FESTIVAL
KISSING BINGO
The Cambridge Mummers have the reputation to make them stand out from the crowd of student theatre at the Fringe. After winning last year's Guardian Award. expectations of Kissing Bingo were high. Sadly. while the play contains flashes of innovation. this production is ultimately unsuccessful. In a disjointed. disturbing story about the relationship between a brother and sister. their abusive parents. and the group of squatters that befriends them. the cast struggles to make the shifts in character needed to make sense of the piece. The resulting incoherence begins to seem indulgent rather than purposeful. This is compounded by a frustrating slowness that might have been avoided by sharper direction or a reworking of the play itself. (Justin McKenzie Smith)
I Kissing Bingo (Fringe) The Cambridge Mummers. Gilded Balloon ll (Venue 51) 225 6520. until 3 Sept. 12.30pm. £5 (£4).
V THEATRE
DUDES WITH DIGKS
Torn between being New Men and emotional retards. men are in a quandary.
Dudes With Dicks takes a critical look at the pressures that mould young men. The play follows the development of one young dude through ritual humiliation by his peers. sweaty- palmed fumblings at teen discos. ‘Who‘s got the biggest bulge in their wallet/trousers?’ rivalry and masochistic alcohol consumption.
With one prop and a bare stage. these dudes create a bleak picture of modern masculinity. Whether it hits a nerve depends on whether you
v THEATRE :
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sets? ’~ ‘fifns‘e‘. i \- . ' ‘. ~‘ Kissing Bingo: eyes down think you are a sensitive soul. an emotional hairyback or whether you fall between the two extremes. (Jonathan Trew)
I Dudes With Dicks
(Fringe) The Brian
Collective. C Over-Seas House (Venue I9) 225 5I05. l()—20 Aug.
l 1.30am. £4 (£3).
BACK IN TIME FOR BREAKAST
Once they did shows like this for relief in the evening. Now they are given the morning revue slot where you sip a cup of instant coffee. ponder your day ahead and second-guess the obvious punch lines. The problem for the actors is they’re as
hung over as you and take
a bit of time to get into the performance. But when they do. this is an agreeable time-travel
romp through a clutch of
theatrical styles. led by a nasty Blofeld-type villain (complete with cat). a Fool with philosophy above his station. and a lively supporting cast from the Electric
' Company. (Thom Dibdin)
I Back in Time for Breakast (Fringe) The Electric Company. Gilded Balloon ll (Venue 5]) 225 6520. until 3 Sept (not 25 Aug). 10am. £5 (£4).
ALL AT SEA
The Happy Gang are
certainly happy. despite
the fact that on their first
‘night’. the audience only marginally outnumbered the three gang-members. In true professional spirit
I Beth. Spatz and Karen 7 gave a great performance.
not in the slightest bit fazed. although
I ‘volunteering‘ for show setpieces became
somewhat obligatory. There are plenty of
Singing Kettle-type
activities and catchy tunes during the show‘s seaside trip. and the trio‘s very good at communicating with the young. primarily under-six-year-old. audience. I do wonder if
5 they might be expecting a ; bit too tnuch from this age j group. but this breezy
show with its non-
patronising humour
certainly deserves very
much larger audiences. I All at Sea (Fringe) The Happy Gang. Diverse Attractions (Venue II) 225 8961. All at Sea 8—l3
- vcomsnv I
Aug and 22—27 Aug.
Treasure Hunt 22—27
; Aug. 9.30am. £3 (£2)-
i v comsnv
CONTINENTAL ; BRECNTFAST
Slapped into the hangover slot where the dazed and confused mingle blearily with the bright and perky, this show with coffee and
I a bun is by turns
incredibly witty —
Brecht‘s Surabaya Johnny transforming into Die
Lieder des Gepack had me
crying with laughter — and gobsmackingly corny.
Sue Beard presents a bright face through all the
songs and sketches. 1 although Darryl Boot C suffers severely from a
range of bad puns that
5 think they are funny when they patently are not.
‘ Mostly inoffensive. never coy and sometimes biting deep into the bone.
' Brechtfast is truly a mixed
l
grill of a show. (Thom Dibdin) I Continental Brechfast
' - The 8&8 Show (Fringe) The Entire Company. Greyfriars Kirk House. (Venue 28) 225 3626. until 3 Sept (not 21 Aug). 10.45am. £4.50 (£3.50).
a FREELOAD a. ON THE
X“? FESTIVAL it
Your chance to see some of the best shows in this year's Fringe! You may claim as many different offers as you wish, but only one pair of tickets per voucher, on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED basis. Please take the whole magazine along with you each time. All offers are subject to availability and the individual management's decision is final. Tickets should be picked up on the day of the performance in each case. ENJOY THE SHOW!
JOOLS HOLLAND
Two tickets for the price of one to see JOOLS HOLLAND AND HIS BIG BAND on Mon 22, Tues 23 & Wed 24 Aug
' (7.30pm). Tickets should be picked up from Oueen's Hall box office _;from10am. Available to first 10 people.
WIERSZALIN
Two tickets for the price of one to see Fringe First winners (1993) perform MERLIN on Thurs 18, Mon 22 & Tues 23 Aug (7.30pm). Tickets should be picked up from the Theatre Workshop box office from 10am.
Five pairs of tickets per night.
'3' I
3......
BOILERHOUSE
Two tickets for the price of oneto see BOW TO THE BEAST on Fri 19 Aug (12.30pm) & Sat 20 Aug (3pm). Tickets should be picked up from the Traverse box office from 10am.
MELON
Free tickets available to see
Simon Gray's classic black comedy MELON on Tue 23 Aug (9.15pm). Tickets should be picked up from Venue 123 box office from 10am. Five pairs of tickets available.
THE FOOL'S PROGRESS
Two tickets for the price of one to see THE CHILDREN‘S KALEIDOSCOPE on Fri 19 Aug (10.30am). Tickets should be picked up from George Square Theatre box office from 10.15am. Available to first 10 people.
_ WAY OFF PRODUCTIONS Free tickets available to see THE KATHY AND MO SHOW: PARALLEL LIVES on Fri 19 Aug (9.45pm). Tickets should
be picked up from Randolph Studio box office from 9.30am.
Five pairs of tickets available.
The List l")—-.i.i August I994 21