[O’CIV‘I law-Late theatre comedy dance mUsic books
THEATRE PREVIEW By The Numbers
On-stage band creates order in chaos
Stephanie Mathison's new drama follows the turbulent life of a young man set to self-destruct. Recently bereaved by the loss of his mathematician mother, Harry must also grapple with his addictions to gambling and alcohol and his unsettling preoccupation with premature death.
Director Liam Sinclair sees the innovative use of an on-stage band as central to the main character’s finding order to the apparently random chaos of his existence: ’The function of the band is almost as a Greek chorus,’ says Sinclair. ‘Harry uses it to bounce off, i like a comedy performer uses a band to give a fluid structure to the show.’
Having secured the means of development, the director and the playwright have still to finalise the play’s conclusion. This situation is particularly appealing to the young director: ‘There will be continuous changes made throughout the production process, making it non- restrictive. It also gives the actors an opportunity to put their input into the play.’ (Catherine Bromley)
I By The Numbers (Fringe) Frantic Redhead Productions, Rando/f Studio (Venue 55) 225 5366, 5—24 Aug (not 11-12, 78-19) 70.50pm, £5/f6.
COMEDY PREVIEW
Paddy Courtne (Ire) vs Des Bishop (USA) - he Main Event
Atlantic straddling comedic sparrers
Take two MCs from successful rival comedy clubs in Dublin, stick them on the same stage at the Edinburgh Fringe, and you’ve got a face off not seen since Rocky took to the ring with that Soviet killing machine Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV. Well, not really. But you do get two very different
COMEDY PREVIEW Pick-ups And Hiccups: To
Love, Honour And Castrate
Time to unlock those rusty old chastity belts as Boom Chicago's critically acclaimed foray into the dark recesses of the human sex- drive returns to the Fringe. Get ready to find out everything you've ever wanted to know about the mating game as Boom stalwarts, Seth Meyers and Jill Benjamin, make Pammy Anderson and Tommy Lee look positively puritan. Boom Chicago director, Andrew Moskos explains: ’T hey have this incredible charisma together - they've known each other so long, they genuinely
work well together - they're great
people to have dinner with and they're also great to watch. I mean, they’re not putting it on, this really is them.‘
If you're not already familiar with Boom Chicago‘s trademark Sledgehammer approach, moisten your lips and prepare for a heady cocktail of fast-paced improv- based sketches and non- intimidating audience
participation with an easy going atmosphere. An experience that should surely loosen up even the most,
um, frigid of theatre goers. (Olly Lassman)
comedy shows rolled into one. 'My stuff is straight stand-up,’ explains the Irish half of the performance, Paddy Courtney, ’Whereas Des' stuff will be very much music-based, because he works with a hip hop guy called DJ Lee.’
Going on to diss his comedic partner by calling him a ‘failed hip hop star', Courtney then stirs it up
by slagging his prospective audience.
’It’s quite a late show, so hopefully everybody will be comedy literate by that stage of the night.’ By ‘comedy
Stand up meets hip-hop as Paddy Courtney goes head to head with Des Blshop
‘ £5 .7"
Iiterate', of course, he means ‘pissed’. Don’t let the man down. (Doug Johnstone)
I Paddy Courtney (/re) vs Des Bishop (USA) — The Main Event (Fringe) Gilded Balloon (Venue 38) 226 2 757, 4-28 Aug (not21) 77.30pm, £7 (£6).
COMEDY PREVIEW AAAAAAAAAARGH It's Malcolm Hardee's Farewell Performance
Mental Frin e veteran says goodbye, a eged/y
Malcolm Hardee doesn't have much time for other shows at the Edinburgh Fringe. ’My favourite person up there is Bob, the tartan taxi driver; he should have his own show,’ he says. ’I've been inspired by Bob so I’ve got myself a London black cab. I’m coming up to Edinburgh in it this year.‘
When he’s not picking up fares from the Pleasance beer garden, then, the twenty year Fringe veteran will be putting on his unique show, which he claims will be his last Edinburgh performance ever. With special guests every night, including Jerry Sadowitz, Steve Coogan and Jools Holland, it’s_ guaranteed to be Hardee’s usual chaotic kind of gig. 'l’ve no idea what's in it, I’m going to write it two days before I come up,‘ he says. ‘l’ll probably be starting off in the bath though, if I can get a bath on stage.’ (Doug Johnstone)
I AAAAAAAAAARGH It’s Malcolm Hardee‘s Farewell Performance (Fringe) Assembly Rooms (Venue 3) 226 2428, 7—20 Aug (not 74) 17pm, £9lf 10 (£6/£ 7).
‘,_,:-« .' .4.
Sexual Perverslty from Chicago
I Pick-ups And Hiccups: To Love, Honour And Castrate (Fringe) Boom Chicago, Pleasance (Venue 33) 556 6550, 4—27 Aug (not 7) 77.15pm, {BSD—£9.50 (£7-f8.50). Preview 3 Aug, £4.
MUSIC PREVIEW
Green Juice
Jag; fusioneers get in the festival spirit
Willy Molleson, youngest of an infamous quartet of Scottish musical brothers may perform with his band on only the most select occasions but he is no stranger to The Bongo Club. As well as contributing drum ’n’ bass and hip hop inflected drumming to Green Juice, he is also one of the evil geniuses behind the megamedia club night known as Al’s All Night Joke Shop.
It’s Green Juice we’re interested in for the moment though, and Molleson is more than happy to describe the layers of jazzy keyboard and sax that lie atop a very danceable rhythm section, which is also occasionally garnished by the rapping of the well-kent local, Frosty J.
Indeed, he describes Green Juice’s live blend of 'very dancey club music with an emphasis on music, songs and attitude’ with such relish that he gets you salivating for not just Green Juice but for the whole of Out Of The Blue’s programme of Bongo Club events at this year’s Fringe. (Tim Abrahams)
I Green Juice (Fringe) Out Of The Blue, The Bongo Club (Venue 743) 556 5204, 8Aug, 70.30pm, £7 (£5).
PHYSICAL THEATRE
Cinderella
Cinders goes psycho in the Quad Turbozone have simple objectives: take a well-known story, bastardise it into a futuristic action spectacular and house it within the atmospheric confines of
88 THE U8T FESTIVAL GUIDE 3—1 0 Aug 2000