Dogstar Theatre Company at the Edinburgh Fringe

The award-winning Dogstar Theatre Company, based in the Highlands town of Inverness, is about to begin touring its two most recent Edinburgh fringe shows throughout Scotland, starting in September. The first, The Tailor of Inverness, is a sensitive, moving and, at times, traumatic story of one man’s journey from his home town in Poland through many years in the Soviet work camps to finally arriving in Scotland and creating a new life for himself as a tailor in the eponymous town. The production, which was first performed on the Fringe in 2008, winning a Fringe First award in the process, was written and directed by Matthew Zajac, who also plays the lead role of the pine furniture maker. The play is actually based on his own father’s life, infusing the script and Zajac’s performance with a genuine raw emotion that only a strong link to the subject matter can bring.

At the other end of the theatrical spectrum is Jacobite Country, an anarchic, wild and comic production about a male stand-up comedian who moves to London and sells out before returning north to his Scottish home town to face his relatives and friends. The play is innovatively performed by an all-female cast and was written by Henry Adam and directed by Matthew Zajac, making its debut at the Udderbelly at the Edinburgh Fringe this year. Featuring live music, gags and unforgettable characters, the show was well-received in Edinburgh, earning a three-star review from The Scotsman newspaper.

Dogstar are touring both shows throughout smaller Scottish venues, taking in Aberdeen, Glasgow, St.Andrews, Orkney and the Isle of Skye. The company has just announced the good news that it has managed to secure funding for its next production in 2011; an adaptation by the young Scottish writer Kevin McNeil of the black comedy Heaven’s Honey, a novel by Torgny Lindgren. Look out for this new play from one of Scotland’s most cutting-edge theater companies in spring 2011.

Nusrsing Lives

OOH Matron! – The world of medicine has proved a rich vein of dramatic material for centuries. From the intense doctor’s dilemmas as in AJ Cronin’s The Citadel, to the soapy lives and loves of medical folk as in TV’s Dr Kildare to the knockabout farce in the Carry On films – not to mention the high-octane incidents a-plenty from the likes of Holby City, and Casualty – health dramas continue to engage, challenge, thrill and entertain across the genres. I’m sure it’s inspired more than a few of us to look at a career in the medical profession and there’s nothing like real life from which to create the funniest and most moving moments for humankind, which is what Vamos Theatre has done with Nursing Lives.

The Worcestershire-based company has taken the stories of nurses working at the Worcester Royal Infirmary and turned them into a heart-warming and uplifting production which serves as a real tribute to the profession and all those in it. Via the central character of Rosie, we follow the progress of a young trainee who embarks on her nursing career, just as Britain pitches into maelstrom of World War II.

With her we not only experience the trials and tribulations of falling foul of matron, we laugh with her at the jokes played by her fellow nurses, we sigh as she falls for her soldier sweetheart and we watch, gripped, as she wrestles with ethical dilemmas over the use of the latest super drug – penicillin.

Although the production uses actors, they sport full-face masks, which is a little bizarre when you first see it – but it works and the whole affair is a mix of puppetry, dance and song with music helping to evoking the 1940s wartime era in spades.

It’s a visual treat during which you’ll laugh, you’ll cry but most of all you’ll love it – whether you’re eight or 80.

Nursing Lives is touring until April 2011. Details can be found at www.vamostheatre.webeden.co.uk

Next up I'll be talking about my friend's insight into Lifestyle Change coaching and how it can be beneficial.

Theatre-Cirque de Légume

My main experiences with theater are amateur dramatic versions of Shakespeare plays from school but it is a medium I have long been fascinated by. The Edinburgh Festival has always been an event to go and take in the atmosphere and laugh at the shows- the bizarre array never ceases to intrigue me. This year I wanted to go see the show ‘Cirque de Légume’ which has had great reviews described as two clowns, a chair and some metal boxes containing truly unusual vegetables including the Magical Carrot and the Leek of Power(?!) not to mention the fabled Onion Strip Tease!

What I want from a show is humour and charisma and a show as outrageous as this promises me both- their maxim is that by playing with simple, unappreciated things it shows the audience their inner beauty-even with vegetables! Therefore, if you appreciate the show (and I know I would), then you may be able to apply their concept to other areas in your life and remember that inner humour/beauty that can be found in anything.

The novelty of this idea is contrasted by the duos’ take on the style of Cirque du Freak and Cirque de Soleil circus show, with fantastic make-up, costumes and prosthetic noses the show is a 50 minute spectacle they describe as ‘mayhem’ where two ‘idiots’ attempt to show the audience the ‘hidden beauty’ within their act.

It seems a relief that a concept so childish can still make people smile-they are a favourite of the critics and in the theatre circuit they seem and individual and entertaining act that can’t possibly fail to make even the most serious person laugh.

