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After What Comes Before ●●●●● The show operates within a complex neuro-philosophical framework, in which three different scientists – one theoretical, one practical and one psychological – work together to create a device that can extract thoughts and stabilise mental disorders. Through a combination of impenetrable graphs and charts, the team appear on the brink of success – but to what ends will they use this new power? (Niki Boyle) Greenside, 557 2124, until 24 Aug (not Sun), 8.50pm, £8 (£6). Albert Einstein: Relativitively Speaking ●●●●● Albert Einstein depicts arguably the 20th century’s greatest mind as a somewhat befuddled lecturer struggling to illustrate his theories. With musical assistance, John Hinton’s Einstein addresses topics like relativity with charming gusto, pulling hapless members of the audience on-stage to illustrate his points. A show that’s easy to recommend; as Jennifer Aniston proved, the science part doesn’t have to be boring. (Eddie Harrison) Pleasance Courtyard, 0131 556 6550, Until 26 Aug (not 13, 20), 2.25pm, £8.50- £9.50, (£7-£8). Another New World ●●●●● In this low-key but entertaining take on Franklin’s doomed Arctic expedition, the four-strong cast consider the stories of both men aboard ship and the women left at home. For those who know nothing about the Franklin expedition, Another New World provides an interesting overview while those already familiar with the story will enjoy the emotional involvement with the characters. While not unmissable, this is not a bad use of a spare hour. (Kirsty Logan) Cafe Camino, 243 3596, until 24 Aug, 5pm, free. Bonanza ●●●●● Antwerp multi-media company Berlin’s documentary focuses on the town of Bonanza, America, a once thriving, seedy place populated by miners, prostitutes and hard drinkers, now reduced to just seven permanent residents. Ultimately, even with a cute scale model of the town which lights up and five different angled screens, Bonanza feels as flat as its landscape is mountainous. (Lorna Irvine) Summerhall, 0845 874 3001 Until 25 Aug (not 19), £12 (£10). Cinderella Lives! ●●●●● A story following the adventures of Eve, a woman approaching thirty and wondering whether she can have it all. Aisling Keily is a charismatic presence and the show uses snippets of burlesque dancing to pose questions about feminism in the 21st century. Keily is a charming performer and while Cinderella Lives! isn’t entirely successful, there is much potential in both the ideas and the execution. (Gareth K Vile) Venue13, 07074 201313, until Aug 24, 8.15pm, £8 (£6) Donal O’Kelly’s Brace: Fionnuala ●●●●● Once central character Ambrose comes face-to-face with a force that demands the truth, the play quickens, slowly enrapturing the audience in its tale. While it does take its time, the play manages to not only hit its mark but also haunt long after the curtain falls. O’Kelly’s artistic drive comes from legitimate anger over current political and environmental events. If nothing else, the play drives enough curiosity within the audience to demand further research. (Michael Cox) Hill Street Theatre, 226 6522, until 25 Aug, 8.15pm, £11-£12 (£9-£10) Donal O’Kelly’s Brace: Skeffy ●●●●● Meet Francis Sheehy- Skeffington, Donal O’Kelly’s hero in his latest monologue. Presented as the greatest fighter for Irish independence you’ve never heard of, O’Kelly not only plays the character but also those who knew, admired and persecuted him. His performance is electric, full of passion, he commands the stage for the entire performance, but Skeffy feel more like an unfinished work teeming with potential rather than the fully-polished tour-de- force it could so easily be. (Michael Cox)
Reviews at Glance | FESTIVAL THEATRE
Hag
