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Tag Archives: Edinburgh Fringe

Mental, Assembly Roxy – Review

Pros: Excellent songs, use of sound clips and lights make this play stand out. Kane Power is a confident performer who balances the light and shade of the piece. Cons: As the volume is turned up to 11, the lights are flashing and Kane’s mother leaves upsetting voicemail messages, sensitive viewers may struggle to watch. Early on in Mental, there’s a disclosure from the man behind it: ‘This show will fail – how can I capture my mum’s experience?’. Kane ...

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Our Man in Havana, Pleasance Courtyard – Review

Production shot for Our Man in Havana by Spies Like Us Theatre Company

Pros: A perfectly executed adaptation of Graham Greene’s novel, with endlessly inventive choreography and the best use of a vacuum cleaner you’ll ever see on stage. Cons: None – it’s a solid all-rounder. Have you ever seen a vacuum cleaner become a coat stand, a bar, a phone and a dog? All these are possible, and many more transformations too, in Our Man in Havana, by Spies Like Us. Here, the household prop, which is sold by a vacuum salesman ...

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Dates – at the Speed of Sound, Summerhall – Review

Pros: Quirky characterisation of four daters, and fair scrutiny of the modern dating scene. Cons: Audience numbers and logistics affect the speed dating process, which feels slightly disjointed from the plays. The Finnish connection isn’t obvious, either. This show belongs to the Start to Finnish events programme, celebrating Finland’s culture in honour of 100 years of Finnish independence. However, it’s hard to see traces of Finland in the script of these two interconnected plays, except in references to one character’s love ...

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Out – Underbelly @ Edinburgh Fringe – Review

Pros: Great music and sound, riveting movement, a lot of vitamin C Cons: More guidance about context before the show would have enhanced the experience. We filed into the space as two performers (one male, one female) danced beside each other to the kind of insistent Dancehall beat that tempts surreptitious chair-dancing. Both were dressed the same, in clothes that hid nothing: fishnet body stockings, matching trainers, tiny nipple shields. Naked equals. The atmosphere was intimate but inward-looking, devoid of ...

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The B*easts, Underbelly Cowgate – Review

Pros: Dolan holds the audience in the palm of her hand, with a monologue that never loses pace or relevance. Cons: The plot may be too far-fetched for more sceptical audience members. Monica Dolan confirms she is still one of Britain’s most versatile actors (best known for roles in Witness for the Prosecution, W1A and Appropriate Adult), but also shows her writing talent in this timely piece. Dolan takes on the self-written role of a psychotherapist tackling a high-profile case ...

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