One worry of mine is that unique as this act is how they might expand on their set and keep abreast of the audiences as in this time and age something that specialised has a limited shelf life before other acts that perhaps aren’t as outwardly kooky as Cirque de Légume but have a wider variety to offer the audience.

Christ on a bike – he’s back!

Review of Richard Herring: Christ on a Bike – the Second Coming at the Edinburgh Fringe

Richard Herring, the sweet, naïve one from 90s comedy stalwarts Lee and Herring, returns to the Fringe with a reworking of his favourite solo show. Discussing life as an atheist with a Jesus obsession, Herring picks apart the more ludicrous elements of the “Greatest Story Ever Told” without anyone being offended enough to walk out; a rare example of charm in an era of shock comedians.

But there is no denying there are ludicrous elements to the Jesus story; none more so than the passages Herring focuses on for much of the second part of his show, a childish, yet hilarious, review of some of the names of Jesus’ supposed descendants. A list that includes the wonderfully named Booz, who Matthew thought needed to be named Booz of Rachab, “so people didn’t confuse him with the other Booz” - good call.

Herring’s knack for the verbal tangent is as strong as in the days when he and comedy partner Stewart Lee had their own TV series, stories meandering away from their initial subject taking the audience on a strange new journey every night. Not all of these diversions are a complete success, but enough hit the mark to keep the punters laughing through the weaker sections.

Herring has tackled a variety of controversial subjects in his Edinburgh solo shows over the years, including one about the reactions he faced when he grew a Hitler moustache, but despite the subject matter this rarely feels like a risky topic. Herring shows respect to those in the audience who, through a show of hands, admit to believing in Jesus as the son of God and even manages a warm, fuzzy ending that had me leaving the venue not only amused, but with a happy smile too.

There are enough changes from Herring’s original Christ on a Bike show to tempt those who feel they may have seen everything before, though the structure and concept is essentially the same. A show that’s definitely worth a “Second Coming”.

Love Bites by Ignus Fatuus Theatre Company

Love Bites is a modern “in your face” drama by Ignus Fatuus Theatre Company about a couple, Stephen and Claire who are doomed to a depressing and borderline abusive relationship.

The production values for this fringe production were good and the staging was crisp and effective, however the characters were so difficult to sympathise with that it was quite unpleasant to watch. The dialogue had potential for comedy and it’s possible that the playwright was intending to satirise the bland and chauvinistic personality of Stephen.

Unfortunately however because the character of Claire was so pathetic one was unsure as to who we were laughing at and it all became slightly awkward. Stephen constantly berated Claire for gaining weight and because he didn’t get his comeuppance and Claire showed no sign of strength or intelligence ever, the whole thing felt misogynistic. I think the playwright may have intended the TV chef to be expressing Claire’s inner feelings of rage towards Stephen, but if this was the case then we needed to see at least a glimmer of this in Claire’s dialogue and performance. The references to industrial lubricants also went totally over my head. It’s a shame the production was flawed because there was potential in the theatricality of the script and there were moments which were visually effective and visceral.

One particualry effective moment was when the TV chef tips a salt cellar over Stephen’s head and the salt cascades down as he continues to eat, completely oblivious to the salt falling off his hair and on to the floor. However, the playwright needs either to steer clear of gender stereotyping and get a handle on how couples (and in particular women) actually speak, or if he is attempting to parody stereotypes then this needs to be better executed.

The idea of a TV chef commenting on the action was effective and provided some much needed moments of dark humour but some re-writes and dramaturgy are necessary for this play to fully develop.

The Green Room, Etcetra, Camden London

The Green Room brings backstage to the audience with an insightful look into the pre-stage preparations of four actresses, swamped in the strewn mess of costumes and dresses, make-up and wigs, they moan, bicker, dream and reveal the joys and woes of their rollercoaster love lives. Meet Truda, Klara, Lisa and Marie, starry-eyed hopefuls taking to the stage in a small repertory, living the dream and dreaming there was more to life.

This witty comedy, written by Arnost Goldflam and translated from Czech to English by director Eva Danicková puts life under the microscope, but the only infestation is hopes of a better role, in work and play. It doesn’t tell us anything we don’t already know. The sense of humour is there from start to end, but only falls out in fits and starts, most notably when the deadpan Lisa, brilliantly portrayed by Pamela Parry, tramps on in the third act dressed as a flame. It seems her not so glamorous acting career has taken a turn for the worse. As if she wasn’t angry and bitter enough in the first place, raising her voice to the end of her sentences to vent her frustration.

Karen Burton as Truda plays a thirty-something trying to keep things together on stage whilst suffering the torment of a collapsed marriage behind the scenes. Burton casually flicks through the emotions of her tortuous journey with natural ease and demonstrates accomplished talents as a comic actress with precision timing.

