Mike Moran Productions, Italia n Caledonia, Valvona & Crolla, 21st August

Another unusual venue for my choice of shows at the Edinburgh Fringe.  The setting of the show, which is a storytelling, not a play, is the Valvona and Crolla delicatessen - an Edinburgh Institution. One of the co-writers is a direct descendent of the original founder, and this is a personal story of family successes and tragedies.

Italia n'Caledonia is story about the immigration of Italians - craftsmen, musicians, small businessmen - with dreams of a new life in Scotland just before the turn of the twentieth century.  Many started successful small businesses which reflected their Italian culture - ice-cream parlours, cafes, delicatessens and the like.  These migrant families thrived in many Scottish towns and villages.

But, in the 1940s the clouds of war brought tragedy.  Many Italians were labelled 'enemy aliens' and were interned or deported.  Tragedy struck when large numbers of those deported, including Alfonso Crolla, lost their lives on the Arandora Star which was torpedoed on the way back to Canada by a German U Boat.  It is said that almost every Italian family in Scotland lost a father or a brother.

A well told story - moving and funny, warm and sentimental, atmospheric.  The backdrop of the old 1930s holiday films and the accompanying songs and accordion music set the scene perfectly.  At just over an hour long it is suitable for family viewing and well suited to Village Hall production. 

Elaine Williams
Inverie Village Hall
Knoydart Arts Promotions

The Arches/Rob Drummond, Bullet Catch, Traverse 21st August

Brilliant show.  Bullet Catch begins with a story which sets the scene for the drama.  In 1912, the magician William Henderson was killed in front of an audience of two thousand people in London, by an innocent volunteer member of the audience, who fired a gun which the illusionist failed to catch between his teeth.

Drummond chooses his volunteer carefully.  

Rob Drummond’s impressive one-man performance combines magic, illusion, psychology and story-telling, with audience participation and improvisation. As the show goes on the audience is kept in suspense, in anticipation of the nail biting conclusion, whilst Drummond cleverly explores the human nature of trust, free-will, and fate.   It was a Fringe sell out, and hugely entertaining, and definitely suitable for intimate venues.

Elaine Williams
Knoydart Village Hall
Knoydart Arts Promotions  

Tom Sandham and Ben McFarland / The Assembly Rooms, The Thinking Drinker's Guide To Alcohol, 20 August 2012

The Thinking Drinker’s Guide to Alcohol seemed like an obvious Fringe event to check out for the Inverie Village Hall audience; it’s certainly most Knoyds' favourite pastime.  We’ve not many children to entertain here, so worth a punt on an adult show.

It’s a two man comedy show, a few props, costume changes, dry ice, bit of audience participation, two volunteers called.   Easy to put on in any Village Hall, and an entertaining night out for all (well, over 18’s that is).  It was a good gig, and yes, certainly recommended.

The hour long show takes us through a history of imbibing, along with a jaunt into philosophy, geography, and economics.  Comedy  “Infotainment”  is the buzz word.  Some groaningly awful puns too.   The motto of the sketch is “Drink less but drink better” and to encourage us along the way are free samples handed out for good example. 

Starting with a bottle each of Bishops Finger Kentish Strong Ale, and then, to illustrate the tales, follow small  shots of Jagermeister, Angostura 1919 Rum, Tangueray No Ten Gin, Pernod Absinthe, and finally Belvedere Pink Grapefruit.

I’m sure the audience laughed louder and louder as the show went on, and we all left with a warm glow :)

Elaine Williams

Knoydart Village Hall

Knoydart Arts Promotion

Barbara Slack. Highlights Edinburgh Village Hall 2012

Barbershopera. The Three Muskateers. The Pleasance

Reviews Comedy barbershop quartet, but much more than that.  Their take on the three muskateers was really good musical comedy theatre, great singing, good jokes, and quite bawdy,  so pitched at an adult audience. They are very slick, very professional.  The set is quite simple with some scaffolding at the back and boxes of costumes and props at the sides.  There are 3 men and a woman in the company.  They work really well together and look as if they are having as much fun as the audience.
Why is the work suitable or not suitable / ready for rural touring ?	High standard of singing and performance.  Different type of show for our audiences
Why would you book them ?  or  Why wouldn’t you book them ?	Yes, for the reasons above.  However, at present they don’t tour with their own lights/PA and the show isn’t  suitable for under 15’s at present.
Why would it be worth pursuing this company to consider work in the future? Or not  ?	Definitely a company that would work for rural touring,  but may need to look at shows which have more of a family appeal and are self contained.

