FESTIVAL REVIEW
mimic and. at one point. he portrayx xix ditt‘crent characterx during a murder iny'extigation the like ol' which Agatha (‘hrixtie could ney er hay e written. llix prexcntation and control are ex ident. btit there are occaxxionx when no amount ol prolexxionalixm in the portrayal can rexcuc weak material.
I low ey er. the! e .ite \ome \ ei \ lunny momentx. xuch ax the coiilexxionxol that all American boy 7 the American l-‘ootball player. Kennedy alxo iixex hix audio propx togood el'tect w hen he conlrontx liix alter-ego on xtagc ney er an eaxy taxk in a .xoloxhow.
Il'urmrg for (iogsre xeex a good perlormer let down by some weak material and the need to deliycr too many linex lromott-xtage. (Ron Aitken)
I Waiting lor Gogsie ‘l‘he l’leaxance (Venue 3.3)55h (i550. IZ-ltl Aug. 38-3 Septlnot 15.30). 11.58pm 1.3.tltl(£:.tltl).
MERVYN STUTTER
Meryyn Stutter ixolten llllllllet' w hen recounting a t'ela\ed ad-lih than running through liix xet material. 'I he ex-l-‘ly ing l’icket ix \ ixiting the hinge with a xelectionol xongx and inxiglitx and. in lront ot a xniall btrt appreciatiy e audience. he ran through a number ol xharply locuxed xongx on both piano and guitar
.A mixed xhow which entertained liix current laiixbtit ix unlikely towin oy er new onex. ( Ron Aitkeii) I Mervyn Stutter't‘lie l’leaxance. ( \ enue 33). 550 (65“. t'niil 3 Sept (ipm. {.3.5ll(l.2.5tll.
_ LINDA SMITH AND FRIENDS
'I'llix double bill w on the crow doy er. lati Sayille. the Marxixt magician. dexcribing himxell ax a ‘cony iction coniurei” cony erted an ax e rage magical and yentt'iloquixt act into a political totirde lorce. Rope tiickx. dixappearing Margaret 'I’hatcherx and coloured hankiex were all uxed to demonxtrate the xocialixt .xtruggle againxt diy ide and rule- Sayillextyle. Karl Marx put in an appearance to announce that. but lor the interyention ol lingelx. he would hay e marketed international xocialixm ax a magic act. Why not‘.’ lan Sayille. complete with comrader manner. ix a
l l
maxterot laxt lunny patter and hix act xhottld not he niixxed.
l inda Smith ix the tough londonei iore\ei plagued by meniberxot her laniily. ('liye. her hippy boyliicnd.currently icadiiig 'Mcn againxt Sc\ixin' ix one target \nothei ix liei xweet little laxcixt granny wlioinxixlx lltllltatlt‘eSe\elle1lllLI better I’ti\\e\\lll‘._‘tltll\ ~ciixe ot humour and a knack tor ixolating the xinall peculiaiitiexin people that xlow ly tll'l\ c you to murder. l.inda Smith w ill re-introduce you toeyei\thing that antioyxyoti tI ittda (irbxonl ILinda Smith and Friends lhe(‘omedy Boom.
(\ entie (Pi Simuiiti thin 24 Aug. l l .3llpni L4 IL“)
KISS MY MATE
'l’lie \S'l (“x xtab at
FESTIVAL THEATRE
CABARET
bad taxte returnx to Iidinburgh to once again entertain audiencex. It you can imagine a lunniei‘ yerxion ot Spitting Image. pcrlormed liye. then you hay c the idea.
The w riterx boldly puxh back the lrontierx ol' good taxte ax they poke tun at eyery thing and eyeryone new x\\ ortliy oy er the paxl year. They are all there: l’ere/ de ( ~tiellai . the Ayatollah Khomeini and Richard llt'anxon. ax w ell ax the more oby ioux targetx xuch ax 'I‘hatcher. lidw ina (‘uri'ie and 'l lop a long Reagan'.
‘l'he xongx are excellent. the mimicry xpot on and the pace c\hattxting ax they pack the bext ol Silt) or xo itemx intoone liour.lt yoti can only xee one rey tie. make xure it‘x New xrcy ue. t Ron Aitkenl I Newsrevue 1988. t Ieriot \Vatt 'I‘heatre. t Venue 7'). 33‘).35"4. t'ntil 3 Sept (not Aug ZSI‘).45pni. £4 t £3).
