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Fringe 2005 Reviews (31)
The
Witching Hour: Late Night Ghost Stories
Panda Theatre Company
The Pleasance
***(*)
A bizarre night of thrills and chills - or so the promise made by promotional
materials seems to be. The Witching Hour is essentially a long
advertisement, purposefully or not, for the Greyfriar's Kirk ghost tours.
We learn the basic facts of the case as well, such as when the MacKenzie
poltergeist first shows up in recent history, with interludes from top
comics (i.e. people with an interest in plugging their standup shows).
On the night I attended, the host was certainly chilling, with a booming
voice and careful diction that elicited a spooky thrill from almost
every word. The guests were of variable quality, with Janey Godley's
story of children who were haunted by a pair of old auntie ghosts causing
many audience members to fidgit from boredom rather than squirm in fear.
Certainly an interesting night out - when it's scary it's terrifying,
and when the comedic moments shine through the night can be gut-bustingly
funny.
Rachel Lynn Brody
The Pitchfork Disney
By Philip Ridley
About Turn Theatre Company
Rocket @ Roxy Arthouse
***
This bizarre turn from the About Turn theatre company tells the story
of twins Presley (Edward Davenport) and Haley (Daisy Fellows), whose
parents off and left them ten years before the play begins. One night,
after giving his sister the tablets she needs to help her sleep, Presley
brings a younger man up to the flat. Their conversation constitutes
the bulk of the play.
The script raises some interesting questions about male sexuality in
the modern age, with Cosmo Disney (George Michie) harping on how he
feels sexualized by the men he meets and how much he hates being touched
by men. But there are also a few strange moments between the twins,
where Presley's care for his sister seems to cross the line from just
being protective and turn into something a little more creepy.
With a script that is essentially a series of dialogues where nothing
much happens, Pitchfork could have been a very boring hour indeed,
but Antonia Beck's direction alleviates a lot of this danger, and there
are only brief moments where events feel completely static.
By the end of the show it's difficult to tell what the audience is
meant to have learned, or specifically what questions we should be asking,
but overall this is an enjoyable, dark production.
Rachel Lynn Brody
The Ladyboys of Bangkok
Gandey World Class Productions
Directed & Produced by Carol and Phillip Gandey
Meadows Theatre Big Top
****(*)
You've seen the signs -colourful posters papering Edinburgh, trumpeting
the coming of The Lady Boys of Bangkok - but if you're anything
like me, you've probably been wondering what exactly this show is about.
Ladyboys is an all-dancing, all lip-synching drag show sensation,
bringing the finest talent from the Thai drag cabaret scene to Edinburgh.
The unsuspecting will be caught in the middle of a flashy, alluring
show that uses both classic and recent tunes to show off the talents
of the performers (though it's the more recent numbers that really get
the crowd going).
Although a couple of performers were obviously clueless as to the songs
they were meant to be singing, most of the performance was exciting
and uplifting. What the Lady Boys do with startling immediacy is prove
that our concepts of sexuality are extremely proscribed, and based on
appearance. The two male friends who came along to the show were both
stunned by the way these performers embody the ideals of feminine beauty
(my words, not theirs) and couldn't get past the idea that some of the
men on stage were not, in fact, women.
From "My Way" to "Baby Boy" to "Auld Lang
Syne," the Lady Boys capture the audiences' hearts and attentions.
Amongst a field of overpriced rubbish, Ladyboys is definitely
worth the price of a ticket.
Rachel Lynn Brody
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