Festival Reviews

BY JOSIE BALFOUR

THE real delineation of that awkward step from childhood to fully-fledged adult status used to arrive on Christmas day.

Not stooped at 5am in front of a pile of pressies and a tangerine from Santa, but at the dinner table, that moment when you went for the sprouts and discovered that they're not really globs of giant's snot after all but quite tasty veg.

From there the adventure continued in a whirl of driving lessons, exams and fumbled dates.

In an era of Grand Theft Auto, teen-pregnancy and microwave burgers, however, coming of age in Britain is now more likely to involve a three-litre bottle of cider, a bus stop and some thieved solvents.

Yet, for all the bravado of getting off with Gaz at the back of the bike sheds, kids are kids. They're still full of the same mischief, humour, vulnerability and surprises that every other generation before has supplied. It's this wide-eyed zest for life that really stands out in School of Comedy, a riotous Bar Mitzvah for the country's next generation of top comedians led by Son of Rambow star Will Poulter.

Aged between 12 and 16 the group of eight perform-ers put on a very adult show. Mixing the professionalism of experienced actors with the fresh energy and enthus-iasm of new performers, there's slightly too much talent in the room for their own good, particularly from Poulter who stands out for his cheeky demeanour and adult mannerisms.

The show is entertaining enough to drive even the most seasoned comedian to make a date with the green-eyed monster.

Comprising children from two London schools, the group have already made a name on Youtube and appeared late night on BBC 3 with a raucous skit about a Jerry Springer style chat-show.

Their live performance is just as sharp as any TV clip, featuring some painfully well-drawn characters, like an arguing couple looking for the loo. Others answer questions we've never dared ask; what exactly does the plumber do while we're out?

But then the C word creeps in. And, let's face it, no matter your age, it ain't big and it ain't clever.

With it comes difficult questions about what is really going on in front of the audience; entertainment or exploitation of vulnerable youngsters?

The show's producers are keen to point out that the sketches are created and developed by the kids themselves.

Indeed, the subject matter is close to any teenager's heart; sex, pretentious parents and swearing. Yet, it is the job of the adults in charge to supervise teen-agers and set parameters - this doesn't seem to have happened. Director, Laura Black, has been quoted in the past as saying: "The whole thing with Edinburgh is that you've got to have a story or a slant to sell your tickets.

"If I just brought kids up and got them to do a couple of gentle sketches, then everyone would be like, 'It's a school play, I'll go and see the adults'. So I knew I had to do something a little bit different. But I don't think it's too shocking."

It seems sad that Black has such little faith in the children's talent that she indulged their adolescent curiosity about sex and bad language, rather than challenging them to step away from the stereotypes in their show and really embrace what kids have in abundance - imagination.

Until Sunday.

Beyond Breaking Glass

Universal Arts Theatre, George Street

*****

BY NELL NELSON

HAZEL O'CONNOR smashed onto the punk scene with her punk movie Breaking Glass and album of the same name in 1980. More than 25 years later she is back on stage – looking much the same – a shock of white-blonde hair, dressed in black, distinctly gravelly voice and stoked energy.

She relates her story from broken home in Coventry, dancing in Beirut and, with no affectation, meeting and performing with 80s icons Iggy Pop, George Michael, David (Dave) Bowie and Duran Duran. Then came the down-hill spiral of record company exploitation and a series of financially damaging law suits, followed by a skin cancer scare in California which led to her rebuilding her life in Ireland.

O'Connor shares the stage with harpist Cormac De Barra who demonstrates the versatility of the harp from creating sound effects of bombs falling in Beirut to beauty and resonance in her signature song, the hauntingly beautiful Will You. At the end of her set, she invites the audience to sing "Walk on, walk on, beyond the broken glass' – her anthem for now: living and getting on with life.

O'Connor paints an engaging and absorbing story of a young, talented but exploited musician. But she still retains her passion and energy with no regrets about the past – and if there are scars from the jagged edges of broken glass, they have now healed.

Run ended.

66A Church Road

Traverse Theatre

****

BY NELL NELSON

IT'S as if you are in the pub with Daniel Kitson and he is telling you about his recent love affair. It was love at first sight for Kitson, endeared by the doors with empty glass panes, the light switches that worked in tandem, the front door buzzer that didn't ring. After six years, when the affair ended, he had to acknowledge that they would never grow old together.

