On Friday 20 October 2017, I saw Chris Thorpe’s Victory Condition at the Royal Court. This is a double hander with Sharon Duncan-Brewster and Jonjo O’Neill. it is only 55 minutes long, and a play that required the audience to listen to catch every word to make the words matter. It was an experience […]
I didn’t really follow what this piece was about, and what the point of it was. It seemed like it was about two people in some kind of secluded building making recordings and agreeing how they would live together. There were dialogues about how much water they would drink and how it would be shared. Others around whether they would have sex together. As we watched they made furniture together, and at points constructed the set around them.
Though overall the acting was enjoyable, to get the most out of this piece, I think that I needed more of a back story to help me follow what was happening.
My verdict ***
Over the last year I have become familiar with Clean Break, so it was really exciting to find another company which is engaged with telling the story of women in prison. Key Change was a piece by Open Clasp, which tells the story of four women in prison.
The main focus is on Angie (Jessica Johnson) and Kelly (Christina Berriman-Dawson) and shows how their friendship has developed, and some of the reasons that they are both in prison. The story is harrowing at times. There’s laughter, but the stories have domestic and drug abuse in the background.
Overall this is an energetic peice and the hour just flew by.
Further Information
https://www.northernstage.co.uk/edinburgh/whats-on/key-change
My verdict: *****
The Disco Years was a fun show with a little bit of audience participation. Patrick Monahan talks about his Iranian background alongside a backdrop of 1970’s disco music. Monahan had a great way with families and managed to involve the children in the audience in the show without it being embarrassing. Monahan managed to sustain a joke about the bloke next to me having two wives throughout the show, which was amusing.
The show was funny, and the autobiography was interesting. I enjoyed being able to disco dance at the end.
My verdict: ***
Firstly, I had to go to at least one show in the Udderbelly which had moved from its usual spot in Bisto Square to George Square. The Uddrbelly is basically an upside-down purple cow! That’s amusing in itself.
Shit-Faced Shakespeare is Shakespeare performed with a pissed up cast member. It’s fairly amusing and OK for an hour.
The production that I saw was The Merchant of Venice with some changes such as Antonio romantically getting Jessica at the end. I suppose the problem I have with this is that I find Shakespeare funny anyway, and yes there’s some skill in timing, but basically the production was fairly straight forward. Much of the comedy came from the ‘shit-faced’ actor sat in the aisles commenting on the action.
My verdict: ***
between the acts 