Jonny & The Baptists, The Underbelly, Cowgate

Review Musical comedy blues band.  Lead singer/songwriter/frontman Jonny  carries the show.  His onstage persona was described as a cross between Mat Lucas and Boris Johnson, but more likeable than both, which just about summed him up. Very funny, wildly enthusiastic, lots of interaction with the audience and a mix of topical, satirical, protest songs about anything that takes their fancy.  Accompanied by Amy on fiddle and Paddy on guitar, they have a great rapport.  I wouldn’t say they were polished, but lots of ad libbing added to the fun.  Content was a bit risqué for our audiences, but they can also offer a cleaner  version and will make songs up as they tour round.
Why is the work suitable or not suitable / ready for rural touring ?	More suited to adult audiences
Why would you book them ?  or  Why wouldn’t you book them ?	Not sure about the content for our rural audiences
Why would it be worth pursuing this company to consider work in the future? Or not  ?	Worth considering, would need some discussion with company first

Unmythable, Temple Theatre, Zoo

I loved this show, from the minute I walked in and was offered olives from smiling actors.  All the greatest Greek myths were woven into Jason and the Argonauts quest for the Golden Fleece.  It was delivered at a pace that was exhausting as the three actors took on an array of Gods, Heroes and Monsters, with the audience making up the rest.  It’s a great show for any age and the singing is pretty good as well.  Book it!

Why is the work suitable or not suitable / ready for rural touring ?	Accessible, high quality, easy to sell
Why would you book them ?  or  Why wouldn’t you book them ?	YES great family show
Why would it be worth pursuing this company to consider work in the future? Or not  ?	Definitely.

Jo Gatenby ON Tour Reviews

Insights: 5 emerging dance artists perform short works

I was keen to experience some contemporary dance in Edinburgh, since dance is my real passion. So my first show of the Fringe was 'insights'. The show included short pieces (most no longer than 15 minutes in length) from new dance companies.

Companies included: CoDa Dance Company, Eden Dance Works, Jai Hutchison, NineBOBNote Dance Theatre and John Ross.

John Ross: Man Down
Man Down tells the story of one man's journey and psychological struggle to come to terms with the daily torment of working in a war zone. This solo was beautifully choreographed using spoken text, which impacted on the dancers quirky movement. The spirals and fluidity achieved by the dancer were visually exquisite and made for a harrowing yet stunning experience.

Suitability for rural touring: This short piece would work well on the rural touring circuit, the piece involves much floor work so may need to be adapted or only shown in specific venues geared to dance.
I would highly recommend John as both a dancer and choreographer.

As Yet Unknown: NineBOBNote Dance Theatre
A fun, yet very direct piece using music by The Black keys and Electric Youth as it's back drop. The dancers entered in bras and pants with open checked shirts. The piece explored the relationship between the three women on stage, at one minute the women were best friends, the next they were criticising each other. Spoken voice was used to great dramatic effect and often the audience were left wondering how far the relationship of the three women was going to go.
I found the piece uplifting and amusing to watch, I'm not sure it would work well on the Rural touring circuit as I think it would be a difficult sell to other schemes, but I would still potentially book it.

The pieces by Jai Hutchison, Eden Dance Works and Coda Dance Company seemed to heavy and overly emotive to enjoy as an audience member. I don't think any of these pieces could be developed to create full scale pieces for the rural touring circuit.


Country Boy's Struggle- China Plate recommendation

Having booked Country Boy's Struggle through the recent Strategic Touring Bid blind, I wanted to go and see the piece for myself in order to be able to sell it to our promoters more easily.
I took two friends along to see the show, in order to gather their opinions too, my promoter and director also saw the show later in the week.

I honestly can't fault this one man show, it was immaculately performed by Maxwell who managed to portray all the different characters in his life so vividly through rap, music and dialect. I found myself willing Maxwell along on his new venture in London and was lulled into the audience participation. I am now confident that this show will work brilliantly with our young audiences and would also be interested in booking the show again for further dates in Autumn 2013/ Spring 2014.

A Midsummer Nights Dream- China Plate recommendation

I thought this show seemed rather large scale for rural audiences, there was a large cast, set and the production values seemed large scale too.

The play was well performed, although you didn't instantly warm to the actors, as I have in previous productions. There was much to cram into an hour long performance and I left feeling rushed and unfulfilled. This may have had something to do with that I also had to run to the next venue following this show!

I wouldn't book it for rural touring and feel it was a little predictable.

Beulah by The Flanagan Collective

I went to see this show based on the incredible reviews it had been receiving from professional reviews and twitter audiences.

The show explores how we view life, dreams, reality and the after life.  Inspired by William Blake, the show takes you on a journey of how we view our world and the windows available into other people's worlds and time zones. The two actors perform folk music exquisitely throughout the show, which leaves even the youngest audience members mesmerised. A gorgeous little play which would work extremely well on the rural touring circuit and one which I am considering booking for Autumn 2013.

ON Tour Promoter Maggie Corder's Edinburgh Reviews

DAVID VERNON AND DICK LEE ( they didn't have a name for their duo - if they were booked they would need to think up a a catchy name for themselves! - 'Squeeze 'n  Blow' perhaps?! )

A brilliant accordion/clarinet duo, these two played a great programme of music to suit all tastes, from Kletzmer and Balkan dance music to jazzed up Scottish airs, French musettes, Ragtime and blues, even a bit of Mozart.

