Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2013: Day four

My last day in Edinburgh and I was keen to fit in as much as I could before my 6.30 train. Having dropped my bags I headed back up the Royal Mile this time it was really humming with loads of acts out fliering and a great atmosphere. The street acts were actually pretty engaging and I stopped to watch a few, especially a young boy (Luke Hunter) busking. Then my Edinburgh food must Mum's (Monster Mash) for lunch, yum.

Lead Pencil, Underbelly Bristo Square
Described as a cross between Art Attack and Saved by the Bell this show was a trip to the '90s. It would possibly only make sense to people who were teenagers in the 1990s, with three high energy performers and lots of felt tip pen props. The sound track took me back to our Year 9 disco and then Skool disco at uni and the dancing was nuts. We particularly loved the Nokia 3310 song and if you're in the 25-35 age bracket fit this into your schedule for a silly start to your afternoon.

Wardens, Assembly Roxy
This was on my list as the only chance to see Thom Tuck at the Fringe. It was a hostage situation with three traffic wardens, a police community support officer and a random (Thom Tuck) who just followed the crowd. It was an amusing hour with seemingly mundane conversations with a comedy twist. As one of the few things on my list that I actually managed to see this was a fine final show for my Fringe.

I finished off my Fringe with a drink at the Udderbelly Pasture, the best way to finish a Festival.
So to sum up my Fringe 2013, I have ranked the shows I saw in order of preference:
1. Festival of the Spoken Nerd
2. Men
3. Guilt and Shame
4. Wardens
5. Oxford Imps
6. Bluebeard
7. Spank! (It would be 10 for the show I saw, but ranking it here as I think that on a normal night it would still be a pretty good night)
8. Midsummer's Night Savoy (but it has finished)
9. Gordon Southern
10. Big Value Comedy Late
11. Does My Face look Big in This (I wouldn't recommend this at all)

Things I didn't manage to see but really wanted to:
1. Make the News
2. Austentatious
3. Boy with Tape on His Face
4. The Play that Went Wrong
5. Improverts 

Edinburgh Fringe 2013: Day three

Day three was my crazy show day and I hit town early, I had a plan but in the end it didn't really play out so I saw all kinds of things.

Men, Underbelly Bristo Square
I wondered through Bristo Square and was fliered for this show, it had an NSDF award and sounded interesting so I gave it a shot. I bought the last ticket ran across the square and sat down just in time. It was a play and darkly comic, two men in a flat with a twisted devisive relationship, but there were some funny moments and I found myself laughing throughout. Some great performances and writing, do check this out, it's a good way to start your day.

Does My Face Look Big in This, Underbelly Bristo Square
Next up was supposed to be Austentatious but as it is non-ticketed and very popular you have to start queuing at about 12.30 for a 13.30 show. So we took a flier and as it was two for one decided to try this. It wasn't to our taste and had no real thread and just wasn't that amusing. I thought it may have been alright as a half hour or twenty minute slot in a compilation show but there was not enough to carry a whole hour.

Oxford Imps, Guilded Balloon
I usually try and see the Edinburgh Improverts when I'm up for the Fringe but circumstances dictated otherwise so I headed in to the Oxford Imps instead. Despite a less than engaged audience they did a great show and I even managed to get a little bit of improvised Austen for my ticket price. I really enjoy the improvised games and I particularly liked the improvised musical set in an igloo kitchen. Good fun and an uplifting start to the afternoon, go prepared with weird and wacky ideas and a good pair of lungs.

Festival of the Spoken Nerd, Assembly George Square
This was my Fringe highlight. I don't think a George Square lecture theatre has ever seen this many graphs or spreadsheets. I saw a street lamp made put of a pickled gherkin, I'm not kidding it just needed some mains electricity. Find out what would happen if you set a turning ice skater on fire, see a spreadsheet become a photo and so much more. Plenty of laughs and lots of education, I can't recommend this show enough whether you have just watched all the episodes of The Big Bang Theory or play with spreadsheets in your spare time. I can't write more without giving the show away so just a buy a ticket and go see.

Bluebeard, Space Surgeons' Hall
This was another theatre piece and a bit more contemplative, a sister and brother watch their mother fading away in a care home, slowly losing her mind. Initially, a touch confusing but I got with the programme quickly as you see flash backs into Claire's (the mother) mind. It was interesting to see both sides as the flasbacks slipped seamlessly into current day. The actress playing Claire deserved an accolade for her flawless acting as an old woman with involuntary shaking and quick switches between a sharp young wonan and her older confused self. Worth a watch if you're in the mood for something more downbeat.

