Twitter sytle reviews by Lyndsay - Spot on, Lancashire

My highlights:

• Dugout Theatre's Inheritance Blues - fabulous show combining a live band, theatre and comedy about three sons at their fathers wake. Think it's finished at Fringe now but check them out for future performances. ****
• Mess - Never thought I'd laugh at anorexia but it was a really sensitively handled and beautifully crafted show.****
• Mayday Mayday - not a dry eye in the house I literally turned around and everyone was crying. Great one man show about the day he broke his neck and the subsequent recovery. I'd love this in our menu.*****
• Translunar Paradise - I finally saw it! Wow. Another audience in tears. Surely we can convince them to tour it? *****
• The Boy With Tape On His Face - Just see it. I doubt it would ever work in a small space because the show needs audience participation within a big group. But if you want to laugh for an hour you should go. Plus you get a free balloon!****
• Barbershopera - The Three Musketeers, great new show. Four part accapella vocal group, with a silly storyline and lots of energy. Shame it was on so late as it would benefit family audiences.****
• End to End at Bannermans, a free fringe show that's well worth a view. Really great story about three girls who take a trip from Lands End to John O'Groats trying to travel on as many forms of transport as possible. The show is made up of conversations and experiences they had along the way. Great staging, lovely company. I'd like to get in touch to find out if they'll be touring. ****
• Beta Males - The Space Race - saw them last year and this new show is even better. Four men improvising in a high energy show about how Britain made it to the moon first. The show has some fantastic video footage, projected on stage. If we can convince them to swear a little less I think we'd have a great show for our audiences. ****
• Molly Naylor and the Middle Ones - My Robot Heart - Fantastic show. Brilliant story which resonated for me as someone about Molly's age (made me realise I'm further along in my wardrobe buying stages than I thought). Not always sure about the soundtrack but a good watch nonetheless. ***

I saw others too but the above stood out for me.
Enjoy it!
L

Donna Rutherford, Kin, Playhouse

Kin by Donna Rutherford

I was a bit disappointed with this. ‘Kin’ explores the relationship between middle aged children and their aging parents and how the roles reverse as they become dependent on us. 

Donna Rutherford’s performance was compassionate and tender but I rather felt she added little to the video interviews, where five actors discussed very honestly their feelings and emotions as they watch their parent’s age and their relationships shift to become the carer.

Unfortunately the seating at the venue didn’t do the stage set justice as it was difficult for the audience to view the three tables, each set out for a meal and the focal point on each table, an hour glass in different degrees of size representing the passage of time. 

Technically an easy piece of thought provoking theatre suitable for rural touring with a guaranteed audience,  with the majority relating to the subject matter. 
Steph Hand
Birnam Arts

NTS Appointment with the Wicker Man, Assemby Hall

Appointment with the Wicker Man

National Theatre of Scotland’s Appointment with the Wicker Man.  A comedy reworking of the famous 70s horror movie set on a remote Scottish isle. Written by Greg Hemphill and fellow chewin’ the Fat writer Donald McCleary.  

The lead of The Loch Parry Players in their latest show, The Wicker Man, has gone AWOL and they've had to draft in ‘real-life actor’ Rory Mulligan, realising he’s in over his head, the star tries to pull the show together. Only to discover there may be more sinister forces at work

I found this an odd one for NTS to undertake, but laughed from start to finish.  A romping farce with ‘Carry On’ gags throughout, not normally my cup of tea but the gusto and enthusiasm of the actors really made this work.

Would have been ideal for rural touring, with a ready-made audience drawing similarities to village hall antics.  Unfortunately this was a huge production both technically and set design.
Steph Hand
Birnam Arts

Swamp Juice

Brilliant completely zany character had audience in stitches from the start.  Very clever I would never have believed anyone could do so much with shadow puppets.  The 3D ending for which they gave out glasses was really Wow had us all ducking and diving.  Audience partisipation at the end was good.  The Screen would probably be too big for a village hall with a stage but he could probably do the show on the floor.  Would be suitable for children and adults.  Would definitely add this one to the list of what I would choose.

 

Review by Pat Hamilton

Perle

Very sad, how a father learns to cope with the death of his daughter.  Clever way of doing it using a television with his words coming up as speach bubbles.  Altogether a really good show but maybe a bit too serious for us.

 

Review by Pat Hamilton

The Fantasist

Very good.  Play about mental health problem.  Brilliant acting and clever use of dummies and little wooden figure.   Good in a theatre but not in village hall.

 

Review by Pat Hamilton

Curious Scrapbook of Josephine Bean

Brilliant.  The audience were laughing from the moment she walked on stage.  Very clever, very different to anything I've ever seen before.  Props easy to fit into village hall.  My audience would love it.

 

Review by Pat Hamilton