Allie (Gilded Balloon, August 2015) *****

Ruaraidh Murray plays Bobby and Megan Shanley plays Allie in this beautifully written complex narrative played as a narrative. Bobby is frightening and threatening. Allie finds herself in an abusive relationship with him. What should have been a love story ends up as a story of violence and revenge.

It’s one of those productions that is hard to review because the twists and turns that build on each other to the finale. No line is a throwaway. You’ve got to listen carefully, because what you are being told will have consequences.

The performances were excellent. On the day I went the sound did not work, but it didn’t make any difference to my enjoyment of the drama.

Further Information

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/allie

Twitter @ruaraidhmurray1

My verdict: *****

Julie RabyLeave a comment

Drum Tribe (Gilded Balloon, Sunday 8th August 2015) ****


Excellent. I got my own drum and had enormous fun playing it. I’m not sure that my playing made any difference, and I was certainly off the beat for much of the hour, but I had great fun.

Drum Tribe is from South Africa and as well as an immersive experience, the music was sensational. Watching the four drummers was a visual delight as well. They constantly had smiles on their faces and were really encouraging.

My verdict: ****

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Wasted (Gilded Balloon, Sunday 8th August 2015) ****

Wasted was the first thing I saw on my third day at the Fringe. Today, the Sunday, would be a Gilded Balloon, Bisto Square day.

At first, when we entered the theatre, I thought that the production might be an experimentation with immersive theatre in a tiny space. The audience is invited into the nightclub, to get a bit of a feel for the atmosphere that is the start of a night out that becomes ambiguous and has horrendous consequences for the two protagonists.

Will Merrick and Serena Jennings play all the characters, but the focus is on Oli and Emma, who end up going home together after a drunken night in the club.

I really liked the way the play presented the action from various viewpoints, and that at times certain moments are repeated so that the story of the night is pieced together.

The play explores a grey area in terms of sexual consent. Here Kat Woods explores some of the same territory as Gary Owen did in Violence and Son, recently at the Royal Court. Though both pieces don’t set out to take sides, there is a sense that we are asked to consider what can happen to men where things are not clear. That is slightly problematic in my view.

‘Wasted’, the title of the play, clearly has several meanings. Firstly, to be very drunk, and secondly to waste a life through one stupid mistake (though the first definition of wasted has a lot to do with that). The ending is left ambiguous, but I felt that the whole point was the title ‘Wasted’ and the horrific consequences of getting so drunk that neither of the two main characters can really remember what happened the next day.

Afterwards, a reviewer waited for me to ask me what I thought. Maybe he thought that an older person might not get the play, and wanted to check.

I enjoyed the production because it did make me think. It was well acted, and the writing was superb.

Further Information

Twitter @wasted000

My verdict: ****

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Late Show (Pleasance Courtyard, Saturday 8th August 2015) ****

  

I really enjoy these late shows where you have no idea who will be on the bill. As I usually do, I aimed for the front row, where there were several spaces. This was good luck, I thought, considering that the queue had been so long.

It soon became apparent that the compare was going to start narratives about, and start a conversation with people sitting in the front row and the row behind. There was a constant dialogue with a guy who admitted he was from Orpington and also a group of young people – ‘those young people’. Indeed, the compare was quick witted and smart and did an excellent job at giving an overall coherence to the show.

On the night I went there were four acts. Unfortunately,  I didn’t catch the names two of them. Not that they weren’t very good. The young woman did a great job, especially as she was first on (after the compare). The other guy presented himself as a rather weird guy that you wouldn’t want to be friends with. I found his deadpan style extremely entertaining.

Then came Milton Jones and Reginald D. Hunter. I think I recognised them both because I watch Have I Got News for You, rather than TV comedy shows.

I was impressed with both of Jones and Hunter. Jones’ humour is based on his quirky appearance and one-liners and so is quickly paced. Hunter’s comedy challenges our assumptions and our prejudices and is hard hitting.

..and yes Hunter did pick on me once. I could see him looking and thinking whether he should or not. He made reference to my size, but actually in a polite way. Maybe this was a warning that harsher comments may come in the future if I sit on the front row to watch a comedy show. I must admit though I did love being that close to the acts and to be able to enjoy the performances.

It was a great end to the second day.

My verdict: ****

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