So too, Amy Simpson, superb in the role of Marie who, when we first meet her sweeps in with the buoyancy a winning goal in the last minute of the cup final would give you, only to slump like a fan of the losing team by the end.

Then we have the fly-by-night Klara, a hapless day-dreamer played by Kara McLean with the energy of a dance troupe. She breezes round the stage, powerful, sprightly, sweeping from the chest of drawers on the right to the flowers on the left, always with a smile, yet still shows enough of Klara to tell us her pipe dreams are full of hot air and her prayers will go unanswered.

So all in all, the girls do The Green Room proud. If only the male writer had been as convincing. But then, man’s failure towards the fairer sex is a fundamental point of the play.

The Green Room will be running in the Etcetra in Camden until Sunday 26th September.

Glass Eye Theatre’s production of “The City and Iris”

I recently went to see Glass Eye Theatre’s production of “The City and Iris” at the Zoo Roxy and was very impressed. This was a lovely production following the journey of dowdy young Iris who developed a neurosis about her eyesight after being advised to wear glasses by someone working a locum doctors job in her town for a minor eye condition at a young age. The story is illustrated by a lovely ensemble that plays anything from ducks in a pond to work colleagues at the library where Iris works. The storytelling is sweet and inventive and while there is humour to be mined in Iris’ geeky manner this never tips over in to caricature. At all times the phrase “simple yet effective” rings true and the performers rely on nothing but themselves to tell the tale. Instead of recorded music the ensemble use their own unaccompanied voices to fantastic affect and while the technique of an actor becoming the sounds of a radio has been done many times before, it was executed very well indeed here. The cast are all Jacques Le Coq trained which is evident from the fantastic physicality and sense of ensemble which exists at all times. However on occasions their training is a bit too evident. For example when illustrating a crowded tube train, I felt that I had seen this many times before by Complicite or the like. This is a minor quibble of course and I’d hope that as the company develop they find their own distinctive language and perhaps avoid such classic Le Coq tableaus, as I feel that they are certainly a company with a long future in front of them. This was a sensitive, warm and skilful production and I left the theatre feeling uplifted with the calming tunes of the ensemble going round and around happily in my head.

All American Girls

Directed by Layon Gray, “All American Girls” presents a story of racism and betrayal set in 1945 Chicago. This was during the era of World War II, when many men were shipped off to fight for their county. At this time period, women were chosen to help keep the spirit of baseball alive. The show portrays an African-American baseball team of women who call themselves the Red Diamonds. They are scheduled to take on a team of white women known as the Rockford Peaches. The trouble begins in Act I, when the coach goes missing.

The play is dependent on the many flashbacks offered regarding interactions between the Red Diamond players and their coach. They feel she has not really left on her own will, despite the letter of resignation that is found to be from her. Arlene A. McGruber plays the part of Coach Hicks, who provides a motivation performance in the first act, but then her attitude and personality traits for her character do a 180 degree turn as the flashbacks unfold throughout the show.

It seems some of the clothing and language used in the theater presentation were overlooked as needing to be set in 1940’s America, even the roller banners and adverts seem a little bit off. A skirt worn two inches above the knee is one scene does not reflect the common attire for women of that time period. Also, Mari White, the Cover Girl model who plays the role of a young student reporter interviewing the team regarding the disappearance of their coach, uses language that an innocent young college girl would not typically use back in the day.

As a recipient of an NAACP Award for Best Play, “All American Girls” is currently being performed at the Actors Temple Theatre in New York City, New York. The show times are currently being conducted on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Tickets range from $36.50 to $39.50 for this show.

The Age of Arthritis - London Fringe Festival Review

Nestled into the comfortable confines of the stylish Bridge House Bar I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from tonight’s performance. Settling into a cosy high-backed chair around a circular wooden table, a plush carpet underfoot, and with only a smattering of other audience members, the setting felt more like a Sunday lunch than a show for the London Fringe Festival.

But that all changed when David Savage took to the mic. Dressed in jogging bottoms and a t-shirt that read Molly and Friends for Dementia, to look at Dave you wouldn’t think he’d drive a turbo-diesel Honda Civic. Maybe their eco-friendly insight hybrid, but not a turbo - he’s 66! Even though he is confused by the car’s security system and gets ignored by passersby when locked inside with the alarm blaring. Still, give him a third off on his travel rail card and he’d rather catch the train any day – even if his journey is spoilt by people talking into their mobile phones in the quiet carriage!

With an insight into growing pains, the medical profession and the depressing attitudes of today’s youth, Savage has the issues and the witty on-liners of Victor Meldrew and Alf Garnett, and though he lacks the conviction – or perhaps the confidence – to tackle his subject matter with both barrels, he certainly has plenty of ammunition within his arsenal. For someone new to the game, at times Savage was right on the nozzle, and other times way off the mark.