Kitson's love affair is with his house – 66A Church Road – and it is as real to him. He sits on stage surrounded by suitcases which he can manoeuvre to illustrate his love of sash windows and grudging acceptance of dodgy light switches in this clever and funny monologue.

His house is full of memories – he cried, laughed, kissed and loved in this house. Kitson explores the relationship and the importance of 'home' which everyone can identify with, and the acknowledgement that love does not always last forever, even if it is bricks and mortar.

Until Sunday

Big Jessie's Bag of Drag

Gilded Balloon, Teviot

***

BY BRIAN D MORGAN

BIG Jessie's Bag of Drag is a gaudy, bright night of entertainment that is made up of lip-sync songs and blue humour that is not for the feint of heart. The Australian drag queens career around the stage miming the words to memorable movies and songs, asking for the crowd to join in with this comedy-cabaret.

The show is scheduled at a late hour but shouldn't put Festival goers off. Sitting in the front row maybe a little too ambitious, as there are no punches pulled by the ladies on stage when it comes to giving out constructive criticism.

The show is festooned with sequins, feathers and multiple costume changes that would make an A-list diva's head spin. There is little wrong with this gender-bending comedy and it is an enjoyable night out. However, if it gets too much to handle, there is a bar right next to the stage.

If you like to sing, dance and laugh to bad taste humor and Australian men in drag, then this is the show for you.

Until Sunday

One Night Stand: An Improvised Musical

Pleasance Dome, Potterrow

****

BY SCOTT HENDERSON

"Nude on the moon," screams the lady next to me. Much to the disappointment of the gentleman opposite who is yelling, "Well hung and tender."

Nude on the moon, however, is accepted as the title for tonight's performance. Through the course of an hour we follow a spiritually confused astronaut as he travels from a mosque to the moon under the guidance of a mysterious Islamic spirit. Intent on stopping him are his old American colleagues who will not stand by and watch a Muslim go to the moon. What unfolds is an invigorating performance packed with wit, melodrama, and even satire.

The cast of this show live up to the stereotype of American stage school kids. With teeth as white as Donny Osmond they burst with enthusiasm and energy.

Luckily they are perfectly suited to a performance like this and their eternal enthusiasm is endearing rather than irritating. Helpfully they are also extremely talented.

What they do every evening is not to be sniffed at and, at least this evening, their imagination and invention is a sheer joy to behold.

Until Sunday

Des Clarke – Desire

Pleasance Courtyard

****

BY GARY FLOCKHART

DES CLARKE serves up his comedy at breakneck pace, in a rambling, stream-of-consciousness style. In fact, he's often a joke ahead of the audience, who are still registering previous punchlines.

His material is very Scottish-centric, but also very funny. And given the range of international comics at this year's Fringe, it's good to see one of our own holding his own.

Whether sticking to the prepared routine or running with the weirdo in the audience (almost every Fringe comedy show has one), he has that lightening-quick wit that translates into a lot of laughs.

Billy Connolly might have upset a few with his "the people from my city are funnier than the people from your city" rant, but after an hour in the company of Des Clarke, you might find yourself agreeing with the Big Yin.

Until Monday

Boys of the empire

***

What's wrong with angry?

****

C Venue, Chambers Street

BY JONATHAN MELVILLE

THERE'S a point during Taggart creator Glenn Chandler's new play where one of the cast looks towards the audience and say the immortal words: "There's been a murder."

This turns out to be the only sly reference to the dour detective in two productions falling under the banner of 'Glenn Chandler presents', plays that are as far away from the Mean City as could be.

First up is Chandler's Boys Own Adventure-style play, Boys Of The Empire.

When young Sam Pyke arrives at St Ethelred's School for Boys he's keen to make a good impression and some new chums.

It doesn't take long for espionage and intrigue to stalk the halls of the school, Pyke to become extremely familiar with one schoolmate in particular and for the effects of the Iraq war to be felt much closer to home.

The play rattles along, Ripping Yarns-style, for much of its run time, mainly due to the enthusiasm of its young cast and the constant twists of the narrative.

