ●●●●● A decade after lamenting his entrance into decade number five, Herring rips through a set bemoaning his half-century landmark. Having given an attempted heckler the shortest of shrifts, he ploughs on with typically off-kilter and blindsiding material about the decreasing quality of his orgasms,

how we would handle a confrontation with ISIS and being attracted to a TV puppet. (Brian Donaldson) Pleasance Courtyard, until 26 Aug, 7.30pm, £14 (£12).

ROSIE JONES: INSPIRATION ●●●●● Jones, who has cerebral palsy, takes issue with the way people with disabilities are often described as ‘inspirational’ in this delightful Fringe debut. She is forced to speak slowly and uses this to her benefit, either leaving set-ups to hang suspended before slamming home a punchline or letting the audience do the work to infer the implied conclusion. (Suzanne Black) Opium, until 26 Aug, 3pm, free.

SIMON CAINE: LAUGHTER IS THE BEST PLACEBO ●●●●● From the moment Caine starts laughing at his own expense, the audience strap in for a chaotic hour of comedy.

As a seasoned Fringe performer, long-winded gags and being forced to explain his own jokes should be a thing of the past. Thankfully, the audience carry him through the show, encouraging him to meet the punchline and eventually bringing out his endearing comic charm.

(Louise Stoddart) Sweet Grassmarket, until 27 Aug (not 23), 5pm, £5 or Pay What You Want.

SIMON MORLEY: NAKED AMBITION ●●●●● If you’ve ever wondered how two Aussie guys came to create Puppetry of the Penis, then this is the show for you. One of them, Morley, has an inherently interesting story, and he also touches on issues such as censorship and the weird laws they had to negotiate. An intriguing tale of penile full-function. (Marissa Burgess) Heroes @ Monkey Barrel, until 27 Aug, 3.40pm, £8 or Pay What You Want.

SLEEPING TREES AT THE MOVIES ●●●●● Sketch trio (plus musical accompanist) Sleeping Trees perform one of three comedy shows in repertory: a gangster drama, a western, and tonight’s fare of a science fiction adventure. Their daft pastiche of 70s and 80s sci-fi tropes has no outstanding moments of originality but it’s an enjoyably inventive show from three very talented performers.

(Murray Robertson) Pleasance Dome, until 28 Aug, 5.30pm, £8–£13 (£7–£12).

SOPHIE WILLAN: BRANDED ●●●●● Willan takes issue with identity politics and her unique set of experiences make her perspective appealing. In an hour that reflects on her life and comedy career so far, she adds to this her issues with contemporary feminism and responses to the Manchester bombing, and reveals some of her struggles to fund a career in the arts. (Suzanne Black) Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 Aug, 8pm, £10–£12 (£9–£10).

Richard Herring

SPENCER JONES: THE AUDITION ●●●●● Armed with his long white lab coat, bowl-cut hairdo and peculiar alter ego The Herbert, Jones returns with a show that combines character comedy, music and lots of goofy props to interesting and equally strange effect. The Audition may be broad and non-specific in its overall outline but Jones still manages to deliver 50 minutes of self-aware and relentlessly silly fun. (Arusa Qureshi) Heroes @ Monkey Barrel, until 27 Aug, 6.20pm, £7 or Pay What You Want.

STUART GOLDSMITH: LIKE I MEAN IT ●●●●● Goldsmith’s priorities in life may have changed since last year – he’s a married man and a dad – but this isn’t another ‘I’m a father now’ cliché: a comparison between his child and Hitler sees to that. He has truly funny bones and some wonderful turns of phrase: talking about his wife, he says, ‘she’s beautiful and funny, like a sunset reflected on Eric Morecambe’s glasses’. (Kirstyn Smith) Liquid Room Annexe, until 27 Aug, 3.45pm, free.

STUDIO 9 ●●●●● There will always be people who flinch at the very mention of the word ‘Footlights’ but it would be unreasonable for a pair such as Will Hall and Leo Reich not to trade on their auspicious comedy background. Sadly, their limp sketch show based around recording a TV show is not a great advert for anyone concerned. (Brian Donaldson) Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 Aug, 2.45pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9).

SUNDEEP RAO: BLURRED LINES ●●●●● Rao’s viewpoint both as a visually impaired man and an Indian raised to believe ‘white is right’ gives him an interesting slant on things. He’s turned any pity about his disability into a positive and enjoys the perks of being able to cut queues. Unfunny

impressions of ‘foodgasms’ aside, he blurs the lines between blokey humour and something more insightful. Maybe the show, like Rao, is still a work in progress. (Claire Sawers) Laughing Horse @ Southside Social, until 27 Aug (not 21), 7.30pm, free.

SUNIL PATEL: TITAN ●●●●● Patel opens on a suitably low-key note with a great gag comparing events in his life this year with that of Jay Z’s when he gave up music, before divulging his current obsession with badminton. It’s a solid show of comedy that zig zags nicely between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. But be warned, he is actively looking for a new badminton partner. (Marissa Burgess) Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, until 27 Aug, 3.35pm, free.

TOM BALLARD: PROBLEMATIC ●●●●● Political correctness has been lambasted for decades now, but Australian Ballard is on the warpath to defend it from its more virulent critics. Well, sort-of. He does acknowledge how PC can go rather awry but passionately (and hilariously) espouses its original intentions to protect minorities and the vulnerable from verbal assaults. (Brian Donaldson) Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 Aug, 8.30pm, £11–£13 (£9–£11).

TOM WALKER: BEE BOO ●●●●● Walker hurtles through sketches that range from brutal to playful, employing props, ‘volunteers’ and truly impressive mime skills. With the exception of a mime about a romantic evening that doesn’t match the energy of the rest of his skits, Walker makes his unpredictable, aggressively silly antics look spontaneous belying the obvious work and thought that has gone into this carefully curated shambles.

(Suzanne Black) Underbelly George Square, until 27 Aug, 8pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).

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¥ ¥ ¥ ¥¥

“Joyful, Lively and Totally Hilarious”... Tetu

photo : Michel Cavalca - design graphique : Vincent Jacquet

TUTU

CHICOSMAMBO

DANCE IN ALL ITS GLORY! Choreography: Philippe Lafeuille

PRIX DU PUBLIC AVIGNON

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RAIN Return of critically acclaimed dance piece from Belgium’s Rosas

PHOTO: ANNE VAN AERSCHOT

When minimalist American composer Steve Reich heard that Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker planned to set his 1976 work Music for 18 Musicians to dance, he sent her the kind of letter that would inspire confidence in anyone.

‘I am very happy to hear you will be choreographing Music for 18 Musicians,’ he wrote. ‘I can’t imagine anyone on earth doing a better job of it.’

The resulting dance piece, Rain, was premiered by De Keersmaeker’s Rosas company in 2001 to great critical acclaim, and has since become one of her most popular works. A complex threading together of geometrical shapes set to continuous, uninterrupted music, the piece finds ten performers dancing tirelessly on a stage divided by a sea of hanging ropes.

Sixteen years later, De Keersmaeker has re-set the piece on a whole new crop of dancers (aided by some of the original cast she created it on – this isn’t a piece that’s thrown together easily).

Last seen at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2008, with a piece set to another Steve Reich work, Drumming, Rosas is now making a very welcome return. (Kelly Apter) ■ Playhouse, 25–27 Aug, 8pm, £11-£35.

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FESTIVAL DANCE | Hitlist

DANCE HITLIST

BLAK WHYTE GRAY London’s Boy Blue Entertainment becomes the first hip hop dance company to play the Edinburgh International Festival, with this powerful, Olivier Award-nominated work. See feature at list.co.uk.

Lyceum, until 19 Aug, 7.30pm (also 2.30pm on 19), £11–£35.

NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER Widely regarded as one of the world’s finest modern dance companies, NDT returns to the Edinburgh International Festival with a dynamic triple-bill of works, including two by Sol León and Paul Lightfoot. See feature, page 10. Playhouse, 21–23 August, 7.30pm, £11–£35.

RAIN Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s Rosas company makes a welcome return to the Edinburgh International Festival with her popular 2001 work, Rain. See preview, page 59. Playhouse, 25–27 Aug, 8pm, £11–£35.

ACÉLÉRÉ BY CIRCOLOMBIA With so many circus shows competing for our attention at the Fringe, this company of fearless Colombians has emerged as the victors. Incredible feats of strength, dexterity and bravery. Highly recommended. See review, page 61. Underbelly Circus Hub, until 26 Aug (not 21), 9.15pm, £17.50– £19.50 (£16.50–£18.50).

TUTU: DANCE IN ALL ITS GLORY Classical ballet, tango, ballroom, contemporary, gymnastics – no style of movement is safe from the tonguein-cheek world of all-male French company Chicos Mambo and its affectionate look the world of dance.

See review, page 62. Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug (not 22), 4pm, £11–£14.50 (£9.50–£13).

PHOTO: BRIAN HARTLEY

PROCESS DAY There’s a kind of ‘love it or hate it’ quality to this compelling work from Scottish Dance Theatre, but if you love it, you’ll really love it.

Israeli choreographers Eyal and Behar are behind it, grabbing you with an electronic soundtrack and dark, shadowy atmosphere. ZOO Southside, 22–26 Aug, 7pm, £12 (£10).

Process Day

Assembly Festival presents

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MA KE IT TH IS ON E ’ EdFringe Rev R iew Created by Directed by Alexandre Fecteau

TV Bomb

ThreeWeeks

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Reviews | FESTIVAL DANCE

list.co.uk/festival

LAST CLOWN ON EARTH

ACÉLÉRÉ BY CIRCOLOMBIA

TAIWAN SEASON: 038

Obscure but heartfelt meditation ●●●●●

Adrenaline-fuelled, heart-in-mouth fun ●●●●●

Tight choreography from Taiwan ●●●●●

Anton Adasinsky’s distinctive style is probably not for those who believe a clown is there to entertain them.

His company, Derevo, has developed a practice of pushing images towards the limits of comfort and absurdity, and – as in the course of all experimental art – there are times when it works better than others.

Last Clown on Earth is a solo show for Adasinsky, set in a post-apocalyptic landscape, overlapping and snapping through images of destruction, religion, damnation, and regeneration.

He starts this endgame as a tramp, tipping the filthy spoils of his bag over the audience – note: don’t wear your good clothes.

He has a go at recreating the Garden of Eden; in the guise of an old Greek man he delivers a monologue on death from a toy Ferrari. He tries to stage a metaphor for his own death, then a funeral complete with bunting and audience-wailing.

It’s more of a hotchpotch than some of Derevo’s previous work, but the gleam of Adasinsky’s physical talent, and the force of his own conviction in his ideas, mean that underneath its obscure and alienating layers there is still a grimy heart that keeps Last Clown on Earth pulsing along. (Lucy Ribchester) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug (not 21), 5.40pm, £10–£13 (£9–£12).

When the circus comes to town, it usually brings a twist with it. Maybe it’s lots of water, freakishly flexible children, Shaolin warriors or stunts with motorbikes.

Acéléré, a ‘circus concert’ from the Circolombia troupe, has been given a Latino spin. A fierce female ringmaster raps in Spanish and English to warm up the crowd, before the stunts begin.

Many of the performers here trained at the National School of Circo Para Todos in Colombia, a school that supports underprivileged young people. There are weightless gymnasts flying through space; extreme swinging action way up high; a solid muscleman balancing a bendy girl in a rotating hoop on his forehead, and aerial acrobats gracefully hanging upside down by ropes held in their teeth (there are loud gasps for the last pair, possibly from any dentists or chiropractors in the crowd).

It’s all soundtracked by boomy drum & bass, hip hop and reggaeton, with the artists taking turns to throw shapes in between routines. When the show’s over, the audience pour onto the stage for a South American dance party. Fearless fun with no safety nets or subtitles, just a lot of adrenaline and heart-inmouth moments. (Claire Sawers) ■ Underbelly Circus Hub, until 26 Aug (not 21), 9.15pm, £17.50–£19.50 (£16.50–£18.50).

At the end of 038, when the female dancers are taking a bow and getting a very warm reaction from the crowd, one of them blinks back tears. No one has revealed any emotion on their face during the 40-minute performance, so the human chink in the armour is an accidentally touching ending.

The title is the phone code for Hualien on Taiwan’s east coast. It’s home to the Amis aboriginal people, including the show’s director, Kuo-Shin Chuang, who studies and teaches traditional Taiwanese dance. The nine dancers have trained with Chuang since they were children, and inspired the choreography. Most of the dancers live in cities now, but are pulled back towards Hualien to rehearse every month.

There’s an angsty tension throughout, where twitchy moves give way to softer shapes near the end. The anonymity and pace of the city is portrayed with robotic tiny steps, and exhausted movements in rows and lines. As images of Taiwan’s mountains and sounds of lapping water bleed in, the marching slows, and the dancers link arms, eyes still staring out. The tight formations and mechanical choreography that preceded it making the homecoming payoff feel even more welcome. (Claire Sawers) ■ Dance Base, until 27 Aug (not 21), 3.15pm, £10–£12 (£8–£10).

CIRCUS ABYSSINIA: ETHIOPIAN DREAMS Impressive East African twist on the circus format ●●●●● Ezera Nigusse and AlemaYehu Mulugeta are the babies of the bunch here, playing the brothers Bibi and Bichu at the centre of this African circus show. Inspired by the real-life Tesfamariam brothers, who are a pair of street performers who dreamt of running away with the circus back in the 90s, before Ethiopia even had a circus tradition, Bibi and Bichu’s story mirrors their own.

Now they juggle in the show they created, alongside performers from Addis Ababa’s Konjowoch Troupe circus school. Obviously a hothouse for mesmerisingly good acrobats, the troupe is trained by former Ethiopian gymnast coach, Solomon Tadese, which explains their unique style of graceful contortion and strength.

After what seems like an unnecessary introduction by a posh white Man in the Moon, the cast start arriving while Arabic music plays behind them. Two female acrobats in snake bodysocks slither on stage, interlocking their leotarded limbs in an amazing liquid routine, as if practising a kind of effortless extreme yoga.

Later they’re joined by two other dancers to stack a human tower of core strength, elastic spines and rubbery neck muscles. The handvaulting sequences are hypnotic, there are no safety nets, just bodies being pinged and flung through the air with split-second precision like it’s no big deal. It obviously wouldn’t work without trust and lots of training, and both shine through.

It’s a warm show where the performers, particularly Nigusse and Mulugeta, can’t stop grinning as the crowd shows their appreciation. An energetic finale sees the male acrobats catapulting themselves around two Chinese poles, then screeching down them, using their skinny jeans as brakes. Impressive and good fun, this East African twist on the well-known circus format gets two thumbs up. (Claire Sawers) ■ Underbelly Circus Hub, until 26 Aug (not 21), 3pm, £13.50–£15.50 (£12.50–£14.50).

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FESTIVAL DANCE | Reviews

TUTU: DANCE IN ALL ITS GLORY Sending up dance with a huge dose of love ●●●●●

PHOTO: MICHEL CAVALCA

There’s a difference between mockery and tenderly sending something up, and Tutu: Dance in All Its Glory definitely falls into the latter category. French choreographer Philippe Lafeuille has written not exactly a love letter but a cheeky series of text messages to dance — short snippets that poke fun at vanity, pretension and absurdity, as well as passages of pure joyful beauty. It’s all pulled off by the six Chicos Mambo and one enigmatic masked female sprite in a way that is pleasing to watch and easy to follow.

