UK Theatre Network

Graham de Banzie's first play, "The Hat" tells a tale of love, loneliness and stylish headgear.

On a park bench, a successful young businesswoman named Iris (played by Pauline Knowles) tries desperately to deal with her subordinates' incompetence and stop her businesses from crashing to the ground without her constant supervision. While Iris is wrangling with telephone calls and wearing a rather smashing hat, an older lady, Rose (played by Vari Sylvester), nervously sits down on the bench with her book. When the two apparent strangers discover they have much more in common, the seemingly chance encounter takes a more sinister turn as the origins of the hat are revealed.

Both Pauline Knowles and Vari Sylvester deliver generally strong performances as Iris and Rose. As the play progresses, however, it becomes increasingly clear what the twist will entail, detracting slightly from its desired impact. Despite the audience anticipating the play's next move in advance, it remains an engaging piece of theatre.

Despite the actors' best efforts, however, the star of the show is undoubtedly the hat.

Listings:
Augustine's, George IV Bridge. 
August  8-16, 18-23. 4:25pm (50 minutes).
£7.00 (£6.00) (£5.50 SU).

Widely known as the house band on "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross" and a regular fixture at the Edinburgh Festival, 4 Poofs and a Piano bring their new show, "Smoke and Mirrorballs", to the Pleasance Courtyard for this year's Fringe.

David Wickenden, Ian Parkin, Stephen de Martin and David Roper (the 4 Poofs) took turns presenting each quarter of the show with light hearted (and occasionally lewd) singing and dancing. The individual hosts for each segment gave the show a more personal touch than you might expect from a band of four, while the constant upstaging from the other poofs ensures camp, cheesy hilarity throughout.

While the jokes can be fairly predictable and the musical selection certainly not to everyone's taste, the queer quartet should be applauded for their use of catchy original tunes instead of relying simply on their Jonathan Ross mainstay of pop covers (you'll find yourself singing "Do You" in the most inappropriate places). They handle the audience as consummate professionals, engaging with the crowd throughout and keeping the odd heckler at bay. It's no wonder these genuinely talented entertainers consistently draw crowds at the Fringe.

For high-energy, camp, comedy cabaret, look no further.

Listings:
Pleasance One, Pleasance Courtyard
August 5-18, 20-30. 6:00pm (1 hour).
£13.00 (£11.50): Aug 8-13, 17-18, 20, 24-27.
£14.00 (£12.50): Aug 14-16, 21-23, 28-30.

The Russian company SSSR presents the story of two young people who meet in an internet chatroom and agree to commit suicide together. Yulia is lonely yet she cannot stand being with somebody else: "Any company is a burden to me." She does not want to be alone in her final moments. August, a lonely boy without friends, responds to her message and they meet in the wilderness to end their lives together.
This tragic story addresses the problem of suicide among young people without sentimentality. The characters are believable in their hopelessness and the acting is brilliant in this flawless production.
(Carolin Kopplin)

Award-winning Tangram present four productions at the Fringe Festival this year - a hilarious musical about Darwin with a terribly long title, the monologue Almost 10, F**KED, and Art House.
Charlie, a gifted but so far under-appreciated artist, craves for fame and fortune so she fakes her death. Her younger sister Viva, who witnessed her alleged suicide, becomes her accomplice and her only lifeline to the outside world. Viva is afraid of the investigation into Charlie's demise but she obeys her sister as she has always done. After a while Charlie becomes tired of being locked up in her studio, claustrophobia is setting in and she begins feeling restless - she wants to break out! Unfortunately, Viva is less than enthusiastic about Charlie's rise from the dead. She has finally got the life that she has always dreamed of - she is a renowned arts dealer in charge of her sister's oevre, granting interviews, featuring on the covers of magazines, she is famous! A perceptive piece of theatre with two outstanding actors. 
(Carolin Kopplin)

SHOW: A BRITISH SUBJECT, Pleasance Theatre
12 August 2009 - £9.50

Mirza Tahir Hussain, a British subject, travels to Pakistan where he kills a taxi driver in self-defence. The young man is sentenced to death by hanging. He spends eighteen years on death row before a British journalist visits him to tell his story.

Nichola MacAuliffe’s play is the true account of this case and a scathing critique of the criminal justice system in Pakistan, the British authorities who would not save their own subject because their efforts might jeopardise British-Pakistani relations and the inhumanity of the death penalty. This poignant drama is extremely well acted and the relationship between MacAuliffe – who plays herself – and the condemned man is very touching. Both are deeply religious and although MacAuliffe is a Catholic and Tahir a Muslim there is a true understanding between them.

