Edinburgh Fringe 2016 - The Wooden Spoon

Welcome, my weary wanderers. By now you will have read my post covering my top tips for the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe. Take a break and read it. I have coffee - I'll wait.  All up-to-speed? Good. So you should have a few ideas of what to see. But, I once more psychically hear you question, what are the ones which are less favourable? Well, you tactful few, this brings me neatly to this year's metaphorical Wooden Spoon. The shows which sounded good based on their description or publicity shots but that had our internal Admiral Ackbars shouting "it's a trap!"


Dishonorable Mentions

 
Alice in Wasteland


For the small print on this review, please refer to the bottom of this blog. 


Portents and signs, I have heard the superstitious say, come in threes.

Arriving to the small and dingy venue, a queue had formed with no real structure. Some interesting style choices in terms of surrounding patrons, cars and venue decor: This was sign the first. 

A show advertised as starting at 18.00 meant doors opened at 18.00 with more tickets sold than seating available. There would be standing for some in the smoky 90s music filled dive bar: This was sign the second. 

An introductory game of "pass the bin bag": This was sign the third.

The diatribe about environmentalism which followed as a lead in was the recycled nail in the ethically sourced fully biodegradable coffin and set the scene for a ridiculously preachy and uninspiring set of scenes warning of the evils of consumerism and waste. Apparently the irony of walloping the audience with an anti-consumerist message while charging £20 per ticket and then selling merchandise such as the CD soundtrack was lost somewhere in translation. I blame "the man". 

This show was not so much a modern and stylish circus remaining of Alice in Wonderland as a show that would have been given at a school assembly to get them to recycle but in a way that would be "edgy" and "accessible" and, most importantly "down with that kidz". In the 45 minutes I shouting white rabbit who rhymed and pushed Alice in a shopping cart; the caterpillar who came out of wheelie bin and played hip hop flute; the tap-dancing white reggae Tweedle Dum and Dee who wanted us to support anarchy through synchronised choreographed moves and some sort of singing unicorn - I think. 

So what did I learn from this experience? 

1. If you want to stick it to the man, do it with jazz hands. You too can create anarchy...with TAP DANCING!

2. Buying things means you can't be an individual. Thank you kind people in your often readymade, identical circus costumes. I see the error of my ways now.

3. Everything will be ok if you just smile and wipe away your tears. So the homeless people and starving children in Africa who were playing over the singing unicorn clearly don't need food or money (because of all that evil packaging and commercialism) they just need to cheer the feck up.

Redeeming qualities of the show?

It did make me laugh. Not with it. Not even at it. But definitely near it and in uncontrollable, hysterical fits I struggled to stifle. After all that Fringe food, I needed a stomach workout.


Yokai
 
Performers in flesh-coloured Lycra create a cardboard and landscape. From these box structures and models, we see vignettes of the lives of people underneath. And a fish in a jumper. Why is there a fish in a jumper? Why is there a fish in a jumper eating soup? In the words of Willow Rosenberg "Say, you all didn't happen to do a bunch of drugs, did ya? ". That's exactly what this show feels like - as though the creators did a whole bunch of drugs while watching a lot of French films, but not in a good way. The show was not a complete loss. The use of models, changing scenery, cotton clouds and cardboard trees were genuinely effective and visually impressive. It would have made a rather unusually charming, 3 minute music video. Unfortunately, the show lasted 20 times longer than this.

Hyprov

Let me preface this by saying that I love Colin Mochrie. I want to be his friend and have him round for tea. So what I am about to say pains me and causes me no end of very British guilt.
This show was, for want of a more descriptive word, bad. Improv shows are always a risk and tend to be hit and miss, often with a leaning towards the latter. This show not only leaned towards it but listed so violently it should have been barriered off.

The premise? Improv under "hypnosis" with Whose Line and improvisation regular, Colin Mochrie.