Making his comedy debut and swigging on his “spitfire” beer, Savage swiftly regales us with hilarious stories of his life and shares his amusing – and poignant - observations about the deterioration of the modern age and for this writer his performance summed up the first ever London Fringe Festival – great potential, not quite polished.

Comedy review-Dara O’Briain

‘Life literally abounds in comedy if you just look around you.’ Mel Brooks, something we can all agree to in some way. Dara O’Briain has been on the circuit for years but has come to the public eye in his participation in comedy shows like Mock the Week and QI where his ad-lib rapier wit is a refreshing addition to the shows’ banter.

Watching his live shows is a delight. The difference between him and so many other comics is his style relies heavily on the audience’s input and bouncing amusing ideas off them. The entire show would be a shambles if the audience didn’t play along but they come along knowing what they are in for- and they are never disappointed. His timing is impeccable and picking on members of the front row extracts information from each with well practised questions and derides the person but never humiliates.

Probably from his years’ experience, O’Briain can play the room exceptionally, quick amusing thoughts on several subjects always including the audience including religion (a favourite) and an array of embarrassing situations (hotel room service etc) that start with the audience input and then O’Briain builds on the ideas to a hilarious, ridiculous climax that has them all in stitches even if some haven’t entirely followed him to the end.

O’Briain’s comedy is surely one for all with such vibrant charisma and delivery that is infectious, I can’t help crying with laughter at the ridiculous notions and succinct and perfect phrasing of things that make me realise I have never thought of in that way, highlighting the underlying absurd rules and regulations that we encounter in our everyday lives. His presentation skill and bright, cynical humour will stay with you after the gig and making you crease up with laughter again and again.

If there is one thing to say about O’Briain is that his comedy is relevant- whatever he says that you found funny yesterday will be hilarious tomorrow and even funnier the following day as it has a timeless quality that doesn’t only pick out the cracks but finds the childish, simple idea that is universally funny.

The Bizarre, the Beautiful and the Busty - London's Alternative Fringe Festival

As part of the Fringe Festival that launches in London for the first time on 1st August 2010, the Alternative Fringe will also be lighting up the capital’s performance venues with a special blend of the bizarre and the beautiful, the sizzling and the seedy.

The new addition to London’s summer calendar promises to thrill and inspire show goers with all kinds of oddball entertainment and titillating shenanigans. A jam-packed schedule will see the city buzzing with a host of alternative acts performing music, cabaret, vaudeville, burlesque, experimental theatre, live art, circus and street performance.

The month long celebration of fringe theatre involves a total of 52 shows in 31 venues concentrated into four zones of the city – in the centre of both the West End and the East End, together with Camden and Islington in the North, Battersea and Vauxhall in the South. You can also expect to find numerous street performances and other unusual activities around the city centre, particularly in Convent Garden, Trafalgar Square and near the London Eye. Or why not strap on some brooks running shoes and go for an adventure with Sockmob, a fascinating guided walk giving an insight into the lives and story’s of London’s homeless.

The festival officially kicks-off with a Finger In The Pie Cabaret Showcase on Sunday 1^st August at the infamous Madame Jo Jo’s and features the best of the alternative fringe. With an overwhelming choice of shows to choose from, it might be a good place to start! To boost the Alternative Fringe the Wam Bam Club at the Café de Paris on Coventry Street is lending its support and will be hosting an explosive cocktail of comedy and burlesque on consecutive Saturday’s from the 7^th to the 28^th August.

For more information about the London Fringe Festival and the Alterntive Fringe Festival details are available in Time Out, the Fringe Festival brochure or by visiting their websites at http://londonfestivalfringe.com and http://www.alternativefringe.co.uk/Home.html

Review: Buxton Fringe Festival

Buxton Fringe Festival started in 1980 and has been run concurrently with the most popular and renowned Buxton Festival. High profile literary composers will hold seminars and talks, and international operas will take the center stage in this event.

The festival is growing from strength to strength every passing year and now has a professional and respected image. There is now a colored brochure, multiple pvc banners hung out to advertise shows, prize money and reviews for all shows. Many promising artists take this event as a warm up before they appear at Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The festival also provides stages to performers and artists alike in a number of venues. Dance, music, drama, comedy, poetry, exhibitations, film, and magic are just some of the forms that have appeared in this joyous and keenly-awaited event. All the genres are accepted and encouraged.

The Fringe Committee refrains from undertaking selection, financing, censorship or selective promotion of the events held. In 2009, over 500 events featuring over 140 entrants were showcased in the event.

The fringe festival is a proud member of and was recognized by British Arts Festival Association.(BAFA). the festival is a charity event and is run by generous volunteers. The belief here is that art belongs to people, not only to the elite. It involves both the audience and the artist making it an inclusive show. Artists are provided with a receptive environment to showcase their talent and this comes at a low cost compared to other events. Artists are also encouraged to experiment and take risk in order to bring out their best.