There will be a Q&A session on the production on 18 August at 2.20 pm. 

Review by Carolin Kopplin

Visit the official Edinburgh Fringe website for more details and tickets:-
http://www.edfringe.com 

SHOW: THE SHAPE OF THINGS by SPL, C, Chambers Street
12 August 2009 - £9.50 

The Shape of Things is a comedy with a vicious twist. Neil LaBute, one of the most intriguing American playwrights today, is a moralist who indulges in polarising his audience and he often succeeds. Adam works in a museum in a small college town where he meets Evelyn, an art student, who wants to make a statement by spray painting a penis on a statue – her point being that the sculpture is already ruined because a vine leaf was plastered over the genitalia six years ago to placate the outraged town folk.

Two people could not be more different that the shy, insecure Adam and the self-confident artiste. As Adam and Evelyn become closer Adam changes in more ways than one. The dialogues are snappy and the action is fast paced – a most enjoyable production with impressive performances by the four young actors.  

Review by Carolin Kopplin

Edinburgh Fringe Website http://www.edfringe.com

SHOW: CRY FROM UNDERGROUND (TELL ME YOUR NAME)
New Town Theatre
11 Aug 09, £10.00 

Thorston Manderlay adapted Dostoevsky’s novella “Notes from the Underground” and successfully transferred it to the 21^st century. The themes of the novella – isolation, alienation and disgust with a self-obsessed society are as relevant today as in 1864.

The protagonist, an educated and intelligent man, finds himself in a culture of mediocrity where “brainless action men” suppress “clever mice”. The very people he despised at school and university have become high/flying lawyers and successful businessmen while he - who is far superior in intelligence - is rotting away in a hole, tormented by his landlord. Retired at the age of 40 because he had enough of working in a stupid, mindless job to pay the rent he has no prospects and little hope. After a particularly unpleasant evening the protagonist finds himself in a brothel where he meets the Russian prostitute Lisa. Having escaped from a miserable life in a nondescript rural town Lisa now finds herself trapped as an illegal sex worker. Will they be able to find a way out?

Thorston Manderlay gives a brilliant performance as the tormented protagonist who hides his sensitivity and capability for love behind the veneer of a sociopath. Anne Burns Walker is impressive as the young woman. 

Review by Carolin Kopplin

Visit the official Edinburgh Fringe website for more details and tickets:-
http://www.edfringe.com 

King Arthur by Siege Perilous

The Edinburgh based company Siege Perilous, well known for high quality adaptions of classical text as well as new writing, presents Lucy Nordberg's interpretation of King Arthur. The play is written in blank verse while using contemporary language, an intriguing combination.

King Arthur is an enlightened leader who decides to impose democracy on his people. Yet they will have to learn to rule themselves, and who will train them? Furthermore, a successor must be found as his marriage to Guinevere has remained childless. The Christian Arthur hopes to achieve peace with Morgan Le Fay who rules a Pagan border state by accepting his illegitimate son Mordred as heir to the throne. Mordred is trained for the role of a traditional king but in a democracy he would only be a figurehead. The confused teenager falls under the influence of power hungry factions in court who want the crown for themselves.

In this fine production the actors are present on stage all the time. The stage design is minimalist with a circular chequered floor and only few props. There are outstanding performances throughout, especially Jim Byars as Arthur, Paul Crommie as his antagonist Kay, Anne Kane Howie as Morgan Le Fay, and Allan Scott-Douglas as the scheming Breunor.

 
(Carolin Kopplin)


For tickets visit the official Edinburgh Fringe website  http://www.edfringe.com

SHOW: DAVID BENSON SINGS NOEL COWARD

Assembly Rooms, 6-21 Aug (and 12 Aug), 15.20 – 16.30

10 Aug 09 £12.00

David Benson once again demonstrated his versatility in this delightful show celebrating the great Noel Coward. He transformed himself from a glamorous diva to a middle-aged businessman lamenting that he is Mad About the Boy within a second using little more than a pearl necklace, a feather band and a pair of glasses.

Accompanied by the charming Stewart Nicholls Benson presented Coward hits like Don’t Put Your Daughter on the Stage and There are Bad Times Just Around the Corner – quite relevant today - but he also included songs from the rarely performed show The Girl Who Came to Supper. David Benson conducted a good deal of research for this show. He included forgotten lyrics that even my friend who is a Coward connoisseur did not know. A highly enjoyable afternoon! 


For tickets, visit http://www.edfringe.com