No one is safe from Lafeuille’s mischievous eye, not classical ballerinas with hubristic intentions, nor camera-hogging ballroom dancers, earnest contemporary dance troupes, nor even the late grande dame of dance Pina Bausch. Even choreographers looking to capitalise on humorous whimsy themselves are mocked when the group cavort wearing nappies to Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.

Each of the cast is also given a solo slot, and these are the most beguiling, from Vincenzo Veneruso’s en pointe grace followed by his stomp offstage, to Julien Mercier’s weightless floating on aerial strap. Guillaume Queau punctuates his Haka dance with dainty gestures, providing comic incongruity, and Stéphane Vitrano’s rippling arm swans are fascinating for their detailed muscle control.

The cherries on top of this confection are Corinne Petitpierre’s delightful costumes, not least the flowering elephant legs of the opening scene, the tutu vegetable headpieces, and the cosmos of pastel-coloured pompoms that covers the stage at the end.

With its unashamedly highbrow references, poker-faced surrealism and big crowd-pleasing style, Lafeuille and the Chicos have created something quite special. (Lucy Ribchester) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug (not 22), 4pm, £11–£14.50 (£9–£13).

PHOTO: PEDRO GREIG

SLUT

CIRCA: HUMANS

VELOCITY RISING

A fallen woman tale that doesn’t quite dig deep enough ●●●●●

Circa is back, testing the limits of behaviour and the body ●●●●●

Impressive talent from Irish dance stars and their musical companions ●●●●●

Amina Khayyam is a Kathak dancer who uses the ancient North Indian storytelling form to address issues affecting women. Her aim here is to explore the growth of one girl as she comes to experience what the world has in store.

It starts promisingly. Khayyam is a tremendous dancer, full of clarity, emotion and grace, leading a cast of four. Sex, then birth are depicted, and in both we see how strong women’s bodies must be to enact the roles carved out for them. This power is particularly vivid in the depiction of bringing up the child – Khayyam swoops and dives through entertaining and teaching her little one with an energy that never tires.

But from here the imagery of the piece takes a dip, and we end up with a replaying of the age-old tale of the fallen woman; abused, manipulated, ending up as a prostitute and heroin addict. The symbols adopted feel both too obscure and too simple – is a box passed around by the cast the box into which women must fit? Though its heart is unquestionably in the right place, Slut doesn’t feel complex enough to tackle the insidious cultural poison of the word. (Lucy Ribchester) ■ Summerhall, until 27 Aug (not 21), 11.45am, £10 (£8).

Can you lick your elbow? Have you ever tried?

That might be one of the limits of human potential that Australian circus Circa has discovered in their examinations of behaviour and the body. It’s a neat idea, combining clowning with the notion that there are things beyond our capabilities, that as a species we find solutions by seeking social bonds.

And watching ten highly trained acrobats hop about the stage trying to do it is very funny.

For a while, Circa has been stripping back the bells and whistles of circus, but so keen are they here to prove they’re just like us, you barely notice the first performer – it looks like she has wandered out of the crowd – until she strips to a coloured leotard. Like Clark Kent and Selina Kyle, these superhumans go about unnoticed.

What follows is a blunt choreography of violence, tenderness, manipulation, cooperation, balance and force – yes they slam each other about but they are also there to leap forward and catch each other when a flip goes wrong.

Here are humans pushing the limits of flexibility and strength and they are a marvel to watch.

(Lucy Ribchester) ■ Underbelly Circus Hub, until 26 Aug (not 21), 7pm, £17.50–£19.50 (£16.50–£18.50).

Sadly they’re a man down in this tight display of turbocharged Irish jigging, showcasing a new generation of Irish step dancers. Dancer James Devine, who beat Michael Flatley’s world record for most feet taps per second (38), is forced to sit most of the show out after an ankle injury, but Galway dancer Anne Marie Keaney steps in with impressive scissor kicks and frenzied footwork.

David Geaney, a semi-finalist on Britain’s Got Talent, is determined to undo any damage done

by Flatley, the Riverdancer who gave Irish dance a cheesy image in his leather breeks and headbands back in the 90s. So the 22-year-old dances in jeans and a hoodie, and the stage set-up is simple to keep the focus on those freakishly liquid ankles of his.

Grainy footage of the history of Irish dance is beautiful, with a little bit of explanation on the rules (arms down, feet out, lots of heel clicking) and the trio on fiddle, guitar and cajon (crate) drum are excellent at building atmosphere and doing call-andresponses with the tap shoes. The scratch DJ jars a bit; the traditional dance seems best unadorned with fusion flourishes. Staggering precision and speed are the real draws here. (Claire Sawers) ■ Assembly George Square Studios, until 27 Aug, 6.35pm, £14–£15 (£13–£14).

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THE LISTIES MAKE YOU LOL Cross-generational laughs from perfect comic partnership In an era of empty promises, it’s nice to find a show title that actually means what it says.

The Listies – Australian comedy duo Matt and Rich – really do make you LOL, and LOL and LOL and then LOL some more, until your stomach muscles are sore.

In theory, their brand of scatological humour shouldn’t work, at least not on the grown-ups. But every single wee and poo gag (and there are loads of them) has both adults and children howling with laughter.

Much of this is down to the guys themselves, who are the perfect comic partnership, with loveable but dim Matt a constant nuisance to straight-man Rich.

Costume changes, sound effects (farts, obvs), a guide to texting with your face, and fun, non-threatening audience participation (including an opportunity to throw things en masse at the stage, which is always a winner) are all interspersed with hilarious physical comedy.

Apparently the Listies are performing at home in Australia next August, and this may be your only chance to catch them here for a while. So if you’re looking for that sweet sound of different generations laughing together, at the same thing, for the same reason, at the same time (a rare thing), these two should be on your list.

(Kelly Apter) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, until 20 Aug, 12.30pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50) ●●●●●

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FESTIVAL KIDS | Hitlist

KIDS HITLIST Kelly Apter picks some of the highlights from week three of the Fringe action BAMBINO Scottish Opera’s brand new show for babies and toddlers aged 6–18 months is a mix of soprano and baritone voices, cello and percussion. Add in a vibrant set, packed with soft cushions and colourful birds and you’d got a whole lot of rapt tinies. See review, page 67. Edinburgh Academy, until 20 Aug, 10am & 11.30am, £12 for adult & baby.

HOW TO BE A KID Molly’s life has been turned upside down, but she’s coping admirably with the help of her enthusiastic little brother, new friend at the care home and the music of Taylor Swift. Paines Plough tackles a tricky topic with energy, wit and fun. See review, page 68. Roundabout @ Summerhall, until 20 Aug, 10.45am, £7–£10 (£5–£8).

astute use of daft props and physical storytelling. See review at list.co.uk/ festival Scottish Storytelling Centre, until 20 Aug (not 17), 3pm, £9 (£7).

THE LISTIES MAKE YOU LOL Australian comedy duo Matt and Rich come good on their promise to make you LOL, in this hilarious show about poo, wee and face texting. See review, page 65. Pleasance Courtyard, until 20 Aug, 12.30pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50).

SNIGEL AND FRIENDS Contemporary dance choreographer Caroline Bowditch turns her attention to younger audience members, with this treat of a show aimed at very young children under 18 months. See review, page 68. Dance Base, until 27 Aug (not 18–21), 3pm (also 1.30pm on 26), £9 (£7).

THE GIANT JAM SANDWICH John Vernon Lord and Janet Burroway’s picture book about a village beset by wasps comes to vivid, musical life in this 5-star adaptation from New Perspectives. See review at list.co.uk/festival Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug, 10.20am, £9.50–£11.50 (£8.50–£10.50).

PHOTO: BRIAN ROBERTS

IS THIS A DAGGER? THE STORY OF MACBETH Shakespeare has never been so easy to understand, as Andy Cannon works his way through the dramatic tale, injecting humour along the way with his

How to Be a Kid

AAAAA AAAAA Fringe Review AAAA ½ Herald Sun (Australia) AAAA The List he Broadway Baby (UK)

MARY GO OWHERE

66 THE LIST FESTIVAL 17–28 Aug 2017

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Reviews | FESTIVAL KIDS

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PHOTO: MANUEL VASON

BALLOONATICS No shortage of laughs at this balloon-themed comedy show for families ●●●●● Scottish comedian Chris Henry was inspired to take up balloon modelling by his nephews, who thought it would be a fun thing for their uncle to do. And frankly, they’re lucky boys – because Henry is the perfect uncle. A little bit silly, a little bit naughty, says the unsayable (but never crosses the line) and with a seemingly endless supply of energy.

One thing he isn’t, however, is a master craftsman at balloon modelling. He can certainly make things – his giraffes, parrots, dogs and bunnies are pretty good, his rendition of SpongeBob SquarePants less so. But Henry really isn’t in this for the art, his talent is comedy. There’s something almost electric about a room of adults, teenagers, children and tots all laughing together (although not always at the same thing).

The parts that are scripted work well, but Henry is a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants kind of guy, so it’s the adlibs with the audience that really hit the spot. Opportunities for children to go onstage and join the Balloonatics Army are well handled, and a good time is had by all. (Kelly Apter) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 27 Aug (not 17 & 18, 21–25), 10.30am, £9 (£8).

THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF EUROPE (MORE OR LESS)

EATEN

Fun history lesson with a serious point ●●●●●

Visually fun new show suggesting we think about what we eat ●●●●●

Bonkers but brilliant, this two-man show from Maltese company More or Less runs through the headline events of the history of Europe from the Bronze Age up to today without putting Britain at its centre. Malcolm Galea and his inept side-kick Joseph Zammet, who has a penchant for dressing up in skeleton outfits and long droopy moustaches, rain down jokes which are so silly and well targeted that they have 6-year-olds falling off their seats in laughter. They deliver it all with such enthusiasm that it doesn’t matter that production values are not high and their props are nothing more than an outline map of Europe, labels for the key points, a succession of increasingly silly wigs, a mini-cow and, for a danceoff finale, 28 European flags. The jokes are equally basic, mainly variations on Joseph misunderstanding a key point – the Bronze Age is not, after all, about getting bronzed in the sun. A bit of dramaturgy with a historian would no doubt tighten it up, but the essence of the production is just as it should be. A canter through history in such a manner as to make it memorable and to allow the salient facts to shine through. (Thom Dibdin) ■ C, until 28 Aug, 11.15am, £7.50–£9.50 (£5.50–£7.50).

Returning to Summerhall after his 4D Cinema work won the venue’s Autopsy Award last year, writer, performer, director and producer Mamoru Iriguchi is back with a show created for children. On one hand, it could be seen as an educational piece aimed at encouraging young kids to think about what they eat and what that food does when it enters their body; but frankly, no one who goes to see this show is going to get past the fact that it’s essentially the one with a man in an incredible lion costume.

Iriguchi plays Lionel McLion, the majestically bigheaded lion who kids will love on sight, and also himself, as the beast’s last meal; the ingenious costume design means that both characters literally inhabit the same body, with Mamoru’s face peeking out from the lion’s throat.

With co-direction from Eilidh MacAskill, and Suzi Cunningham appearing as Lionel’s assistant and proxy – her presence, very memorably, allows the beast to have a discussion with his own Mamorufilled faeces – the piece is visually arresting and dynamic, even if the text is a little on the slim side. Lionel, though, will be a winner with all ages.

(David Pollock) ■ Summerhall, until 27 Aug (not 21), 12.15pm, £8 (£6).

BAMBINO

PHOTO: JAMES GLOSSOP

Bird-themed opera for babies soars ●●●●● From the moment soprano Charlotte Hoather, playing mama bird Uccellina, opens her mouth, the audience is rapt and silent, and, a couple of mini-meltdowns aside, remains that way. Particularly impressive considering that the audience is largely aged 6–18 months. Scottish Opera has created BambinO especially for under2s, staged in an open space stuffed with sky-blue cushions to grab and small fluffy toy birds to cuddle.

Opera has an unfair reputation for being inaccessible, so opera for babies might sound like a ridiculous Tiger Mom-style parody, but it works brilliantly. The exaggerated, performative facial expressions are hugely appealing to babies – Hoather’s gorgeous, animated eyes earn lots of gummy smiles as she roams the room – while parents might find themselves becoming a bit teary at the simple story, where Uccellina has to let her chick, Pulcino (baritone Timothy Connor, delightfully childlike) fly away.

Importantly, composer Lliam Paterson hasn’t dumbed the music down for this audience – it’s certainly gentle, with some beautiful tinkly glockenspiel, but this is no nursery rhyme session. The vocal parts are complex and present babies with a startlingly diverse range of sounds which garner adorable amazed responses, and the score contains playful references to classic opera.

The staging for the Fringe leg of the tour is perhaps squashed into too small a room, meaning that despite assurances of this being a free-range space, toddlers are consigned to a row of seats behind the babies, which can be a bit of a struggle for anyone wrangling a particularly curious mobile small person. However, once the production transfers to Scottish Opera HQ in Glasgow in October, there should be far more space for little birds to fly.

(Kirstin Innes) ■ Edinburgh Academy, until 20 Aug, 10am & 11.30am, £12 for adult & baby (£7 for additional adult).

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FESTIVAL KIDS | Reviews

SNIGEL AND FRIENDS Show for babes in arms is perfectly realised ●●●●● Dancer Caroline Bowditch has re-imagined the Snigel the snail character she created for her recent promenade performances during the Edinburgh Children’s Theatre Festival, taking her out of her wheelchair and onto the dance stage in a show for very young children. The result is a properly delightful experience; a tuneful, gurgling, roly-poly piece of dance theatre which, in its completely non-threatening presentation, is perfectly aimed at an audience of 6–18 months. The success of performance for this age-group is very much dependent on its delivery. Designer and collaborator Laura Hook has created a space where the audience sit on either side of a six-inch high stage, facing each other. This leaves Bowditch at exactly the right level for babies sitting on blankets and cushions around her. Younger audience members might not appreciate all of Hook’s brilliance in her attention to design detail, with its sheltering leaves above Snigel and her cicada, butterfly and bee friends. But these design details make it easy for parents to put their babies down on the floor, where they can best appreciate the show.

Bowditch’s choreography is more to do with basic movement than breaking out into dance moves. Her squelching around the stage as Snigel, musician and dancer Zac Scott’s strange low-down scuttling as a cicada, and Alex McCabe’s floaty stiffness as a bee help create characters rather than a dance spectacle.

In terms of narrative, there are some snail eggs that are wrapped up and later come into glowing, colour-changing life. But mostly this is about the characters discovering and using sound, colour and texture – then sharing it with their audience in a manner that continues the inclusive feel. Tiny bubbles float around – the smaller they are the longer they last – silken squares of glistening material float onto baby’s heads and long plastic tubes make simple musical instruments. Here is wonder indeed. (Thom Dibdin) ■ Dance Base, until 27 Aug (not 18–21), 3pm (also 1.30pm on 26), £9 (£7).

PHOTO: MIHAELA BODLOVIC

PHOTO: JONATHAN KEENAN

HOW TO BE A KID Excellent writing tackling mental health ●●●●●

THREE HALF PINTS PRESENT THE THREE MUSKETEERS

ROBIN HOOD

Slapstick show fails to raise smiles ●●●●●

Well conceived adaptation of a classic tale ●●●●●

Molly is only twelve, but she’s had to do a lot of growing up. Since Nan died, her mum has been in a depression so paralysing that she’s been unable to do anything, and it’s fallen to Molly to look after chores; particularly feeding her 6-year-old brother Joe and getting him ready for school. Eventually Molly is taken into care while Joe is sent to live with his father, giving mum a chance to get well.

