Category Archives: Theatre

Festivals, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review: Do Our Best, Remy Beasley, Francesca Moody Productions, Edinburgh Fringe Festival By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

For you Welsh readers, you would recognise Remy Beasley. But it may take a while. I spent a huge amount of Do Our Best wondering where I had seen her before, and it is a testament to her acting talent that I still did not know till googling after. Known for her role in the Welsh show, Stella, her character of Sephie could not be more far removed from her character opposite Ruth Jones.

Written by Beasely, we are introduced to Sephie who has decided to go back to girl guides to get her final badge. Dealing with the death of her mother, her feeling of insecurity and failure, and her relationship with her guide leader, we go through her motions of sadness, of loss to reliving her past and realising how much of a star she is.

Beasley is full of beans and never seems to stop on stage. I love this approach to the character, giving her a sense of still being childlike and finding her way in the World. She finds her way on the floor, on top of chairs, hugging the audience – she is as impatient as a child and we get the sense she has not grown up since the guides.

Sephie is a confident character – her want to be a star and her memory of being the centre of the world is evident, and she brings this to us in the present, ordering us around, stating memories as facts, and all in all being absolutely hilarious. Beasley shows through this her own confidence and own get go – at times slipping her own giggle at an audience interaction in, a little ad lib, and obviously enjoying her own performance, as much as we are!

And these comical and loveable moments make the hard moments, the sadness and the euphoric moments all the more poignant – when silence comes after chaos, it is beautiful, and she relishes these moments, leaving us feeling nicely energised and contemplative.

Do Our Best is a brilliant example of women running theatre – Beasley is a performer to be reckoned with, and it is guaranteed you will come out sore from laughter, from heart ache but with a new friend in Sephie.

Dance, Festivals, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review: The Bible 2 (Plus a Cure for Shame, Violence, Betrayal and Athlete’s Foot), Crystal Rasmussen / Tom Glitter, Edinburgh Fringe Festival By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

This is a drag show unlike any other.

A combination of comedy, quintessential camp fierceness,
honesty, raw truth and pure love, Crystal Rasmussen (out of drag, lovely Tom
Glitter) brings us the story of violence, shame and betrayal he felt growing up
as a homosexual man in a less accepting world, and how his drag alternative
personality helped him to accept himself and ignore the haters.

Crystal is beautiful, glamorous and hilarious. She bares all
to us not only emotionally but physically, spinning on the stage in all her
glitter for us to cheer, whoop and love.

When she opens up to us about Tom’s past, the physical,
emotional and mental abuse he suffered for just being him, it is brought to us
in a really sensitive way and anyone with a brain on their shoulders and a
heart in their chest feels for him, feels the anger, betrayal and sadness that
there are people who could treat someone else like this.

The narrative is nicely and equally split – while there is
some hard hitting stuff, there’s as much joy and comedy and utter glamour to
help us along.

Crystal also makes us feel included – saying hello to all of
us, somehow making us feel as if she knows us one by one (and she is so
brilliant, you just WISH you were her friend!) and makes us feel welcome. It
feels like a safe sanctuary, where we are all joined together to celebrate
Crystal and Tom’s love.

Not to mention, some well-known tunes, that we boogie to, but that she sings – and what a voice! I would happily listen to her sing any song and love it more than the original. Crystal Rasmussen/Tom Glitter, Bible 2, is great fun, a wonderful night out, but a hard hitting realisation of the world for LGBTQ+ people. It is not a shy performance, the jokes are NSFW and we come away even more in love with her than before.

Utter perfection!

Circus, Festivals, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review: YUCK Circus, Edinburgh Fringe Festival By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

The only way to start this review is to announce that this
was one of the best and most inventive things I have seen for a long time.

The word ‘circus’ could however be a loose term for the
performance; there are some small stunts, a little aerial and flexibility, but
this is not the main focus, and that does not make me mad.

This all female group openly spit in the face of the
patriarchy, but with a sense of humour and no fear. The YUCK ladies take
elements of female life, from menstruation, to talking about messy nights out,
pubic hair to ‘dick pics’ and ultimately doing this with a hint of satire on
how women are perceived in Circus shows.

