In this blog I will be looking at Seawall, Luck, Foil Arms and Hog, Stefan Goalaszewiski, Des Bishop, Rich Hall, Sammy J and Les Infant Terrible.
Two pieces of advice for anyone coming over – bring a jacket and book your shows as things are selling out!
Sold Out Shows Edinburgh
Also the awards have started. The Trav have one 4 so far including a fringe first for Orphans and Internal. This weekend some of the shows leave and new ones arrive which means the turnaround rhythm that we had will be disrupted!
Seawall is a thirty minute show at the traverse that will enthrall. I had seen Simon Stephens’ work last year and clearly he has skill with the monologue, a kin to McPherson. Irishman, Andrew Scott performs this one man piece about his relationship with his father in law, his family and god. Scott has you hanging on his words only to dismiss you with an excellently timed comic word or gesture and yet clearly there is something deeper. An anger that emerges towards the end, portrayed flawlessly. Excellently performed and written.
I had seen Luck before at this years Cork Midsummer festival however the device of the piece allows you to go again and again and never see the same show. Preformed by Megan Riordan, in the Underbelly Hullabaloo, the show uses various forms of gambling to decide the events of the night. Detailing her life as the daughter and team member of one of the worlds most famous professional gambler, Riordan works the crowd debating the merits and existence of the different types of luck. A frantic paced show that reveals a completely different side to a trip to Vegas with humour and delight.
Foil Arms and Hog have been described as the best threesome to be had and these guys can deliver. Sketch comedy that clearly a lot thought behind it, the three lads from Dublin play of 50 characters with some of the funniest returning throughout the show. In a venue that felt like a sauna the three guys did well to perform to a packed out crowd as I would later find out one member had only left A&E a few hours before hand. Having seen these guys develop from their time in UCD, I definitely think there is a lot more quality to come.
Stefan Goalaszewiski was widely known as one of the best shows of last year when he spoke about a woman he once loved. This year at the Traverse he is speaking about being a widower. The one man show is a incredibly sweet and refreshing look at the joys and dispair of being married. Set in 2056 the star of The Bill gently guides the audience though this relationship as he experienced it. This show will certainly rival last years however perhaps a pity it is run next to two other one man shows.
Les Infant Terrible tell stories in the most interesting way. Ernest and the Pale moon is simply the story of an unfortunate man accidentally assaulting the one he loves. What makes this interesting is the way the story is told. It is movie like the way the show cuts between scenes. The show is accompanied by live music played by the actors which excellently adds to the atmosphere.
Sammy J:1999 really takes you back a decade, when Britney and Google were starting out and when we were all staring at magic eyes. The story follows Sammy’s rise and fall from nerd to jock and back backed by his musical styling. Culminating in genuine footage of him on Australian TV, this is a fun show, well written and performed. An excellent follow on from last years Sammy J: In The Forest of Dreams which there are some performances of this year also.
What I have always liked about Des Bishop was that its comedy with a message. I remember being struck by a previous show about testicular cancer and this was no different. Des focuses this show on the idea of shame v guilt and why we feel bad about things that should be natural. The quality of this show is as good as you would expect from Bishop with the messages weaved throughout and in no way overbearing.
The disappointing thing about Rich Halls show was the audience. There was so much unnecessary and unfunny heckling that Hall struggled to get through his written material and this reviewer couldn’t give a good account of it. Why people feel that they can shout out whatever they like when wherever they like? I feel only alcohol can explain this. With what you would expect from such an experience comedian, Hall still has to be commended for ability to deal with the trouble in the audience was fantastic and he did mange to end the show on his terms.