comex trom l’ai xonx and .\'ay lot . otherw ixe know it ax Kixx My Mate. I lieoitc xtandx tall and lanky in red leopard-xpotted xkintight troiixei'x w ith a xhock ol bltie hair and lipx to match; the other. ximilarly attired in hoy \ei bootx. ix threatening in liix tootball terrace anorak and \lletlelletitl xllolt back and xidex. I he xct ix a \ at'ied mixture ot taxt one-linei'x. monologuex. character piccex and xtrcet-w ixe i'apx deliyered w itli a lorcelul conlidencc indilteient to an audience that ix neither the biggext run the mmt yocal you‘re e\ er likely to Axtde lrotii a couple ol
good xketehex xomething appealed to me about eating a \\ ectabix on xtage much ol the material xeenix to be looking loi‘ a punchline; it'xall oddball xtyleand not enough iokex. I'd like to xee the two ol them concentrate more on a eotixlxtettt xtagc relationxhip and lexxon the continual chopping and changing nlot'e xuitable to a ’l V toi'niat. 'I‘hc \ltow ixxlielx. itttpc'eeath t'eheatxed and tightly written. but hit all then braxhnexx and inyeiitiye xtaging. Km .Ili- .Ilulc )tixt niixxed me. mate. (Mark I-ixher).
I KISS My Mate National Student 'lheati'e (‘ompany .(‘alton Studiox t Venue "I l. 550 7Iltiti. l’ntil 3 Sept (not 28 Aug). ll.45pm. £2.5tlttll.
NEWSREVUE 1988
lt'x back. The rey ue which aboundx in topicality and
i l
ORIGINALLY BRUNETTE
'l‘liix ix an liilariotix. xeeiningly ellortlexxxliow that kcepx the audience laughing at litexeen through the cycon .ltllle Ballooand.lenny lzclair. Beginning with mock new xreel lootage ol them grow mg up in Auxtralia it ittoyexoti totheir xepaiation at an early age. becoming pen palx. loxing touch. remeeting liiially on the cabaret circuit and torining an act. All tlnx happenx amidxt world et‘txtx. \ ixltx lt'ottt headon xtate and royal birthx.
Rather than workingax a duo. the twoindiy idually take the xtagc to recount the highxatid lowon liyrng. woi'kingand coping. .lulie Balloo ix down toearth. throwing much ol the humour back ontoherxelt andtakingit may well. .lenny Izclairix more manic. laughing at the pl'etenxionx ol adyei‘tixing. liyingin l.ondon and more
Some ot the material appeared repetitiye btit then they were pen palx tor yearx_ A may relaxed. lunny and thorougth eiiioy able xhow prexented by two women whodon't let much xlip by them. (I.inda(iihxon) I Originally Brunette ('alton Studiox. yenue 7|. ('alton Road. l‘ntil Sept 3rd. 5.45pm. £3 ( £2.50)
(COME ON DOWN) THE IDEDLOGY IS RIGHT
'l’he Hole in the Wall
Theatre l'rom Bellaxt opened well enotrgh with a tableau ot‘a tortured peaxant woman being quextioned by a military dictator and police chief. She couldn‘t xigii her contexxion. became her lingerx were broken. l'nlortunately . then the torture xhilted to the audience who w ere xubiected to xitting throuin a xei'iexol routinex which .xeemed to take loi'ey er to arrange and w eren't \ery tunny anyway. While the xkit with Jexux‘x xcript w riterx w ax cley er. the text w (Ix amateurish. It ix .xad that a Northern lrixh company did not chooxe material cloxer to home rather than acting ax aii impoy erixhed ollxhore commentator. (Kerry .\'apiik)
((‘ome on l)ow n l the Ideology Ix Right. Hole in the Wall Theatre (‘ompany . l’leaxance. (Venue 3.“) 55(i(i55ll. t’ntil 3 Sept 3o. 27’ Atig. midnight. ZS Aug 3 Sept. 9pm. £3.5tlti25ll).
ACTS OF GROSS INDECENCY
Real actx tit groxx indecency 1’ .\'aw . more like raw and raunchy outburxtx. but nonethelexx yery tunny. \Vith the appearance ol an ageing choirboy . ( 'ockney Bob Boy ton xprayx an array ol targetx. xuch ax pub toiletx.
proy incial cultural Iile. lolk xingcrx. conimedianx and xex. llixxing-xong naxal deliyery ix mexmerixing at timex. Sporting bright orange hair and enormoux liaiidx lurther extended by two-inch red nailx. Dreetiagh Darrell laxhex intoher birthplace. Auxtralia. with well placed barbx. Her other targetx include her lather. numeroux xcxual partnet'x. dogx and xex. All in all. xhe makex [)ame lidna liyerage look like Madge. the bridexmaid. It you like your late night laughx rough and ready . thix ix the place. (Kerry \apuk) I Acts ol Gross lndecency (’alton Stiidiox. ('alton Road (Venue 7] )556 Twin. t'iitil 3 Sept. (not Sunxl. ltlpm. Hti3).
KIT AND THE WIDOW IN CLAWS 88
Axk any cabaret performer: conxixtent new material ix hard to come by and inyolyex alot ol hard work. But in Kit and the \Vidow ‘x ( 'luii'x
(S’t‘i'tgedditi’ It not the opening murnber xhould xet you right ) there are only two xongx I recogni/e l'rom laxt year. and one ot them haxa new lyric.
