This space is available for advertising
|
|
This space is available for advertising
|
|
The
Edinburgh Fringe
|
|
|
|
Fringe 1997 Diary (1)
Saturday 9th August There was a time when, to me, Edinburgh and rain were synonymous. Not any more! Now it's heat: heat on the streets, heat in the bars, heat in the restaurants, heat in the theatre. I sat in the Gilded Balloon Backstage at 6.30 this evening in an audience of six, watching Daylight Robbery and, along with everyone else, tried to keep myself cool by discreetly fanning myself with my programme. How actress Annie George kept her cool under the lights is a mystery on a par with spontaneous combustion! (Although that doesn't seem too mysterious in ths weather!) Then it was a quick meal and off to the Southside Courtyard for Nobody Here But Us Chickens by the National Student Theatre Company. It was a bit cooler, but even at that time, the little light drizzle, which began as we left, came as a great relief. Sunday 10th August Hot again! A trail around various press offices left me soaking once again. My liquid intake (no, not all alcohol!) is well up!Spent much of the morning watching the street performers. Fun, skillful - pure entertainment - nothing more. But why does every single one of them have to do fire-juggling? And I know I shouldn't say it (heresy, by God!), but I am getting a bit sick of the constant sound of bagpipes! Watched young actors from Ugly Productions doing an extract from their show Hospscotch. I wasn't planning to see it, but they impressed me so much with their handling of the problems of street theatre that I'll try to fit them in. Then off to the Famous Grouse House for Mad. I left myself a couple of hours for relaxing (and a wee drinkette!) before going to Marco's for The Rape of Lucrece. Then a long gap until 10.40 when, after an excellent Chinese meal at the Great Wall, I was off to the Hill Street Theatre for Andy and Edie. Monday 11th August Now this is more like the Edinburgh I once knew - thick, swirling mist: no sign of the Castle, Arthur's Seat or the Pentland Hills. The slight chill in the air is most welcome! Encountered my first suspicion of the Internet today. Although I am fully accredited as a journalist by the Fringe Press Office, the Assembly Rooms Press Office refused to give me press tickets straightaway: they need to consult the companies to see if Web coverage is acceptable to them. Talk about backward! They'll ring me back. There's been no problem at other venues: most seem quite delighted at Net coverage and show a great deal of interest. First off today, the Royal Eagle Lodge for two shows by Soup Kitchen Theatre, Medea and Three Piece Suite. In the fifteen minutes between the two shows, I nipped outside to get a breath of fresh nicotine into my lungs (accompanied by a retired chest specialist and a medical student!) and watched the rain begin.Nipped back to the digs after the show to pick up a coat, and then off to the Pleasance for The Lighting Man. Got there on time - just! - and sank gratefully into my seat, knackered by the run! Out again at 7.30 for an Indian meal at the Bay of Bengal in High Street before the long dash down to C Cubed in Princes Street for Kafka's The Trial. Out at 10.30 into the pouring rain with my legs feeling like jelly. God, I am unfit! Tuesday 12th August Hot again! I slept in! I'd sat up chatting with another guy at the digs till one in the morning and then wrote my day's reviews. Am I glad today was intended as a rest(ish!) day. Only two shows: Knives and Hens and Anna Weiss, both at the Traverse. It was a nice restful day, with two excellent shows, but it was spoilt by one thing: I saw a Thai restaurant near the theatre, the Thai Orchid, and really fancied a Thai meal. I was not allowed in! Why? - because there was only one of me. Now to racism, sexism, ageism et al we can add single-ism! So it was off to the Jasmine a door or two down the road for an excellent Chinese. Wednesday 13th August Today has been cock-up day! Rang the press office for the show I wanted to see tonight - it doesn't start till next week! Still, I thought, I'll manage to fit in Hopscotch after all. Then I rang the Assembly Rooms Press Office since they hadn't rung me back. Two shows, no problem, but Out of Joint/Royal Court will not give press seats to Internet journalists for Shopping and Fucking - this from a company which not only has a Web presence but is one of my Best of the Web! I am not a happy man. I'll send them a nasty email when I get home! Three shows this afternoon: Beowulf at the Gilded Balloon, followed by Stone Me - It's the Lad Himself and Hancock's Last Half Hour at the Cafe Royale. Then an hour later to get across town to see Hopscotch. Came out of the Cafe Royale and it was pouring! By the time I reached Princes Street I was soaked to the skin. Decision time! - spend the rest of the day and evening drenched, or go back to the digs to change and get a coat, thus missing Hopscotch? Hopscotch lost! Back to the digs. Dry off. Change. Grab coat. Run. Arrive at Southside to see Undine only to discover I'm two hours early - I'd written down the wrong time! The bloody 24-hour clock! Still, it meant I got my Thai meal. The Ayutthaya on South Bridge is superb - highly recommnded. And they do take-away meals! Thai carry-outs! - now that's what I call civilisation! Thursday 14th August Hot again. Hardly a cloud in the sky. But I wasn't fooled: I took my waterproof with me - and it stayed brilliantly sunny all day! Cafe Royale again: this time for The Man in the Welsh Lunatic Asylum, then a couple of hours to spare before The Seal Wife at the Netherbow. Watched more street entertainers. There's a Punch and Judy now, and an escaplogist. And an excellent jazz duo (trombone and drums) and a group of singing and dancing South African girls. Then a quick meal at Creelers, the seafood restaurant, and - for the first time since Saturday - into the car to go right across town for Olympus on my Mind Friday 15th August I am shattered! Another hot day ("Scorchio!" in fact), and three shows. Didn't get up till ten - lazy so-and-so! Twelve o'clock to Gilded Balloon II for It's Uncanny, then to the Assembly Rooms for the National Youth Music Theatre's Aurelius The Valiant Apprentice and finally Ceremonial Kisses at the Garage Theatre. Tomorrow I'm off home, but I'll be back on Monday 25th. I've already got my seat booked for Steven Berkoff's Massage - at 11.00 am, which means I'll have to set out at about seven in the morning. After all, it is a Bank Holiday. See you with the next batch of reviews on 1st September!
|
|
|