Spank, Underbelly Cowgate
I was looking forward to Spank and as this year is the last year that James and Leon are hosting I was sure to place this on my list. So I was pretty disappointed to see that they were in fact not hosting and it was Late Night Gimp Fight hosting instead. However, I was determined to enjoy it so we settled in for a night of fun. It really wasn't the same without James and Leon, although the boys did do a great job. I think what was missing was the more relaxed banter with the audience that you usually get. Late Night Gimp Fight were good fun and on the basis of what I saw I'd go see their show, but for Spank they need to loosen up a bit and add chit chat in amongst their fixed sketches and some banter between acts. In the first half we had a mixture of acts starting with a weird duo who I. Think were called Twisted and Something but I can't find them anywhere. It was a mime piece to start and I really wasn't sure about it and laughter was more nervous confusion in the room around me. Their second piece was amusing to start with, A Made in Chelsea parody but it was overworked and should have stopped when the sound track came on. Next up was a man with a guitar from Sussex, there's a lot of parody rap floating around this year's Fringe and not much of it good. He then moved into a convoluted rant about Sussex being 'bad' and a not so funny song. Next up Chris Stokes, actually pretty funny and reading a steamy novel, written by his aunt, in the voice of Alan Bennett was inspired. Finally Dana Alexander, the rest of the room loved her but by this point I'd lost interest and wasn't really amused so I headed home at half time. The verdict? Spank requires a good audience (Monday is never the best day), plenty of banter, a good mix of acts and I needed more booze, but Late Night Gimp Fight could make good hosts in the future if they can drop the sketch material.

Edinburgh Festival 2013: Day two

Yesterday I had a more Fringe type of day. A leisurely morning and then I walked into town with a friend and we battled our way down the Royal Mile. Given it was a Sunday lunchtime it was fairly quiet (for the Fringe). The street performers were not inspiring and we didn't bother to stop for them before wandering on. Most of the rest of the day was spent catching up and enjoying the atmosphere, but as it's the Fringe I had to squeeze in a few shows.

Gordon Southern: a Kerfuffle, Gilded Balloon
Gordon fliered us at the Udderbelly pasture and he was engaging and stopped for a chat which always improves the chance I'll act on the flier. He had a little sound system to create silly noises as accents during the show and it was an amusing hour. He rambled a bit and the audience participation wasn't as slick as it could have been. I did enjoy his raps though and the story of his expression doing stand up for soldiers during decompression was a highlight. The verdict? I wouldn't book but it but if you're at a loose end in the area at the right time it's worth an impulse buy.

Big Value Comedy Late, Just the Tonic, Caves
The Caves were as dark and sweaty as ever but that's part of the Fringe experience. This was a series of three acts with a compère. Described as up and coming we hadn't heard of any of them but that's not a bad thing. The compère (Chris Mayo) was fun if perhaps a little new to the role but he got the room going. The first act was mildly amusing at times but not a show I'll go see. That said he has a great singing voice both baritone and impressively counter tenor and I really can't recall his name but he is the funniest thing to come out of Grimsby. The second act was a girl with a guitar and good sense of humour. I think her name was Kay and her songs were laugh out loud funny, although very stereotypically comedian girl with plenty of relationship anger. The final act of the night was Paul Myerhaug and he was hilarious. His set revolved around sex and with an eighteen year old boy and his mum in the front row it upped the anti with the perfect foil. He was the ultimate professional when the venue lights blew half way through his set, he carried on and it was just a shame he didn't get to finish. With more time on my hands I would seriously consider seeing his show Canadians of Comedy at the Gilded Balloon.

Guilt and Shame, Underbelly

As we wondered past the Underbelly it seemed a shame not to pop in and this show looked like fun. It's a bit disconcerting when you enter a venue to be handed a label and a pen and asked to write your name out. Comedy when they know your name is a little more high stakes! turns out we were at an addiction anonymous meeting with hilarious effect. God and the Devil both made an appearance but my highlight was the piece from Swan Lake, a moving work... If you're looking for a late night laugh and plenty of silliness then do go down and check these guys out, they are totally worth the ticket and so far the best thing I've seen this year.

Edinburgh Fringe 2013: Day one

This year my Fringe got off to a slow start with a one show day. I did fit in a first birthday party and a lovely dinner at The Apartment in Brunstfield with a friend visiting from New Zealand.  The Apartment has a lovely set menu at the bargain price of £10 for two courses and the food was great,I recommend it if you're in the area.

