Skip to content

FringeGuru

 
A Modern Town
Published on Sunday, 12 August 2012
4

4 stars

Pleasance Courtyard (venue website)
Theatre
1-13, 15-27 Aug, 4:00pm-5:10pm
Reviewed by Alice de Cent

 Recommended for age 12+ only.

The seaside town of Newton-Bassett has definitely seen better days, a rusting funfair the only reminder of a once thriving resort. A Modern Town follows the story of Joe, who has inherited the less than profitable Webber’s store following his father’s recent death. When three investors arrive, offering a new future, Joe and the other residents must decide just how far they are willing to go to recapture the town’s lost glory.

The use of folk music between scenes is a highlight of the show, with some beautiful a cappella singing from the ensemble. The songs are well-chosen and excellently used to set the scene and comment on the action. There may be room to bring music into some of the scenes, making it more of a feature of the piece, and avoiding the pacing issues that arise from a slow-burning scene following such energised scene changes.

When I Say Jump are a young and energetic company, and the well-executed dance sequence during Joe’s night out makes good use of their physicality. Playing characters of characters of varying generations is a challenge, and director Jack Husebo may want to work on bringing more of the cast’s evident physical skills into their characterisation, in order to achieve greater clarity in terms of age.

Husebo’s script mainly establishes strong, simple characters that are humourous and likable. The conflicted Joe is a little harder to understand, and it might make his journey more tragic to emphasise his unselfish nature more clearly, earlier in the play, so it is clear his efforts to help the town are what lead to its downfall.

But A Modern Town has some excellent comic moments, as well as real poignancy in places.  When I Say Jump are full of youth and potential, and evidently want to explore interesting issues. It will be fascinating to see what they do next.

<< The Blind   The Most Dangerous Toy >>

FROM OUR ARCHIVES

These are archived reviews of shows from Edinburgh 2012.  We keep our archives online as a courtesy to performers, and for readers who'd like to research previous years' reviews.

Edinburgh 2012 Five Stars

5 stars Comedy
Totally Tom


5 stars Comedy
The Magical Adventures of Pete Heat


5 stars Theatre
Bye Bye World


5 stars Comedy
Barbershopera: The Three Musketeers


5 stars Comedy
Truth


5 stars Theatre
The House of Shadows


5 stars Cabaret
Briefs


5 stars Theatre
Made for Each Other - Free


5 stars Comedy
Tony Law: Nonsense Overdrive


5 stars Comedy
Ivo Graham and Liam Williams


5 stars Comedy
Hannibal Buress: Still Saying Stuff


5 stars Comedy
The Blanks' Big Break


5 stars Theatre
A Clockwork Orange


5 stars Comedy
Richard Wiseman: Psychobabble


5 stars Comedy
Martin Mor: A Man You Don’t Meet Everyday


5 stars Theatre
1984


5 stars Comedy
Swedenborg, the Devil and Me


5 stars Theatre
The Trench


5 stars Theatre
Casablanca: The Gin Joint Cut


5 stars Theatre
Joyced!


5 stars Theatre
An Evening With Dementia


5 stars Comedy
Scott Agnew: Tales of the Sauna


5 stars Theatre
Comedian Dies in the Middle of Joke


5 stars Comedy
Chris Ramsey: Feeling Lucky


5 stars Comedy
The Horne Section - Live at the Grand!


5 stars Theatre
How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found


5 stars Theatre
The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle


5 stars Theatre
Songs of Lear


5 stars Cabaret
Jonny Woo: Wonder Woo-Man


5 stars Comedy
Josie Long: Romance and Adventure


5 stars Comedy
10 Films With My Dad


5 stars Theatre
4.48 Psychosis


5 stars Theatre
As You Like It


5 stars Theatre
Appointment With The Wicker Man


5 stars Comedy
Jessie Cave: Bookworm


5 stars Comedy
Morgan & West: Lying, Cheating Scoundrels


5 stars Theatre
Hearts on Fire


5 stars Theatre
Rainbow


5 stars Comedy
Chris Dangerfield: Sex Tourist


5 stars Comedy
Chris McCausland: Not Blind Enough


5 stars Theatre
Chatroom


5 stars Comedy
Peacock & Gamble Don't Even Want To Be On Telly Anyway


5 stars Theatre
I Heart Hamas: And Other Things I'm Afraid to Tell You


5 stars Comedy
John Robertson - The Dark Room - Free


5 stars Kids'
Dr Brown Brown Brown Brown Brown and His Singing Tiger