The audience at this event is encouraging and enthusiastic. The artists can perform anything they feel like. No selection is made before an artist goes live in front of the audience for a performance. As per rule, this event doesn’t promote any special interest of any artists.

Improvisation Technique

I’ve been improvising in various different forms for many years but I learnt my favourite improvisational technique with a playwright called Iain Heggie. The initial purpose of Heggie’s improvisations was to teach basic acting techniques, but in my opinion they taught me as much about the nature of improvisation itself. The way one of his improvisations worked was as follows.

1) Each character in the scene (usually just two initially) would have an objective. This was something they really wanted and needed.

2) Each character was then given an obstacle to make it harder for them to achieve their objective.

3) A time pressure was added to raise the stakes and create a sense of urgency.

Heggie decided on the character’s objectives, obstacles and situations which he wrote on sheets of paper which the improvisers memorised briefly and secretly before the scene started. Because Iain Heggie is a playwright the scenes are well structured and (if you follow the impro rules) they play out very successfully. Also a lot of comedy usually comes from the conflict between characters even without the performers having to try at all. By following the objectives and genuinely trying to get what you want out of the other character you remain in the moment and the scene is fresh, funny and enjoyable. It also stops you from playing emotional states which personally I can’t stand and I think is incredibly self indulgent. Also the improvisations are not about gags or stealing the limelight as each performer’s attention is focussed on each other in an attempt to achieve their objectives.

This style of improvisation is really exhilarating, not least because the information is kept secret from each other so genuine surprise and shock often occurs. The time pressure keeps the pace and the energy up and I fully recommend it as a technique.

Get ready for the Fringes!

The harsh winter is finally fading away, Spring is blooming all around us and my mind is turning to all things ‘Fringe’. As a theatre lover, and sometime performer myself, I love theatre and there is nothing that appeals to me than the experimental, often part improvised, work that abounds at Fringes. That’s not to say that I have anything against big theatres and epic productions of the classics from Shakespeare, Chekhov, Brecht and the like but in my opinion seeing something that is completely new is an exhilarating experience.

We have now crashed into the Fringe season itself which kicked off this year at Brighton, from 1^st to 23^rd May, and will be followed by the fringe festival of Buxton from 7^th to 25^th July and finally the king of all fringes worldwide at Edinburgh from 6^th to 30^th August. Alongside these well established fringes will be local fringes covering the length and breadth of the United Kingdom with notable events due to be held in Oxford and London.

As a performer at the Buxton Fringe myself this summer, I will be performing my soon-to-be-award-winning poetry show, I am especially looking forward to the huge variety of theatrical performances that are on show in this beautiful Derbyshire town this summer. And that, in a word, is the key to the appeal of a fringe: variety! Whilst the larger regional theatres stick rigidly to the classics and a regular smattering of Alan Ayckbourn farces, anything goes at the fringes, some shows are even performed in storage units! Shows that I am particularly looking forward to seeing at Buxton this year include:

Shakespeare’s Guide To Women (Whose Shoes Theatre) - a drama about Sheakespeare encountering problems with the women in his plays, like Shakespeare in love with a wicked twist.

The Ring Of Stones (T-Chi Productions) - a musical centred around the terror that fell over the infamous ’plague village'of Eyam, near to Buxton itself.

The Inconsistent Whisper Of Insanity (Black Box Theatre) - a startling new play by the upcoming Manchester playwright Ian Moore examines how a man pieces together fragments of a life that he’s lost, performed by Fringe specialists Black Box.

For the traditionalist there will be modern, fun interpretations of Shakespeare as well as revivals of past Broadway hits, but to me the shows above are the essence of what makes a fringe great! There are no excuses this summer, head to Edinburgh or head to Buxton, hit the fringe and broaden your theatrical horizons!

Fringe Review: Accidental Death of an Anarchist

The Theater production “Accidental Death of An Anarchist’ written by Dario Fo, an Italian Nobel prize winner and directed by Ben Landler has the right combination of wit, politics and self conscience. The script is filled with never-ending fun and opting for this play is an entertaining and enjoyable pastime that will keep a person engaged for a few hours, which is a nice change because normally when I watch a theatre show with a name as pretentious as this I find myself thinking about all the things I have to do the next day and which Kilburn flats and houses for rent I like.

The storyline deals with an anarchist who suddenly dies by plunging out from a police tower. The outcome is tantamount to accidental suicide that turns out to be an ambiguous term. After a short while a manic enters the scene for questioning. She is known for her successful and elaborate disguises and her mind blowing intelligent schemes. The main story focuses on the decision of this woman who decides to emulate the high court judge to resolve the mystery of that fateful night and to find out the reason that led to the mysterious death of the anarchist. She takes this to be her biggest challenge and whatever follows in the commotion is a drama that slowly exposes deceit, truth and ultimately the downfalls of the political system.