Hill Street Theatre, 226 6522, until 24 Aug, 8.15pm, £11-£12 (£9-£10). Dumbstruck ●●●●● Fine Chisel have created an intriguing production that cleverly interweaves Ted’s backstory and his current plight. The cast of five, including four musicians who narrate and play multiple characters, are all quite engaging, and the production’s sound, both in live music and design, are quite good— an important aspect for a production that is about sound. Technically good and filled with spirited performances, Dumbstruck deserves quiet applause.(Michael Cox) Zoo, 662 6892, until 26 Aug (not 14), 5.15pm, £9-£10 (£8-£9). Hag ●●●●● While Hag does not reclaim Baba Yaga as a heroine, her portrayal here is more rounded and complex. Yaga may state her ferocity, but her behaviour is as honorable as it is beastly. The Wrong Crowd’s cunning use of masks and puppetry combines with Hannah Mulder’s script to ensure that the story is clear and has the right amount of horror and comic relief to charm and enchant. (Gareth K Vile) Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, until 25 Aug, 3.30pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10). Hindsight ●●●●● Get three good performers and put them in a production directed by Philip Differ and written by Keir McAllister. With such comedic talent at hand, what could possibly go wrong? This play, about a young man whose home is invaded, actually has the nugget of a great six-minute long segment on a TV sketch show but struggles over an hour due to dropped lines, a wobbly set and an over-padded script. (Michael Cox) The Assembly Rooms, 0844 693 3008, until 25 Aug, 1.15pm, £10 (£9). Jerry and Tom ●●●●● A story charting the career of two hitmen is already a ripe setting for such reservoir doggerel; the fact that said hitmen take their names from famous cartoon characters is merely the icing on the cake. And yet Jerry and Tom manages to distinguish itself by remembering the quintessential ingredient that the pulpiest of these fictions forget: character development. (Niki Boyle) the Space on the Mile, 510 2382, until 24 Aug (not Sun), 7.05pm, £10 (£8). Melmorth the Wanderer ●●●●● Northern Irish theatre company Big Telly’s Melmoth the Wanderer is a big, warm-hearted beast of a show, sprawling and disarmingly chaotic, but thrilling in its energy and invention – as well as its dark comedy. They throw everything at the show – singing, dancing, puppetry, some striking stage imagery, even a multi-purpose Table of Death – and its breathless, slightly hysterical pace never lets up. It’s hard not to be swept along by its unbridled and slightly unhinged exuberance. (David Kettle) Assembly Rooms, 0844 693 3008, until 25 Aug 4.10pm, £15 (£12). Newton ●●●●● Sir Isaac Newton: unarguably one of humanities greatest figures. Radical thinker and inventor, Newton literally changed our understanding of the world. The production is a little dry at times, but Klaff makes for an excellent host, always interesting and usually engaging. It may not be thoroughly entertaining, but it is interesting enough and manages to teach a thing or two. (Michael Cox)Summerhall, 0845 874 3001, until 25 Aug (not 20), 5pm, £10 (£8). Oh My Irma! ●●●●● Haley McGee is telling the audience a story about the death of her beloved Irma and her ties with a mysterious man known as PP. She’s a literal tour-de-force, bringing about destruction while consistently believing she herself is the victim. It doesn’t quite add up to the sum of its parts, but when the piece works, it really does charm – with an almost annoyingly childlike innocence. (Michael Cox) Hill Street Theatre, 226 6522, until 25 Aug, 6.45pm, £10-£11 (£8-£9). Our Friends, The Enemy ●●●●● The story of the Allied and German troops making friends across No Man’s Land almost one hundred years ago is an inspiring example of the essential decency of the ordinary man. There are several nicely observed vignettes: enemy soldiers sending one another Christmas cards wrapped around rocks and, most famously, playing soccer with one another. (Miles Fielder) theSpace@Surgeon’s Hall, 510 2384, until 24 Aug (not 18), 6.05pm, £8 (£7). Penthesilea ●●●●● The Greeks and Amazons are at war, led respectively by butch, bearded warrior Achilles and tough queen Penthesilea. When the two meet, though, they fall desperately in love – and so the trouble begins. Rayyah McCaul’s portrayal of Penthesilea is half grace, half fury, and utterly captivating. The eight-strong cast weave an excellent tale, peppered with energetic chants and whoops, and plenty of physicality. (Kirsty Logan) Sweet Grassmarket, 243 3596, until 24 Aug, 6.05pm, £8 (£7). Pirates and Mermaids ●●●●● Cameron is sitting on a bench in Central Park in his kilt: he unfolds the tale of how he comes to be swigging whisky and lurking around in full Highland regalia instead of getting married to his childhood sweetheart at City Hall. It’s a clever mix of legend and 21st century alienation but it’s too long and poor Cameron has to spill the stuff of his soul beside an audience stretching, closing their eyes and fidgeting with pens. (Anna Burnside) Scottish Storytelling Centre, 556 9579, until 25