So my first show of Edinburgh Fringe 2013?

I went to see A Midsummer's Night Savoy in Gryphon venues, written and directed by my friend Chris Drew and with a number of friends in the cast it was on my must see list. The Shakespeare elements were a bit thin on the ground but there was plenty of Gilbert & Sullivan. All the songs that a dedicated Savoyard knows and loves and maybe a few that are a little less familiar. With a troupe of 'dainty' fairies including Little Buttercup trying to avoid that most terrifying of things, a group of men, the evening was fun and definitely a little silly. The male chorus and principals deserve a mention, they were all really good and there were some really strong performance during the hour. I was disappointed that the 'Sisters, Cousins and Aunts' was restricted to just a little mention and nothing more, but overall I couldn't really complain. It was the last night and the show was sold out the audience were all on board and kept the atmosphere up, it was a truely Fringe experience to start my 2013 trip.

Other more professional reviews can be read here and here.

New Royal Ballet narrative ballets

I was lucky enough to enjoy two new story ballets at the Royal Opera House, one in the Linbury and one on the main stage.

Hansel and Gretel from Liam Scarlett
Liam Scarlett's first full length ballet was hosted in the Linbury studio theatre. I was pleased to be given a reseat on arrival as I had originally had a standing spot and was offered a seat instead. This was due to the ballet being staged in the round, sitting in the temporary rows across what is usually the back of the stage I was not really convinced by the statement 'in the round' as I often felt as though I was watching from the back. However, I'm not complaining because from where I was sat I could easily see all the action, from the children's bedroom on the mezzanine level to the Witch's basement sunk into the stage under a garden shed.

Overall I enjoyed the ballet, it was dark and twisted as one might expect and the Sandman did leave me with nightmares. I saw the reviews which said there was some overacting but for me it was all part of putting on a fairy tale. I loved Ryoichi Hirano's witch, torn between his desires and hints of a dark and miserable childhood, I felt a little scared of him but mostly sorry for the lonely being under the garden shed haunted by the terrifying Sandman.

Raven Girl from Wayne McGregor
I saw Raven Girl on opening night from the middle of the amphitheatre. I wasn't expecting a classical ballet, it is a Wayne McGregor after all. However, given the dark lighting and seeming lack of dancing I was disappointed and what is a lovely story fell flat. That said, my friends, two of whom had never been to the ballet before enjoyed it and liked the black box theatre feel. I wanted to see more dancing from Ed Watson and less cycling. Thiago Soares gave a mad professor that would be hard to match, taking complete glee in turning raven girls arms into wings.

Based on my first experience mum and I decided to treat ourselves to stalls seats for my second visit to see the second cast. We were near the centre of the front row of the stalls and I can say this was indeed a good choice. Coupled with the fact that some changes had been made seeing the dancers faces made all the difference to the ballet. The lighting had been adjusted and my least favourite scene where they removed the raven girl's wings was removed. Alexander Campbell gave a great performance as the boy, you could sense his shyness about approaching the raven girl and his empassioned encounter with the Gartside's doctor was great. I was sad that that final pas de deux didn't sing out in quite the same way. However, when this ballet comes back I will be there and will definitely be treating myself to a decent seat.

Raven Girl was paired with Balanchine's Symphony in C, a beautiful contrast. This ballet had beautiful music, crisp white tutus and lots of bright lights. Beautiful performances all round and fresh from their run of La Bayadere the ladies of the corps de ballet created stunning shapes and patterns. I look forward to seeing this work again and have downloaded the score to my iPhone to keep me going.

Fourgin or Onegin four ways

Until this year I'd not heard of Onegin, however when I received the Royal Opera House magazine and saw that they were doing the ballet and the opera with two different scores by Tchaikovsky I had to see both. Then posters popped up around town for Tatyana which turned out to be a Brazilian contemporary dance company's version of Pushkin's Onegin.

Onegin with the Royal Ballet
I had no expectations of what was coming having not read the story and failing to purchase a programme. However, I was quickly drawn in to the story and the dancing. Marianela Nunez was, as expected, beautiful and you could feel her anguish as Thiago Soare's Onegin cast her off. Meaghan Grace Hinkis debuted in the role of Olga, Tatiana's friend and danced the role with grace, showing joy, teasing and grief. I loved the use of the two curtains at the front of the stage to create a blank corridor which added drama and comic timing as needed. I loved the drama of Onegin's black cape and it added to his despair when he realised that he really had just shot his friend in a duel over Olga who was caught in the middle. Added to a grabbing story and beautiful dancing, the score from Tchaikovsky was perfect, it seemed familiar at times and I left wanting to buy the recording.