The execution? "Volunteer members of the audience" are allegedly put under hypnosis in a long and tedious process which lasts at least 15 minutes and is being taken far too seriously. It's not interesting to watch but it presumably designed to try and convince us that this process is real and in no way rigged. From a group of about 20 people on stage, this is whittled down to around 5 who will go on to perform "improvised" scenes with Colin Mochrie.
So who were the lucky selectees? By no means were they other less known performers, venue workers and people who had been overheard discussing what lines they should put into the show at certain points. And where is Colin during this slow and dull proceeding? Your guess is as good as mine but he certainly wasn't on stage.  Eventually, he did wind his way back to us but the results were underwhelming and disappointing. Unfortunately, his talents seemed completely wasted as the "volunteers" tried too hard in his general direction and it appeared to be his job to look confused - perhaps that was a natural and genuine reaction because I think much of the audience were feeling something similar.

Combine this poor attempt at comedy and attempts to grab the limelight with a drunken, rowdy Friday night crowd (which I cannot blame on the show but it was still disruptive and irritating). I'm afraid I had to walk away following very little time with Colin.


My advice for this show? To take itself less seriously and to "hypnotise" Colin Mochrie, a star who was truly wasted. But in its current format, one to avoid. (Sorry Colin).

Small print:

Disliking this show does not mean I am without ethical conscience or hate art with a political message.  Not at all. Some of the best pieces of Fringe theatre I gave seen mix comedy, art and politics in intelligent, unexpected and often subtle ways that make us question society as they entertain. They inspire change through reason, examination and humour while not shying away from difficult For topics. For this in would particularly like to thank the following artists past and present who have stayed in mind: Dusty Limits, Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho, Bourgeois and Maurice, Le Gateaux Chocolat and many more. May you never be confused with the pretentious and preachy! 

Edinburgh Fringe 2016 - Top picks

Prologue

Reader, I have returned. As has the ever impressive Edinburgh Fringe Festival wraps up its last careening through the City,like a juggernaut of colour and alcohol-fueled spectaculars, I am as your Fringe spirit guide. Thank you Erin, I hear you sarcastically think to yourself, but what use is this now with only a few days left?  Well, you wonderful wee wretches, should you have that sudden burst of energy but lack the inspiration then this may just nudge you in the right direction.

For those who had the displeasure of reading my guide to the Fringe 2014, more fool you for coming back for more. While I may not tell you about the same number of shows this time, my only excuse is that I am two years older and therefore bloody knackered. We're all not as young as we used to be. And if you are, please offer me your secrets in exchange for the following pointers. 

But now, without much further ado...

Fantastic, fun, Fringe festival favourites

How to Win Against History

Review contains paraphrasing of both Shakespeare and lines from the show, for which I do not even remotely apologise.

In a small and sweaty metal shipping container on the outskirts of George Square, there lies in wait a truly unexpected gem of the Fringe festival in musical form. The most lamentable comedy of How to Win Against History A not at all tedious,  brief scene of young Henry Cyril Paget. And his love .. of cross-dressing and, to steal the slogan of this year's Fringe, defying convention. A very tragical mirth, featuring rapid fire music and lyrics reminiscent of a modern-day Noel Coward. Based on the true and tragic life of the lavish 5th Marquess of Anglesey, this small group of only 3 actors present the plight of our anti-hero trying to win against a history which has tried its damnedest to erase him from its books. 

Aine Flanagan Productions

The musical is sparky, deeply intelligent and, most importantly, hysterically, belly-laughingly entertaining. Songs are witty, emotional and so catchy that I have been humming them for about 3 weeks - luckily for you, dear reader, it has been out of earshot. Like the Henry himself, the show is camp, sweet, naively outrageous: Well-deserving of the standing ovation it received on its opening night.  

If I could, I would buy the T-Shirt, the soundtrack. and the sparkly headdress. Slip on your silver pro-activity plimsolls and participate in some clappy forms of emotional release. 

Rating: 5 Stars

Audience participation level: Minimal

Guru Dudu's Silent Disco Walking Tour

At a certain point in searching for shows, you reach Fringe blindness. This is the state where your brain can no longer differentiate the potentially brilliant from impending doom. Guru Dudu was one of these where I could not decide whether this was a terrible idea or pure genius: It was the latter.  To give context to this review, I love dancing. However, I hate discos. You can see the potential issue of therefore taking part in a silent disco walking tour. Yet as soon as the headphones hit my ears and the Guru started, I was absorbed into the experience. Through a series of “Old Skool” disco classics and the uplifting, comedic instructions of Guru Dudu, I was transported into a unique experience where people lost their inhibitions and boogied through the streets of Edinburgh. The result was feel-good liberation.

