Blake Remixed (Underbelly, Friday 7th August 2015) ****

Testament is a beatboxer and rapper who fuses together hip hop and Blake. It feels like a very odd combination at first, but Testament is so charming and engaging that he takes you with him in a complex performance. Here we have Testament’s own personal story, an analysis of Blake’s poetry, as well as the story of hip hop.

At first glance, it might not seem that an eighteenth-century poet and hip hop are a good combination, but Testament begins with a lovely commentary on the eighteenth century. This is clearly a commentary on today as well as the eighteenth century, and we can see that Blake’s work has some relevance today.

The production is visually stunning as well as an aural delight. The clever use of digital media presents images associated with  Blake’s poetry provide a visually stunning backdrop. The mix of rap and Blake’s poetry performed with such energy is exciting and engaging.

Further Information

Twitter @homecut

My verdict: ****

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Where Do Little Birds Go (Underbelly, Friday 7th August 2015) ****

Jessica Butcher plays Lucy who worked as a hostess in the Winston Club in the sixties. The narrative is of Lucy’s move from club hostess to sex worker and builds to a kidnap which results in Lucy being imprisoned in the Kray twins’ garage with a murderer on the run.

The performance was a mix of monologue and song, and Butcher was able to engage the audience throughout the hour.  The story is both menacing and touching at the same time.  It has elements of love in it, particularly Lucy’s relationship with her ‘Uncle’.  The scenes in the garage are horrific and the abuse is particularly disturbing.  However, I was left at the end of the production feeling that Lucy’s life would turn out well in the end.

The production portrays a real sense of the sixties and I got a feel for the geography of London.  The performance is really able to capture the sense of place and mood of the era.

Overall, I thought that this was fantastic production and well worth seeing.

Further Information

http://www.duckdowntheatre.com/

My verdict: ****

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Night and Daze (Underbelly, Friday 7th August 2015) ****

A drunken night out, but full of humour and engaging. We follow Sheffy on a night out and meet his work colleagues and friends. On the night out Sheffy falls in love. This is an extremely energetic performance from both performers.

Of course, there are lots of shows about a drunken night out on the Fringe (Wasted and Weekend Rockstars to name two others that I saw). Sometimes people acting drunk can become a little tedious, but here I felt that this production was different enough to keep me engaged. Not that I liked the character, but I don’t think we are meant to.

I really enjoyed this mix of performance poetry and physical theatre.

Things I needed to Know.

I know Underbelly from previous visits to the Fringe but I wish I could remind myself that this is a very claustrophobic venue.

Further Information

http://412.productions/nightanddaze/

****

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Takeaway by Jackie Kay. (Space one, Friday 7th August 2015) ***

It took me some time to get into this show. The young cast were extremely enthusiastic and they were clearly enjoying taking part. Onions become a metaphor for several issues (drug taking, immigration, familial love). The story worked on several layers, like an onion, I suppose. The piece was an exploration of young people’s lives, and was well put together.
The company used a mixture of movement and dialogue to tell several stories which came together in the end.
The selling point for me was Jackie Kay’s name in the title, and I’m glad I went to see it, but it hasn’t been one of my favourite shows so far.
Things that I needed to Know

On my ticket it said Space One and the address was 88 High Street. After I walked up and down the High Street several times, I realised that the venue was actually in the Raddison Blu hotel.

***

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Divas (Pleasance Dome, Friday 7th August) ****

This was my first show of the Fringe this year, and I really enjoyed it. Basically, it is about two people falling in love. The protagonists are both very different men, but they both share a passion for the music of Divas. That’s singers like Dusty, Aretha and Diana Ross. The story is told by the two men interspersed with songs sung by women dressed up like a sixties girl group. The women also take on the roles of other characters and sometimes act as the voices of men as well.

What I really enjoyed about this show was that the two men each tell the narrative in a different order, presenting alternative viewpoints and possible conclusions. There’s some good performances from the two leads.

Things I Needed to Know

Many venues have more than one site and stupidly (in my view), call them the same thing. So Pleasance Dome is on the other side of town from Pleasance Courtyard. Be warned that if you turn up at the wrong Pleasance, it’s a 10 to 15-minute dash across town.

****

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