Sunday
Familie Flöz provided a great start to my Sunday with its superbly skilful puppetry and mask work in the wonderful Teatro Delusio with a cast of recognisable theatrical types brilliantly rendered. It still amazes me that this was all performed by just three people.
I stayed at the Theatre Arena for my final official press trip: Theatre Ad Infinitum's Bucket List, which was very good but I did have some reservations about the story. However this is billed as a work-in-progress so I'm sure it will change before it hits the Edinburgh Fringe next month.
Another work-in-progress was Mark Thomas's The Red Shed, the title referring to the headquarters of a local Labour Party organisation in Wakefield, Yorkshire. Thomas's compelling storytelling and great commitment to his subject matter carried his audience along through an exciting narrative about trying to find out whether a memory he had of schoolchildren singing as the miners went back to work after the strike in 1985 was, in fact, true. It was a great performance, but perhaps not suitable for the politically right of wing.
I had to rush across to the Comedy Arena, which was bursting at the seams in anticipation of Bill Bailey, who gave his usual very funny, multi-instrumentalist performance, although his opening comments on the referendum seemed a bit superficial after seeing Mark Thomas.
After the comedy headliner, it was time to find a good place for the music headliner; I've been listening to New Order for three decades, since buying vinyl was the best option rather than a curious new fashion, so it was great to see them live (minus Hooky of course). I've finally seen "Blue Monday" and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" performed live by most of the original musicians.
After this, there was just enough time to get to the Poetry Arena for the final performance there, and who better to round off the weekend than John Hegley, who was brilliantly entertaining as usual.
Finally, it was back to the tent to fall asleep to the beats of The Menendez Brothers in the nearby Sunrise Arena, trying to remember the best way to pull down a tent.