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QUIETLY Tough drama about two men with a violent past ●●●●● IT’S DARK OUTSIDE Mesmerising adventures in a surreal shadow world ●●●●●

CLOWN FOR HIRE The tears of a clown ●●●●●

When a Fringe show goes wrong, it’s an absolute car crash, and Clown for Hire serves up a five lane-pile up. Armed with a bucket, a wheelie bin and a clown outfit, Julius (Batsile Rakgantsho Ramasodi) springs onto the stage with a series of half-baked pratfalls which mystify his audience, many of whom ran for the exits during a lengthy sequence in which he put a bucket on his head.

Julius’ grandly announced backstory turns out to be a traditional ‘tears of a clown’ routine: abandoned as a baby in Johannesburg, Julius formed an unlikely dream to become a circus clown. Having failed to earn laughs by pretending there’s excrement in his bucket or licking water from a bowl like a dog, his attempts to wring pathos from his lament prove equally misguided.

Owen McCafferty’s new play Quietly relies on silence and tension and very little fuss to present heartbreaking personal dramas in an intimate but public setting. Set in a nondescript Belfast pub over the course of a football match, Jamie and Ian meet to battle their way through an event that took place 36 years earlier. The two men weave their tales, dancing around one another as they reveal their stories to a non-judgmental bar keeper and the audience. Patrick O’Kane as Jimmy is intensely watchable,

his silences frequently revealing more than any dialogue could as he struggles to come to terms with the actions of a 16-year-old boy who now stands before him as a man.

This is part of the Assembly’s South African The hope of forgiveness for the stupidity of youth

season, and there’s presumably a political meaning intended here, but the broadness of the show dulls any subtext. That two volunteers plucked from the audience turned out to get more laughs than Julius did in 45 minutes demonstrates that this clown doesn’t work. (Eddie Harrison) Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 26 Aug (not 12), 2pm, £12–£13, (£11–£12). and sectarian tensions loom large throughout and the pain of reconciliation for both men is uncomfortably and unambiguously displayed in the way they stalk the stage and each other. Quietly is tough and moving: its themes still able to ring true as much now as at the height of the Troubles. (Kirstyn Smith) Traverse, 228 1404, until 25 Aug (not 12, 19), times vary, £17–£19 (£6–£14).

Perth Theatre Company, the team behind the award-winning Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer present another dark theatrical adventure. Comprised of animation, dance, live action, shadows and puppetry, It’s Dark Outside takes the audience on a mesmerising story with a spaghetti western twist.

Written and performed by Tim Watts, Arielle Gray and Chris Isaacs, the piece begins when an old man, under cover of night, leaves his home, comes across a trusty steed in the form of a tent and sets off on a wild journey, followed by a sinister and fast tracker.

Taking place in a surreal and dark world of shadow and memory, It’s Dark Outside chronicles a man trying to leave his old life behind, only to be haunted by regret and lost time. The talented cast have combined to create a simply beautiful play that is as visually stunning as it is emotionally breathtaking. A poignant piece of new writing that represents some of the very best aspects of Fringe theatre. (Amy Taylor) Underbelly, Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 26 Aug (not 13), 5.30pm, £12.50–£14.50 (£11–£13).

MISSING Gecko’s spectacular dance theatre tale explores the depths of memory and childhood ●●●●●

With single-actor shows and zero props becoming increasingly popular in recession-era Fringe performances, it’s refreshing to see a play that’s technically ambitious, beautiful to look at and expansively original especially when pulled off with as much panache as Gecko’s Missing. Against intricate sets and beautiful visual set-ups, Lily all

nervy English manners is stumbling through life. She parties with friends, goes to work and walks down the aisle at her wedding. But something is wrong: at every milestone she seems uncomfortable and afraid. Through flashbacks, we see troubling moments from her past, told in muffled Spanish and German and the hazy recollection of childhood memories.

Aided by a mysterious Italian guide, we excavate Lily’s early life. But the story is not the most vital part of this show. Ostensibly we see a complex and diverse dramatisation of the inner workings of Lily’s own personal therapy. More importantly, it’s a spectacular experiment in on-stage communication. Through physical theatre and dialogue in a range of untranslated European languages, the play develops a deep, ranging exploration of the stories we all tell ourselves about our own existence.

Originality pulses through every scene, producing an

electrifying combination of physicality, visual poetry and technical magic. The result is a gorgeously hypnotic, impressionistic vindication of personal identity, as well as a stunning version of the messy social dance that we all do to understand and accept ourselves around other people. (Charlotte Runcie) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 25 Aug (not 7, 18), times vary, £11.50–£15 (£10–£13.50).

8–15 Aug 2013 THE LIST FESTIVAL 85