THE EDINBURGH FRINGE 2018 - A LITTLE WRITE-UP
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I was lucky enough to be able to head up to Edinburgh again this year. I have visited the Fringe in previous years but this trip surpassed all others, (it helped that our own show Little Shop of Horrors went well for a change). I just wanted to take five minutes to tell you about some of the inspiring and hilarious shows I saw during my ten days there. I have selected a few of my favourite plays, comedies, musicals and cabaret shows to briefly tell you about. Every year in August, Edinburgh comes alive with some of the most diverse, up-and-coming and fascinating shows in the world. The city has a buzz which is hard to describe in words. But I'll give it a go.
THEATRE
Gig theatre is something I have come to relatively recently as a performance genre. Electrolyte combines spoken word, music and theatre to create a spellbinding tale of a women living with schizophrenia. Jessie is cocooned in a world of friends, music, drink and drugs. Her father has recently committed suicide and she is struggling to know how to cope. Electrolyte is one of the most beautiful pieces of theatre that I have ever seen. The sensitivity with which the subject matter is tackled moved the entire audience to tears. The richness of melodies, vocals, lyrical rhythms and spoken word evokes deep emotion about suicide, depression, recovery and the strength of love.
(even) Hotter brings together verbatim theatre, comedy, LGBTQ experiences and what it means to be embarrassed or embarrassing. Mary Higgins and Ell Potter have interviewed women and trans people aged between 13 and 97 and devised a touching, hilarious and empowering show about what it means to be female. Verbatim theatre can be hit or miss but (even) Hotter certainly hits the nail on the head when it comes to understanding what makes the female body tick and what it means to be hot. You leave the show loving yourself and your body, something many of us don't often feel...
COMEDY
Amusical was the first show that I booked this year because I had such a ball seeing it in 2017. The concept for this show is utterly brilliant - comedians are put to the test and sing their favourite musical theatre song onstage in front of 600 people. What is there not to love? The worse the singing, the funnier it is. The hosts Jayde Adams and Kiri Pritchard-McLean shine in multiple costume changes and put each of the acts to ease as they are welcomed to the stage (well mostly). Particular highlights were Angela Barnes' Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, the Rosie Jones led LGBTQ version of Seasons of Love and the hilarious finale of One Day More from Les Mis. Amusical is back in London on the 4th September so make sure you buy a ticket asap!
I am a big fan of supporting Free Fringe shows. More often than not, they are just as funny as the shows being put on in the big venues. I managed to see a few Free Fringe shows this year and Stuart Goldsmith's End Of did not disappoint. With his very likeable, endearing manner, Goldsmith commented on life as a parent, supporting his family and what it means to be a father.
MUSICALS
In 2017 I saw the musical Six, created and performed by a group of highly talented Cambridge students. One year later, Six has moved over to the Underbelly with a new all-female cast and band. The six wives of Henry VIII take to the stage and sing to tell their inspiring tale of life with the king. The show is filled with sass, crowns, impeccable vocals and killer dance moves. The Tudor Queens empower and dazzle. Six is coming to London for a limited run in September, so crack on and book your tickets now!
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical is something that everyone should see at least once in their lifetime. In each performance a new musical is created with the help of the audience. A location is agreed on, for us it was a clown school in Paris, and ideas for musical themes were shouted out and written on the producer's board. What follows is jaw-dropping. The cast and band collaborate to create lyrics, music and dialogue with the end result being a fully-formed (and hilarious) musical. Improv requires the quickest of thinking and this is the best form of it that I have ever seen.
CABARET
Watching cabaret shows is a relatively new thing for me and I bloody love them! Who better to see this year than the all-singing, all-dancing, accordion-playing, glittering superstar that is Hans with his show Hans - Like a German. Having seen Han's 2017 show Mein Camp, I had an idea of what to expect. And I was not to be disappointed. His three-piece band, The Ungrateful Bastards, were back and his sequins were sparkling even brighter than before, perhaps something to do with his recent success on America's Got Talent. Hans dances, taps, sings and puts audience members in gold hot pants...I honestly didn't want the show to end. So much fun and so much joy. Thank you Hans!
Jesus L'Oreal was back with his new show, Nailed It, and what an extravaganza it was. Using song, dance, sermons, the Lord's Prayer and not forgetting the splendid pilates routines, Jesus L'Oreal blessed and healed his audience. 'Oh my Dad' I had no idea that Jehovah's fitness could make me laugh so hard. The show was filled with energy, hilarious biblical puns and turning the stereotypical image we might have of Jesus on its head!
