4

	Pleasance Dome (venue website) Theatre 4 - 29 Aug (not 23), 8:20pm (9:20pm)

Bane: Part Two picked up one of our Editor’s Choice Awards at the Brighton Fringe in May, so we’re thrilled to discover it’s making the trip north to Edinburgh.  A one-man film-noir parody about a hitman who “gets the job done”, it’s the sequel to the original Bane, which kept sell-out audiences rapt at its 2009 performance.

And as our Brighton reviewer Catherine Meek observed – “performance” is the key word.  Alone on a bare stage, showman Joe Bone can change in a fleeting second from one character to an entirely different one, then have them converse so convincingly you’ll struggle to believe there’s only one man there.  He mimes out all the props as well, and even provides the sound effects; his only help’s from guitarist Ben Roe, whose atmospheric strumming is the perfect counterpoint to Bone’s breakneck madness.

It does take some effort to keep up with the careering plot – this isn’t one to see when you’re tired – and of course, the film-noir genre isn’t to everyone’s taste.  But don’t let such quibbles stop you: this show’s a genuine tour-de-force, and Joe Bone’s talent is a true inspiration.  To quote Catherine again... sculptors reveal the shape of their vision in stone, but with Bane you'll see art created as though from thin air.