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The
Edinburgh Fringe
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Fringe 2009 Reviews (1)The Grind Show The title refers to the action your teeth start to make about ten minutes into this directionless show as the tedium set in. A boy/girl - the genders were unnecessarily confused, with lots of female actors referring to themselves as men - is sucked into a zombie-esque circus, cue many meetings with performers of variable ability. It wasn't just the poor narrative that was the problem; the characters were a caricature too far. There was a horrible number of bad grey wigs, though at least they helped hide some of the embarrassingly over the top facial expressions. The main character, though a good physical performer, spoke in a shrill monotone that rather undermined the empathy one might have had, for what was by far the most subtle and interesting performance. There were flashes of inspiration, visually there was some good use of rope for aquatic effect and masks to show a domestic violence circus act. None of the circus acts were especially impressive, and this combined with uninspiring narrative and weak ending meant that teeth grinding was the only way to keep yourself entertained for the hour. Seth Ewin Gingers! The Musical Eight roaring red-heads at a retreat reveal the daily perils that face those with hair from the inner ring of the rainbow, the result a little underwhelming. There is a real spectrum of shades and sob stories, from a "strawberry blonde" wag to wig-wearing interlopers, from a ginger goth to a marmalade muff diver. The singing was not just strong but always totally clear, as it needed to be for this is Gingers' premier. The music perfect, not getting in the way of the women or their words, for the lyrics were well worth hearing. Chloe Uppington as Jackie lamenting her love for the ugly one from Girls Aloud is particularly fun. Other cast members form complementary backing dance routines and the teamwork is really evident. The company is also responsible for most of the lyrics and choreography. It's a great place to premier, as Scotland has the highest proportion of red-heads in the world, hence I was slightly disappointed in the lack of Scots characters, This sort of musical with its bunch of stereotypes has become a common formula though for many new musicals at the fringe, every character gets their song, they all have problems, these are weakly resolved. Through the strength of the singers and their lyrics the show is saved, but overall and especially the finale felt lukewarm not red hot. Seth Ewin Stand By Your Van I had the same feeling when I first saw Bouncers by Godber: whether I liked it or not, this was going to be a successful show. There was something about the confidence with which the whole thing started up. Well, in a new era, this one has caught the zeitgeist too. A gleaming new pick-up truck is stranded in the middle of the stage, highlighted by roaming spotlights. The music roars, the crowd yells. A presenter strides on to the stage and introduces 'Stand By Your Van'. Based around mid-US game shows, where people put themselves through just about anything to get their obligatory five minutes of fame and a life-changing prize, this show captures the madness of our times. An assorted group of twelve desperate yet determined people have agreed to take part in a competition to see who can keep their hand on the pick-up truck for the longest amount of time, until only one is left. The truck goes to the last person standing. One of the clever devices of this Menagerie production is that the script has been designed so that every night a different contestant wins. There is a mother-of-two who wants a 'Tonka' truck for her children, a crazed born-again mother with a disabled child, a foul-mouthed granny, an ex-military man, an eco-warrior, a blond bimbo, a sex-crazed primary teacher… you get the picture. Again, just like Godber, the characters are 2D stereotypes who, despite their cartoon status, manage to deliver real emotions and comment. These are characters who represent social archetypes from across the entire country; so, we have characters from Wales, Glasgow, the home counties and the north east, as well as the range of ages and social backgrounds. This is a metaphor for the UK today: community and altruism versus individual goals and desires. Just how far will people go to win what is essentially a piece of metal? Competition, desperation and envy are some of the themes of the show. With the tiredness comes desperation. When Elizabeth, a woman determined to raise awareness of breast cancer, starts to lecture the other contestants, she is treated to disdain, hatred and even violence. It would be unfair to highlight individual actors; this is a truly ensemble piece. By relaying the events live on television monitors, Director Paul Bourne adds a flavour of more familiar endurance spectacles such as The Apprentice and I'm a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! The camera focuses on the hands and faces, so you get a sense of both scale and intimacy. Stand By Your Van condenses 80 hours of action from one of the most bizarre competitions ever dreamed up into 80 minutes of interactive, 'live competition' theatre. This one has legs. Nick Ellis
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