Get on the walking soul train while you can. Skip through graveyards, sing at traffic islands and dance like nobody’s watching!

Rating: 4.33 Stars

Audience Participation level: ALL IN!

Bourgeois and Maurice: How to Save the World Without Really Trying

I am going to keep this short. Bourgeois & Maurice represent everything that good cabaret should be. The show was slick without polishing off its personality. It was dark, political and cuttingly comedic. Like a lot of cabaret its leftward political leanings, swathed in musical wrapping and the right level of camp appealed directly to my personal tastes. But be not afraid, no subject is off limits in the pair’s quest to put the world to rights in the way that only this kind of show can. A definite must-see for any cabaret fans - go and giggle away the atrocities of the World.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Audience Participation level: Minimal

Michael Griffiths: Cole

Nothing lies on stage except a keyboard and a curious decanter. From out of the wings, a well-dressed man limps forwards: This man is Cole Porter.

Actually, it is returning Fringe performer, Michael Griffiths, but for one summer evening the audience lets itself believe.  Through the one hour’s traffic of slightly reinterpreted Porter classics, is expertly woven the tale of the man’s life and the heartbreak of being a gay man in an unaccepting society - all told with subtlety , skill and sincerity. 

A few minor details took me out of the illusion at times. I personally found some of the lighting choices were on the distracting side, especially during Griffiths' rendition of "Love For Sale" which was so hauntingly sung that it need no extra drama. 

Though by no means I bad thing necessarily,  I often saw more Griffiths than Cole - something I can not say about his embodiment of Annie Lennox in 2015. Perhaps a man embodying a woman requires the audience to take such a step and suspend their imagination that it is easier to enter a completely different mind-set and more fully believe it. Maybe Annie Lennox (or Madonna in a show I sadly missed) are more established and “bigger” contemporary characters in our modern minds. I’m not sure.  But despite this, Griffiths' undeniable talent, charm and genuinely likeable stage presence kept me captivated throughout. Definitely worth the price of admission for any fans of either Cole Porter or Michael Griffiths as a performer.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Audience Participation level: Minimal - just a bit of optional singing along.

Puddles Pity Party: Let's Go!

In a follow up to last year’s Pity Party, The Sad Clown with the Golden Voice, returns to serenade the Edinburgh Fringe. Puddles expresses himself through a mix of whimsical, physical comedy and operatic vocal abilities. This is a prime example of unadulterated and clever clowning and a musical experience in one.  The songs soar, entertain and demonstrate an unnatural longing for Kevin Costner. For a thoroughly diverting and chuckle-provoking show, get yourself an invite to Puddles’ party.

Rating: 4 Stars

Audience Participation level: Danger Zone! (Though I suspect men are more likely targets.)

A Shout-Out to the Free Fringe

Feeling poor? My impoverished Fringe darlings, I understand. I understand completely. Luckily, for you there is the Free Fringe which has a myriad of fabulous shows to choose from. All you need is your time and appreciation - though if that appreciation took the form of some loose change then I am sure the performers of the Free Fringe will be forever your faithful friends.

Not sure what to see? Pop along to see The Magic Faraway Cabaret at the Voodoo Rooms. Fringe aficionado and supporter of free acts, Mister Meredith, will give you a glimpse into the weird and wonderful world of what's on offer. Burlesque, comedy, magic and cabaret could all feature at any time. Gird your loins and take the plunge, your piratey emcee will keep you safe and entertained, even if not all the acts are your cup of tea, coffee or gin.Not convinced? Then head down to one of the many free fringe venues in Edinburgh.

