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Fringe 2007 Reviews (83)
The Devil, Chess: A Burlesque
Foul Play Theatre
Zoo Southside
*****
Its not often that the game of chess is equated with anything other
than dry, dusty academics or child prodigies. With that in mind, the
idea of transforming an 80 year old Chess stratagem guidebook is an
unlikely one. However, as is so often the case, the unlikeliest ideas
have proved the best.
With conventional ideas of theatre, structure and style thrown to the
wind, director Jack Stiger has created a symphony of sensual decadence,
peppered with literary allusions and sardonic humour. From the first
moments when the audience are picked one by one by the burly horse-headed
Knights and literally manhandled into the dark theatre on either the
black or white side of a folding chessboard screen, through the sultry
acts of the cavorting corseted dancers, till the final stand-off finish
, there is no let up in the dark beauty of the performance.
We are led by Stiger, narrating in ever changing costumes, through
an exploration of the nature of war, sex, death and the Devil himself
using the medium of Chess as both metaphor and depiction. He rails and
waxes as the dancers and Knights strut amongst the audience and fling
themselves at each other through the masterful choreography of the quite
delicious Astral De La Mare. Adding in the amount of naked skin on display
and the hot and close environment of the setting, makes this certainly
the sexiest and most arousing piece of theatre at the Fringe, and a
must see to anyone who dares call themselves a fan of Burlesque.
Graeme Strachan
MouseWings
By Rachel Lynn Brody
Stolen Stories
Bedlam Theatre
***(*)
Described as a post-apocalyptic urban fairytale, this new play from
Rachel Lynn Brody is a dark and creepy story about the fractured mind
state of three survivors of a disease which has all but wiped out the
human race. A scientist, a thug and a disturbed girl, haunted by nightmares
of ghosts and a giant bird. All of which is pulled together by the jauntily
happy narrator who regales the audience with truisms and stories. It's
in this mix that the morality and the sanities of all three begin to
break down, and the increasingly sinister and bizarre metaphors told
by the bird-man narrator begin to have real implications to the action.
The production was a solid one with quality acting from the troupe,
but with the narrator standing out as a definite highpoint as he winkingly
cajoles the audience along with events, and recants tales of quasi-Ovidian
transformations in a skillfull manner, coaxing real poetry from Brody's
prose. Although I was left more than a little perplexed by a couple
of the finer plot points which had been left open to interpretation,
making the play feel like it held some great secret you weren't supposed
to know, or that I had missed in the metaphors and layers of the birdman's
song.
Graeme Strachan
Tease With a Twist
Edinburgh Conference Centre
**(*)
Burlesque appears this fringe in many weird, wonderful and not so wonderful
guises. Here is a show where the focus is clearly on entertainment,
and to be fair to the three performers, they certainly give their all.
Lady Beau Peep, Misti Vine and Crimson Skye are all solo stars in their
own right on the burly-q scene, with vastly differing crazy caricatures.
Subtle seduction has been firmly cast aside for the brazen humour new
burlesque is known for, as the three all perform their own slot, alongside
a couple of group numbers.
Beau Peep's strengths lie in her powerful show voice, taking the lead
in most songs, and providing the strongest solos. However her faux-girly
costume and surplus of sheep jokes cheapen her act a trifle, and the
character could be stronger given a dose of the touch-me-not austerity
which usually drives burlesque audiences wild. Crimson Skye has hit
on the ingenious notion of the serial killer stripper, appearing in
strait jacket and giving a new take to Patsy Cline's 'Crazy', but her
Texan drawl slips irreparably less than half way, which somehow detracts
from the overall effect. The star of the evening is doubtlessly Misti
Vine, some-time accomplice to the godmother of new burlesque Dita von
Teese, who breezes through a lewd and rude stand up act in remarkably
loveable and dignified form, while dressed as a giant, cuddly, sparkling
vagina.
This is not the most thrilling burlesque show the festival has seen,
and the group numbers have a mainstream feel which seem to detract from
their impact, but as a teaser for the ladies as solo performers, it
works well enough.
Lucy Ribchester
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