It’s difficult to imagine any play about such a serious and sad subject turning out half as fun as How to Be a Kid, but Sarah McDonald-Hughes’ script owes its lightness of touch to the fact it never leaves the perspective of our little hero Molly.

Katie Elin-Salt channels a wide-eyed but matterof-fact exuberance into the character, dancing to Taylor Swift with a new friend at the care home, while Hasan Dixon’s Joe is fun-loving and easily distracted, and Sally Messham’s supporting cast includes the warm and encouraging spirit of Nan. It’s an action-packed, uplifting piece about the value of imagination and what makes a strong family, and its explanation of mental illness for a young audience is perfectly, sensitively pitched.

(David Pollock) ■ Roundabout @ Summerhall, until 20 Aug, 10.45am, £7–£10 (£5–£8).

There are a few things this new show from slapstick trio the Three Half Pints isn’t short of: energy, silliness and a willingness to look completely foolish.

Set in 16th-century Paris, depicted by a colourful set filled with the requisite number of doors as befits a French farce, the show is loosely inspired by the original Three Musketeers tale – but takes a few stops along the road (especially since one of the cast thinks they’re staging Beauty and the Beast).

All of which is fine, and occasionally funny. Richard Franks, Callum Donnelly and Robin Hatcher (aka Dick, Derek and Ernie, characters with varying degrees of stupidity) have a strong on-stage rapport, and the action rarely slows.

But the narrative is lost in a sea of stop-start confusion, which wouldn’t really matter if it was sacrificed for some seriously good comedy – but it’s not. Slapstick has the capacity to reach people of all ages, but the endless reliance on cartoon violence here feels like a step backwards – and the guys’ post-show warning to not hit each other at home feels like an empty suggestion that will no doubt fall on deaf ears. (Kelly Apter) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 27 Aug (not 21 & 22), 12.45pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).

There is plenty to giggle at in this version of Robin Hood, created by the now Edinburgh-based Manhattan Children’s Theatre, but little for any toocool kids to sneer at, as the company trades on a knowing attitude to heroics and romance to bring the basic story to fully fledged musical life.

Tom Duncan has the set jaw and heroic attitude for Robin of Loxley, turning the eye of Hannah Howie’s Marion who David Mahoney’s splendidly wicked Sheriff of Nottingham wants for himself.

The musical theatre element is delivered live from the onstage keyboard by Stuart William Fleming, who happily doubles as Friar Tuck. It’s this easygoing but precise delivery which makes this such fun. The staging is clever enough to move from Nottingham to Sherwood forest, but basic enough to change while the action continues.

There’s not too much complexity here, although Mark Sarto’s music serves the plot well. It does, however, have plenty of energy and a lively imagination that never quite descends to Monty Python levels of humour but dwells somewhere close by. (Thom Dibdin) ■ Assembly George Square Gardens, until 20 Aug, 1.30pm, £9–£10.

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XFRMR

PHOTO: CULTURE STATION 284

Artist Robbie Thomson harnesses the Tesla coil’s power to create an audio-visual musical experience Housed in a Faraday cage, Robbie Thomson’s Tesla coil is the main acoustic instrument in his audio-visual-sonic show. Designed by Nikola Tesla in 1891, the coil is a device that makes electricity visible, but Thomson also uses the sparks it produces to create music.

‘I explored what the sonic possibilities were with the coil,’ he says, ‘what kind of tone you could create and how to make it into a full-on composition you can listen or maybe dance to, depending on the context of the show.’

Thomson is exploring both the listening and the dancing options this Fringe: he has a 4pm show and a 10pm show. The afternoon is a theatre experience, while the later event has more of a gig or club feel.

‘There are sections of the piece that vary from really intense to really melodic,’ he explains. ‘It’s in a beautiful setting in the Leith Volcano, which makes the whole thing very atmospheric, as all the visuals from the show spill onto the back of the church.’

Ultimately, says Thomson, the audience won’t necessarily come away from each show feeling or thinking the same things.

‘Sonic art is very much about the textures of the instrument and how this comes across in the music. Everyone will get their own experience from it; there isn’t necessarily a clear message to walk away with.’ (Kirstyn Smith) ■ The Leith Volcano, 22–26 Aug 4pm (also 10pm, 24–26 Aug), £12 (£6).

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FESTIVAL MUSIC | Hitlist

Kirstyn Smith picks out music highlights from across the Fringe and International Festival

PHOTO: CARYS ELERI

MUSIC HITLIST

Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon

mixture of African and western music.

See review, page 73. Ghillie Dhu, 21–23 Aug, times vary; Bar Bados, 20, 25–27 Aug, £12 (£10).

HIP HOP TIME MACHINE An audiovisual journey through hip hop, from Grandmaster Flash to Kendrick Lamar. The Liquid Room, 17, 24 Aug, 11pm, £8.

GONE NATIVE Two of Edinburgh’s finest resident songwriters, Bobby Nicholson and Kevin Gore, perform songs of freedom and social justice. See review, page 73.

The Royal Oak, until 28 Aug, 6.30pm, £8 (£6).

SOUNDING Modern Studies and Lomond Campbell team up to perform gorgeous pastoral and lyrical pop, bolstered by arrangements for strings, brass and voices by the Pumpkinseeds Chamber Orchestra. See feature, page 71.

Stockbridge Church, 20–22 Aug, 7.30pm, £12 (£8).

CELL BLOCK SOWETO: AN A CAPPELLA GANG SHOW The musical journey of five prisoners in a Johannesburg jail, weaving in the history of South Africa through a

FAIRICH: LIVE Gaelic electronica duo WHYTE present a performance of relatively unknown 17th and 18th-century Gaelic songs, alongside original compositions.

Scottish Storytelling Centre, 21–28 Aug, times vary, £10 (£8).

XFRMR Artist Robbie Thomson creates musical art inspired by the Tesla coil, in a concert of synthesising, distortion and percussion. See preview, page 69. The Leith Volcano, 22–26 Aug, times vary, £12 (£6).

BEN CAPLAN & THE CASUAL SMOKERS Alt.rock and Americana tunes from the Canadian singer-songwriter.

CanadaHub @ King’s Hall in association with Summerhall, 25 Aug, 11.30pm, £12 (£10).

NEHH PRESENTS CHARLOTTE CHURCH’S LATE NIGHT POP DUNGEON Dungeon Master, Charlotte Church,

brings a mix of tunes, from cheese to disco, and all your old faves.

Summerhall, 25 & 26 Aug, 10pm, £20.

THE ALLEYCATS: MIXED FELINES Scottish A Cappella Champions 2017 present their eighth consecutive Fringe show, jam-packed with fierce harmonies and musical comedy.

rcsatthefringe.com

Assembly George Square Studios, until 28 Aug (not 23), 3.50pm. £10.50–£12.50 (£9.50–£11.50).

CALEIDOCELLO Experience the cello in an entirely new way, as Vienna’s Peter Hudler performs in a mixture of styles from jazz to bluegrass. C too, until 28 Aug, 6pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£3.50– £7.50).

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Sounding | FESTIVAL MUSIC

SOUNDING

OFF A collaboration between Modern Studies and Lomond Campbell, bolstered by the Pumpkinseeds Chamber Orchestra’s strings, brass and voices, makes for one of the most intriguing musical events at this year’s Fringe. Sam Bradley talks to the acts involved to find out more

S

tockbridge Church, a 200-year-old Georgian building off the beaten festival track, is not a typical Fringe venue. ‘It’s a beautiful, airy space,’ says Emily Scott, lead vocalist of acclaimed landscape pop band Modern Studies. As part of the Made in Scotland 2017 programme, Scott’s bandmates and fellow artist Lomond Campbell will be using the church to stage what promises to be one of the most unique performances of the year.

A chance to catch two of Scotland’s finest new contemporary indie acts, Sounding will see sets from Modern Studies and Campbell, arranged specially with the full ten-piece string lineup of the Pumpkinseeds Chamber Orchestra, adding brass and choral voices to their take on music, as well as a pop-up bar run by Glasgow’s Glad Café, spectral visual projections and bespoke artwork for the audience all laid on.

While Campbell will be playing his 2016 album Black River Promise in its entirety, Modern Studies, who released critically acclaimed debut Swell to Great in 2016, will be playing fresh material from their new record, due out next year. For Campbell, the event is a long-hoped-for

opportunity to perform his album as it was recorded, with a full string and vocal section at his side.

Campbell says: ‘We recorded it in a 500-year-old castle in the central Highlands with a full Pumpkinseeds lineup and I never imagined it would be possible to do a live version, yet here we are. The Pumpkinseeds ensemble is made up of some of the best musicians in Scotland (and beyond) so I’ll have to raise my game . . . or maybe just not show up.’

Each acclaimed musicians in their own right, the members of Modern Studies – Pete Harvey, Joe Smillie, Rob St John and Emily Scott – have known Campbell for years, with Black River Promise scored by Harvey and featuring Scott on bass. ‘Aye, we’re all pals and I’d proffer that there’s a fair bit of mutual artistic respect going on,’ says Campbell.

According to Scott, the live collaboration with the Pumpkinseeds will also give them a chance to test out their new material. ‘It’s a rare chance to imagine these new songs with strings, brass and backing singers from the outset,’ she says. ‘I’ve been honing my composing skills since Stray Light [her 2014 solo record], so the opportunity to write for this larger ensemble has been a steep learning curve, but really exciting.’>> 17–28 Aug 2017 THE LIST FESTIVAL 71

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FESTIVAL MUSIC | Sounding

Modern Studies (left & below) and Lomond Campbell (above)

<< The performances, St John says, are something of a celebration for both acts. ‘Besides the opportunity to play these songs live with a full cast of players, they also give us a chance to plot our next adventures,’ he admits. Having signed to bigger labels – Modern Studies to Fire Records in the United States and Campbell to Heavenly Recordings – both acts are at something of a fork in the road. To commemorate the occasion, they’re releasing a single together on Triassic Tusk featuring covers of each other’s tracks, with Campbell offering up a bluesy take on ‘Father Is A Craftsman’ and Modern Studies presenting an atmospheric version of ‘Every Florist in Every Town’.

Discussing the single, Campbell says: ‘Swell to Great was one of my top albums of 2016. Great songs, accomplished production and a sound unlike anything else in Scotland just now. We decided to cover each other’s music, initially as a promotional thing for the gigs, but when I heard the two songs side by side I knew it was ripe for a physical release.’ Praising Campbell’s work in return, Scott says that: ‘[He] writes the most deceptively classic songs, truly great, but you delve under the surface and there are so many quirks. It’s a total gift to have good material as a jumping off point.’ St John agrees, pointing out that, ‘I guess it resonates with what we do in a lot of ways, a bringing together of approaches, knitted together by the love of a decent hook.’

Despite the busy schedule of both acts, there is a possibility that Sounding could be taken on the road in its own right. ‘The Made in Scotland initiative has that idea at its heart, so I’d love to think we could take it on the road; we’d need a bloomin’ bus for the orchestra, and it would be a massive undertaking unless it was scaled down,’ says Scott. Campbell is also enthusiastic about re-staging the event: ‘Both our debut albums are due for a worldwide re-release around the same time this year so a tour together would be apt. Having said that, Sounding is pretty ambitious and we’d need some decent backing to take it on tour.

Wealthy benefactors make yourself known.’

For now, they’re focusing on making Sounding as good as it can possibly be. If it ends up a one-off run, Scott says, then that’s okay: ‘I think that makes the impact of this run of shows all the more special.’

Sounding: Modern Studies and Lomond Campbell with the Pumpkinseeds Chamber Orchestra, Stockbridge Church, 20–22 Aug, 7.30pm, £12 (£8).

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Reviews | FESTIVAL MUSIC

list.co.uk/festival PHOTO: CHELONE WOLF

GONE NATIVE Songs of freedom and social justice ●●●●● ‘People come from all over the world to watch people from all over the world,’ is Kevin Gore’s explanation of how he and Bobby Nicholson came to put on Gone Native. Both Scottish Independence campaigners, these Edinburgh songwriters pin their colours to the mast from the off, but their humour and humility means it never feels hectoring.

In the first half of a split show, Gore blazes through a set of protest songs rooted in the 60s folk revival.

Nicholson joins at the half-way mark for ‘Erin Go Bragh’; his clipped Edinburgh policeman character contrasting Gore’s ardent highlander.

Nicholson takes over for the second half, lulling the audience in with antics of bored youth in the laugh-out loud ‘Things to Do When Nothin’s on the Telly’ before the song slips into the post-industrial breakdown of the social contract and the excesses of the 1%.

‘Refugees’ – a re-worked version of Woodie Guthrie’s ‘Deportee’ – is the most earnest of his set, but we’re back to trademark Nicholson with ‘Stuff Yer Licence BBC’, detailing his disdain for the BBC and ‘Panda Porn’, a cynical take on the propaganda power of the ‘over-fed, under-bred, anti-social bastards.’ An hour that flies by, Gone Native shows a much-maligned genre in its best light. (Joe McManus) ■ The Royal Oak, until 28 Aug, 6.30pm, £8 (£6).

JAMIE MACDOWELL AND TOM THUM

BLUESWATER PRESENTS: CAT LOUD

Frustrating hour from talented performers ●●●●●

Confident show from the cabaret singer ●●●●●

Tom Thum, the beatboxer who’s amassed 59 million views of his TED Talk, has an incredible ability in instrumental mimicry. Two songs in, Thum is given the room to flex his muscles and it’s jaw-dropping. First running through ‘tests’, he moves on to the crackle of a 78 before delivering a flurry of beats.

The problem is that this is a break in the middle of the otherwise pedestrian ‘Feet to Floor’, a jazzy, hip hop-influenced tune to which the pair return, but which goes nowhere. This forms the template for a frustrating hour. Too often, Thum is relegated to providing rudimentary drum machine backing to MacDowell’s Ed Sheeran-esque songwriting.

Thum’s solo turn, ‘Ratchet Face’, is the high point, using loops to progressively build a dubstep track.

It’s not new territory for beatboxing, but it’s seldom done so musically; his flawless harmonies and drones preceding a thunderous crescendo.

MacDowell is a talented guitarist, showing some tasteful flamenco phrasing in their re-writing of Bill Withers’ ‘Grandma’s Hands’. Yet his material doesn’t do justice to the ability of either performer, and struggles to hold the attention. (Joe McManus) ■ Assembly George Square Studios, until 20 Aug, 8pm, £12–£14.

If you can tell how confident and comfortable a performer is by the way they handle a heckler, then it seems that cabaret singer Cat Loud – or Catriona MacLeod – was born to be on a stage. She doesn’t just strike up a rapport with the heavily tipsy young woman shouting ‘hell, yeah!’ at random intervals, she invites her onstage as one of the volunteers enlisted to aid a costume change and heckles her right back.

It all fits neatly with the show’s aesthetic, which sees Cat – mostly elegant in an evening dress and supported by Rob Harrison on electric piano – mixing sharp-tongued and comedic spoken interludes with a brand of dusky torch singing which stuns the room into silence. In both cases, her voice is clear, confident and easy to listen to, whether she’s working Nina Simone’s ‘When I Was a Young Girl’, Etta James’ ‘Spoonful’ or (highly appropriate, given her forthright stage persona) Martha Wainwright’s ‘Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole’ into her tale of an Alice in Wonderland-style trip to meet the devil, or letting loose with some wickedly forthright banter. ‘Clap whenever you want, I really fucking love it,’ she says; she deserves to hear a bigger and fuller venue doing just that. (David Pollock) ■ SpaceTriplex, until 25 Aug, 10.20pm, £9 (£8).