Want  a bit of Fringe magic? Try the charming Charlie Caper (Minor Miracles in the Voodoo Rooms until 28 August), whose impressive and complex magic act is presented simply with a hint confused class, reminiscent of a Swedish Tommy Cooper. Or pop along to see Paul Dabek (Paul Dabek: Look at Me at La Belle Angele until 28 August) who returns again to wow Edinburgh with his first-class stage persona and real sense of devilish fun .

Your options are endless....go exploring and see what wonders you will find.

That's not all, Folks!

Part 2 - Queens of the Fringe will be coming soon. Watch this space (please only interpret that very literally if you have nothing better to do).

8th August - The day the free Fringe (so many shows)

Part One
Preparation, preparation, preparation. My bag is heavy with food, water (and a sneaky hip flask) and all the other trappings I need for my latest excursion. Bloody hell! This thing weighs a ton. But that's OK since I'm pretty much moving into the venue for the day... maybe longer.

The Counting House

192.co.uk

The Counting House is one of my many Free Fringe perennial venues. Sure, it can be a bit warm and crowded but, hey, it's a  Fringe venue. Also, did I mention free? - as in pay no money and buy no tickets. Now, there are a number of free venues but the Counting House always seem to bring in solid shows spread across its labyrinth of different rooms. Also, you can easily hang out in the little bar between acts. 


Anyway, speaking of labyrinths - I was just a minute ago. It's not a completely tenuous link (just moderately tenuous)....


Once Upon a Nightmare - 3 stars

In three words: Rainy day movie
Takeaway line: (in a Welsh accent) What a bitch.

In the grand tradition of such Sunday afternoon watching as The Neverending Story, Return to Oz and The Chronicles of Narnia comes the - very much live action - "film" of Once Upon a Nighmare. The audience enters to some music from the Labyrinth soundtrack (I told you there was a link). This can only be a good sign - all that David Bowie goodness without the disturbingly tight legwear. This is essentially a unique sequel to a film that was never made, played out live on stage - i.e. what happens if only when you return to the real world after saving the day in a different dimension? In fact, what happens if your brother never made it back at all?

August 6th - One show only!

Forever onward - just more slowly!

Old age - or being 30 which is not the same thing (no matter what people in their 20s say) - is definitely getting the better of me. I tell myself that I am being sensible and just spreading out the pleasure. I know it's a lie but there is nothing wrong with denial when you get to sleep in! I'm resting up - my inner tall-tale continues - for a long day on Friday. But more about that later...

Malasombra - 3 Stars

In three words - Beware be-hatted men!
Highlight - The aforementioned be-hatted man.

auments.com

Malasombra - bad shadow. I feel the urge for more evil cackling. This is, essentially, a fairytale, performed in dance - I therefore already feel at home - which tells the story of a girl and her shadow. Her shadow that seems to have a life of it's own - well, what else would you expect? The show opens in the land of day  which exists in front of a very effective multimedia screen. These opening scenes are fun and interesting enough. However, as night falls we enter the far more intriguing land of shadows. Things here are more monotone and cooler but - as all children have been told in this kind of adventure - danger lurks in the shadows. Behind the same multimedia screen, something is afoot as a shady, malevolent presence attempts to kidnap the girl's shadow in the night. It is here that the best dance and use of visuals happen. Size and shape are easily manipulated and the audience needs no more than simple silhouettes to really feel involved with the story. Back in the real world - or as real as anything is in a Fringe show - a sinister looking man in a bowler hat, with mischief and misdoings on his mind (I think I've just described an ex boyfriend) appears on the scene. The rest of the show follows the exploits of the nefarious be-hatted man in his shadow kingdom and the attempts of our heroine to rescue her shadow self. Ironically, some of the dance sequences are not their strongest scenes with the heroine perhaps needing better characterisation and movements being quite repetetive at times. but what happens behind the screen makes up for it in abundance. Charmingly combining shadow dance and animation , Malasombra creates a perfect fairytale atmosphere. The villain does steal the show - in the best way - with his elongated fingers (and arms at one point) and malign, creepy presence. He is the stuff of nightmares (no, that was my ex) and mirrors that dark place within our imaginations. A beautifully crafted piece of theatre. Go and explore your darker side.

5 August - More 2 for 1? Yes please

In short, who am I to argue with a 2 for 1 tickets day?