The YUCK performers are dressed in basic black shorts and
tops, modest and purely to help with the stunts. But at one point, they point
out that there has been little circus; to fuel our need, they do a balancing
act, but not before pulling their shorts up, exposing their bottoms and facing
the audience. This is not only hilarious but is addressing the importance that
we are used to seeing scantily clad circus performers, and at times we question
if this is really for function or for the ‘male gaze’.

They are unapologetic in parts of life that are not feminine
– beer drinking, burping – who cares! They certainly don’t and through this
humour and inventive acts, they poke fun and make a stand at the same time.

They interact fully with us, making eye contact, coming into
the audience and so this is not a show for the shy by any means.

There is also music; and again, these range from satirical
live music, poking fun at what the aerialist is doing, as well as some quintessential
feminist songs, some disco – all the tunes you cannot stop yourself dancing to.

YUCK Circus is what every feminist woman should go to to feel another push in what we are striving for in society; for every woman who is still in the dark; and for every man who is stuck in the patriarchy. It is for everyone who wants to laugh, has a slight dark and unbarred humour and to feel really empowered by these unapologetic and fierce women.

 

Festivals, Musical, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review: Tokyo Rose, Burnt Lemon Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe Festival By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (2 / 5)

A wonderful way of bringing more unknown stories to light is
through theatre. Burnt Lemon Theatre have done this with the story of Tokyo
Rose.

An American woman, of Japanese heritage finds herself under
the fire for treason in a case of mistaken identity, tricks and conspiracies.
Burnt Lemon Theatre, through musical storytelling, bring us the story of this
woman, from early life to the trial.

Not the biggest of musical fans, I have in the past be pleasantly
surprised and converted. Unfortunately, Tokyo Rose does not do this for me.
With musicals, some involve moments of script to break up the music, and some
are back to back songs. With Tokyo Rose, this is more of the latter and it
feels a little as if we need a break to take in the information. It feels quite
full on.

What cannot be argued in how much the performers put into
their series of characters, the choreography and singing itself. It is
pristine, well formulated and executed with 110%. There are times that the
singing is slightly off – throwing in quite often what I would call a ‘Mariah
Carey’ flare; this over the top harmony that does not quite hit the right notes
and could really be done without.

Unfortunately, Tokyo Rose was just not my cup of tea. Bringing such an important and not well known story to the forefront in this way is entirely commendable, and the performers are obviously very talented and bringing their all to the production. I really wanted to like it more – an all-female production bringing the injustice of a woman in the 1930’s/40s in a story missed slightly by time – it just missed the mark and did not seem to gel well with a musical approach.

Theatre, Uncategorized

Review: Conspiracy, Barrel Organ, Edinburgh Fringe Festival By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

I am sure that all of us consider at least one Conspiracy
theory to be true. Or at least question it. But is it a conspiracy, fake news,
or are we easily convinced?

Barrel Organ bring us an hour of questions, of theories, of
arguments, mistrust and a jumble of opinions. Three freelance researchers are
recording their findings on the famous picture of a line of men, sat eating
their lunch on a skyscraper above New York. What this begins in a series of
fast paced, believable explanations and theories behind how they got there and
the realism of the ‘facts’ they have in possession of.

Conspiracy is a really minimal production. It is completely
about the narrative, with imagery and props only to help along the story. It is
really fast paced – imagine explaining something exciting to someone with no
idea of the content – you become fast, full of energy and eager to surprise the
listener. Now throw this into a play at a constant.

It is so well written and with the combination of the
amazing performers, you almost cannot believe that it is scripted. It feels
like a real conversation; there is so much information that you cannot believe
it is just rehearsed lines and the interaction between the characters is so
naturalistic and real that we almost feel intrusive into the broadcast.

Events eventually come to a climax, and the exasperation,
the anger and frustration feels real but we cannot help but laugh. The comedy
is completely on point – it is subtle, it is often brought with the right
pause, the right intention, sometimes is even a subtle facial expression or
gesture and you soon find yourself in complete hysterics.