CELL BLOCK SOWETO: AN A CAPPELLA GANG SHOW A light-hearted musical journey into South Africa past and present ●●●●● When the five prisoners of Cell Block Soweto enter in their orange jumpsuits, they are surrounded by the most basic of staging with a projected image of the inside of a cell setting the scene. This is inconsequential though because as the show unfolds, their light-hearted, cheeky anecdotes and buoyant songs prove that nothing else is required.

The South African a capella show by After Freedom uses incarceration as a theme to interweave a number of songs with stories about escape, captivity and illfated love.

Their opening medley of numbers, which includes Queen’s ‘I Want to Break Free’, and Miley Cyrus’ ‘Wrecking Ball’, is unexpected in its make-up but their stunning vocal harmonies mesh perfectly together, creating versions that are lush and original. Along with pop songs, they sing African tunes, adding energetic and perfectly in-sync step dancing routines to mimic instruments.

A cappella can certainly be a hit or miss affair but here at Ghillie Dhu, Cell Block Soweto is proving to be an exception to this. The five performers deliver a show that is simple in its premise but executed with great flair, boundless energy and a sense of musical synergy, ultimately facilitating an uplifting experience that is truly good for the soul. (Arusa Qureshi) ■ Ghillie Dhu, until 23 Aug (not 18, 19, 20), 7.30pm (3.45pm on 23), £12 (£10). Bar Bados, 20, 25-27 Aug, 2pm, £12 (£10).

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T H E DI vIDE

BY ALAN AYCKBOURN

A deadly contagion. A society segregated.

A forbidden love...

8–20 AUG BOOK NOW EIF.CO.UK 0131 473 2000

The Old Vic, Edinburgh International Festival and Karl Sydow production Funded by Sir Ewan and Lady Brown through the Edinburgh International Festival Commissioning Fund The Pirie Rankin Charitable Trust

Photo Manuel Harlan | Charity No SC004694

WORLD PREMIERE THE OLD VIC

74 THE LIST FESTIVAL 10–17 Aug 2017

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Everything is up for sequo commodifi sequae peliqua eriamusapedi ate loop volumquis Gorgeous harmonies, ukulele, pedals eosRorrorent que esequos and DIY logicutdizzily collide, quassitate as the duo’s hall of parumquam illiciant acesequam rem reperume mirrors distorts Dolly Parton’s legacy.

They sing her interview responses, and bleat Islands in the Stream, wobbling in heels as newborn lambs.

Sweet, silly, disturbing and angry, this show gleams like rhinestones. Mammaries are made of this. (Lorna Irvine) ■ Summerhall, until 27 Aug (not 21), 9.15 pm (& 1.15pm 22 Aug), £8 ●●●●●

Inventive Double D live art cabaret focuses on the sheep and the singer

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FESTIVAL THEATRE | Hitlist Mouthpiece

THEATRE HITLIST LILITH THE JUNGLE GIRL Pink slime meets sly subversion as the Sisters Grimm tackle the archetypal myth of the wild woman.

Elements of performance collide with animation, queer humour and a provocative attitude to the tropes of theatre. See review at list.co.uk/ festival. Traverse, until 27 Aug (not 21), times vary, £19.50 (£14.50).

WILD BORE The birth of a new feminist theatre as the critics become the target of a meta-theatrical carnival. Untamed, ecstatic and a passionate riposte to the patriarchal assumptions hidden within theatre. See review, page 77 and feature, page 14. Traverse, until 27 Aug (not 21), times vary, £21.50 (£9.50–£16.50).

FLIGHT Vox Motus tell a story of migration through a diorama that is both intimate and epic. See review, page 91. Church Hill Theatre, until 27 Aug (not 22), times vary, £15.

MOUTHPIECE Jodie Foster-endorsed study of women, based on the life experiences of the two performers and encompassing everything from birth to death. With a bathtub for a set and incorporating physical theatre and a cappella harmonies, it balances between the humorous and the challenging. See review at list.co.uk/festival. CanadaHub @ King’s Hall, until 27 Aug (not 18, 22, 25) 3.30pm, £10 (£8).

RICHARD CARPENTER IS CLOSE TO YOU Matthew Flloyd Jones (from Frisky and Mannish) rescues the other Carpenter from semi-obscurity. A ‘tragicomedy’ that imagines how a superstar might escape from the shadow of their sibling. See review at list.co.uk/festival.

Underbelly George Square, until 27 Aug, 5.20pm, £6.50–£11.50 (£10.50.)

THE TIME MACHINE Fringe experts Dyad break up the futurist horror of HG Welles’ famous science-fiction novel in a solo show that inevitably chases towards the downfall of the arrogant human species. See review, page 85. Assembly Roxy, until 28 Aug, 11.10am, £12–£13 (£11–£12).

PHOTO: BROOKE WEDLOCK

Gareth K Vile picks some of the theatre highlights from week three of the festival action

3 CENTURIES. 1 GOAL. A GLORIOUS TALE OF STRUGGLE AND SWEAT

OFFSIDE

by Sabrina Mahfouz and Hollie McNish

‘If you only catch one show at the Festival this year, make sure it’s Offside’ Emma Thompson

+++++ ++++ ++++ Morning Star

Edinburgh Guide

The Scotsman

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Reviews | FESTIVAL THEATRE

list.co.uk/festival

PHOTO: DAVID MONTEITH HODGE

JELLY BEANS

SUBMISSION

MEET ME AT DAWN

Deep-fried psychosis in blistering monologue ●●●●●

The struggles of a young gay Muslim ●●●●●

Zinnie Harris gets rough with grief ●●●●●

Sameer (Shiv Rabheru) is a young British Pakistani who finds his sexuality in conflict with his Islamic heritage: at a party on his 23rd birthday, he is compelled to confront the tension and recognises the problems facing queer people of colour. Writer Shafeeq Shajahan draws on Quranic verses, which Rabheru slips elegantly into casual speech, to build a poetic yet believable emotional arc as Sameer grapples with new challenges.

Shafeeq Shajahan’s script is bold in addressing the relationship between Islam and homosexuality. His complex relationship with Danial (Kieran McIntosh) also plays a central role in how he comes to understand himself. Danial’s persona shifts frequently throughout the performance, moving from confidant to lover to existential threat rapidly and McIntosh conveys these quick tonal shifts well.

Both actors play off each other well in conversation, but are less convincing during their moments of intimacy. These sequences lack a spark of passion which slightly deadens the sense of sexual exploration that Rabheru works so hard to create.

Some aspects lack polish, but Rabheru’s delicate performance carries this complex story. (Liam Hainey) ■ C royale, until 28 Aug, 2.20pm, £10.50–£11.50 (£8.50–£9.50).

Two women crawl ashore a bleak rocky island.

Soaked to the skin, with adrenaline surging through their veins, Robyn and Helen ecstatically cling to one another. They have both miraculously survived the capsizing of their rented boat unharmed, save for hawking up mouthfuls of seawater.

Originally presenting itself as something of a survival drama, Zinnie Harris’ new play for the Traverse is a slow burner. As the couple grapple to understand what is happening to them on this otherworldly island, it becomes clear that neither of them have really survived at all. Helen (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) was killed in the accident while, in the living world, Robyn (Neve McIntosh) is drowning in a maelstrom of grief.

Director Orla O’Loughlin deals with the complexities of this uncanny experience with a delicate touch, and McIntosh and Duncan-Brewster are outstanding, their utterly convincing relationship reminding us of the unfathomable impermanence of even the most profound love. Towards the end, the play does begin to meander as though hesitant of reaching a conclusion – but then, anyone who has lost a loved one will understand the yearning for just ten more minutes. (Irina Glinski) ■ Traverse, until 27 Aug (not 21), times vary, £21.50 (£9.50–£16.50).

Writer and director Dan Pick’s monologue, brilliantly performed by Adam Harley, traces a hallucinatory journey in the life of an unnamed Port Glasgow man, from his obsession with niche webcam pornography to a bloody finale. It’s uncompromising and brutal, with barely a pause for breath in its machine gun rhythm. When the man’s relationship with his girlfriend Jess breaks down, he rampages through the town to exact vengeance, and truth and reality blur.

There is an unflinching focus on bodies and bodily fluids here – it’s not for the squeamish, nor the easily offended. The depiction of a man in a wheelchair is ugly indeed, as is the unsparing misogyny. But the young man at the centre of the story, initially so articulate and sweet, is revealed through flashbacks to have psychopathic tendencies which are only exacerbated by casual sex, drink and cocaine.

Though a little predictable in its execution, there is some excellent writing and Harley’s performance is impossible to ignore. Jelly Beans raises wider questions of the care of excluded vulnerable people and the root causes of mental breakdowns, without ever casting judgement. (Lorna Irvine) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug (not 20), 3.15pm, £8–£10 (£7–£9).

WILD BORE

PHOTO: DAVID MONTEITH-HODGE

A battle cry against the legion of monstrous critics ●●●●● Far more than a simplistic anarchic attack on criticism, Wild Bore is a relentlessly inventive exploration of the purpose of theatre.

Taking the bad writing of reviewers more concerned with drawing attention to themselves than discussing a performance, it exposes the critics’ dirty little secret: they are usually writing about themselves. Torn between a desire to entertain and educate, Zoe Coombs Marr, Ursula Martinez and Adrienne Truscott propose a new kind of theatre, one not based in reverence for Shakespeare – as their frequent references to Hamlet attest – and more selfconscious, fragmented and placing the female body centre stage.

The format is, as they admit, meta-theatrical, using the comments of reviewers as a foundation for a broad look at conventional narratives and exploding them with cabaret glee. The tableau is mocked, the naked body is paraded as a provocation and a surprise fourth performer arrives to challenge the trio’s claims to feminism. The constantly shifting strategies undermine the expectations of the theatre, while constantly reminding the audience that the apparent mayhem is the result of serious dramaturgical thought.

While the quotations from negative reviews provide a hook, it’s the rejection of linear narratives and traditional structure that reveals Wild Bore’s intentions. Alluding to the problems of a patriarchal system that defines criticism and performance, Marr, Martinez and Truscott replace it with a fluid, satirical and sensual series of episodes, building towards a finale that deconstructs itself even as it appeals for laughter and applause.

Such a wild adventure demands strong reactions, but this positive review not only praises its ambition, intelligence and wit: the five stars recognise the genius of Gareth K Vile, who can discern Wild Bore’s revolutionary dramaturgy. (Gareth K Vile) ■ Traverse, until 27 Aug (not 21), times vary, £21.50 (£9.50-£16.50).

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FESTIVAL THEATRE | Reviews

WOKE Formidable show exposing the American justice system ●●●●●

PHOTO: MIHAELA BODLOVIC

Written by Apphia Campbell (Black is the Colour of My Voice) and Meredith Yarbrough, Woke follows two black women, decades apart. Ambrosia has just moved to St Louis to study, in the months following the shooting of teenager Michael Brown.

Her African-American literature class is set the autobiography of Assata Shakur, a Black Liberation Army activist who was accused of killing a state trooper. Shakur was imprisoned, escaped and now lives in exile in Cuba, and her story forms the other half of the narrative.

There are no costume changes or props to indicate the difference between the two women but sole performer Campbell makes them completely distinct. She’s a formidable performer, punctuating the scenes with beautiful vocal interludes and although she occasionally stumbles, she succeeds in building a whole cast of characters: patronising policeman, enthusiastic teachers and activists educated in America’s amendments.

It is through Ambrosia that Woke so learly demonstrates the fundamental flaws in the American justice system: multiple, expensive fines, that the majority of people can’t afford, and so they miss court dates and a warrant is issued for their arrest. Privileged and naive, Ambrosia initially speaks for the uninformed, asking 'don't all lives matter?' in her class debate.

But when she herself attends peaceful protests and is subject to the persecution of the justice system, we truly appreciate the intolerable situation of many black individuals living in the States.

Parallels are drawn between the Black Panther Party of Assata's era and the Black Lives Matter movement of present day, leaving one activist’s question hanging in the air: same fight, different decades? (Rowena McIntosh) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 Aug (not 17–19), 2pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11).

PHOTO: ALAN HARRIS

THE DAMNED UNITED

THE B*EASTS

LA MALADIE DE LA MORT

Gripping portrayal of a flawed genius ●●●●●

Monica Dolan’s potent one-woman show ●●●●●

Surreal take on a confusing novel ●●●●●

Brian Clough is one of sport’s most compelling characters. His sharp tongue, love of the camera and charm are legendary. So are his alcoholism, arrogance and failures. This adaptation of The Damned United is happy to embrace all these aspects of the footballing giant.

However, the story of Brian Clough (Luke Dickson) is nothing without his long-suffering assistant Peter Taylor (David Chaffer). Taylor understands his role as the under-appreciated power behind Clough’s throne.

He serves as the voice of wisdom and compassion trying desperately to pull Clough into the light during his darkest moments.

Dickson is at his strongest during these periods of alcohol-induced despair. The contrast between Clough’s brash public face and his sobbing vulnerability when things go wrong is appropriately stark. He wraps himself in the aura of a man who knows he is the best at what he does then, soon after, is weeping in Taylor’s arms.

This could very easily have been an exercise in lionisation, but the decision to show, in equal measure, Clough’s strengths and weaknesses is a smart one. (Liam Hainey) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug (not 22), 5pm, £9.50–£12.50 (£8.50–£11.50).

Writer and performer Monica Dolan has crafted something wonderful here. She plays Tessa, a psychologist, relaying a heart-rending story of her case study, Karen. All fake tan and vertiginous heels, Karen has an eight-year-old daughter, Lyla, who is seeking affirmation from men through dancing like Rihanna in front of them, and who becomes subject of a media storm when she demands, and is then given, breast implants by her mother.

Dolan is superb, bringing heart and depth to a very modern taboo — that of the pernicious nature of branding for ‘tweens’, and the awareness at an increasingly young age of the power of sexual currency. Tessa, facing her own health battles, struggles to reconcile impartial empathy with Karen, totem of the must-have culture, with her own views.

It’s testament to the subtlety of the writing and performance that this is never presented in a handwringing or overwrought way. Tessa’s quiet rage is interrupted by her Cagney and Lacey ringtone throughout, and she is a flawed but compassionate woman. There are no easy answers presented in this coruscating, powerful monologue which will provoke much debate. (Lorna Irvine) ■ Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug, 6pm (& 7.20pm 26 Aug), £10–£11 (£9–£10).

La Maladie de la Mort adapts the novel written by French literary superstar Marguerite Duras. Each day for several weeks, a man pays a woman to wait for him in a hotel room by the sea, so that he may learn how to love. Soon she diagnoses him with the titular ‘malady of death’, stating he is incapable of love.

The novel is undoubtedly filled with symbolism: the mysterious feminine form juxtaposed against the vast empty sea. But whatever important messages Duras was trying to communicate, this piece provides little elucidation. Performances are in French or English, depending on the day, but both follow the author’s obscure language (it’s worth noting that while writing Duras drank six to seven litres of wine each day).

The performance is visually striking: a woman in a white silk dress emerges stonily from the darkness speaking of silent tensions. Similarly, the hanging of plastic sheets at different depths on stage distorts the lighting and projections to lend the performance an ethereal feel. But a clear interpretation or explanation of the text is not communicated to the audience.