The role of the maniac has been well essayed by Ronni Thomas Osbourne. She has a very demanding role and successfully does justice to it with a great physical spot on and applaudable comic timing. She stands out from the rest of the cast who though act well do not have the same potential as her.

The play has one interval that starts at the right time and the direction has a pretty strong appeal. The script has been well written and it also works very well for the audience. The production is a very enjoyable piece that will keep the audience fully engaged and also entertained for long hours at a stretch.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Those involved in the fringe society of the performing and visual art world know all about the Edinburgh Festival Fringe . Hosted annually in August in Edinburgh, Scotland, Edinburgh Festival is the largest of it’s kind in the entire world. Those that attend can enjoy strolling through the arts and crafts market or take in the different performances throughout the day. There is no other place to see musicals, dance, opera, theatre, children’s shows, comedy shows, exhibitions and amazing musicians.

In 2009, the Edinburgh Festival boasted the largest turn-out ever. If you are a street performer interested in becoming a part of this entertaining festival there are currently spaces available for 2010. Clear your calendar for 6-30 August which is the current time period for the 2010 festival. There are multiple types of performers that are accepted at the festival. There are those that are members of the Fringe, street performer positions, Buskers, Living Statues, Balloon artists as well as other spaces for those that specialize hair braiding, face-painting or the like.

Not a performer but want to work the festival anyway? There are numerous ways to help out and get paid. Currently there are five different types of positions open with a number of the positions requiring up to four people. There are openings for Street Event Stewards, Fringe Central and Events Deputies, Fringe Central Supervisors, Arts Assistants and Fringe Central Stewards. These jobs involve a variety of responsibilities from creating a safe environment for festival goers and performers to coordinating the events and acts so that things run smoothly and on time. Those interested must be prepared to work in a fast-paced and high-stress environment.

Whether a member of the arts community or simply someone fascinated by a variety of arts and artists, this is festival worth attending. Mark your calendars for the 6-30 August of this year for a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland for this one-of-a-kind festival. There is little chance that you will be disappointed as this festival has taken place since 1947. It has grown in professionalism and size over the last sixty-three years, that’s almost enough to make anyone reconsider their ski hotels trip in favour of the fringe this year!

What about the witches of Oz?

Everyone has seen the Wizard of Oz but did you ever wonder where the wicked witch and the good witch came from? If you have not read the book wicked chances are you are missing out on the best back-story ever. When I read that they had turned the book into a theatre production I had to go see it. Knowing the back-story behind the witches of oz made me feel even more attached to the original story. Seeing the story brought to life in theatre was a fantastic experience.

The theatre version does not let you down even after reading the book. The run time was two and a half hours with a 15-minute intermission. Although that may seem like a long time to be sitting there you will hardly notice the time as it flies by. The musical was very fluid and did not make me feel like I was just waiting for any part of it to be over. They managed to change the normal storage unit of the theatre stage into a wonderful, magical environment. When it was finished I was sad to see it end.

I really think I could have sat and watched it again. If you have children that loved the wizard of oz you may want to consider taking them as well. You should just make sure they are over the age of eight. Younger kids do not seem to have the patience to sit through something that is this long. I also know that in the theatre I watched the performance in there was a minimum age for entry.

You should check with your local theatre that you are attending before purchasing tickets to be sure they are available. There were quite a few children at the show I attended and they seemed awestruck staring at the stage. Watching wicked can definitely be an event that the whole family will never forget.

Chicago is a musical worth seeing

Chicago is one of the greatest musicals ever released. It keeps you on the tip of your toes with the suspense of never knowing what is coming next. It is the story of some women who are for the most part murderers. It focuses on a specific women to begin with. It tells her story about how she killed her husband and shows her trip from her home to jail. She hires a lawyer who gives her all of his attention while she is in the limelight. As soon as the light shines on someone else he turns his back on her, and she is left trying to put the perfect c fold into her own laundry again.

While in jail the lady meets some other amazing women. When you first meet them you are entranced with their beauty. These women are stunning and captivating. Their voices are amazing and their dancing is beautiful. They sing and dance their stories across the stage with elegance. The women are featured in jail and tell how and why they killed the people they killed. The sing and dance while they explain. There is one woman that clings to her innocence saying that she did not kill anyone. The rest of the women admit to killing and do not apologize or regret their actions.

There is a lot of drama in this musical. There is a famous woman who is locked up with the star. She offers to match up with the main character to be a duo so they can both be famous. She helps her to get the light back on her so that the lawyer will help her. In the end the musical is very good. You will feel for these murderers and in some ways may even side with them. You get to see it from another light and get some laughs, cries, and understanding from this musical.

