Arts Centre Studo, Theatre
Run ended
Reviewed by Elijah James

I’ve always admired the Shakespearean Elizabethans: those English Renaissance theatre troupes who ran through a play of this magnitude for the very first time. It’s a most impressive feat, considering the complexity of the language. Yet it’s only by today's standards that we feel perplexed by Shakespearean English; ask an Elizabethan a question in Orwellian, and they'd be just as confused. The Shakespearean Elizabethans: here I find myself cast back to the same era, as the Smooth Faced Gentlemen run through the essentials of Romeo and Juliet in just over an hour.

Underground Venues, Theatre
Run ended
Reviewed by Elijah James

What is the point of social networking?  It gets a bit confusing, especially for the characters of Rebel Base Productions' Saving Grace.  It's a nice play on words for a not-so-nice story about checking up on people – and it’s a real sit-com romp, with outrageous characters and a story-line that revolves around the absurdity of our interconnectivity.  So many vices, too many devices!

United Reformed Church, Theatre
Run ended
Reviewed by Elijah James

As the title suggests, I Want To Hold Your Hand is a tea-cup drama set in the ‘60s, during the time when bands like The Beatles were at the height of their fame.  Back-terrace family life, above a shop – the family chiropodist – is reflected in an elaborate set, all things chintzy and paisley.  As a follow-up to writer and director Claire Spratt’s previous stage success Blitz Bride, I Want To Hold Your Hand is a twee, nostalgic throwback, enjoyed by a largely parochial audience who remember the era in which it was set.  And yet, it proves to be highly insightful.

Arts Centre Studio, Music
Run ended
Reviewed by Alice de Cent

Lili La Scala presents an evening of humorous vintage songs, which she’s tracked down with the aim of giving them a new lease of life on the contemporary stage. Including songs by Ivor Novello, Flanders and Swann and George Formby, as well as a couple of Gracie Fields numbers, this is a well-selected programme.  What’s more, La Scala’s expert storytelling makes each song accessible and entertaining, easily living up to the show title’s promise.

Underground Venues, Comedy
Run ended
Reviewed by Alice de Cent

“Shyness is nice” said The Smiths – but added the caveat that “shyness can stop you doing all the things in life you want to”. Joseph Ross-Williams is out to confront his own shyness in this show, co-written with the other half of Sad Little Flyer, Michael Love.

Underground Venues, Theatre
19 Jul, 4:45pm-5:45pm; 20 Jul, 6:00pm-7:00pm; 21-22 Jul, 1:30pm-2:30pm
Reviewed by Ian Hamilton

‘Your mother should know’, intones Macca at the beginning – and after three previous Fringe shows you would have thought that Ruth might, indeed, know by now.  But she stumbles along in the same way as last year, as writer and actor Ginny Davis endures the trials of motherhood in this hilarious and instantly-recognisable depiction of family mores.

Underground Venues, Comedy
11 Jul, 7:15pm-8:15pm; 17 Jul, 8:45pm-9:45pm; 20 Jul, 10:45pm-11:45pm; 21 Jul, 10:00pm-11:00pm
Reviewed by Alice de Cent

Caimh McDonnell (if you wouldn’t know how to start pronouncing his first name, don’t worry, he’ll guide you through it) talks about social ineptitude – from his hatred of small talk, to how even his own hair is against him.

Underground Venues, Theatre
Run ended
Reviewed by Elijah James

Mugged raises an important issue, reinforcing the need for knife amnesty.  What happens when things get out of control?  We've all seen the news, tragically often, of another young boy and another stabbing.  Or so it seems.  But when we see these images, does it leave a lasting impression on our minds?  The young cast from The Manor Academy school attempt to tackle these questions.

Underground Venues, Dance
17-19 Jul, 7:30pm-8:15pm
Reviewed by Alice de Cent

A standard of both Kabuki and Noh theatre, Dojo-Ji follows the story of a young monk who undertakes a pilgrimage, stopping at a house on the way. While he is there, a young woman falls in love with the monk. She pursues him and he retreats to the Dojo-Ji temple to flee her affection. Her passion transforms her into a terrifying serpent, and the monk hides himself in the temple bell; but she discovers him and coils herself around the bell, burning both the monk and herself.

Underground Venues, Theatre
13, 15, 17 Jul, 3:15pm-4:00pm; 16 Jul, 10:30pm-11:15pm
Reviewed by Alice de Cent

Shadow Syndicate tackle Jane Shepard’s Nine, which sees two female prisoners endure captivity and brutality, and explores their attempts to stay free in their minds.

Underground Venues, Comedy
Run ended
Reviewed by Alice de Cent

Danny Buckler is on his way to Edinburgh, and stopping off at the Buxton Fringe to roadtest his debut solo show The Phantom. Charting his obsession with the musical The Phantom Of The Opera – from his childhood in Woking through to unmasking a cruise ship singer who claimed to be “Lloyd Webber’s favourite Phantom” – he also peppers the show with his own misadventures in love, which largely stem from idealizing the Phantom’s approach to romance.

United Reformed Church, Theatre
16-18 Jul, 7:30pm-9:00pm
Reviewed by Ian Hamilton

The Transit of Venus tells of two local astronomers, William Crabtree and Jeremiah Horrocks, who first observed the celestial event in 1639.  In the process, it examines the relationship between Maths, Science and Religion, in a period of considerable upheaval in England – on the eve of the Civil War and at a time of widespread religious persecution.  Set in Manchester, it is topical today, not so much because of civil unrest but because the most recent alignment of the Sun, Earth and Venus occurred in June 2012.  You will have to wait until 2117 for the next one.