One actor reads from the novel, while the other, the woman, frequently disrobes and floats about the stage. Beautiful but baffling. (Clare McVay) ■ Institut français d’Ecosse, until 28 Aug (not 22), 6.30pm, £10 (£8).

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Reviews | FESTIVAL THEATRE

list.co.uk/festival

THE PORTABLE DOROTHY PARKER

LET ME LOOK AT YOU

A HUNGER ARTIST

Intriguing synopsis of an elaborate life ●●●●●

Witty look at 50 years of gay history ●●●●●

Kafka as a metaphor for the art of performance ●●●●●

American poet and satirist Dorothy Parker was perhaps best known for her great wit and intelligent commentary. But behind the sharp tongue was a woman with real strength as well as vulnerabilities, who struggled with heartbreak and loss.

Annie Lux’s The Portable Dorothy Parker takes place in 1943 in Parker’s New York apartment as she works alongside a young female editor from Viking Press in the collation of her works for a new series.

The format of the one-woman play seems fitting for the depiction of Parker, whose trademark zingers deserve to stand alone for full effect.

Occasionally, the allusions to her famous friends and celebrated members of New York’s elite can feel confusing and drawn out. Nevertheless, in these stories, Margot Avery does well to capture the wry cynicism of the poet as well as her many anxieties, reciting her best known works with a humorous sass and swagger. It’s just a shame that some of the dialogue falls flat, forcing a level of theatricality that at times feels excessive.

Still, the show offers an intriguing synopsis of Parker’s elaborate life story, providing a glimpse of her rarely seen fragility. (Arusa Qureshi) ■ Gilded Balloon at Rose Theatre, until 28 Aug (not 21), 4pm, £11–£12 (£10–£11).

There’s no doubting the ambition of Anglo-US company Starving Artists’ solo show: to take us through the last 50 or so years of gay history, while also sketching in an encounter with a darkly magnetic figure in London’s Old Compton Street.

And they succeed magnificently, in a considered, beautifully nuanced performance by Mark Pinkosh of a wonderfully witty text by Godfrey Hamilton.

Pinkosh’s delivery bristles with energy – and fury when required. His recollections of pivotal moments in gay history – the report that recommended decriminalisation as long as those homosexuals weren’t too ostentatious about things (as if); the riot at a Los Angeles lesbian bar that kicked off today’s movement – are as funny as they are revealing, and he has some fantastic one-liners. His seemingly endless, tongue-in-cheek list of everything that homosexuals have to learn proves his assertion that it’s hard work being gay.

But despite the humour, there are serious themes underpinning this carefully crafted show, themes of continuing petty discrimination and, above all, the crucial need to stay angry. This is a compelling hour of provocative theatre. (David Kettle) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug, 11.15am, £8–£10 (£7–£9).

A Hunger Artist is the name of a short story by Franz Kafka, but it could also be the tagline for a whole lineage of 20th-century performance art. Adapted for the stage by Josh Luxenberg, the eponymous hunger artist makes his living through self-deprivation, travelling across Europe to perform his 40-day starvation act for enthralled crowds.

A moth-eaten, eerily pale-faced and heavily padded Jonathan Levin emerges through the curtain pushing a trunk full of props. This is an impresario from a bygone age, and as he pulls out his tiny box theatre and wind-up gramophone, he draws the audience in to this witty, enchanting and macabre tale.

Levin then turns the tables, re-enacting the performance of the hunger artist. Full of artistic integrity and stripped of his bloated padding, he transforms in to a fragile caged creature. Members of the audience are brought on stage to become participants in the nauseating spectacle, portraying doctors taking measurements of the emaciated artist and witnesses to his feat of endurance.

Levin is an agile physical performer, jumping between multiple roles with clarity and precision in what is a mesmerising piece of work. (Irina Glinski) ■ ZOO, until 28 Aug (not 22), 5.45pm, £11 (£9).

TRASHED Brutal monologue about a man’s descent into landfill ●●●●● It’s time to get Trashed. This new play from Lab Rats features David William Bryan as Goody, the kind of character you’d cross the road to avoid; swigging cider from cans, he perches among piles of household waste, aggressively shouting about his lot.

Goody’s lot, as described in Sascha Moore’s monologue, is a pretty downbeat one. Goody’s wife has left him after the loss of a child, and despite attending a counseling group, Goody’s world seems to be falling apart. He’s trying to keep up with events by opening and draining as many cans of booze as he can, but his sorrows are coming at him at such a pace that Goody can barely drink quickly enough to stave off despair.

As a play, Trashed has a big plus point, and that’s Bryan’s performance. A ferocious opening sees Goody railing at the audience with a smashed bit of wood, before breaking off with an apologetic ‘Sorry, I thought you were someone else . . . ’ It’s a moment that captures Goody’s personality; rebarbative, yet timid and self-pitying, and Bryan does a great job in capturing the extremes of the character he plays. But that description also presents the weakness of Trashed; Goody goes so rapidly from one extreme to another that there’s little room for nuance.

Moore’s play has more incident than it needs as domestic abuse, paedophilia and several untimely deaths rain down on Goody’s wide shoulders.

Trashed seeks to find pathos in the bitter incidents of an outsider’s life, but piles on the tragedy far too vigorously to make any one of the incidents sing. But if the writing needs a tweak, Bryan’s sky-high performance levels keep Trashed on the rails; it’s a hot, sweaty, uncomfortable hour of theatre that will leave audiences with a desire for a wash afterwards. (Eddie Harrison) ■ Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug, 1.40pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50).

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FESTIVAL THEATRE | Reviews

YOUR EVER LOVING Timely political theatre about the Guildford Four and the rights of terror suspects ●●●●●

PHOTO: ANDREAS LAMBIS

Your Ever Loving by Martin McNamara is based on the true story of Paul Hill, one of the Guildford Four who were accused of planting IRA bombs in pubs and wrongly imprisoned for 15 years. It uses letters written by Hill to his family during his incarceration and now stored in a university archive.

Just two characters and a lot of creative staging bring the story to life and while the pace is a bit racy at first, it settles quickly.

Stefan McCusker is stoic as Hill and James Elmes demonstrates versatility playing guards, prisoners, the justice secretary, judge, jury, and Margaret Thatcher. The play doesn’t shy away from the violence of prison and interrogates the crucial question that cast doubt on the Guildford Four's innocence: why they signed full confessions.

Music neatly frames the passing of time as Hill listens to the Beatles and Christmas number ones from various cells. It’s hard to distil 15 years into an hour but wanting more is a testament to this story’s resonance.

With the rights of terror suspects again in question, it is a timely piece of political theatre. (Rowena McIntosh) ■ Underbelly Cowgate, until 20 Aug, noon, £10–£11 (£9–£10).

PHOTO: FAYE THOMAS

LOST IN TRANSLATION: A BILINGUAL JOURNEY Frank, funny tale of cultural differences ●●●●● We first meet Marion Geoffray as her 8-year-old self. She bursts out of her ever-present suitcase and stomps around the stage, singing with gusto.

This energy continues throughout, as Marion single-handedly pulls her luggage and the audience through her bilingual journey (performed in a mix of English, French, Gaelic and Occitan).

At first her English stretches only far enough to flirt with an imaginary Prince William (when he had hair), and to sing classic 90s pop. But then she falls in love with London on a school trip, and moves to the big smoke to study drama. This is when the real work begins. From small talk to dating, Marion relives and relishes all the cringeworthy moments that shaped her.

Lack of tiered seating made some viewing awkward and the audience were slow to warm to the interactive parts of the show. But these hitches will undoubtedly resolve as the run continues.

With insightful observations and an eagerness to educate, Marion is a loveable character who describes what it is to love and live more than one culture. Just don’t mention Brexit. (Clare McVay) ■ Institut français d’Ecosse, until 28 Aug (not 22), 4pm, £8 (£6).

SQUEEZE MY CANS

BRUTAL CESSATION

Inside the world of Scientology ●●●●●

Visceral play lacks emotional depth ●●●●●

Cathy Schenkelberg was a member of the Church of Scientology for over a decade, spending close to a million dollars in the quest to become a ‘clear’ (a stage on the path to personal salvation). Squeeze My Cans is honest, revealing both her seduction by the cult and the destruction of her confidence, personality and independence in the process.

In a rush to expose her experience, Schenkelberg packs too much into the show: key terms are mentioned but not explained, moments of high tension are passed over rapidly, and she does not answer the fundamental question: what could persuade an intelligent person to join a famously sinister group in the first place? There’s a sense that the performance is an act of therapy, an attempt to rid herself of the behaviours she had adopted.

However, she has both charisma and storytelling skills, relating shocking moments – and celebrity gossip – in a way that emphasises how familiarity can even make appalling ideas feel comfortable.

When she finally realises the sham of the Church, the hollowness of its teachings and values are made clear. It’s a fascinating tale but lacks the theatricality to push home its message. (Gareth K Vile) ■ Assembly Rooms, until 27 Aug (not 21), 3.10pm, £10–£12 (£8–£10).

This two-person play, written by Milly Thomas (pictured), revolves around a couple in a toxic relationship. Dressed in matching grey jogging bottoms, the couple are nameless and locationless.

Thomas deftly captures the style of arguing unique to couples, of two people who know each other so well they can push the right buttons.

It is a manipulative relationship, with a permanent undercurrent of tension built on steely looks and what is not said, as much as what is. An extended description of a torture fantasy, her torture fantasy, is stomach-churningly visceral as she talks through smashing her boyfriend’s head like a watermelon and lobotomising him using kitchen utensils. The play is then cleverly turned on its head when the pair switch roles, acting previous scenes back using the other’s dialogue.

While Brutal Cessation exposes gender expectations, its abstract nature limits an emotional response to the couple and their plight. The staging is generally unimaginative, and there is so little physicality between the pair, who appear more like friends, that belief in their relationship is stretched.

(Rowena McIntosh) ■ Assembly George Square Theatre, until 28 Aug, 4.20pm, £9–£11 (£8–£10).

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Noontide Sun and Christopher Hunter

Creature

Knock Knock

Misterman

Venus and Adonis

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Marc Up Productions (Australia)

Aaron Twitchen

Knaive Theatre

Diane Edgecomb (Massachusetts, USA)

My Pet, My Love

Aaron Twitchen: Curtain Twitchen

Bin Laden

A Thousand Doorways

2 – 28 Aug 19:35 & royale

3– 28 Aug 18:50 & south

2– 28 Aug 18:30 &

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Steelworks Theatre Company

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Shakespeare for kids

Peacocks Lobsters and Us

Great Big Beautiful SKy

Robin’s Hood

3 – 28 Aug 14:00 & south

3– 19 Aug 19:55 & cubed

2 – 28 Aug 12:45 & too

3 – 28 Aug 11:45 & too

With more than 200 shows and events across our venues in the heart of Edinburgh, we celebrate our 26th Fringe with an inspiring international programme of cabaret, comedy, circus, dance, musicals, theatre and family shows. See it all with & venues.

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Reviews | FESTIVAL THEATRE

list.co.uk/festival

PHOTO: LIAM PRIOR

THE REVLON GIRL An emotional tale based around the real-life Aberfan tragedy ●●●●● The Aberfan disaster will still be vivid in the memories of many: on the last day of term in October 1966, a colliery spoil tip collapsed, engulfing a primary school in the Welsh village of Aberfan, killing 116 children and 28 adults. In an echo of the recent Grenfell Tower tragedy, it emerged that residents of the town had long voiced their concerns over safety, but being ‘little people’ they were ignored.

The lights go up on a leaky room above the Aberfan hotel, eight months after the disaster. A group of mothers, a support group of sorts, have arranged to meet a Revlon Girl who promises to ‘brighten their tired eyes’. But no one can seem to focus on lipstick.

As the leaking skylight continues to drip into a bucket for which no one will take responsibility, emotions boil over when even the strongest woman in the group breaks. This isn’t just a piece about grief; the constant reference to no one listening to the ‘little people’ can’t fail to stir anger at a political system that fails its citizens time and time again. Grief, anger, and community all blend together flawlessly, with a touch of humour providing an uplifting finish. (Clare McVay) ■ Assembly Roxy, until 28 Aug, 1pm, £12–£13 (£11–£12).

ANCIENT SHRINES AND HALF TRUTHS

CURSE OF THE MUMMY Turning a small budget into big laughs ●●●●●

Droll app-guided walking tour of the city ●●●●● Want to discover the real Edinburgh? Want to experience the city that only the locals know? That’s just the kind of insiders’ guide that New Zealand’s Binge Culture offer in their promenade, app-guided walking tour of a particular Edinburgh district, which manages to mercilessly send up the whole travellervs-tourist ethos while also gently questioning the museum mentality of homing in on supposedly significant artefacts in an unfamiliar location. Armed with a mobile, headphones and electronic map, you find yourself heading towards obscure sites, discovering little-known objects and entrances, and maybe even encountering a few bizarre locals.

To say more would spoil the fun of the show – and there’s plenty of fun to be had in the droll, almost credible commentary explaining what’s clearly preposterous (much of the time at least). It’s a show – or maybe experience is a better description – that dares to be downright silly at times, but hits home in lampooning visitor expectations. You’ll find out astonishing things you never knew about some of Edinburgh’s most commonplace objects – and you’ll scarcely believe anything you hear. (David Kettle) ■ Summerhall, until 27 Aug (not 21), 3.15pm & 6.15pm, £11 (£9).

All the sexiest folk villains – pirates, vampires, werewolves – have enjoyed periods of cultural renaissance in recent years, yet one particular terrormonger seems to have been unjustly passed over.

In their latest show, Last Chance Saloon attempt to right this egregious wrong, bringing the unfairly forgotten mummy back from the dead in a flawed but undeniably entertaining Fringe return.

Curse of the Mummy’s story is self-consciously derivative: a stock adventure tale, peppered with the company’s absurd twists. A hapless university professor named Montana Jones unwittingly resurrects an Egyptian mummy, with whom he must travel the weathered path from Peebles to Cairo to keep the mummy’s ancient gold from falling into the hands of local effeminate Nazi, Dean.

It’s an unapologetic oddball of a show, which blasts adventure clichés with a slew of pop culture references and an endearingly daft sense of humour, while the sheer infectious joy the trio of performers take in their antics belies some deeply impressive theatrical technique. If you like your theatre slightly bonkers and your baddies tightly bandaged, it’s an hour of unabashedly silly Fringe fun. (Jordan Shaw) ■ Just the Tonic at The Caves, until 26 Aug, 7.30pm, £8–£10 (£7–£9).

PARTY GAME

PHOTO: DAVID MONTEITH-HODGE

Immersive theatre lacking drama or even fun ●●●●● With a slight plot and plenty of time-filling exercises, Party Game uses the glamour of site-specific and immersive theatre to disguise its hollowness. Telling the story of a man who, while not a terrible person, has plenty of flaws, bluemouth inc incorporate musical numbers, symbolic choreography and traditional scripted scenes into an event that promises much but delivers little.

The ensemble cast operate as both performers and audience wranglers, moving the crowd through a series of episodes that either reflect on the main character or involve them in activities that attempt to create a party atmosphere.

This atmosphere falls flat quickly – partially due to the move towards the main story, and partially because the tasks (sweeping, decorating) are the boring bits of a party. Without generating the necessary goodwill towards the production, the actors then struggle to inject life into the stereotypical characters. A story about horses’ cocks adds very little to the dramatic thrust, and the repetition of a scene concerning a car journey signposts the surprise end too clearly, too early.