One little quibble the set made me feel seasick at times, as the angles on the flat backdrops painted to make the rooms appear square weren't quite right for my eyes making the 'room' pulsate. Luckily the dancing meant I didn't focus on them too much. The verdict? I'll be sure to get tickets next time the Royal Ballet bring Onegin back especially if Nunez and Soares are dancing together again.

One final thing about this performance, the curtain call. An unusual thing to blog about perhaps but this one was special as Marianela Nunez and Thiago Soares embraced you could see what they had put into their performance. Vampire Soup caught the moment perfectly on her blog, illustrated by @missbunnyman.

Tatyana with Companhia de Dança Deborah Colker
The evening got off to a good start as the Barbican were offering reseats down to the stalls and getting closer to the action is always welcome. I'd read one review that said you needed to know the story before you watched so I felt smug that I knew the story already. However, I'm not sure it stood me in good stead, I would have been better off viewing this dance piece as an abstract. I found the fact there there could be up to four dancers in each role very confusing, I wanted them to dance the same thing as each other, on reading the programme I discovered they were supposed to represent the different aspects of the characters. as one Royal Ballet dancer can dance beautifully and portray a complex character how come this company failed to portray a character with four dancers.

Eugene Onegin with the Royal Opera
So this was my first proper opera and I was curious and strangely a bit nervous. There were no surtitles in the first act due to a technical hitch which made the long first act very difficult. I also struggled with the Royal Opera's need to have two dancers to play alter egos / young versions of Onegin and Tatiana was distracting and for me a pointless exercise. By the end of the first act I wasn't sold but Act II changed my mind. Pavol Breslik in the role of Lensky brought tears to my eyes so much so that I couldn't read the fixed surtitles and to be contrary I found them distracting in the second half. So the verdict is I'll be back for another opera but perhaps I'll choose a bit more carefully next time.

Eugene Onegin by Pushkin
I decided that I really ought to complete my set of Onegin's with the book and so I downloaded it for my Kindle. I struggled a little with the text and some of the rhyming couplets made me laugh. I felt the book was slow to move and if I'm honest I paused / stopped half way through. I think I will go back to it though I'd like to be able to say I managed to finish all four versions of Onegin.

While I took my time on this post the inspiring Dave Tries Ballet posted on his blog comparing the ballet with Pushkin's novel in verse. A well written interpretation, beautifully illustrated with excerpts, photos and video and I recommend you head over to read his post.

An Ashton farewell

Ashton's Evening
La Valse
This piece was beautiful and I look forward to seeing it again. The dresses were perfect prom dresses, just like every little girl dreams about growing up. The patterns were beautiful, although there were few lines that weren't quite straight bringing to mind the words of my dance teacher 'you wouldn't expect to see wonky lines at the Royal Ballet.' Overall this piece was my highlight of the evening.

'Meditation' from Thais
In the midst of the evening this one I struggle to remember. I do recall that on the empty stage Leanne Benjamin and Valeri Hristov looked so small.

Voices of Spring
Alexander Campbell and Yuhui Choe provided a real highlight for the evening. Scattering the stage with white petals Choe and Campbell were a joyous pairing. They not only looked like they were having a lot of fun, making me want to dance too but gave a flawless performance. I'll be looking out for Campbell / Choe pairings in future performances as I want to see more.

Monotones I and II
The costumes were a little off-putting and in monotone I the dancers looked a little frog like. Overall I wasn't too keen on this piece, especially Montones I. In Montones II Edward Watson and Nehemiah Kish seemed to be doing their best to tie Marianela Nunez into knots, but she proved to be remarkably flexible and Montones II picked up.

Marguerite & Armand
A farewell for Tamara Rojo and Sergei Polunin at the Royal Ballet. I'd not seen this ballet before and I have to admit I didn't particularly like it and wasn't sure it showed either Rojo / Polunin off to their best. In particular I felt like Polunin was not on form at the start of the performance, although by the end his dancing was impressive. The evening finished on a high with more curtain calls than you could count, a cameo appearance from Carlos Acosta and a mountain of flowers thrown from the boxes. A better farewell a girl could not dream about.

