8pm -10pm festival

more do you want‘.’ You’re unlikely to nod offduring his set but. be warned. he tests you at the endjust in case. (Catherine Pound) I Mark llurst (Fringe) Mark Hurst. Gilded Balloon (Venue 38) 226 2lSl. until 25 Aug. 9.30pm. £6.50 (£5.50).

****

CALIGULA

An impressively agile portrayal of that famously lecherous lad whose egotism went epic. ‘Which is greater? Nature or me'." asks the emperor with hands held rigid at crotch-level as though it‘s all a continuum of constant masturbation. Eight muscularly sexy actors in black boots. short skirts attd nipple- skimming white t-shirts do a stylistic melding of Dr Seuss and sat/()- Muxm'ltis'is' Mimi/11y to tell Caligula‘s tale in highly choreographed snippets.

[it turns poetic and pornographic. visuals and vocals take precedence over storyline here. Dextrous to the point of complexity. the end product verges on overwhelming. Have a cup of coffee before the show. (Sara Porter)

I Caligula (Fringe) Kaos Theatre. Theatre Workshop (Venue 20) 226 5425. until 24 Aug (not l8) 8.30pm. £5 (£3).

***

PRETTY VACANT

A glorious wade through punk nostalgia. Sammi Spank and Johnny Commune form Total Shit in 1976. Edinburgh. I996. and Miss Spank turns from her fashion millions and right-wing newspaper column to reunite with Johnny for a final gig. not this time inspired by the ‘beautiful. pure hate‘ of Johnny Rotten. but in order to pay off her boyfriend‘s Visa bill. Strangely. they seem to have more fun than the

audience. who sit smiling and chuckling as the cast of two leap around the stage playing their Clash- like tunes. spitting and mouthing Obscenities. Despite this it's an enjoyable show. but as Johnny shouts in the closing scene: ‘Ever get the feeling you‘ve been cheated‘." Hmmm. (Alan Crawford) I Pretty Vacant (Fringe) Brighton Theatre Events. The Pleasance (Venue 33) 556 6550. until 3l Aug. 9.30pm. £8/£7 (£6.50/£5.50).

***

WHY?

The amount of fun that Geoff Boyz has on his own on stage is almost disturbing. Shunning the microphone and adopting a friendly. affable. bloke- in-a-pub-talking-loudly persona. it's hard to wipe the smile from your face for the first ten minutes of his hot. sweaty routine. After the initial impact fades however. you’re left with a show which. although it goes down well with the audience. still revolves around hackneyed ‘don‘t you just hate it when . . .' observations on subjects as wild and original as rail travel and bad television. At the end of the day. though. the audience is the main concern. And they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. (Danny Wallace) I Why? (Fringe) Geoff Boyz. Gilded Balloon (Venue 38) 226 2 ISI. until 3| Aug. 8pm. £7 (£5).

****

Pretty Vacant: punk "mule

AFTERS

When a pub mouse miraculously transforms into hard-living (dead) beat writer Charles Bukowski it opens up a whole new after-hours scene for a trio of terminal bar-room philosophers in K. Carney‘s new play Afters.

Pub banter in a North

London Cheers takes a twist worthy of old Chuck himself. as the late-night stories of the everyday drinker are articulated. Mentor Charlie turns mice into men. till honesty and self-mythology go pint in hand. Ken McLymont‘s production is skilfully acted. and should leave Tom Waits fans feeling particularly woozy. (Neil Cooper)

I Alters (Fringe) Ken

Sharp Productions. Gilded

Balloon 3 The Counting House (Venue I2). 226 2l5l. until 3| Aug. 8.30pm. £7 (£6).

Earl Okin: too sexy tor his show?

****

BRITISH BUT SEXY

It’s official: Earl Okin has given tnore Fringe shows than any other performer in the past 49 years.

Dressed in spats and lounge-suit. the bloke who likes you to know he's a ‘sophisticated. sensual man of the world‘ croorts. strums and tinkles the ivories whilst flaunting his unique charm and smooth-talking humour. Samba. folk. jazz and blues all feature in this understated act.

Okin's witty repartee is accompanied by quivering lips and plaintive looks reminiscent of Captain Peacock from Are You Being Served.

Okin claims never to have made a loss at the Fringe. and with top entertainment like this on show you can believe it. (Alan Crawford)

I Brltlslt out Sexy (Fringe) Earl Okin. Hill Street Theatre (Venue 4|) 226 6522. until 31 Aug (not ll) 8. lOpm. £7 (£5).

Review star ratings

* t t t * Unmissable it t t t Very good

i a * Worth seeing * t Below average it You’ve been warned

V I saw you and we talked and laughed in the Tron bar on Friday. l2lh July. '96. You: a ltattdknit Ne\t juniper. very cute and sexy (like you) and me. a long purple cardi. most sophisticated (like me). Yott have an epileptic dog. and l have an exotic. emotionally- deprived cat do our pets need therapy orjttst some tlc. like us'.’ Box No U/285/2.

V I saw you upstairs at The Chip. Sat l3/7. l0pm. You: with friend. sitting on stools by fireplace. Me: tall. glasses. ()ur ga/es locked as I left. Box No [7285/32.

ISA vu

U I saw you dodging between charity shops on Dalry Road. 24.7.96. I liked your tight. pale blue T-shirt. Me: white top. purple cords. Osfam next“)? Box No U/285/22.

. I saw you Bigtish) built guy. approx 5ft l0in. 28(ish). dark hair. nice face. drinking with friends. Edinburgh city centre ptib. 20/7/96. Me: spellbound brunette. dragged away. protesting. by well-meaning friends. Please write! Box No U/285/l6.

U I saw you HM V. Princes Street. 20/7/96. You: blonde- haired assistant. helped my friend find 'l’latinuttt Breaks‘. Me: dark hair. shorts and blue T- shirt. Maybe you cart ltelp me find my way. Box No U/285/l7.

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The List 23 Aug-5 Sept I996 45