Published on Tuesday, 12 May 2015 |
Over the last few years, actor-playwright Ginny Davis has earned herself a reputation for delivering witty reflections on family life. Her popular “Ruth Rich saga” now runs to four much-lauded instalments, but with Hound Dog she’s tried something different – handing over the stage to a full cast of actors, and stepping back herself into the writer’s role. Her script tells a tale inspired by a real-life experience: on a recent holiday in Crete, she rescued a dog from an abusive owner, bringing it home to live with her ageing Labrador and the rest of her middle-class family. |
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Published on Tuesday, 12 May 2015 |
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Greenside (venue website)
Theatre
2-10 Aug, 6:35pm-7:25pm; 12-17 Aug, 11:05pm-12:05am; 19-24 Aug, 2:55pm-3:55pm Reviewed by Ellen Macpherson |
Recommended for age 16+ only.
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Judging by this show, I think we have finally moved to a stage of human development where shows based on social media don’t exist purely to preach messages about its use. Timeline is a refreshingly normal production, in which I didn't once have to sit through a thinly veiled message about the moral degradation of young people on the internet. The writers have used verbatim conversations from Facebook to create a narrative of five university students and their relationships – resulting in a comedic drama with plenty of genuine laugh-out-loud moments. |
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Published on Tuesday, 12 May 2015 |
2
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theSpace on North Bridge (venue website)
Theatre
2-3, 5-10, 12-17, 19-24 Aug, 4:05pm-4:55pm Reviewed by Richard Stamp |
Recommended for age 12+ only.
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It’s got a weird old title, but The Suicidal Tendencies Of Sheep And A Dog Named The Hoff is really quite a straightforward play. Set at the start of a weekend stag do, it aims to be a funny-but-touching assessment of male friendship, in the face of a looming tragedy. It’s a well-observed script, but ultimately quite insubstantial – and I left disappointed that it hadn’t taken me to some more challenging places, or taught me more about how I should aspire to be. |
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Published on Tuesday, 12 May 2015 |
3
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C venues - C aquila (venue website)
Theatre
1-17 Aug, 6:45pm-7:45pm Reviewed by Richard Stamp |
Parents or guardians should consider the content of this show if children are attending.
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As we look back at the horror of the First World War, it’s tempting to reduce it to a few clichéd images: the trenches, the gas-masks, the poppies in no-man’s land. But this well-presented play conveys a far more nuanced tale, seen through the eyes of two young officers on the front line. So of course, we witness the suffering, and the constant threat of loss – a tragedy that’s all the more affecting because it’s so resolutely underplayed. But we also learn another side to the wartime story: the happiness at landing a decent billet, the all-too-brief leave in Paris, the pleasure to be found in a trip to a restaurant and a glass of rough wine. |
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Published on Tuesday, 12 May 2015 |
4
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Pleasance Dome (venue website)
Theatre
31 Jul, 1-4, 6-11, 13-18, 20-25 Aug, 4:10pm-5:10pm Reviewed by Richard Stamp |
Family-friendly. Suitable for all ages.
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“This isn’t a magic show,” says the devilishly avuncular Paul Nathan, and that might just be the one unvarnished truth his hour-long act contains. Yes, there are card tricks, and yes, his easy drawl belies a sharp line in chicanery. But he’s also a compelling actor; and he’s joined on the stage by a fine guitarist too. Between them they deliver a quirky, striking piece of theatre… one with potential to appeal to those whom conventional illusionists leave cold. |
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Published on Saturday, 09 May 2015 |
3
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Assembly Roxy
Theatre
31 Jul, 1-12, 14-25 Aug, 10:45pm-11:45pm Reviewed by Richard Stamp |
Recommended for age 12+ only.
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For an example of a piece of literature that’s been ruined by its own fame, look no further than Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde. Written as a mystery thriller, Stevenson’s novella – together with all faithful adaptations of it – is comprehensively spoiled by the simple fact that everyone now knows the secret of Jekyll’s double life. And so, for this stylish production, Fringe-First-winning playwright Jonathan Holloway has adopted a radical solution: yes, we think we know the story… but he’s gone ahead and changed it. |
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Published on Saturday, 09 May 2015 |
2
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C venues - C (venue website)
Theatre
31 Jul, 1-17 Aug, 8:45pm-9:45pm Reviewed by Richard Stamp |
Parents or guardians should consider the content of this show if children are attending.
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I confess: I’d never even heard of Six Characters In Search Of An Author before now, still less seen it performed. Cambridge University ADC offer a free-spirited take on Luigi Pirandello’s 1921 script, filled with Fringe-related in-jokes and modernised asides. It’s an ambitious production with a large and capable cast, but the confusion inherent in Pirandello’s meta-theatrical plot too often leaches out into the production. |
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Published on Saturday, 09 May 2015 |
0
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theSpace @ Surgeons Hall (venue website)
Theatre
2-3, 5-10 Aug, 4:25pm-5:05pm |
Recommended for age 14+ only.
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A surreal and disturbing show about the business of performing femininity, Jewel earned five stars from our reviewer at the Brighton Fringe in May. The story of a young girl who’s desperate to win a beauty pageant, it asks hard questions but is filled with energy too. One performer, Claudia Jeffries, plays a range of roles as she captures the varied forces which shape Jewel’s life. |
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Published on Friday, 08 May 2015 |
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Just the Tonic at The Caves (venue website)
Theatre
1-12, 14-25 Aug, 4:40pm-5:40pm |
Recommended for age 14+ only.
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Winner of our “one to watch” award at this year’s Brighton Fringe, Sleeping Trees Theatre’s version of The Odyssey is a wild eyed, energetic version of Homer’s epic. A physical performance filled with mime and music, it also boasts some highly-skilled, multi-layered comedy. All in all, we found it impossible not to enjoy this quirky interpretation of a classic tale. |
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Published on Thursday, 07 May 2015 |
0
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Bedlam Theatre (venue website)
Theatre
2-24 Aug, 7:30pm-8:35pm |
Parents or guardians should consider the content of this show if children are attending.
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There are four versions of Titus Andronicus at Fringe 2013, but this – from the cleverly-named Smooth-Faced Gentlemen – surely stands out. Performed by an all-woman cast, it promises a “brutally farcical take” on Shakespeare’s bloodiest work, as well as providing a new opportunity for female actors to take on roles that are normally reserved for men. And with the co-founders of Edinburgh favourites Three’s Company providing substantial creative input, there’s a lot of promise in this eye-catching play. |
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