The ensemble is solid throughout, the music interludes are charming but the lack of energy in the story and vision in the direction prevent Party Game delivering much emotional punch. (Gareth K Vile) ■ Wee Red Bar, until 20 Aug, 8.30pm, £21.50 (£9.50–£16.50).

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GOLEM

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When we feel powerless, we create monsters.

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SnOwFlAkE THE NETWORK and Pleasance Theatre Trust present:

A World Premiere

Written and directed by Mark Thomson

Sweet *UDVVPDUNHW 21-26 Aug 8.20pm (70mins) £10/£8

thegolemplay.com

Venue:

PLEASANCE ABOVE Previews: 2 - 4 August | 1pm Performances:

5 - 28 August | 1pm (no performances on 15 and 22 August)

Tickets: £9.50 - £14 Book online at www.pleasance.co.uk or by phone 0131 556 6550 www.sdtn.org/thenetwork Scottish Drama Training Network

84 THE LIST FESTIVAL 10–17 Aug 2017

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Reviews | FESTIVAL THEATRE

list.co.uk/festival PHOTO: JACK OFFORD

A HEART AT SEA

THE DRIVE

THE TIME MACHINE

Charming, heartfelt puppetry show ●●●●●

Buddy road drama has just enough fuel ●●●●●

A disturbing journey into the unknown ●●●●●

Kent-based Half a String’s captivating hour of puppetry and musical storytelling isn’t billed as a children’s show, and perhaps it should be. There’s plenty that youngsters would surely love about its simple, vivid story, its likeable, memorable songs and its magical puppet work.

And although the storyline – about a young lad who throws his heart out to sea following the death of his sister, then embarks on a quest to retrieve it – might seem rather slight for an all-adult audience, this is a hugely charming, heartfelt show nonetheless.

Peter Morton has lovingly constructed a miraculous multi-compartment box of curiosities, through which he slowly unveils intricately carved, homespun backdrops. He’s joined by Avi Simmons as singing storyteller, looping samples from guitar, glockenspiel, guiro and more to back her touching songs.

Those songs could occasionally bear some gentle repetition, as certain plot developments are passed over pretty quickly. And you might be advised to sit near the front to gain full advantage of Morton’s intricate woodwork. But this is a warm-hearted, joyful affirmation of life’s richness, with plenty to delight adults and children alike. (David Kettle) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug, 11.50am, £7.50–£9.50 (£6.50–£9).

If a major life-altering tragedy happens in the preinternet 1990s and no-one is able to Instagram it for posterity, did it even really happen? The Drive, a deftly performed two-hander from Angel Exit Theatre, sees two women undertaking an unexpected road trip from London to Oslo.

The immediate tension between uptight television producer Becky and the arty, messy Nat drives the story, and it becomes clear that the traumatic death of a member of their university friendship group years before is still a source of animosity between them.

Making good use of an inventive and compact set, The Drive occupies a much bigger space than the small stage it rests on. Unfortunately, the show places too much importance on technology and projection, which are neither precise nor plentiful enough to be effective.

As their individual and contrasting takes on ‘truth’ unravel, so does the theatrical boundaries of the piece, with the actors deliberately coming out of character to comment on missed sound cues or to ask for scenes that are too emotional to be cut short.

This is an interesting structural dénouement in what is otherwise a simple and rewarding story of friendship and obligation. (Irina Glinski) ■ ZOO, until 19 Aug, 11.45am, £10–£12 (£8–£10).

HG Wells’ The Time Machine was a pioneering piece of science fiction and has inspired countless works in the same vein since its publication over a hundred years ago.

However, many of those imitators have relied on big budgets and elaborate sets to create the impression of futuristic worlds so different to our own. This stage adaptation from Dyad Productions takes a different approach. Relying on a sparsely dressed stage and the talent of Stephen Cunningham (playing the unnamed time traveler), this production allows the imagination displayed by Wells to shine through.

When the time traveller moves 800,000 years into the future, it is Cunningham’s convincing sense of wonder and awe that take us with him. His performance is rich in a manic intensity that can’t help but call to mind the BBC’s Tardis-dwelling, timetraveling hero.

Cunningham’s wide eyes and rapid delivery are essential for the audience to become invested in the strange world he finds himself in. As he moves further towards the death of the planet, his dread reaches a frenetic level that expertly hammers home the horror of our inevitable downfall. (Liam Hainey) ■ Assembly Roxy, until 28 Aug, 11.10am, £12–£13 (£11–£12).

HYPERION One-man show delving into Greek history and literature ●●●●● As part of the endlessly lunatic Fringe where shows typically deal with such heady subject matter as Love Island, Star Wars and nude magic, you have to credit esprit de corps and George Siena for their literary ambition; a working knowledge of the writings of Friedrich Hölderlin is just one of the qualifications useful for Hyperion, which takes its name from the author’s novel, as well as a recalcitrant ship.

The means of transport is awaited by a young Greek man, named only as 16744, forced to do national service, but now adrift with his thoughts when the Hyperion does not arrive as scheduled.

His thoughts drift to Hölderlin’s writings, and he imagines hosting a literary salon with Lords Byron and Elgin as guests. His musings relate to his sense of nationality, and to whether Greece’s future can match up to the greatness of the past.

If it sounds like Siena has a lot of work to do, that’s an understatement. Tasked with evoking a number of different worlds, he puts a manic enthusiasm into capturing 16744’s blind sense of duty, and makes ingenious use of sampling technology to hold conversations with himself. A barrow-load of books tipped to the floor indicates the high faluting nature of the play; stepping nimbly from one dusty text to another, Hyperion the play demands almost as much of the audience as of the performer.

Non-Greeks may find it hard to follow all the nuances, although a beautifully spoken final monologue manages to tie together the various threads in a poignant lament for a country which, on this evidence, is not changing for the better. Hyperion won’t be for everyone, but anyone decrying the lack of heavy intellectual lifting going on at the Fringe should buy a ticket and get in line; Siena’s one-man show provides a welcome streak of intellectual rigour. (Eddie Harrison) ■ Greenside @ Royal Terrace, until 26 Aug (not 20), times vary, £7 (£6).

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FESTIVAL THEATRE | Reviews

THIRD WHEEL A dying man’s request builds a bridge between two bickering friends ●●●●● The title of Deadpan Theatre’s Third Wheel does nail one aspect of its story — a road trip for two girls following a route chosen by the third, deceased party — but doesn’t capture the freewheeling tone or the sense of fun involved in this one-hour play. Writers and performers Jude Mack and Eliot Salt play Eve and Polly, two girls who have developed a friendship but now suffer from a broken romantic bond.

Attending the funeral of their friend Dylan (Harry Trevaldwyn), they’re handed a memory stick with a video message from beyond the grave. In a bid to mend the fallout between the girls, Dylan sends Eve and Polly on a cross-country trip with Dylan’s ashes in a Wizard of Oz lunchbox, a journey which quickly sees long-standing disagreements come to the fore, but eventually heals some of the unrequited hurt that’s been festering between them.

Third Wheel also happens to be a musical, with an on-stage band called Party in the Sky and some funny cod-Broadway pastiche songs to accompany the action.

Sophie McQuillan and Finbar Fitzgerald play the various characters encountered by the girls on the journey with gusto, and while the play relies a little too much on montages at the expense of dramatic conflict, Mack and Salt’s strategy of packing in a plethora of incident eventually pays off in a bitter-sweet finale.

The language and situations tend towards the sexually explicit, and one scene involving a gynaecological examination could use some judicious editing. But the biggest strength of Deadpan Theatre’s production is Mack and Salt, a strong double-act playing mismatched characters, milking both the comedy and the pathos from the narrative with ease. It’s refreshing to see a show that aims for, and hits, a range of targets, comedic or otherwise, with such success. (Eddie Harrison) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 27 Aug, 2pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11).

PHOTO: STEPHANIE GIBSON

PHOTO: BETH CHALMERS

KRAPP’S LAST TAPE

INGO’S WAR

(MORE) MOIRA MONOLOGUES

Beckett’s classic is a festival highlight ●●●●●

Entertaining, evocative puppet drama ●●●●●

Falkirk’s hardest woman is back with a vengeance ●●●●●

Samuel Beckett’s one-man play features protagonist Krapp (portrayed by Barry McGovern) at the age of 69, recording his annual birthday reel-to-reel tape and listening to a recording made 30 years before, which in turn references one made 12 years before that.

As Krapp’s memories come back, so do regrets.

Beckett’s plays have maintained their iconic status thanks to his estate, which insists on an austere interpretation that respects the intentions of the author. Consequently, the quality of a production depends not on a director’s interpretation but the actor’s ability to claim Beckett’s script as his own.

Through his tapes and dusty ledger, Krapp relives his younger self’s birthday ritual (eating bananas) and recalls lost love. The uncomfortable clatter of the metallic tape boxes thrown to the floor could easily be the echo of Krapp’s stinging memories coming back to the surface.

McGovern’s memorable performance revels in lingering moments of silence and his emotional interpretation easily fills the stage, successfully bringing Beckett’s words to life. Funny and wistful, haunting and meditative, Krapp’s Last Tape is one of the highlights of this year’s festival. (Adeline Amar) ■ Church Hill Theatre, until 27 Aug (not 22), 8pm (also 3pm, 19 & 20, 24, 26 & 27), £25.

Bearing more than a few resemblances to a very successful play about a horse during wartime, Ingo’s War is nonetheless a very engaging family show blending puppetry with spoken word to tell the story of a nervous dog that loses its owner and winds up in France as WWII rages on.

Young theatre company Ditto bring the show to Edinburgh fresh from winning awards at Brighton Fringe Festival earlier this year.

Each of the six versatile actors / puppeteers bring a bright energy to the story, as they clearly narrate the action from a script that is explanatory but still manages to avoid getting too bogged down in specifics. A sparse set is creatively utilised, matched with minimal sound effects throughout, to keep the audience up to speed with the shifting narrative.

Ingo himself is a humble creation, but the ensemble bring the pup to life in a way that will capture children’s imagination, with each of them taking turns to move his wooden paws and sound his yelps.

Although both the narrative and choice of storytelling may not be the most original, it is a simple tale with a timeless quality that will be an easy sell for a family audience. (Sean Greenhorn) ■ Pleasance Dome, until 20 Aug, 10.40am, £7.50–£9 (£6.50–£8).

Alan Bissett’s no-nonsense scheme queen returns to the stage with sass and aplomb. Oh, and did she tell you, she’s a nan now? Clad in her uniform pink velour tracksuit, Moira chain-smokes her way through the play, relaying all the recent news and gossip to her best friend Babs.

Loveable Moira doesn’t mince her words. A champion of street justice, she doesn’t let politeness stop her from putting people in their place. When the train passenger opposite takes more than their fair share of legroom, the audience’s eager silence speaks volumes: sort him out. Very quickly it’s easy to see Moira as the voice of reason. Middle class theatre-goers have no choice but to face their own absurdities: why do they love avocados? Why do they pay yogis to teach them how to breathe? How should we really feel about the Kelpies?

Bissett’s one man / woman show is addictive.

Switching between characters and accents at an astonishing pace, he immerses the audience in Moira’s world. Great hilarity, simple truths and some profound moments too: it’s no wonder Moira has such a loyal following. (Clare McVay) ■ Scottish Storytelling Centre, until 28 Aug (not 21), 7pm, £15 (£12).

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Pleasance

Me & My Bee

Following its sell out world premiere at Sadler’s Wells, Requiem for Aleppo comes to Edinburgh for a very special gala performance in aid of Syria Relief. This profound, haunting and mesmeric production offers a unique opportunity to be part of a collective expression of solidarity for the people of Syria.

Climate change is massive. Bees aren’t. Our fuzzy little friends need our help and so we’re launching a political party disguised as a party party disguised as a show. Multi award-winning theatre company, ThisEgg, invites you to save the world – one bee at a time.

Pleasance @ EICC, Wed 16 Aug 7.30pm, £15 (£10), show & after party £30 (£25)

Pleasance Courtyard, Sat 5–Mon 28 Aug (not 15) 11.45am, £7.50–£10 (£6-£8.50)

This year, the Pleasance, Summerhall and ZOO have joined forces for the first time to create a brand new guide to the best in theatre, dance and music across all three venues.

The North! The North!

Mia: Daughters of Fortune

The writer of Fringe sell–out 64 Squares returns with a piece full of physical storytelling and animation.

Christopher Harrisson’s “impressively punkish” (The Herald) new work is set against the backdrop of post-Brexit Britain and the rise of extremism, and plays as a graphic novel brought to life on stage.

Mia explores the truths and myths about learning disabilities and parenthood with a fast-moving mix of science and silliness. A Mind the Gap production created and directed

by Joyce Ngayu Lee, performed by four learning-disabled artists.

A Hunger Artist: Kafka Adaptation

War Pig

Summerhall, Fri 4–Sun 27 Aug (not 14) 5.50pm, £11 (£10)

Summerhall, Wed 9-Sun 27 Aug (not 14, 21) 2.45pm, £10 (£8)

From new writing to devised work, physical theatre to circus, this exciting collaboration highlights the very best performances on offer this August. With hundreds of shows to choose from, there’s no better way to celebrate the Fringe’s landmark 70th anniversary.

ZOO

Summerhall

Requiem for Aleppo

ZOO, Fri 4–Mon 28 Aug (not 15, 22), 5.45pm, £11 (£9)

A man sits alone in a cage, starving himself for your entertainment. A ‘beautifully imagined’ (CultureBot. org), darkly comic adaptation of the Kafka story by acclaimed Brooklyn-based company Sinking Ship.

ZOO, Fri 4–Mon 28 Aug, 8.45pm, £14 (£12)

The war breaks out. Juan, a young private, and the virile Captain Fidel Castra are stranded alone in the most complete solitude, far from the front line. The enemy is approaching… A politically incorrect and caustic show that involves the art of pantomime, burlesque and art performance.

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FESTIVAL THEATRE | Reviews

RHINOCEROS A powerful re-telling of Ionesco’s classic 1959 play ●●●●●

PHOTO: BETH CHALMERS

Ionesco’s absurdist farce takes place in a sleepy French provincial town where a rhinoceros suddenly rampages through the market place. Over the next few days, more rhinos start appearing, until the villagers realise they are themselves turning into the loud animals terrifying the town. The drunkard Bérenger, however, refuses to transform.

This new Scottish / Turkish version is a collaboration between Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre and the radical Turkish company DOT Theatre. It starts as a comedy, with Bérenger (Robert Jack) and his friend Jean (Steven McNicoll) bickering in the town square. There are perfectly timed elements of slapstick, with chairs getting pulled from beneath actors, and well-placed selfreferential hints at the Edinburgh International Festival itself.

But soon the play turns to tragedy, with an atmosphere of creeping anxiety taking over. As Bérenger witnesses his friends’ metamorphosis and desperately attempts to avoid the beasts, the stage becomes narrower and more chaotic, with chairs suspended in the air, dust and flying papers filling the space.

Rhinoceros is a classic example of absurd theatre with its circular dialogue and characters trapped in frustrating situations, while presenting an intense discussion on logic and totalitarianism.

The conformist citizens turning into rhinos works as a parable of creeping fascist and nationalist ideas, informed by Ionesco’s witnessing the rise of Nazism and anti-Semitic movements.

Zinnie Harris’s adaptation makes the most of the play’s sharp, humorous writing and astutely shows that Ionesco’s message is as relevant as ever. The diverse cast is excellent and their energy contagious, with Jack and McNicoll’s performances particularly memorable. The final result is an elegant production, as entertaining as it is powerful. (Adeline Amar) ■ Lyceum, run ended.