Casting the Runes - 3 Stars

boxtalesoup.co.uk

In three words: Needs more puppets

Highlight: Mr. Karswell

In the theatre tradition of the 39 Steps and The Woman in Black, Casting the Runes is a dark, supernatural mystery thriller. Based on a short story, two actors (Box Tale Soup) provide the entire cast and even the inter-scene music. The story is simple: the tale of a logical man who is brought to the brink of death and madness by a curse. Though I haven't read the original book, the show was certainly an encouragement to dig up a copy. Working with very minimalistic props and sets, the actors capably throw themselves into the fray. Noel Byrne, perhaps, fairs slightly better, portraying the juicier role of Professor Dunning, whose decent into paranoia and madness is the powerhouse which keeps the production moving. Antonia Christophers jumps between a number of different characters though shines out in her role as the slightly cockney assistant to the Professor. The real highlight of the piece is the appearance of the dark and silent Mr Karswell, who appears as a large and looming puppet skillfully worked by the actors. Karswell is a simply constructed prop but moves with menace and mystery. He, despite being not at all human, is the character that I find myself wondering about the most - perhaps because every girl is slightly intrigued by the strong and silent type (or psychopath in this case). Unfortunately, the small venue space did not always work for this very simple production and the source text meant that the play fell between genres and lacked a feeling of originality. Personally, I would have liked a full-on gothic interpretation which brought out the fear, darkness and madness to better effect - but then I do enjoy the macabre (evil chuckling from yesterday continues). Throw in a few more fantastic, creepy puppets and effects and this could be a real winner. 

EastEnd Cabaret - 4 Stars

In three words: Winning singing comedy!

Takeaway lines: "I didn't get any flan."

                        "The exit is here, Motherf**er!"

                        "F**k the neighbours! Pass me the gin!"

EastEnd Cabaret - Facebook.com

Weimar meets the East End, Sexy meets psychotic, woman meets man-woman... This is a bawdy and ballsy cabaret show like no other. Bernatte Byrne - befeathered spiky diva born with no filter or (it soon becomes hilariously clear) no personal boundaries - cavorts her way through musical tales of sexual longing and debauchery. She is accompanied by Victor Victoria -  who sports a spiffy half-mustache - who man-womans the piano and accordion and tells her own tales of unrequited lust and the acts of passion that spring from this. 

This is not a show for the prudish. It is pure smut, done big and brassily - everything that the seedy underbelly of cabaret should be.
Songs are as licentious as Bernadette's appetite. If you think that sitting at the back or in the middle of a Fringe audience is safe then this show will certainly break down those boundaries. With certain breaches to health and safety, crowds are clambered through (and upon) in the search for musical fulfillment.  Everyone is fair game for her sexual advances and potentially for the revenge of the sweet but psychotic Victor. For a crazy, fun night out then get yourself down to EastEnd Cabaret. Go on... take your chances!

August 4th - And it all starts again (but at least it's 2 for 1 on tickets)

Enough rest!

Sleep is for the weak! This I say repeatedly to myself as I try desperately to pry myself away from the loving lack of arms of my duvet. I'm in a polygamous relationship with my duvet and coffee (they want different things out of life). But the Fringe comes but once a year and so once more into the breach, dear friends.

If you're squeamish you may want to look away now - this next one isn't pretty. I'll tell you when it's safe.

Smart Attack - 1 star

In three words: Trapped in yurt
Highlight: In the words of Braveheart ... FREEDOM!