Scaramouche Jones - Delicatessen Theatre

Enclosed in the intimate confines of the Delicatessen Theatre, Scaramouche Jones (Tom Daplyn), a 99-year-old clown pours out his heart and regales us with his fascinating life story and his ‘strange destiny.’

It’s the eve of the Millennium and subsequently the hapless clown’s 100^th birthday – and he believes he is about to die. Having had his umbilical chord cut with a fishmonger’s knife exactly a century ago, we hear the tragic tale of how the death of his prostitute mother, the ‘chief attraction’ of the knocking shop, was killed by a client, leaving him an orphan at the age of six. From there he is sold into slavery and taken to Africa before being thrown in Prison in Italy. Having being made to dig mass graves during the holocaust, he finds himself on the shores of Wales, where he adopts his surname, Jones.

Justin Boucher’s masterful script is expertly portrayed by Daplyn, with undying energy, comic timing and gripping pauses, superbly blending humour with sorrow. Expertly painting the picture of neglect and the fight for survival, the actor makes the most of the limited space to vividly explain the colourful life of Scaramouche, an orphan boy born that lives through a torrid century fraught with two world wars, political atrocities and countless inventions, including the controversial introduction of the lbw rule in cricket and the introduction of locum jobs for doctors in psychology wards.

Director, Jonathan Constant should also be credited for a wonderful performance and the invention of such profound imagery, intelligently using props, such as curtains, a silk veil and a hool-a-hoop to transform the stage from one setting to another.

Scaramouche Jones is a poignant look through history and with startling insight reflects how the weak are subjugating by those in power. World events share parallels with life of the unfortunate Jones, a lost soul who didn’t laugh until aged 51. The powerful message is not only apparent throughout history, but evident in our own times and, one would imagine, in the future, thus the tragic tale of Scaramouche Jones will remain forever timeless.

Ralphie May is very funny but also very vulgar

Ralphie May is a hilarious comedian. He will have you rolling in the isles as he does his stand up routine. When he first gets on stage he will act as though he is tired. He will probably be a little lackluster. But, once he gets into his routine, it is nonstop laughs.

Ralphie talks about things in day to day life that are funny but often not seen to be. He talks about us allowing ourselves to be ripped off and how he does it too. He makes you laugh at your self for the ridiculous things that we do on a daily basis and consider them to be normal. We run around and buy coffees that sometimes cost as much as a coffee pot. We know they are expensive yet we still get them.

He is very controversial. Nothing is off limits with Ralphie. He talks very detailed about sex, to the point of describing permanant laser hair removal (cringe). He does not hold back at all. Make sure that you are prepared for foul language and visual images that are burned into your brain. His work does borderline vulgarity. He tiptoes on the line of taking it too far. There are times when he may make you feel uncomfortable because his sexual topics are very thorough and may make you feel dirty. This is the point of his show. He wants to be unique and take his show to the extremes. He completely and totally succeeds in his goal. Taking your mother or mother in law to see Ralphie May is not suggested. You may feel very uncomfortable when you are sitting across from them and he begins talking about self gratification. All and all Ralphie May is a very funny comedian. You just have to get past his crudeness and you will be laughing your butt off.

Alcock Improv, What A Crew!

Many improv shows usually have as part of the show sections where there is some degree of audience participation. For some people this is an uncomfortable experience since they hate being called upon. Thus they try to sit somewhere beyond the third row (this is completely fair, given that to some troops nothing is off limits, even that last Botox Cheshire appointment you went to). Well if you have ever seen Alcock Improv one thing you will quickly realize is that, with people who are not too keen on participation in the show, they use their unique charm and warmth to drag them out of their impersonal state to join in the fun.

If you want to have an end to your day that involves grinning then Alcock Improv will provide you with just that. Much of their show involves sheer improv silliness and leans heavily on suggestions from their audiences. So the show will be what you want it to be in a way.

It is not difficult for audiences to become a part of the show and have a grand time with it. The group incorporates a lot of games that makes many feel as if they were back in school on the playground. So just about anything goes when you attend one of their performances.

What you get with this group is improv at its finest. You will not see the same type of show every night since it changes the same way the audience changes. Each member of the group brings their unique improv style to the performance which adds to the group’s uniqueness. None of them try to upstage the other and they work well together each feeding off the other.

Alcock Improv deserves to be seen by all as I certainly would recommend them. If you can get past your own fears of being called upon you will have some serious fun. They are easily one of the best improv groups around.

Cheekish Productions, Union Theatre, London

Cheekish Productions Presents

Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat By Mark Ravenhill and

Eschara By Phillip Whiteman

At The Union Theatre, London until 24^th April, Tuesday-Saturday 7:30pm

Cheekish Production’s current work at the Union Theatre is a series of six short plays, three by Mark Ravenhill and three by Phillip Whiteman.

