|
Fringe 2009 Reviews (34)
Accidental Nostalgia
By Cynthia Hopkins
Traverse 1
**
Cynthia Hopkins has certainly been given free rein for as self-indulgent
a show as can be imagined.
She takes centre stage telling a tale that she has written, illuminated
by country songs that she has composed to sing herself backed by a four
piece band and a couple of singer/dancer technicians, the whole illustrated
with photos and film.
Until she takes it off and replaces it with another, Miss Hopkins'
costume is striking, apparently half-finished with intimations of the
kind of gown typically only worn in a mortuary.
In it, she opens with a lecture on the nature of memory and amnesia,
punctuated with her songs. This could easily become heavy going but
soon develops into a search for a lost father.
The journey is rather fun, as the protagonist is accused of murdering
at least one parent in a hick town in Georgia but, like all of the best
amateur detectives, discovers the somewhat bizarre truth.
Accidental Nostalgia must qualify as one of the oddest experiences
in Edinburgh this year and as such with its mix of avant garde performance
and detective story, is likely to appeal to a certain clientele, who
will love every moment. It might just become a cult hit, but then again
....
Philip Fisher
The School for Scandal
Pleasance, Comedians Theatre Company and Jeremy Meadow
Pleasance Courtyard
****
With the queue reaching round all three sides of the Pleasance Courtyard
over an hour beforehand, I hardly need describe this hugely popular
and undoubtedly sell-out show.
In full costume, cuffs and wigs, some of the Festival's finest comedians
take to the stage to present Sheridan's famous farce. With Marcus Brigstock,
Lionel Blair and Stephen K Amos star studding what is an already glittering
cast of brilliant stand ups, this is an award-winning show for the add-libs
alone.
More pantomime and play-acting than studied performance, this show
still presents one of my most enjoyable Fringe experiences so far. Both
a school for scandalous behavior and irreverently competitive upstaging,
every cast member is superb (regardless of age or, indeed, line recollections!).
Special mention must be made of Richard Thomson whose scene-stealing
cameos are so good they should be banned, and, alongside him, the brilliant
Ella Kenion and driving Phil Nichol really stand out. Ultimately every
performer contributes to this brilliant comedy with individual style
and perfect pitch, as you would expect from a Comedian's Theatre Company.
An extremely enjoyable show and a great idea, blurring the boundaries
between stand up and classic theatre.
Sacha Voit
King of the Gypsies
By Pauline Lynch
These Colours in association with Escalator East to Edinburgh
Pleasance Courtyard
***
This is a straight-talking and moving piece of documentary theatre
about the trials of Romani communities across Europe. Writer Pauline
Lynch's narrative is interwoven with recordings of real people giving
their views from both sides of the fence. Middle-Englanders living near
traveller sites complain about dirty appearances and feral children.
Romani people talk about being persecuted, and the lack of legal stopping
places resulting inevitably in poor access to healthcare and education.
Paul McLeary meanwhile acts out various stories from Romani legend
and recent history, including the extermination of around 500,000 Gypsies
during the Holocaust which is chillingly linked to nascent fascism today.
Despite the darker moments he creates a lovely inclusivity, handing
out cups of tea to audience members; and the weaving of sound, light
and recordings is effective.
At times I would have liked more information and less atmosphere, for
example when telling of the two Romani girls who drowned in Italy last
year, their bodies left on the beach for the ambulance to collect, while
people carried on sunbathing around them. To know these details I had
to look it up: the show hinted at it quite vaguely. It could have done
with full telling. The argument around permanent legal sites for travellers
in this country could have been explored too - from both sides, to let
us consider where we ourselves stand. But this is important awareness-raising
stuff. It's getting us to look.
Corinne Salisbury
Next
page - - - Index
|