Wrapping up 2012

So it turns out I neglected my blog and reading towards the end of the year so here's a whistle stop tour of what I read for the rest of 2012, just for completeness.

Keeper of the Light by Diane Chamberlain
Another good read from Diane Chamberlain. When Annie dies on the operating table as Olivia operates her world unravels. Olivia realises her husband was in love with Annie and life will never be the same. As she dives deeper into what happened behind her back Olivia uncovers all kinds of secrets, no murder but mystery none the less.

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
The third of the Game of Thrones books and more of the same. I'd like to finish the series and see how it ends, but I'm not sure I want to read any more war circles and characters dying just as you decide that they are the one you want on the throne. Maybe i will reach the end but I suspect that it will be like Robert Jordan's series, stretched too far for me.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (Book Club)
I loved this book which I might not have picked up off the shelf myself. It is a magical tour through a dreamlike circus that is only open at night. Although elements of the story were entirely predictable, the style of writing and descriptions meant I finished the book wishing I could visit the night circus. I've added this book to my shelf I will read again.

Ryan's Return by Barbara Freethy
A typical chick-lit, girl meets man falls in love, doesn't realise it, nearly loses him and ends up happy with him. The verdict if you need an easy beach read and don't mind chick-lit then this is worth packing in your case.

The Spare Room by Helen Garner (Book Club)

This was an interesting choice for book club and told the story of a woman who offers her spare room to her friend who has terminal cancer. When her friend arrives and checks in to the local alternative therapy clinic the effects are devastating and a wedge is driven between the friends as they disagree about the validity of the treatment. I found this a fascinating insight into what a person could put themselves through when they have lost hope in medicine.

A Fly on the Ward by Michael K Chapman
Another hospital, blog type book, but this one is written from the point of view of a patient. The description made me think I was in for a good laugh out loud read. Although that is what the author attempted to achieve I didn't find the stories as amusing as they are from the other side and the laughs were few and far between.

It Shouldn't Happen to a Midwife by Jane Yeadon
Jane trained in Belfast in the sixties and her escapades with her fellow midwifery students was an amusing read.

Monday to Friday Man by Alice Peterson
Another chick-lit read to pack for the beach.

The Lost Daughter by Diane Chamberlain
I love Diane Chamberlain's writing and as Picoult does Chamberlain's stories are never quite what they seem.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (Book Club)
We read this book at book Club before it hit the billboards here in the UK. This book was perfect for me with a huge twist in the middle. When it becomes clear that all is not as it seems you then try and untangle the clues that are left. The truth leaves you baffled and at book club there were plenty of discussions about whether we liked any of the characters. A good read especially for someone like me who enjoys a good murder mystery.

Luke and Jon by Robert Williams
Luke and Jon is a lovely book about two young boys. Luke's mother is dead and his father doesn't speak any more and escapes into the bottle. Then Luke meets Jon, a boy who doesn't fit in and has a secret. The boys bond and support each other, helping Luke's father with a huge project. Together Luke and his father uncover Jon's secret and offer him an escape, a truly heart warming read.

Tom, Dick and Debbie Harry by Jessica Adams (Book Club)
This was a dull book, set in Australia a British girl goes out to marry an Australian (Richard), has an affair with his best mate Tom while Richard's brother lives out his obsession with Debbie Harry. I didn't really care about any of the characters and nothing particularly interesting happened, I won't be reading this book again and I wouldn't recommend it, not even for a light bit of reading on holiday.

Safe House by Chris Ewan (Book Club)
The Isle of Man isn't where you would expect to find a twisted thriller to be set, but that's exactly where Chris Ewan set this book. when Rob comes off his motorbike and wakes up in hospital his first thought is to ask about his travelling companion Lena. But Rob was the only on picked up by the ambulance, there was no Lena, where did she go? Was Lena a figment of Rob's imagination and then Rebecca turns up asking questions about Laura, Rob's sister who recently died in a car accident, or maybe suicide. The story unravels and draws you in as it progresses and Rob takes on a new role as investigator, very different from his day job, plumbing. A good read, although I don't think Rob will be featuring in more murder mysteries in the future.

Gin O'Clock by The Queen of Twitter
@Queen_UK is one of my favourite twitterers and this was an impulsive purchase on the Kindle. A fun book to read over Christmas, linked to the twitter account this gives you a little more, you could fool yourself into thinking that you really are reading the Queen's diary and she does have a great sense of humour.