PHOTO: THOMAS DHANENS

PHOTO: JULIAN HUGHES

PHOTO: CAMILLA GREENWELL

COCKROACHED

THE BLACK CAT

£¥€$ (LIES)

Character driven post-apocalyptic tale ●●●●●

Poe classic gets a twist in the tail ●●●●●

Fun but laboured experience ●●●●●

This claustrophobically intimate play is set in a postapocalyptic world, where a seemingly lone survivor, trapped in a party store, finds contact with another human through a battered radio. Theatre 63 is a new theatre company from the Birmingham School of Acting, and this show bodes well for their future, even if it doesn’t particularly stand out from the crowd.

A one-person play, with male and female actors swapping roles each performance, the piece is built around a radio conversation, but the gimmick of the colourful party store is effectively used to keep the visuals interesting.

The small DIY-feeling space creates an oppressive atmosphere, and the script is concise and never overexplanatory – references to ‘a black sun’ and ‘those things’ are left to the imagination of the audience.

Focused purely on the conversation between protagonist Taylor and the voice on the other end of the radio, the drama becomes a study of one secluded person seeking to make human connection with another. Although not particularly innovative, Theatre 63 stage their piece with confidence, and a sharp enough script, to ably bewitch an audience.

(Sean Greenhorn) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug (not 21), 2pm, £7.50-£9 (£6.50-£8).

Olwen Davies and Ollie Smith, clad in noirish Gothic elegance, have decided that The Raven is overfamiliar, and so set about rebranding Edgar Allan Poe’s lesser-known short story from 1843, The Black Cat. Using the titular feline as a conduit for their unnamed couple’s many marital frustrations, they playfully dismantle Poe’s most famous leitmotifs: endless gruesome female deaths, men drinking through existential gloom, raging storms, eye gouging. Reading from scripts at desks, it’s part radio play set-up, part impish physical theatre.

A cabbage is stabbed, emulating a Foley-like sound effect, much wine drunk, and the pair playfully bicker about their roles, vacillating between straight readings or Vincent Price camp. The cat itself is represented by a balloon which Smith threatens to pop. Davies parodies the way women in Poe’s stories are presented as idealised, suffering wives who simply react, with little agency.

It’s all fun, but it’s rather inessential and lightweight — even if Davies and Smith have really good chemistry together. Kudos to them, though, for playing fast and loose with the format. (Lorna Irvine) ■ Underbelly Cowgate, until 20 Aug, 7.20 pm, £10–£11 (£9-£10).

Even at their most playful, Ontroerend Goed have a serious point to make. This interactive casino experience mocks the supposed abilities of the banking community, by framing national and international investment as a game of chance and fictional finances. Of course, the finale is an economic collapse, as the croupiers attempt to offload the bonds of failing nations at bargain prices.

Closer to a board game than a theatrical performance, Lies provides the thrills and spills of Monopoly, but the message – that money is about fake faith, not a measure of meaningful production – becomes laboured. The interludes that comment on the progress of the financial fantasy being built at each table give context and heighten the competitive drama between the audience members.

Unfortunately, the game play doesn’t offer the intense emotional kick that Goed’s work usually evokes.

It may suffer in comparison to Goed productions like Sirens, but when the collapse comes, the game gains tension, and the overall structure is a nifty way to explain both the workings of the money-men and the fundamental idiocy of believing in capitalist economic systems. (Gareth K Vile) ■ Summerhall, until 27 Aug (not 21), 8.30pm, £14 (£12).

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Reviews | FESTIVAL THEATRE

list.co.uk/festival

MISTERMAN

THE SOFT SUBJECT (A LOVE STORY)

TUMBLE TUCK

Virtuoso account of religious obsession ●●●●●

Lessons in love from a former teacher ●●●●●

One-woman show about sport and confidence ●●●●●

A man stands alone in his grimy, makeshift home, conversing endlessly with voices from the reelto-reel tape recorders that surround him. This is Thomas Magill, self-proclaimed prophet of Inishfree, returning again and again to his secretly recorded conversations with the sinners of his small Irish town, whose failings he mercilessly notes, and whom he intends to force back to the ways of God. But when he encounters an angel, he sees hope for his own tormented soul.

Thomas Campbell gives a virtuoso performance in this hard-hitting production of Enda Walsh’s 1999 solo play, and its themes of religious obsession justifying the most horrific of acts couldn’t be more relevant today. He’s a lithe, nervy performer, darting restlessly around the stage, yet there’s a dark visionary hypnotism to his portrayal, too.

The climax might be inevitable, and predictable from Thomas’s violent early actions, but it’s no less shocking for that. Kate Gaul’s direction feels a little breathless at times, as if more space might have allowed the horror of Thomas’s utterances to sink in more deeply. But this is a gripping, finely crafted show that crackles with dark energy. (David Kettle) ■ C primo, until 28 Aug, 3.45pm, £9.50–£11.50 (£7.50–£9.50).

The Soft Subject is billed as a love story, but who the lovers are isn’t quite as clear as it might seem.

This autobiographical one-man show by former high school drama teacher Chris Woodley tracks a blossoming relationship with his partner Kevin.

Woodley is keen to bring his background as a teacher into his performance, and structures the show in the style of a lesson plan. His love for his craft, both as educator and performer, is obvious.

He’s an instantly likeable man who wants the audience to learn the lessons he has to teach.

Though Woodley’s tale has tragedy, he is also keen to ensure there is laughter. His sense of humour is occasionally self-deprecating and always self-aware.

Crucially though, it’s a consistently gentle humour, never mean spirited. Even when he is the butt of his own joke, there’s a warmth that permeates his performance.

Woodley’s tale is deeply personal. As such, a few storytelling blips in the latter half of the hour obscure the audience’s understanding, leaving us — like a struggling pupil — fighting to catch up, before his confidence and passion for energetic 90s pop sends us home with contented smiles. (Liam Hainey) ■ Assembly Hall, until 28 Aug, 4.25 pm, £14.50– £15.50 (£13.50–£14.50).

It may have been the damp walls of Underbelly Cowgate, but the space was filled with the appropriate and familiar scent of a swimming pool.

Tumble Tuck, written and performed by Sarah Milton, explores the relationship between sport, confidence and mental health. Specifically it follows Daisy who takes up swimming as a form of therapy after her boyfriend is imprisoned for murder.

Swimming is a savvy choice for these themes, forcing us into environments we’re not built to operate in and exposing our bodies to scrutiny in a way that few other activities do.

Milton’s performance uses this vulnerability well. Daisy is shy as she moves around openly discussing how her size makes her feel awkward in her own body. Milton really excels as she simulates her time in the pool, with an awkward, practised, sort of grace that makes her exertions plain.

These are the strongest moments and the further the action gets from the pool the weaker it becomes. However, at its best, this is an inspiring story about a young woman tapping into unknown reserves to overcome her fears. (Liam Hainey) ■ Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug, 1.30pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).

BORDERS

PHOTO: ROSALIND FURLONG

A strong argument for real journalism ●●●●● Writer and producer Henry Naylor had a considerable pedigree as a comedy-writer for television even before his trilogy of plays on the war on terror (The Collector, Echoes and Angel). His satire has become increasingly hard as his subjects have become more serious. His latest play Borders reflects the split in his work; as a satire of how the media trivialise the effects of global warfare, it’s bluntly obvious. But Naylor’s research into the plight of Syrian refugees is more powerfully written, and this aspect soars.

Borders is a two-hander with Avital Lvova playing an unnamed graffiti-artist using her art to protest the Assad regime in Syria. Her story is told in parallel, with only one point in common, with that of a western photo-journalist Sebastian Nightingale, played by Graham O’Mara. Frustrated by his inability to sell pictures, Nightingale takes a chance assignment to photograph a pre-9/11 Osama Bin Laden, which launches a wasteful career photographing pop stars.

Directed by Michael Cabot, Borders is well performed, particularly by Lvova, who deservedly got a standing ovation for her intense evocation of a woman increasingly trapped by circumstances. But the Nightingale section of the play, accusing the media of not bothering to cover human tragedies when celebrity tittle-tattle is available, is rather ham-fisted and one-note.

The irony is that Borders does the difficult things well; the satire of GMTV and Sport Aid needed a lighter touch, but ultimately doesn’t take away from the raw power of the Syrian story, and the meaning created by the juxtaposition. In the fake news era, journalism seems to be coming back into fashion; Naylor’s play argues strongly why real journalism is still needed.

(Eddie Harrison) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 Aug, 4.30pm, £11.50–£12.50 (£10.50–£11.50).

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LUKE WRIGHT AND PAUL JELLIS PRESENT

WHAT I LEARNED FROM JOHNNY BEVAN

BY LUKE WRIGHT

A blistering play about friendship, class and the death of New Labour.

19 SHOWS 9 VENUES

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Times

2nd Apr Laugharne Festival 8th Apr Selby Town Hall 14th Apr Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham 22nd Apr Cleakheaton Literature Festival 23rd Apr Chesterfield Labour Club 12th May Arts Depot, London

‘Pulsating’ Guardian

14th May Wightman Theatre, Shrewsbury 16th May The Old Market, Brighton

‘A story for our times.’

Scotsman

20th May South Hill Park Arts Centre 21st May Bridport Arts Centre 24th May Norwich Arts Centre 26th May Steven Joseph Theatre, Scarborough 27th May Scarborough Fair Festival

WINNER: SCOTSMAN FRINGE FIRST AWARD 2015

WINNER: STAGE AWARD FOR ACTING EXCELLENCE 2015

2nd June WOW Festival, Worthing

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22-27 AUGUST, 12PM PLEASANCE.CO.UK 0131 556 6550

90 THE LIST FESTIVAL 10–17 Aug 2017

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Reviews at a Glance | FESTIVAL THEATRE

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REVIEWS AT A GLANCE BORIS & SERGEY’S ONE MAN EXTRAVAGANZA ●●●●● It’s a funny script, with plenty of sibling patter but it’s the puppeteers’ talent for improvisation that keep the audience laughing. The puppets are expertly manipulated. It’s a little over-long towards the end and the villain of the piece seems a bit tacked on, lacking a clear motivation for their actions. (Rowena McIntosh) Assembly George Square Theatre, until 27 Aug, 9.25pm, £10–£12.50.

BREAK UP (WE NEED TO TALK) ●●●●● Five people dressed in comedy banana skins enact an unhappy break-up over five hours.

Rotating between roles, so that the gender or sexuality of the two thwarted lovers is never fixed, it follows the break-up from the slight sense of discomfort in the first hour, moving through confessions, resentments, nastiness and, finally, resignation. (Gareth K Vile) Summerhall,14, 21 Aug, 6pm, £10 (£8).

CARRIED AWAY ●●●●● Fresh-faced Phoebe (Lizzie Gray) is clearly in a tizz: she is pregnant after a one-night-stand with a DJ. This well-paced and genuinely funny show from Alexandra Simonet and Lizzie Gray, who alternate performing the role, owes a generous debt to Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s superb Fleabag. (Irina Glinski) C royale, until 20 Aug, 6pm, £8.50–£10.50 (£6.50–£10.50).

COW ●●●●● Cow shows us Bethan returning from London to take over her parents’ farm and struggling in the process. A mixture of high intensity dance, monologues and songs mingle together to tell Bethan’s story. Jessica Barker-Wren’s voice is the strongest part of the show, while much of the narrative is, at best, mundane. (Liam Hainey) Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug (not 16), 1.30pm, £9–£11 (£8–£9).

THE DELIGHTS OF DOGS AND THE PROBLEMS OF PEOPLE ●●●●● There are some nice hints early in the text to the character James’ controlling and emotionally abusive true self, which shows off the best of Rosalind Blessed’s writing.

Overall, it is a bit over-performed and underwritten, which doesn’t do justice to the complex and emotive subject matter at hand. (Irina Glinski) SpaceTriplex, until 26 Aug (not 13, 20), times vary, £10 (£8).

PHOTO: BETH CHALMERS

For full length versions of these reviews, see list.co.uk/festival

DUST ●●●●● In an unflinching examination of a suicide, this strippedback monologue for one woman inspects the unavoidable practicalities, heart-wrenching decisions and pain – plus the laughter. What could be a bleak monologue is however peppered with dry humour through Milly Thomas’s sharp, quick writing and excellent delivery. (Adeline Amar) Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug, 4.40pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).

FLIGHT ●●●●● Flight is not a ‘true story’, and, as such, is capable of dealing with the wider issues of migration without relying on the authenticity of the two boys’ lives here: their shared journey offers both a triumphant and tragic conclusion and the gentleness of the script and scenography reveals a rich reflective relevance. (Gareth K Vile) Church Hill Theatre, until 27 Aug (not 16, 22), times vary, £15.

GLITTER PUNCH ●●●●● Glitter Punch is a classic coming of age story told through the diaries of 16-year-old Molly. There is no traditional happily ever after. Molly ends the story as neither victim nor winner. But having drawn us into her life, with wit and passion, there is hope that she can find happiness for herself. (Liam Hainey) Assembly George Square, until 28 Aug, 1.15pm, £10–£12.

LOSERS ●●●●● Losers has a strong premise: the rise of celebrity culture has created a generation of people more interested in fame than ability or integrity. The performances are engaging, and play up the vacuity of the wannabe, but the sharpness of the satire never quite hurts enough. (Gareth K Vile) Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug, 11.20pm, £10 (£9).

Flight

MORALE IS HIGH (SINCE WE GAVE UP HOPE) ●●●●● If the finale attempts to comment on the contradictions of preaching to the converted without any strategy for change, it doesn’t quite redeem the shortcoming itself. Full of energy, unchanneled anger and accurately depicting the impasse of British politics, Morale still doesn’t rise above the anxiety it depicts. (Gareth K Vile) Summerhall, until 20 Aug (not 16), 10.15pm, £12 (£10).

MY PET, MY LOVE ●●●●● My Pet, My Love is a gentle, contemplative work, but it packs a mighty emotional punch all the same. Through Rob Gaetano’s fluid characterisation and his disarming candour, it glows as a delicate but brave meditation on memory, love, loss and death. (David Kettle) C royale, until 28 Aug, 7.35pm, £8.50–£10.50 (£6.50–£8.50).

NINA – A STORY ABOUT ME AND NINA SIMONE ●●●●● With the support of a superb three-piece band, Josette Bushell-Mingo closes the show by belting some of Simone’s best-known songs with explosive energy, garnering raucous applause from the audience. The exultant ending brings the show full circle, echoing the problem with revolution: it suggests that you end up right back where you started. (Irina Glinski) Traverse, run ended.

OLD STOCK: A REFUGEE LOVE STORY ●●●●● There’s a lot of grit and passion in this cabaretstyle creation, and Old Stock raises questions about our age-old distrust of outsiders. But there’s a problem with structure, too. If it doesn’t quite live up to its opening

promise, it’s a thrilling, enlightening ride nonetheless. (David Kettle) CanadaHub @ King’s Hall in association with Summerhall, until 27 Aug (not 21), 9.30pm, £10 (£8).

PIP UTTON’S GREATEST HITS: CHURCHILL ●●●●● The problem is that the material suffers from being well-worn. Everyone knows Churchill’s epoch-defining speeches, and they are repeated here again almost verbatim. More originality in the script would not go amiss.

Still, Utton at his least successful is still head and shoulders above many at their worst – a major talent.

(Lorna Irvine) Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug, 12.25pm, £8.50–£11 (£7.50–£10).