Their presentation style was accessible and fun ( if a bit teehee!), and the musicianship impeccable. 

BLUESWATER COLLECTIVE

Dynamic, sexy and energetic renditions of all that music which underpins today's popular music, this Edinburgh based band flew through the history of the Blues, with classic tracks from Delta, Chicago, Muddy Waters, BB King, Screamin Jack Hawkins, Elvis, Clapton, Hendrix Stevie Ray Vaughan  all in an hour long assault on the senses. Many in the audience were incapable of sitting still, so dancing in the isles was inevitable and positively encouraged! Brilliant front man kept the pace up, gradually building the size of the band to include brass, percussion and vocal doo wop. Wonderful!

Tuesday

THE FANTASIST Theatre Temoin. Underbelly. 

A three hander, this powerful piece of theatre stays with you for days afterwards. An unusual and stunning combination of physical theatre, puppetry and original sounds and music make for a thought provoking piece on a small and cleverly arranged set. It explores the collision between fantasy and reality of bipolarity with sensitivity and humour, leaving the audience with a better understanding of the highs and lows of this disturbing and generally misunderstood condition. 

The performance was a sell out, and one of the festivals big hits. 

SELF CRITICISM

2 hander.Well acted, the struggle between the wife and the mistress figure, the home maker and the tart... but not really the stuff of local theatre tours!

Wednesday

COUNTRY BOY'S STRUGGLE

Maxwell Golden does a great job in portraying the growing up process in deepest Cornwall ( could be Yorkshire or any other rural outpost ) of a young lad wanting to get somewhere, anywhere, but mainly AWAY, into hip hop and a feeling of belonging. Moves to the big city in his search, and after many disappointments and setbacks, finds his way into the independent life he wants at the end of the rainbow. The story of migration, separation from familiar ties and family, especially his sceptical and judgemental father, to the metamorphosis he has dreamed of. Great rap, stylishly performed. 

LADY CAROL MUST DIE   one woman cabaret. 

Charming Irish girl from Cork, with her ukelele arrives on stage like the original diva and proceeds with the chat, as only the Irish can, about her life and times, her original songs accompanied by the uke in her powerful and hypnotic  voice. Slides of Irish childhood and teen years back projected while she sings, the main theme of the piece is her relationship with a difficult father from whom she escapes into punk and goth extremes. Would melt the heart of any audience with its tender and funny observations. 

Jen Henry - reviews 2

Jen Henry - CRTA
Here are the final few reviews I had yet to post.
Many thanks to all the bloggers on here. Its been great to read so many reviews.

Hanfunda Denki
Company - Ryuzanji Company (Tokyo)

A Japanese company bringing a very odd and disturbing piece. Set in a funeral parlour, the piece is based on a Japanese card game. Supposedly set in around 1918 (though the costumes were highly stylised and modern, so it didn’t make much difference when it was set). The premise was that the family who owned the funeral parlour were all dead and would facilitate taking the living into the world of the dead as a business. It was presented mostly as a musical , sung in typical Japanese karaoke style. The story developed as the owners tried to marry their daughter to one of the undead, but she wanted to marry a living criminal. The story went to some very dark and disturbing places, though often without much content, though of course some of that may have been lost in the translation. there were subtitles for the piece. Overall interesting to see , to see a very different style of theatre, but not a piece I would ever book.


Monkeywood Theatre - Northern stage at St Stephens.
Once in a house on fire

A raw and distinctly Mancunian true story about three sisters growing up in the shadow of poverty and domestic violence, based on Andrea Ashworth’s memoir. In a 1970s Moss Side terrace, Andy and her sisters are determined to make their family’s lives better. As their mother descends into hopeless self-destruction and a succession of stepfathers.
The group have worked closely with Ashworth to deliver this piece, and it shows. The feel is very authentic and the story told at a good pace. Occasional let ups in the pace happen during scene changes as costumes are changed on stage etc.
A company to watch for future work if not  for this piece.

Gilbert and Sullivan in Briefs
Ingenious Paradox / Nick Brooke Productions / Queens Theatre

I looked at his in a view to presenting some easy to access opera. Done very much in the style of the reduced Shakespeare type plays, its premise is that the 4 singers ( a Soprano, Mezzo, Tenor, Baritone) and piano accompaniment are told they have to go through all of Gilbert and Sullivan’s 13 operas, performing at least one song from each. In between there is some nice character interaction with small stories unfolding between the performers. Lots of frantic costumes and prop changes etc, add to the humour, but the real selling point is the quality of the singing, which was superb. It would appeal mostly to those who knew the operas, but would not exclude those who didn’t at all. Its frantic pace may make it a little hard to follow for those more unfamiliar with the works. All round good entertainment, and quality light opera.
American based production company so not sure if they will be touring.
It may be a bit too specialist for most promoters though.
I would consider booking them if they were touring , and if there was a promoter with an interest in this type of work to want them.