Waiting outside a small yurt in the Three Sisters - currently dubbed the Free Sisters (alas this does not mean drinks are on the house) - in a sea (or at least puddle) of fairly young children, I was gleeful to hear those three little words: No under 12s. Then I got inside the wonderfully quirky tent and my those three words soon changed to "those lucky bastards". 
It takes a lot of talent to pull off a sketch show. I've given this show one star so I'm pretty sure you can figure out my view on that! Loosely based (and even coining that term requires a certain amount of forgiving artistic licence) around the "make and do" style kids' TV shows of the 1990s, I expected nostalgia wrapped in sticky-back plastic or some dodgy comedy poster painting. The dodgy bit was scarily accurate. I also expected the group to make and create things (a joke that made me laugh, for example).  There was exactly one minute of making something out of products provided by the audience and it was actually the only decent bit in the show. Had the pair brought in various bits and bobs (ironic as the end product was for some reason Bob Geldof on this occasion) and done improvised makes (or one big piece of hilariously bad crafting) from suggestions thrown out by the audience then the show might have actually worked. Unfortunately, I was subjected to very samey characters being trotted out on a (completely too figurative) carousel. Situations and characters were completely predictable and out-dated and jokes completely failed to hit the mark. Some of my fellow audience members managed to plot their escape - presumably taking the make and do theme on themselves and fashioning shovels and other escape equipment from the things around them (or, you know, slipping out the door but where is the fun in that imagery).  I was not quite so lucky and found myself trapped in a yurt - this is not a metaphor - eyeing the exit like a dog longing for a ham that is out of reach. Luckily, the show was free so all I lost was an hour of my precious life... Bastards, I want that back!


OK, you can look again. Sorry about that.

AAA Batteries Not Included - 3 stars

Taken from comedy.co.uk

In three words: Good simple fun
Highlight: Improvised sock puppet fight.

After escaping the yurt - again, not a metaphor - I wandered, dazed and confused, in search of comedy... and a drink to be honest. Slowly coming out of my coma, I eventually found AAA Batteries Not Included - a show using the "title with multiple "A"s at the beginning so it is at the start of the Fringe Guide" technique. 
Looking beyond the venue's attempts at queue management (serpentine, people! Serpentine!) people were sardined into a small and dark back room - the host's Tsar Nicholas II T-Shirt gave little comfort in this situation. This show was massively over-subscribed which, from my tiny over-heated space in the back corner, actually gave me hope. Luckily, this time I was not let down. The show is very much one of those pot luck affairs; different guest acts appear each time, presumably to drum up business for their main shows and solo performances throughout the Fringe. Our host, Chris (who did tell us his last name but... well... memory) was genuinely funny and did well to include both adults and children in his ad-libbed act. Somehow, this led to him removing his shoe and sock and creating a crocodile sock puppet - the adults were definitely more amused by this than anyone else. Guest acts also raised laughs though had a tendency towards fizzling out before the end of their time - though this did create the highlight of the show whereby fellow performer was forced, by the audience, into sock puppetry and the two rival foot accessories fought bravely to the death! 
Fun for all ages but I suggest getting there early if you want to take a punt on it.  

Boris and Sergey's Astonishing Freaktorium - 4.5 Stars

In three words: Genius at play
Highlight: The body count (insert evil laugh)

From Flabbergasttheatre.co.uk

With energy running low - it's hard being entertained *sigh* - I enter the vault-like room of the Underbelly, Cowgate. Swiftly, the jaunty pre-show music expunges my tiredness and lifts my spirits. And speaking of spirits (marvel at the seamless segue), the lights and music dim and ghostly beings from the underworld drift in. Well, not literally drift. They are attached to braces-clad puppeteers, handing out tarot cards to spectators as they go. This can only mean one thing... audience participation! I have an inward evil chuckle as I escaped happily un-taroted and my companion is handed his fate in card form. 

And so, on to the (freak) show. Our puppet hosts Sergey and Bori, dressed respectively as Gary Oldman's Dracula and a lollipop - yes, it's that kind if show - bring us into their weird and twisted world of freaks and oddities and introduce us to a myriad of bizarre acts. Though simply constructed puppets, the characters are fully rounded and very real individuals. Devoid of any facial features, our hosts are still twice as expressive and compelling than Keira Knightley and Keanu Reeves combined (ooh, bitchy). The body (puppet) count soon hilariously starts to add up in this delightfully black comedic affair which successfully masters the sick and twisted with a glee we all share. There is gorgeously tangled web of improvisation, dance routines and things you shouldn't laugh at but do. The audience leaves haunted, amused and wondering who is sicker: the puppets or us. A macabre masterpiece not to be missed.