THE SOFT SUBJECT (A LOVE STORY) ●●●●● Chris Woodley’s tale is deeply personal. As such a few storytelling blips in the latter half of the hour obscure the audience’s understanding, leaving us, like a struggling pupil, fighting to catch up.

Nevertheless, Woodley’s confidence and passion for energetic nineties pop send us home with contented smiles. (Liam Hainey) Assembly Halls, until 28 Aug, 4.25pm, £9–£11 (£8–£10).

ZSA ZSA AND ME ●●●●● When Zsa Zsa Gabor died, obituary writers were quick to point out that, while she had no obvious talents, Gabor was a harbinger of the vacuous celebrity culture. Adding a little more meat on the bones of the anecdotes involved should make sure that Nigel MilesThomas gives Zsa Zsa the send-off she truly deserves. (Eddie Harrison) Gilded Balloon at Rose Theatre, until Aug 29 (not 21), 6pm, £11–£12 (£10–£11).

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ZOE WALKER AND NEIL BROMWICH: THE DRAGON OF PROFIT AND PRIVATE OWNERSHIP Slaying society’s dragons at Edinburgh Art Festival At the end of July, passers by on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile were confronted with a giant inflatable green dragon and a procession of agitators attempting to slay it. The dragon was emblazoned with the words, ‘PUBLIC AND PRIVATE OWNERSHIP’ on its front, and ‘CORPORATE GREED’ on its back. Some of those battling it were tattooed with the word ‘NATIONALISATION’. It looked like a satirical cartoon made flesh and acted out in a display that resembled something between a mummer’s play and an episode of Horrible Histories.

This was ‘By leaves we live . . . not by the jingling of our coins’, the latest processional intervention by Zoe Walker and Neil Bromwich, who have previously made weapons of happiness out of the pink blow-up artillery of ‘Love Cannon’ (2005), which brightened the skies by firing pink balloons. This new work is inspired by an illustration found on a Northumberland Miners’ Association banner from 1924 as well as 19th century anarchist pamphlets. It acted as a trailer of sorts for The Dragon of Profit and Private Ownership, in which the dragon lays dormant in Trinity Apse until the end of Edinburgh Art Festival, having hot air blown up its arse, with a booth showing footage of ‘By leaves we live . . . ’.

The event itself subverted civic spectacle and also taps into a very real democratic need for collective participation in artistic acts rather than merely being passive observers. Walker and Bromwich’s intervention is a comic revolutionary provocation in which we can all join in, slaying dragons as we go.

(Neil Cooper) ■ Trinity Apse, until 27 Aug, free. ●●●●●

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FESTIVAL VISUAL ART | Visual Art Hitlist

ART HITLIST Rachael Cloughton highlights some of the best visual art to explore in week three of the festival SHANNON TE AO: WITH THE SUN AGLOW I HAVE MY PENSIVE MOODS Te Ao presents two melancholic videos made in Aotearoa, New Zealand, which slowly reveal huge expanses of the landscape contrasted with intricate glimpses of nature; cows grazing, embracing humans treading on sodden earth. The artist has filled the former Magdalene Asylum, where this exhibition is held, with fragrant plants, creating a tranquil oasis off the hubbub of the Royal Mile, well worth escaping to. See review, page 95. Gladstone Court, until 27 Aug, free.

WALKER AND BROMWICH: THE DRAGON OF PROFIT AND PRIVATE OWNERSHIP At the start of the Edinburgh Art Festival a giant, inflatable ‘Dragon of Profit and Private Ownership’ paraded along the Royal Mile in a performance titled ‘By leaves we live . . . not by the jingling of our coins’. Those attempting to usurp it were tattooed with the word ‘NATIONALISATION’. Now the dragon lies dormant inside Trinity Apse, with a

film of its processional intervention through played on monitors in an adjacent booth. See review, page 93.

Trinity Apse, until 27 Aug, free.

ROSS LITTLE: THE HEAVY OF YOUR BODY PARTS AND THE COOL AIR OF THE AIR CONDITION Absorbing new film by Ross Little made on board a cruise ship in which Little contrasts the experiences of the globalised labourers aboard – from employees working long hours on the ship to the ‘digital nomad’ passengers. The Collective space itself is transformed to reflect the calming effects of ‘new age therapy’ often adopted as part of the interior design on modern cruise ships – the effect is disorienting and enhances the experience of the film. See review, page 95. Collective, until Sun 10 Sep, free.

NEW EDITION The Edinburgh Printmakers turn 50 this year and celebrates with a group exhibition of screen-printed posters, curated and commissioned

by Glasgow based writer and lecturer Sarah Lowndes. The show emphasises the collaborative nature of

Shannon Te Ao

printmaking and poster art’s particular resonance with the 1960s – when it all began for the organisation. See review, page 95. Edinburgh Printmakers, until Sat 21 Oct, free.

SHADOWS OF WAR: ROGER FENTON’S PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE CRIMEA, 1855 Roger Fenton was one of the earliest war photographers – his images of the

27 July— 27 August

Crimean war, taken in 1855, are the focus of this fascinating exhibition at Queen’s Gallery. Fenton’s photographs were published widely in newspapers and showed the impact of war to the public for the first time. His works were collected by Queen Victoria and are undoubtedly one of the highlights of the Royal Collection. See review, page 95. The Queen’s Gallery, until 26 Nov, £6.30 (£3.20–£5.70).

45+ exhibitions across the city.

Historic surveys / leading international & Scottish artists / the best emerging talent.

New publicly sited artwork for the city.

Children & family activities.

Art Late, events, talks & tours.

edinburghartfestival.com @EdArtFest #EdArtFest

Major funders and supporters: Supported through the Scottish Government Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund

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Reviews | FESTIVAL VISUAL ART

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NEW EDITION Edinburgh Printmakers celebrate 50th anniversary with new commissions ●●●●● To mark the 50th anniversary of Edinburgh Printmakers – which will soon move to an impressive new building in Fountainbridge – this group exhibition has been put together by Glasgow-based writer and lecturer Sarah Lowndes.

It’s a celebration of poster art which emphasises the medium’s collaborative nature, its inter-generational appeal, and its roots in the same late-1960s milieu as the Printmakers itself. She cites the era’s ‘idealism and productive creativity . . . when screenprinting first became the medium of choice both for political activists and for artists of all stripes.’

Poster Club – a group of six artists – share a wall of rough designs for what looks like an imaginary magazine named New Erotics, including plays on modernist architecture, cat pictures, images of a copyrighted mouse and class-based sloganeering.

Elsewhere, Museums Press deal in dense photographic collages and individual text pieces, while Emer Tumilty provides eye-catching splashes of abstract colour design. If there’s a certain slimness to the number of works on show, that’s more than likely down to the restrictions on gallery size rather than the wealth of talent involved. (David Pollock) ■ Edinburgh Printmakers, until 21 Oct, free.

SHANNON TE AO: WITH THE SUN AGLOW, I HAVE MY PENSIVE MOODS Mournful installation set inside former Magdalene asylum ●●●●● The title of Shannon Te Ao’s new video installation may resemble that of a Godspeed You! Black Emperor album, but the landscape here is the artist’s native Aotearoa in New Zealand. The tone is similarly mournful, in a starkly poetic study of what seems to be an eternal estrangement between humankind and the fractured landscape it barely occupies.

The first of the two films is a close-up of two Maori women slow-dancing in a field, holding on for dear life itself before the inevitable goodbye as the sky above them broods its way from day to night. The second focuses on the landscape. Filmed in sumptuous black and white, hills and fields are punctured by pylons as cows graze. Both scenarios are soundtracked with a slow-burning string-led score, and end with a voiceover of the same elegiac verse.

Housed for Edinburgh Art Festival in a former Magdalene asylum for ‘fallen’ women just of the Canongate, the room is filled with foliage to create its own environment. It is the over-riding ache of absence and loss from the films themselves, however, that makes this such a hauntingly beautiful experience. (Neil Cooper) ■ Gladstone Court, until 27 Aug, free.

ROSS LITTLE: THE HEAVY OF YOUR BODY PARTS AND THE COOL AIR OF THE AIR CONDITION Disorientating, surreal video installation ●●●●● Ross Little’s video installation presents a surreal view of life aboard a cruise ship, alongside footage of a shipbreaking yard in India.

His footage is often shot from the perspective of a sober bystander at a drunken party. Shafts of light illuminate abstract bodies moving in and out of the shadows in what appears to be a submerged, watery scene, but gradually as the muffled sound gains clarity, the rhythm of a disco beat links the image with its context. This sort of disorientating transition is key to the film’s construction; a means of opening up aesthetic distance between the eye of the camera and his captive subjects.

Little’s narrative is centred around interviews with passengers who refer to themselves as ‘digital nomads’. Working online while drifting untethered across the ocean, their description of daily life aboard is mystifyingly carefree and humorously delusional.

Though some of the footage of the shipbreaking yard is extraneous, the overall impression is of the cruise ship as a giant living organism whose lifecycle is of a scale that’s impossible for most of its tiny passengers to comprehend. (Jessica Ramm) ■ Collective, until 10 Sep, free.

SHADOWS OF WAR: ROGER FENTON’S PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE CRIMEA, 1855

PHOTO: ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST © HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II 2017

Fascinating exhibition of some of Britain’s earliest war photography ●●●●● The Crimean War of 1853–56 was the first British conflict which was significantly documented in photographs. Victorian Britain was abuzz with the possibilities of the new art form and in sending Roger Fenton and his cameras to the Crimea, publisher Thomas Agnew & Sons knew there would be an appetite for what he brought back.

The photographs were then taken on a 26-venue tour and, by the following March, had been seen by an estimated two million people.

Queen Victoria, who was interested both in photography and in the Crimea, purchased this set for her son, the Prince of Wales, who had been following the war avidly.

It’s easy to forget that, in 1855, photography was still in its infancy. If the photographs of groups of soldiers and officers look stiff and posed, it’s because the long exposure time meant that subjects had to hold completely still for several minutes. It would be some years before ‘action’ photography was possible. However, a number of pictures feature regiments which took part in the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade, a story which had caught the imagination of people at home.

The world Fenton photographed still seems distant to us in these small, sepia images. There are Croats, Ottomans, French, a feistylooking vivandiere (women who accompanied the French troops to serve food and drink), rows of white tents in stony desert terrain and ships in the harbour at Balaklava.

Some of these pictures were used as source material for Thomas Barker’s major group painting of the generals and officers in the Crimea, reproductions of which were then made for the mass market.

In the 1850s, prints were still more vivid than photographs and could be produced on a larger scale. But Fenton’s work spoke of the change that was coming. (Susan Mansfield) ■ The Queen’s Gallery, until 26 Nov, £6.30 (£3.20–£5.70) 17–28 Aug 2017 THE LIST FESTIVAL 95

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EVENTS

HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR PACKED FESTIVAL EVENTS PROGRAMME

PHOTO: ROBERTO RICCIUTI

Clockwise from top right: SNAP, Elixir, Ray Bradshaw, Coppélia

MUSEUM AFTER HOURS Enjoy a flavour of the fringe at the National Museum of Scotland’s late night showcase

A

museum might not be your usual Friday night destination. But during August, the National Museum of Scotland opens its doors after hours, welcoming visitors to a series of Fringe showcases offering a taste of what’s taking place across the city without having to rush between venues. You can also tour the Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites exhibition, visit the pop-up bars and nosey about the museum’s galleries, with curators and scientists on hand to bring the collections to life The second edition of Museum After Hours takes place on Fri 18 Aug and features performances from circus troupes Head First Acrobats and Ethiopia’s Circus Abyssinia, with music from New Zealand’s Modern Maori Quartet, traditional and urban South African dances from I Am Rhythm and a cabaret about the history of the spirit of the moment, gin. Away from the main stage, magician Aaron Calvert conjures up mind-reading and hypnotic feats, Luke Wright performs spoken word and Canada’s Dylan Gott and Scotland’s Ray Bradshaw bring the laughs.

The final Museum After Hours on Fri 25 Aug features Canadian Klezmer sensation Ben Caplan as well as a recreation of the Rat Pack with Frank, Sammy and Dean’s world-famous recordings brought to life. Joining them on the main stage are the Feathers of Daedalus Circus, who perform an excerpt from their show Coppélia. All the way from South Korea is SNAP, which features eight of the country’s leading illusionists, back at the Fringe for a second year. There is also a performance from Jamie Wood, entitled I Am a Tree – if that doesn’t pique your interest, what will?

More acts will continue to be added to the lineup, and you can go to nms.ac.uk/ friday25 to keep track.

EVENTS CALENDAR ART LATE FEATURING HAPPY MEALS This edition of Art Late visits Collective, Edinburgh Printmakers and Rhubaba Gallery and Studios. The evening finishes up at Custom Lane in Leith, with an artist performance from Pauline and the Matches and music from Glasgow synth-pop duo Happy Meals. Collective, 17 Aug, 6.30pm, £9 (£8).

ART LATE FEATURING HAMISH HAWK Choose one of three routes for the final Art Late, with featured works including Bobby Niven’s Palm House at the Johnston Terrace Wildlife Garden and Kate Davis’ exhibition at Stills.

The evening finale is at the Fruitmarket Gallery, with music from Hamish Hawk. Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 24 Aug, 6pm, £9 (£8).

National Museum of Scotland, 18, 25 Aug, 7.30pm, £18 (£16).

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“there’s probably no better place to start your search for great shows than at Summerhall, the venue that in recent years has brought some of the best contemporary theatre to Edinburgh.”

VENUE 26

FESTIVAL PROGRAMME 2017

Lyn Gardner, The Guardian 28 July 2017

£¥€$ (LIES) - Ontroerend Goed, Big in Belgium The Stage A Hundred Different Words for Love - James Rowland Fest Foreign Radical - Theatre Conspiracy, CanadaHub The List Get A Round - Eggs Collective Fest Heather - Thomas Eccleshare The List Lists for the End of the World - fanSHEN Fest Out of Love - Paines Plough, Theatr Clwyd & Orange Tree Theatre, Roundabout at Summerhall The Stage salt. - Selina Thompson, Northern Stage at Summerhall The Guardian, The Stage, The Scotsman Séance - Darkfield The Scotsman Start Swimming - Young Vic Taking Part The Stage, The Scotsman The Believers Are But Brothers - Javaad Alipoor, Northern Stage at Summerhall The List, The Independent The Shape of the Pain - China Plate, Rachel Bagshaw and Chris Thorpe The Guardian You’ve Changed - Trans Creative, Northern Stage at Summerhall The Stage, The List

PERFORMANCE Scottish Dance Theatre – Velvet Petal ATRESBANDES – Locus Amoenus Tessa Bide – A Strange New Space 2Magpies – Last Resort … and many more….

Credit: Tessa Bide A Strange New Space

VISUAL ARTS FREE exhibitions Jane Frere Bridging 1977 Rose Frain … and many more …

11-18:00 Exhibitions are free

Image: Jane Frere

MUSIC

Image: Made in Scotland Showcase

18th - NEHH presents… Optimo (Espacio) 20th - NEHH presents… Jenny Hval 27th - NEHH presents… Xylouris White … and many more …

´ Rost, ` Lov Mexican … and FOOD AND DRINK The Royal Dick, Summerhall Cafe, many more…

Image: Peter Dibdin

Box Office

0131 560 1581

2 Aug - 27 Aug

festival17.summerhall.co.uk Photographer - "© SANAE MATSUZAKI" 10–17 Aug 2017 THE LIST FESTIVAL 1

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