FESTIVAL REVIEW

BY ARRANGEMENT WITH SHEFFIELD POPULAR PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

MONDAY AuouéT 22nd To SATURDAY 27th . . 10.45 pm 24/3 Box Office: (031) 229 7659 '

THE VIEWFORTH CENTRE, 104 GILMORE PLACE, EDINBURGH : o o o o o o o o o o o o o o OEDINBURGH FRINGE OFFICE: (031) 226 5138

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The National Association of Youth Orchestras presents the ninth

EDINBURGH FESTIVAL OF BRITISH YOUTH ORCHESTRAS

supported by the John Lewis Partnership (:entral I lall, Tollcross I .3 August r -. 3 September 12 . 3(lpm and 7. 30pm

guest orchestras Regionaal Jeugdorkest of The Netherlands and the Chamber Orchestra of the Sibelius Academy, Finland plus over 50 different performances by top British youth orchestras and ensembles full details in Fringe Programme Tickets: Fringe Box()fficeorQueen’s l lall Box Office (tel: ()3 I 22() :3 l .38 ()r (Ill (>68 2(ll 9) £3 (()/\Ps 5.1.30); lunchtimes Ll ; children, students, unemployed, disabled -- FREE

+ SI'I’I’UR' ()t h SIC P'I‘ICM B [C R

EDINBURGH COASTERS 031 228 3252

t__._ -_ ____ .._...__________ 14 The List 19— 25 August 1988

FESTIAI. THEATRE F |IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlflfluflifllllllllllllllllll

performances put in by

the trio. the show lacked

the originality and the guts to support the talent. It seemed to waver between becoming a showcase for three quite separate

comics. or becoming a combined show with character assigned roles. i Iiverything appeared as if stopped short of becoming at all bitingor at all new.

There were highlights

such as (iina Rileysinging (‘indy l.auper ‘I need I some new glasses' and Wendy Ilarmer's anti Mother England spiel.

The show was funny and entertaining but it just

seems a shame that with

such powerful women on stage Faking It 3 decided ultimately to look back rather than forward.

(Linda (iibson)

I Faking ItThree

Assembly Rooms (venue

3) 2262-137 8.13mi” Sept. 10pm. £5(£4).

IIIIIIIIIIIII THEDOUG ANTHONY ALLSTARS.

I've waited a long year to hear I’aul Mcl)ermott put heart and soul into I leard It ’l'hrough 'l‘he (irapevine again. It was a long wait. but it was worth it. In'l‘asmaniathey laughed. In Iidinburgh you'll cry.

(iary (ilitter. Andrew Lloyd Webber. Joe ()rton. Paul McCartney. Is nothing sacred‘.’ .\'ot Hare Krishna nor (‘hristian summer ( ‘amps for sure. And did you really come out in those shoes‘.’ '(‘os you sure as hell won't go home in them. What's more you won't care.

Boundless energy. Perfect harmony. lfnlimited anarchy. WI". IlA'l'Ii II II'. l)()l'(i AN'II I().\'Y z\I.I.S'I‘:\RS. A! the tops ofour voices. livery night

ofthe Fringe. You'll wonder where you've l beenallthistime.You'll l kick yourselfifyou I remember. See them. Or else! (Mark Fisher).

I The Doug Anthony Allsiars 'I'he (iilded Ballon Theatre (venue 38). 226 2151. emiisscpi. liipm. l {4(1‘3).

COMIC ABUSE

Ivorl)einbinacomperes James Macabre. .lo Brand and Mark Thomas in this mixture of acts. Ilisowii style is almost deadpan. and this sets up a rapport with the audience. I lc encourages hecklers giving his act spontaneity and luckily he has the sense not to bore an audience with cracks about how amusing his resemblence to \Voody' Allen is. Instead his jokes i'ocuson various political

issues. suggested by the audience.

.lames Macabre giv es the impression oi being a psycopath. lle biiilds up this image and then tises it togreat effect. like all the acts in ( 'omic Abuse he stabs iun at society and his very alternative humour is mirrored by his reaction to heckling - he sings. Very strange. quite funny.

.lo Brand is fat. 'I‘hisis the basis for ()H' I of her

material. Iler quiet style and resignation at her predicament helps her to carry off some obv ions material. and she tises the

same joke lotit' or five times. It always gets a

laugh however. lt's hilarious in parts but you can have too much of a good thing.

Mark Ilionliis istlie main act. llis material is

topical.ecologicaland sociological. He is at his lk‘sl \\ lien describing one

of these topics. I le uses the cheap laugh mentality as well. He takes it iurther

Doug Anthony Allstars

.‘x’ Q i h y and. quite frankly. blasphemy gets boring after ten minutes. Yet his is extremely funny nonetheless and overall the show is a pleasant way to spend an evening. (Stewart Kirkpatrick) I Comic Abuse I’leasance (\‘enue 33) SSnnSSn. l‘ntil 3 Sept (not 'Ihurs) l 1.30pm. “(13)

THE OXFORD REVUE 1988

'I‘his year's ( )xiord revue seems oy ershadowed by its indebtedness to pi'eVIUll\L'()iiiiC traditions. .\'ot quite abandoning the I’ythonesque humour for which prey ions members oi the revue like Michael l’alin and'l'erryJones became famous. nor adopting the methods of today 's “alternative comedy'. it belongs to an uneasy no-inan‘s land.

Some of the sketches are certainly funny: 'l‘he (‘hekhov ian ladies who crack walnuts between their buttocks were undeniably amusing. and (‘atherine Ilood. in her second year with the revue. is consistently good throughout. How ever jokes about Kentucky lried ‘chickens' (which strangely enough aren't always chickens at all) and a man who had a sc\—cliange not only seem to hay e been around for rather a long time. but belong more lo the school-playground.

Noticeably the most successful sketches were those devoid ofany pomposity . unlike the now almost obligatory attack on (‘lause IS. and the jibes at insensitive news reporters.

All the members of this i'ey ue. particularly Richard I Ierring and (‘atlicrine Iloood. have it great deal of comic potential. and the show is by no means unfunny . but they would benefit eiioi'iiiotisly from eliminating the worn-out jokes which at present clutter iiptheir material.

( l leleii Davidson).

lThe Oxiord Revue 1988 St Mary 's I Iall.(venue W) 557 483‘) I 'iitil Sept 3 (not Mons) l l ..‘vi)p.m. Aug l‘).3ll.3(i._‘7. Sept 3.3

l.;iiit.£4.5ll(£3.5ll). l

Glynn with Why?