Conspiracy is everything you want in a production – realistic, engaging and hysterical. Somehow you come away almost believing the content on stage, questioning conspiracy theories but also thoroughly entertained.

Theatre, Uncategorized

Review: Teenage Kicks, Roisin Crowley-Linton, Edinburgh Fringe Festival By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

I am so happy with this year’s fringe and the abundance of
solo female shows. Something that I have always wanted to do myself, it is
great to see such confident, talented and inspirational women storming the
stages of Edinburgh.

This is no exception of Roisin Crowley-Linton. Physically
and figuratively, Crowley-Linton bares absolutely all to us on stage.
Crowley-Linton works with teenagers, and this brings her to compare her teenage
years with those of today; to be honest about the risky and at times sensitive
events she has been through, and at the same time, giving great advice.

Stand up, meets spoken word, meets music and cabaret,
Crowley-Linton has put together a meaty show. But it does not feel at all
overwhelming. Everything moves swiftly and smoothly into one another, drawing
on each story to involve the next. We feel like we are experiencing a story,
but as if we are also there having a chat with her.

There is plenty of audience interaction, but stating from
the start, Crowley-Linton is not here to ‘take the piss’ out of us, nor is she
here to call us out. She asks us questions such as a song that reminds us of being
a teenager, or where our first kiss was. We also are encouraged to talk to one
another, becoming close friends and being honest with strangers. It feels like
a safe space, and she always makes sure we are okay.

Crowley-Linton is also completely hilarious. Perhaps
relating more to a generation in their mid to late twenties with specifics of
their teenage era, there is still an abundance of ages in the room who resonate
with the themes and with her as a person.

Teenage Kicks is not just a performance. It is a friendship group. It is relaxed, honest, raw and Crowley-Linton is an incredible woman to bring a piece to stage where she opens herself up to us, unashamed and with complete humour.

Celebrations, Festivals, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review: A Wake in Progress, Fine Mess Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe Festival By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Adding to the ‘Death at the Fringe’ sector this year, Fine
Mess Theatre bring us a death celebration.

When a young woman finds herself dying, all she wants to do
is celebrate her life and go out with a bang. Not so much an unusual tale in
today’s modern age, funeral parties before the death of someone is becoming
increasingly popular – However, Fine Mess Theatre take this subject on with
great intent and a refreshing approach.

The combination of scripted performance and audience interaction
is equally measured. We are invited as guests; we are not made to feel like the
audience but part of a really exclusive group of friends – given party hats and
sweets, asked for our suggestions and addressed by names, (on a name tag we
write at the beginning, but somehow the performers never make it seem as if
they are reading them) we feel a part of this woman’s life. We feel the
emotions and we feel the love.

The script is perfectly natural. Perfectly rehearsed, it
does not feel scripted and if we were not at the fringe, it would be hard to
guess that this is indeed a play; the performers interact and project their
lines as if it was real life. The only theatrical break is when we are involved
in the party and so there is a dramatic turn to the in depth and naturalistic
scenes on stage.

And while partly heart breaking, partly realistic, there is
some comedy to it. And these parts are not dramatised. Again, this is part of
the script, naturally approached and so beautifully humorous, as one would find
in a normal conversation among friends.

A Wake in Progress is true to life, deeply thought out and well executed. While a funeral is not something to find joyous, this celebration is worth the attendance.

Art, Festivals, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review: Art Heist, Poltergeist, Edinburgh Fringe Festival By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

What happens when three thieves break into a gallery, the
same night, to steal the same painting? A hilarious series of events full of
comedy, gasps of close calls and complete chaos.

Art Heist by the company Poltergeist, in partnership with
Underbelly and New Diorama Theatre, bring us a high energised and full of
calamity production featuring three thieves and a gallery guard. All have
different motives, different personalities and bring their own humour and likeability.
At some point the characters are all bound to bump into each other, but there
is a sense of a tense atmosphere while waiting for this, along with near
misses. Once they do, the interaction is surprising, well thought out and full
of comedy.