There are so many other fantastic shows that I was lucky enough to experience but if I tried to explain them all, you'd be reading this for about six days. What I am trying to say is, if you have never been to the Fringe then GO! Don't hold back... Whether you visit for two weeks or two nights, you will have a brilliant experience. Book off recommendations, go to see Free Fringe and stay open-minded... Roll on 2019!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I was lucky enough to be able to head up to Edinburgh again this year. I have visited the Fringe in previous years but this trip surpassed all others, (it helped that our own show Little Shop of Horrors went well for a change). I just wanted to take five minutes to tell you about some of the inspiring and hilarious shows I saw during my ten days there. I have selected a few of my favourite plays, comedies, musicals and cabaret shows to briefly tell you about. Every year in August, Edinburgh comes alive with some of the most diverse, up-and-coming and fascinating shows in the world. The city has a buzz which is hard to describe in words. But I'll give it a go.
THEATRE
Gig theatre is something I have come to relatively recently as a performance genre. Electrolyte combines spoken word, music and theatre to create a spellbinding tale of a women living with schizophrenia. Jessie is cocooned in a world of friends, music, drink and drugs. Her father has recently committed suicide and she is struggling to know how to cope. Electrolyte is one of the most beautiful pieces of theatre that I have ever seen. The sensitivity with which the subject matter is tackled moved the entire audience to tears. The richness of melodies, vocals, lyrical rhythms and spoken word evokes deep emotion about suicide, depression, recovery and the strength of love.
(even) Hotter brings together verbatim theatre, comedy, LGBTQ experiences and what it means to be embarrassed or embarrassing. Mary Higgins and Ell Potter have interviewed women and trans people aged between 13 and 97 and devised a touching, hilarious and empowering show about what it means to be female. Verbatim theatre can be hit or miss but (even) Hotter certainly hits the nail on the head when it comes to understanding what makes the female body tick and what it means to be hot. You leave the show loving yourself and your body, something many of us don't often feel...
COMEDY
Amusical was the first show that I booked this year because I had such a ball seeing it in 2017. The concept for this show is utterly brilliant - comedians are put to the test and sing their favourite musical theatre song onstage in front of 600 people. What is there not to love? The worse the singing, the funnier it is. The hosts Jayde Adams and Kiri Pritchard-McLean shine in multiple costume changes and put each of the acts to ease as they are welcomed to the stage (well mostly). Particular highlights were Angela Barnes' Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, the Rosie Jones led LGBTQ version of Seasons of Love and the hilarious finale of One Day More from Les Mis. Amusical is back in London on the 4th September so make sure you buy a ticket asap!
I am a big fan of supporting Free Fringe shows. More often than not, they are just as funny as the shows being put on in the big venues. I managed to see a few Free Fringe shows this year and Stuart Goldsmith's End Of did not disappoint. With his very likeable, endearing manner, Goldsmith commented on life as a parent, supporting his family and what it means to be a father.
MUSICALS
In 2017 I saw the musical Six, created and performed by a group of highly talented Cambridge students. One year later, Six has moved over to the Underbelly with a new all-female cast and band. The six wives of Henry VIII take to the stage and sing to tell their inspiring tale of life with the king. The show is filled with sass, crowns, impeccable vocals and killer dance moves. The Tudor Queens empower and dazzle. Six is coming to London for a limited run in September, so crack on and book your tickets now!
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical is something that everyone should see at least once in their lifetime. In each performance a new musical is created with the help of the audience. A location is agreed on, for us it was a clown school in Paris, and ideas for musical themes were shouted out and written on the producer's board. What follows is jaw-dropping. The cast and band collaborate to create lyrics, music and dialogue with the end result being a fully-formed (and hilarious) musical. Improv requires the quickest of thinking and this is the best form of it that I have ever seen.
CABARET
Watching cabaret shows is a relatively new thing for me and I bloody love them! Who better to see this year than the all-singing, all-dancing, accordion-playing, glittering superstar that is Hans with his show Hans - Like a German. Having seen Han's 2017 show Mein Camp, I had an idea of what to expect. And I was not to be disappointed. His three-piece band, The Ungrateful Bastards, were back and his sequins were sparkling even brighter than before, perhaps something to do with his recent success on America's Got Talent. Hans dances, taps, sings and puts audience members in gold hot pants...I honestly didn't want the show to end. So much fun and so much joy. Thank you Hans!
Jesus L'Oreal was back with his new show, Nailed It, and what an extravaganza it was. Using song, dance, sermons, the Lord's Prayer and not forgetting the splendid pilates routines, Jesus L'Oreal blessed and healed his audience. 'Oh my Dad' I had no idea that Jehovah's fitness could make me laugh so hard. The show was filled with energy, hilarious biblical puns and turning the stereotypical image we might have of Jesus on its head!
There are so many other fantastic shows that I was lucky enough to experience but if I tried to explain them all, you'd be reading this for about six days. What I am trying to say is, if you have never been to the Fringe then GO! Don't hold back... Whether you visit for two weeks or two nights, you will have a brilliant experience. Book off recommendations, go to see Free Fringe and stay open-minded... Roll on 2019!