Kit xtill xingxwith wickedly camp t not toxay gay ) abandon. the \Vidow xtill playx beautilul. witty pianotorte with a xuby ei‘xiye twinkle in liix eye. the pallet Ix xtlll .ix xharp ax an unxhai'ed xy Huge. and the xubiect matter ix both gleetully xatii'ical and admirably topical. 'l'he tnaiority ol the xongx are extremely tunny . but there are one or two rather xcriotix oncx tor w hich the change ot mood IS L‘lltit'tlc‘\\ly accomplixhed.
'I'hix highly enioyable new xliow can orin be xeen on the l't'inge. but Kit and “re \Vidow w ill alxo perlorm their ‘gieatext hitx' at the International l’extiyal. (Andrew Burnetl I Kitand The Widoweaie Royal (Venue TSltlS3ti "tlJWl . I'ntil 3 Sept. (xtltlpni. Alxo until 33 Aug. Ill.tlt)pm. H.5lltt4l Royal Lyceum 'l'heali'c. 320-1104. I-.3 Sept. ltl.3llpm. to £5 £3.
SENSIBLE FOOTWEAR
Senxrble I‘ootw car are oltering upoy er an hour ol glorioux. uninhibited. comedy 'l'hlx three woman team giye the lie to the propaganda line that there‘x no xuch thing ax teminixt comedy . and unlike xo much ol thix year'x comedy crop. Senxible I'ootw ear attack their xubiect. not the audience. not ex en the men in the audience?
'l‘he whole xpectruni ol womenx opprexxion ix explored. mocked and laid to text. I.exhiantxtn. child care. home improy ementx. it'xall there.
l-lulty men won‘t like tliix xliow '. lt doexn't treat opprexxion xeriouxly enough. bill I doubt ll Senxihle I'ootw car w ill
I care two hootx Iguexx 5 they eat tlully men tor breaklaxt. (Steye Briggxl : ISensible Footwear (’omedy Boom. Abercraig l lotel. (\ enue (i7). 55(iIl-I‘N. t'ntil .3 Sept. 7.30pm. H t 9.3)
COMO STRING QUARTET
l-‘rom first note to laxt . thix i.x an enthralling xhow. The l'iy'e ( I ) memberon the ('omo String Quartet exhibit immense muxical talent ax well ax an engaging comic xty le. In
their handx. xuch bluex claxxicx ax ‘I'm a Man‘ take on an entirely new lite. \\ hile their claxxical interpretationxare botli harmonic and hilarioux. the li\ e Atixtralianx. w ho are all claxxically trained. y ixit lzdinburgh under the guixe ol ‘Melbourne'xbext buxkeix'. the reaxon why they hold that title ix ey tdent tioiii the moment lliey take the xtagc. Whether you're intothc Rolling Stoncxor Ray el. Mo/art oi Mitddy \Vaterx they'ye a tune toxiiit your taxte and a xtylcol prexcntation you won't xec tepeated elxew here Ii'reyercnt. original and. nioxt ot all. hugely entertaining. thixgroiip make the iiioxt ot the intimate xurroundingxol the('aharct Ilat toxhow why they are Melboui'nc'x lay ouritcx. IIIIS ix one xhow that w ill liye tn the memory long alter the hinge ix oy er. See them \UUII. I ROI) .’\III\elll I Como String Quartel’l Ile I’leaxance. I Venue 3.“ l. 55(iti55ll. _‘.\ Aug 3 Sept lllpm. LZSIIILI .5”).
_ AMERICAN MISCELLANY CABARET
the Show eonxixtxol highlightx troni Sol the () xhowxpertormcddaily under the umbrella ol New Voleex I'tont America. or ax Slclan 'l'atai'. w hoxe idea the w hole thing w ax. put it. ‘thc xhow ix an houi‘x worth commercial
Ax xuch tlieie w ill til“ iottxly he tlilletellt tliirigx that appeal to dilterent people. but nothing ix appalling. and ax it ix tree. It'\ a good way to text ottt the xhowx belore xpending any money. 'l'hehighliglitxtoi me w ere Damonc .Iackxon'xcaptiyating portrayal ol Malcolm X. and Day id Abbott\ 'incarnation'by Rimbaud 'l'hexe xeettted the ntoxt original piecex. althouin the iiioie conyentional political xatii'e li'oni l)aye lippinan or llamciico guitar liom l’hil lioi'oll. were well worth xeeing Interextingly . nioxt ol the audience w ax Aiiiei ican I Kaxia lloddy l IAmerican Miscellany Cabaret New Voieexliom America.(‘haplaincy (‘entietyenue 33). t‘ntill Sept. 1 not Sun ). Midnight l‘rce.
_ WHERE FOOLS RUSH IN
Since Nickelodeon
lormed in IOHJ ax a xlieet
i
_ _.J The l.ixt 30 Aug -— 1 Sept IONS 15