W10” FESTIVAL
SAVLON 2000
Harry Hill: ‘bleedin marvellous’
See that Harry Hill? He’s a bleedin’ nutter he is. The comedian most tipped to win the Perrier, Mr Hill is a tip top comedy gent of the first degree, a fact borne out by this year’s Savlon fixation. A weird composite of anachronistic World War II radio voice
and clothing, with strains of Coronation Street fave Heg
Holdsworth, Hill is a man on his own self-created chuckle planet.
By way of introduction to the evening
a black and white home movie is shown reminiscing about Harry’s
formative years gamboling with a bloated Vegas era Elvis in the Hill family’s back garden. It’s a suitably absurdist start to an absurdly nutty night, that saw Hill rampage through a thousand colourfully spontaneous, unconnected references every five seconds before gleefully discarding them and hopping on to another batch. The closest you’ll ever get to a traditional joke is when Hill lets rip with a couple of funnies like, ‘Cher has a big bottom because that’s where she stores her nuts and berries’ or ‘the cause of ginger hair is if the pregnant mother eats too many Cheesy Wotsits’. This quick-fire pick ’n’ mix review by no possible stretch of the imagination does justice to an unrivalled madcap talent such as Hill so go see him yourself and convert to the church of Harry Hill. (Ann Donald) 8a vIorr 2000 (Fringe) Harry Hill, The Pleasance ( Venue 33) 556 6550, until 28 Aug, 8pm, £8/I‘7 (£7/2‘6).
[BEET-
MISS MARGARIDA’S WAY
‘There are only two sorts of men in the world: the homosexuals and the faggots.‘ says the voluptuous and over ripe Miss Mar‘gar'ida. In a great performance from American actress Nancy Lipschultz. she plays the new teacher in town who delivers her overpowering message of domination to the audience -- her class. Talking about herself in the third person. the character is an embodiment of the festering morals of a one- party dictatorship (Brazil.
as was). During the interval. the audience is invited to write insults to her on a blackboard: how naughty I felt. making the futile gesture of writing ‘devil woman’ alongside another‘s ‘mad dyke bitch‘. Hilarious and hardhitting. ((‘ait Hurley) I Miss Margarida’s Way (Fringe) Waverley Theatre. Festival Club (Venue 36) (fit) 2395. until 26 Aug (not 2()). 8pm. £4 (£3).
[012E3-
AMERICAN- XPERIMENT
Audiences get two new plays for the price of one here. although they are
unlikely to be dancing with joy at the prospect of watching the second. having sat through the first. Set in an American college frat house (which should have been fair warning) the dense accents and argot of the principal actors in Stilt-u are matched only by the impenetrable nature of the plot. lt Could be an examination of gender relationships but bore more resemblance to a philosophy undergr‘ad's muddled and over- ambitiotrs musings.
All of which is a pity. as it will dissuade people from watching the second play. ('lruck.‘ Pun/tic! (if l/lt’ 70s. which is gentrinely entertaining. with none of the over- reachirrg cleverness of Sir/w. In a post-rnodern. post-ironic. post-grunge world. one man finds the strength to face the future by drawing on the 70s. It pokes fun at the lost decade yet retains a positive human warmth. (Jonathan Trew)
I Americanxperiment (Fringe) The Fisheye Project. Adam House Theatre (Venue 3-1) ()50 8200. until 26 Aug. 9.55pm.£5(£-1).
HUNTING HUMANS
In a private room at an Atlantic City casino. four besuited middle-aged men engage in the bizarre practice of male bonding.
much as verbally paintball each other. Hemrned in by crimson velvet curtains. their self-aggr'andising fantasies carry more weight than reality.
Last year. Playful Repertory Company brought Men: The .tluximl.’ to the Fringe and this year's similarly- thenred production is a fit/cs" rift/re Ullt't'pt't‘it't/- style black comedy. The title refers both to the characters‘ search for reassurance and their sense of persecution.
Despite some sterling performances. it's hard to empathise with small boys afraid of shadows under the stairs whose security blanket is a blackjack table. If you can stomach these humans. their hunt is morbidly entertaining. (Catriona Smith)
I Hunting Humans (Fringe) Randolph Studio (Venue SS) 225 5366. until 2 Sept (not 2(). 3 l ). 8pm. £5 (£4).
[01101]- THE HESPECTFUL wuonrs
This production begins
with four people holding up placards. like Bob Dylan in the famous Sulrterrunctt/r Hlllllt’.\'l('/\' Blues lilm. This goes on for far too long. and is followed by a convoluted plot. involving. among others. a fugitive and a prostitute. but it's constantly interrupted by pseudo-Pirandellian comment on the test so it‘s hard to care for the characters. At last. the placards return and it's
I've never seen Sartr'e‘s play before but this version rntrst be a travesty. The real problem though is that it's an appallineg written. pretentious and boring travesty. With such material. what does it matter if the actors hardly know their lines'.’ (Ben Brown)
I the Respectful Whore (Fringe) Prospectus Theatre Co. Gr‘eyfriars Kirkhouse (Venue 28) 225 3626. until Aug 26 (not
Hnting Humans: small boys at the blackjack table
[ITEM-
YARNSPINNERS Yarnspinners is a fairy tale with as much magic and mystery as a Grimm story. The integrated cast. seven of whom have Downs Syndrome. tell their tale of weavers. ‘faeries‘ and wicked mill owners through mime. dance and verse. \Villl these tools they create a truly enchanted world. The faer'ies must stop the evil manufacturer from destroying the Bird of Song in his quest for the
Thread of Everlasting Life,
The performances. choreography. set. sound and lighting are all wonderfully imaginative and creative. worthy of many a professional company. (Rory Weller) I Yarnspinners (l-‘r'ingel Kaleidoscope Theatre. The Quaker Meeting House (Venue 40) 220 ()ll)‘). tmlil 26 Aug (not 20). £5 (£4.50).
COMEDY
AAAAAARGH - THE FINAL SHOW
Blood. swearing. blood. off-colour jokes. stained Y-fronts. pierced tongues and yet more blood. This is not gentle observational comedy. Instead you get Malcolm Hardee saying ‘Fuck it' for two minutes before introducing the bastard Son of 'l‘ommy Cooper. who performs the kind of tricks ustrally associated with Jim Rose. but with more genital participation and gore. liver wanted to swing an ice-bucket from a meathook in your tongue'.’ Me neither but it's fun to watch.
Ricky Grover on the other hand isn’t. (jr'over‘ is fat. Grover's obesity forms the basis for his routine and little of it is entertaining. Best to save the applause for the surreal finale and ponder why Hardee feels C(illlpt‘llctl ll) get his dick out. He claims it's his last visit to lidinbur‘gh: almost certainly a lib. but if true it would be like the ravens leaving the Tower. (Jonathan Trew)
I Aaaargh - The Final
till/£5
Show (Fringe) The Music Box (Venue 50) 220 48-17. until 26 Aug. 9.01pm. (Cb/£4).
i r .l I/‘Vi _ r , ‘ . ,,.,. 7 . . .- l Mlss Margarlda 3 Way. voluptuous and over rlpe They don tconycrsc so -0), 8pm. L6 (£4.30). Malcolm Ham”: me Jim "who" M stand.”
L____.-__-_ _. 52 The List iii-24 Aug 1995