Aug (not 19), 10.30am, 12.15pm, 2.30pm, 4.30pm, £10 (£8). Shakespeare’s Cymbeline ●●●●● An odd beast, set in Celtic Britain and combining a vicious test of marital fidelity, a long-hidden secret identity and a bloody Roman invasion – all to rather uneasy effect. In truth it needs a production stronger than FreeRange’s rather patchy affair to pull it off convincingly. There’s much to be admired here, but the production could do with a hearty injection of passion and urgency. (David Kettle) Just the Tonic at the Caves, 556 5375, until 25 Aug (not 13), £7–£9. Snap Out Of It! ●●●●● In a Fringe full of challenging scripts and experimental, devised works, Snap Out Of It does not seek to impress – its theatricality is minimal – but this allows a more evocative show. While it may not be a complete survey of mental illness, Strung Up Theatre Company are contributing to the ongoing discussion of an oft hidden and stigmatised state. (Gareth K Vile) C Nova,0845 260 1234, until 25 Aug, 11am, £8.50–£9.50 (£6.50–£7.50). Sweater Curse ●●●●● Texan writer and performer Elaine Liner performs this one-woman show on relationships, heartbreak, and – most of all – knitting. The ‘sweater curse’ of the show’s title is that if you attempt to knit something for your lover, they will leave you before the item is complete. A sweet, undemanding yarn that will entertain any crafter – and don’t forget to bring along your knitting. (Kirsty Logan) Sweet Grassmarket, 243 3596, until 26 Aug, 1.15pm, £8 (£6). That Is All You Need You Know ●●●●● The mysterious goings on at the Bletchley Park code-breaking facility during World War II provide a treasure trove of fascinating material for this solid show. With six performers playing a number of parts, Idle Motion present the story as it happened during the forties, with a 1990s-set parallel story about a well-meaning group attempting to stage a party in Bletchley Park as a tribute to those who worked there. This approach reflects the mist of secrecy that remains, but also dilutes the strength of the material. (Eddie Harrison) Zoo Southside, 662 6892, until 24 Aug (not 18), 5.05pm, £12 (£10). The Inventor and The Escort ●●●●● The Inventor and The Escort details the unexpected relationship that develops between a shy but successful businessman Jeffrey (Jaret Sacrey) and a sassy call-girl Julia (Jessica Moreno). With Moreno dressed in a bikini for much of the proceedings, sex is high on the agenda. That it hits the spot is due to the lively performances from the leads, and a cheery confidence that true love will save the day. (Eddie Harrison) Gilded Balloon, 0131 622 6552, until 26 Aug, noon, £9.50- £10.50 (£8.50-£9.50). The State Vs John Hayes ●●●●● Directed by Richard Warren for The Bearded Theatre Company, and featuring writer and performer Lucy Roslyn, The State vs John Hayes takes inspiration from a real life murder-case. Elyese Duke faced the death sentence for two murders, but she believed that part of the responsibility lay with John Hayes, her alter-ego. As might be expected, it is intense stuff, and Roslyn gives a startling performance as the androgynous killer. (Eddie Harrison) C Nova Studio 2, 0845 260 1234, until 26 Aug (not 12), 9.50pm, £8.50–£10.50 (£6.50- £8.50). The Various Lives of Infinite Nuliity ●●●●● Emerging from a plastic backdrop as though frozen, the mischievous trio of Sacha Plaige, George Ramsay and a particularly Puckish Jennifer Swingler come on the stage like Enid Blyton characters in a parallel universe where they met the Devil, and bonded. Dubious- looking milkshakes, cups of tea (which become weapons) and blood sandwiches are their lunchtime snacks. This is a vicious, never-ending playground. (Lorna Irvine) Summerhall, 0845 874 3001, until 25 Aug (not 19), £10 (£8). 15–26 Aug 2013 THE LIST FESTIVAL 83