The parallels made with present day British foreign policy may stop short of being too hard-hitting, but there is just enough political comment to make the audience compare Britain's past follies with what is going on abroad today in our name.

Politics are touched on again in What's Wrong With Angry?, although this time the setting is much closer to present day.

Set in 1992, the play focuses on schoolboy Stephen Carter's personal battle to come out to his parents and to lead a normal life with his new boyfriend, all under the shadow of Section 28, the law which made it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to engage in a homosexual act.

Performed by the same cast as Boys of Empire, What's Wrong With Angry? has a much darker edge, shot through with black humour and smart one-liners.

At times writer-director Patrick Wilde gives the play a distinct movie feel, with some cleverly staged set-pieces attempting to show the audience the workings of Stephen's mind as he tries to come to terms with the prejudice around him.

Of the two plays, the latter makes better use of its cast's all-round skills, with Christopher Birks given the lion's share of stage time in both productions and coping admirably throughout.

Here's hoping Mr Chandler makes this a regular appointment with Edinburgh.

Both until Monday

How the Giraffe Got Its Neck

C Too, Johnston Terrace

****

BY CLAIRE WOOD

HOW the Giraffe Got its Neck is perfect for little and big kids everywhere who like asking questions. The latest production from Tall Stories explains how the elephant got its trunk, the leopard got its spots and of course, why the giraffe ended up so tall.

Conceived to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth, and drawing on Kipling's Just So stories for a dash of inspiration, this show brings the theory of evolution to life in a thoroughly entertaining and engaging way.

Two explorers set sail to find a giraffe and ask him why his neck is so long. On their journey, they encounter a series of islands, one of which is sandy, one rocky and other of which is covered in trees.

Swimming to shore to explore, they discover that the birds on each are all quite different too. A series of craftily beaked puppets give Darwin's finches their rightful place in the evolutionary tale.

Imaginative staging and lovely lighting takes the audience from the boat at the journey's start to the seabed to the desert to the jungle and back again. It even leaves us with the elusive giraffe to close. This production takes full advantage of its audience's limitless imagination. At the same time, it manages to remind adults that the best lessons are also a lot of fun.

Until Monday

Tom Stade, Oh F***, Do We Need a Title Too!

Stand, York Place

****

BY SIMON McKENZIE

TOM STADE is a comedian who needs audience feedback, and isn't afraid to push for it. At this show, he marks the audience on the effort they put in to laughing at jokes. With someone less sharp or less gifted, this might come off as a little needy, but Stade carries it off with aplomb.

He puts a lot of himself into his show, whether it's using his 13-year marriage as material or railing against celebrities like Madonna and Naomi Campbell – hardly revolutionary topics, but he goes further below surface appearances than most.

And for a Canadian bloke who's been married for 13 years, you'd expect a fairly sedate night out, but Stade's slightly wired persona and far-reaching material mean you're not just there to be passively entertained.

There's plenty of banter with the crowd, although he's not looking for a quick and easy put down – if there's a vein of material in a response, he'll mine it. An intriguing comedian who grows more so with every festival.

Until Sunday

The Battle of Pots and Pans

St Cuthbert's, West End

BY MARTIN LENNON

THERE were many things to admire about The Battle Of Pots And Pans, but there was an overwhelming feeling of under-rehearsal. What could have been an outstanding piece of work sadly missed the mark. The award-winning playwright,Andrew Dallmeyer crafted a cracking and incisive script. Cleverly, he drew comparisons between the arguments of 1745 and the sectarianism of modern day Scotland. As narrator, he drove the show along, clarifying plot points and historical information.

While not as famous as Culloden, The Battle of Prestonpans was almost as noteworthy, and certainly deserved some sort of recognition. The show was peppered with songs of the era. Johnny Cope and White Cockade, together with a host of others were flawlessly performed by Laverock, led by the angelic voice of Coreen Scott.

Some of the actors certainly deserve to go on to bigger things, in particular, Bob Allen and Steve McDowall in dual roles as soldiers Hamish and Torquil, and in the modern day, as Ally and Billy.

Unfortunately, with many of the cast chewing lines and speaking to the ground, much of the story was garbled. Dialogue was often delivered woodenly and haltingly. This was a grand idea, well created, which balked at the final hurdle.

Run ended