There’s hardly a break in this production for anyone – reminiscent
of Monty Python, come Mischief Theatre’s ‘Comedy about a Bank Robbery’ with a
hint of alternative reality/game culture, the narrative and actions are both
fast paced and with quick thinking, yet perfectly accomplished with every
comical intent hit.

Each character narrates their actions, sometimes with
interaction from the guard who throws spanners in the works. This reminds me of
watching a video game, with planned out thoughts that not always come to
fruition.

The staging and lighting is simple – characters are always
on stage but always engaged. We get different levels away from the main action,
without a single person breaking character. 
Multimedia is used with cameras, sound effects, lights e.t.c. to give
the emphasis of a gallery but also to layer the action.

The performers themselves are hysterical – fully involved in
their characters, there is freedom to ad lib and go with the chaos, especially
when the audience are encouraged to interact. The simple ‘guard training’ that
the audience undertake is hilarious in itself; again, it is simple but well put
together.

Art Heist will steal your heart and rob your laughter – coming away, there is admiration of the energy of these performers and great smiles at how much fun we have in just an hour.

Festivals, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review: The Words Are There, Nth Degree Productions, Edinburgh Fringe Festival By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

How does one express themselves without being able to speak
fluidly?

The Words Are There tells the story about Mick and Trish,
their meeting, relationship, the most important moment of their lives, but with
the underlying issue of domestic abuse. Mick himself suffers from a stutter and
so we see the impact this relationship has on bringing him out as a person and
then shutting him back down.

This piece is fascinating. Using only sound cues and music,
The Words Are There is a fully physical theatre production with only props to
help us along the way. It is fast paced, intricate and full of energy, even at
times of stillness. At times this is a little hard to keep up with and also a
mystery to how Ronan Dempsey manages to keep going in this one man production.

While there in minimal narrative, with our reliance on the
sound cues and the physicality, we are able to imagine our own scenes for Mick
and Trish – triggers for the good and triggers for the bad are all available
that we cannot help but get swept into the drama.

It seems comical when Dempsey makes Trish out of household
items – but how he interacts with her and makes her move, we soon forget she is
just an object and really believe in her and her personality.

The production is slow starting but somehow this works into
bringing us to curve balls and climaxes. It feels like a build-up and we enjoy
the ride; getting to know these two characters and developing love/hate
feelings towards them.

The Words Are There is an energetic and emotional piece. Slow to start, we do engage intimately in these two characters and our feelings immediately change with the theatricality of the narrative.

Dance, Theatre, Uncategorized

Review: The Sensemaker, Women’s Move, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, By Hannah Goslin

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out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

Have you ever been on hold? The irritating music. The
repetitive recorded voice. The infuriation. But when we reach the end and
someone answers, aren’t we polite.

The Sensemaker is a predominantly multimedia, choreographed
piece, responding to sound and music, with repetitive, but also different
gestures and movement throughout.

We are there to question what is happening, and what would
we do for the right opportunity. Some parts of the performance are comical –
the performer continues to smile but her eyes and her glances away insist she
is nothing but happy – a relatable response to being on hold; and others are unfathomable.
Would you really do THAT if you were asked? If your opportunity depended on it?

While the piece is simple, there is a sense of Sci-Fi to it.
The recorded voice and the reactions are relatable to anyone who has been stuck
on hold. But the responses that are required e.g. ‘Clap 6 times for English.’ ‘Crouch
down and take one step to the right …(for analyses)…’. e.t.c is demanding and
unusual, making this process the performer goes through feel all too much like
a potential future reality.

It feels funny but it also feels dark and unnerving –
reaching some points when you really question what she is working for and
whether it is worth it. But who are we to question when we may be in the same
predicament and willingly do the same things.

With almost 99% pure movement with sound and music queues,
The Sensemaker is a really interesting piece; being able to bring something so
deep across with only the minimal is quite a feat and a very clever response.

The Sensemaker is good fun, but also dark. It throws up a lot of questions about ourselves, our World and the Future. And watching something very ‘mime’ orientated was a breath of fresh air through the Fringe.