Cabaret & Variety Reviews

Aaron Crow: FearLess ««««

VENUE: Assembly Rooms

TIME: 9:30pm – 10:30pm, 1–25

Aug

TICKETS: £13 – £15

Is Aaron Crow FearLess, or just insane? After watching the show, it’s safe to say that he is both. But more than FearLess, Crow is a master of non-verbal suspense. He remains mute throughout the entirety of the show and in doing so eliminates any barrier of communication with his audience. Such a performer does not need words when their actions shout so loudly.

With each feat comes an everincreasing level of intrigue – what is risk to Crow is reward to those watching. A Russian roulette of daggers, threading several ingested needles, shards of broken glass, all seem child’s play to this master of madness. And despite the stage being awash with peril, every audience member that he invites up to assist him seems simultaneously nervous and comforted. Crow’s gaze is both arresting and endearing, a mischievous glint that suggests mayhem but delivers magic.

And then things get more serious. Ninja-like reflexes save Crow from a potential amputation. A staff beating out his pulse seems to slow and even stop. In those split seconds, a realisation sets in: if any of this goes wrong, Crow’s life is in serious danger.

Every aspect of FearLess heightens its mystery, from the uneasy silences to the stereotypical music and Edgar Allan Poe-inspired projection imagery. But this show that is more than merely dramatic – it has dramaturgy. Crow is both a madman and a genius, but most of all he is a consummate performer.

✏ Daniel Perks

Magical Bones: Black Magic

VENUE: Underbelly, Bristo Square

TIME: 6:25pm – 7:25pm, 31 Jul –25 Aug, not 12

TICKETS: £10 – £11

It’s Magical Bones’s first hour at the Fringe, combining breakdancing with close up tricks and an escape act. For Bones, black magic doesn’t refer to misappropriated vodou or Satanic rites, but black excellence. He draws out this theme with his own tricks, which build to some astonishing climaxes, and through stories about his role models: Ellen Armstrong, a psychic and first black woman magician to tour America, and Henry “Box” Brown, who escaped slavery by posting himself inside a box.

Introducing himself to his audience, Bones traces his career from his start as a street performer, and all the hallmarks of street magic are there. Card tricks make up the majority of the act, with a Rubiks cube thrown in for good measure.

Exposing Edith «««

VENUE: Assembly George Square Studios

TIME: 2:20pm – 3:30pm, 31 Jul –26 Aug, not 12, 19

TICKETS: £12 – £14

A musical journey through the extraordinary career of the late great Edith Piaf, Exposing Edith is a multi-award winning cabaret show by Michaela Burger. A beautiful tribute to the legend, Exposing Edith chronicles Piaf’s wild life both on and off stage. It's

Unfortunately, the visibility for some tricks is poor, and an engaging table trick set to music is let down by the grainy television that doesn't let anyone not in the front row see it.

Bones has an underplayed charm, chirpsing a woman he calls up on stage and teasing his audience and his assistant every now and again. It keeps the atmosphere easy-going, but also a little casual, with audience members lapsing into chatter. There’s also a noticeable drop in engagement whenever he leaves the stage – a short PowerPoint on Brown doesn’t do much to cover his absence as he prepares for a showstopping final trick. It’s here, as Bones asks a white audience member to shackle him, that some tension finally builds.

✏ Frankie Goodway

held together by a terrific central performance by Burger who has the skill to not only portray Piaf, but her inner circle of confidants.

It’s no easy thing to sing as the legendary French artist, yet Burger has the vocals to do so. It is safe to say that this is a special show for Burger who was affectionally nicknamed the little sparrow of Australia, after her idol Piaf, the original little sparrow. Piaf was a larger-than-life figure who has, till this day, devoted fans around the world.

To tell Piaf’s story, Burger isn’t afraid to use the most rich and uplifting parts as well as the most devastating moments of Piaf’s life. It is a heartwarming performance that offers a unique take on Piaf’s famous songs and life story. These stories that have become legendary among fans. Newcomers will be won over by Burger’s talent as well as Piaf lasting legacy as a true original.

Not to be forgotten is Greg Wain, the underscoring guitar player who helps reimagine songs like ‘La Vie en Rose’ into acoustic ballads. Where Exposing Edith succeeds is in capturing the spirit of the French superstar. Audiences will learn to appreciate Piaf and learn to love Burger.

✏ James McColl