Note
For those left wondering, the the answer is "yes". My friend was picked on and was possessed by the ghost of a small child. I am now calling him "Jessica".

Lady Rizo - 5 Stars

In three words: What a lady!
Highlight: Getting a front row cabaret table (A wuss out? Well, then you go and try and pick just one moment from the show. I dare you!)

Now, that's what I call cabaret! Sitting at a small cabaret table at the front of the Assembly Checkpoint (this involved much queuing with some "charming" nutcases to secure a the best seats in the house - totally worth it!), a man who shares my table is told by an usher that he is extremely brave - this is going to be good!  The blue-wash lighting and starlit backdrop sets the scene. Lady Rizo enters amongst the audience, wrapped in a gorgeous red hooded cape - I totally need to get me one of those! Handing out roses and playing with the crowd, she has the audience - myself most hypnotically included - in the palm of her hands. I am the last lucky recipient of a blossoming red posey, my (it must be stressed, male) companion is impregnated - it's a diva - and the smoldering songstress reaches the stage. With a flourish, she loses her cape and reveals a figure-hugging gown and the first song is done! Already, I know that my love of Lady Rizo is not mis-remembered. I am - as they say in books of old - undone!


With a unique blend of natural humour, charm and an inimitable voice that captures both soft emotion and big power, Lady Rizo tells us in a mix of story and song tales of heartbreak, romance, sex and how she became the cabaret goddess that we see before us. For over an hour, we sit entranced by her charm and raw power as she weaves her spell though her own individual take on cover songs and own material, far removed from her cruise ship roots. Her self-penned lullaby, Cherry Lane Saint -available on her brilliant album, Violet (I am not ashamed to plug this) - is a moving high point towards the end of the show andI was very glad to hear it live and extremely passionately rendered. An evening with Lady Rizo is an electrifying one which wakens all the senses and is over all too soon.I never wanted it to end and as I drifted back into the streets of Edinburgh, it was with a sense that my cabaret experiences were but a wonderful dream and that "real life", well.... sucked!   A perfect night with the Queen of cabaret and. I left it with a feeling of exhileration, a beautiful rose and (I'm not ashamed to admit) a bit of a girl-crush. Do yourselves a favour this Fringe and escape the mundane world for the land of cabaret and its new Goddess, Lady Rizo.

Le Weekend - 2 August 2014

And on the 7th Day... 

I rested. But before we get to that point - which let's be honest (even grudgingly) wasn't even on the 7th day - I have one more show to tell you about.

The Sake - 3.5 Stars

In three words: Lovely little tipple

Highlight: Unexpected punk rock

Anyone who has an interest in the weird and wonderful Japanese culture should take the night off and take a short visit to the New Town Theatre for a quick glass of The Sake, brought to the Edinburgh Fringe by DEN entertainment. I was lucky enough to visit Japan many years ago (13 years ago actually... F**K!!!) so this show poured out a delightful stream of nostalgia. 

 The concept is relatively simple: the story of sake making through a mix of traditional dance and aerial performance. This idea could have quite easily been on the wrong side of artsy and pretentious - another one of theatre's deadly sins in my book. The Sake manages to cheerily avoid falling into this trap and gives us a tongue-in-cheek show that doesn't take itself too seriously. 

The show is hosted by the Toji (Sake Master) who brings unexpected humour and a cheekiness that is extremely welcome and sets the tone of the evening. Though not exactly fresh material, his comedic comments about the "useful" phrases found in language books do raise genuine laughs throughout the audience. Notably, comments about the Japanese Prime Minister's last election (you'll either have to see it or really think about that one) and his demonstration of his skills with a samurai sword stick in my mind. 

With its mix of traditional and abstract costuming we are taken through the sake-making seasons.  Multimedia screens, which echo Japanese ink paintings, and rock music (played live on stage by amazing punk rock style Japanese musicians) make the perfect background for daring aerial performances. Generally... I thought it was just lovely. It's not going to be the most polished thing I'm going to see this year but it made me just want to run back to Japan - if I had any money and there weren't a lot of water in the way (also running!). An authentic feeling Japanese experience for a one hundredth of the cost of the plane ticket. Now, who can argue with that?