This comparatively new company have produced an evening of theatre which succeeds in being both exceptionally moving and highly absorbing. The combination of Mark Ravenhill and Phillip Whiteman’s writing works well and while both playwright’s have their own distinct styles they seem to share the same sense of immediacy and bite. Perhaps it is a brave and somewhat audacious idea to place an established writer’s work alongside that of a younger lesser known writer, but if it is a risk then it is a risk which has paid off and never for a moment did one half feel weaker than the other.

All of the plays are a response to issues surrounding the war in Iraq and specifically the July 7^th terrorist attacks on London so obviously this does not make for a light hearted evening. That being said there are some striking moment of much needed levity and black comedy. In Ravenhill’s Fear and Misery we watch a highly strung couple try to deal with the stifling sense of anxiety bordering on paranoia which they now feel on a daily basis as a result of the attacks. The couple are sharply and satirically drawn by Ravenhill, and while we laughed at their over reactions they were also very recognisable. This is an important slice of post 7/7 London life to parody and to document. The image of the soldier at the end of Fear and Misery was stunning and Ayling is obviously a director with a very clear vision.

The style of both playwrights (in particular Ravenhill) necessitates punchy quick delivery and this was a style which Ayling and the company committed to fully. While it was almost always very effective occasionally lines were lost and the audience could not keep up. The company can afford to let the piece breathe and to play the pauses (short or otherwise) on occasion safe in the knowledge that they have well and truly earnt them. However this is a small matter, and on the whole it was a relentless and brilliantly powerful evening.

Of all of the six short plays the last, Renaissance (by Phillip Whiteman), hit me the hardest. In a way it was the most human scene of the evening and though it was the least bombastic it packed the hardest punch. Lindesay Mace as the mother clearing the room and the luxury bedding of her dead son conveyed the emotional complexities of the character in a detailed and impressively truthful style. Daphne Kouma as the sister struggling to understand and desperate to help gave an equally sensitive portrayal and the tension between the two was palpable.

Cheekish Productions have toured this series of plays around the country but here in London it has more resonance than anywhere and the final image of the play literally made me weep. This is a hard hitting and powerful play by a company with a bright future ahead of them. An audacious piece of modern theatre.

“A Prayer for Wings”

"A Prayer for Wings"written by Sean Mathias, directed by Tania Higgins - this is the first production to come out of Tania’s fledgeling "The Deck Theatre Company".

This play is part of the Oxfirnge festival and opens at The Moser Theatre, Wadham College on 7th April 2010.

The play deals with one of the ever present subjects of this modern world - that of euthanasia. It tells the story of a mother, played by Hester Lott, who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis and daughter (Lucy Hoult) who has to deal with it. We witness the decline of the mother and the problems facing the daughter who has to deal with it - the hope that springs from certain happenings, the undoubted feelings of guilt from both characters - the mother who sometimes feels the pain of adversly affecting her daughter’s young life and from the daughter of course the feeling that at times she should be able to do more. Throughout though there is the overwhelming feeling of current and impending tragedy, it really tends to take ones mind off the luxury kitchen accessories they want to buy and other daily dilemmas.

The director will no doubt bring much of her personal experience into the play and undoubtedly evoke heartfelt performances from her actresses (I have seen Lucy Hoult in several plays and she never fails to give a memorable and thoughtful performance). Tania Higgins lives with a similar problem every day of her life with a mother suffering from Muscular Dystrophy. She spends much of her time travelling between her own home in Oxford and her mother’s in Hertfordshire.

It is with great awareness, understanding and generosity that Tania has decided that 10% of the proceeds will be donated to The Princess Royal’s Trust for Young Carers.

I strongly recommend this production and suspect that it will be one of the stas of the Oxfringe festival

---

7th – 10th April 2010
The Moser Theatre
Wadham College
Parks Road
Oxford

Tickets £8 / £6 concessions
Also from: http://www.wegottickets.com and on the door

Soap at Riverside Studios

Riverside Studios and Circle of Eleven Present

Soap

Riverside Studios March 12th - April 25th

Directed by Markus Pabst and Maximillian Rambaek

Soap is a heady mixture of cabaret, circus and comedy which really will leave you all in a lather! Please excuse the terrible pun, this genuinly is a brilliant, sexy and funny show which leaves the audience amazed and wanting more.

The set consists of several large bathtubs and other designer bathroom accessories which the perfomers dance in and around in numerous imaginitive and cheeky ways. The central bath is slightly bigger and more stylised than the others and plays host to a glorious opera singer whose voice accompanies the action, sometimes juxtaposing nicely with what the performers are doing and sometimes adding a playful soundtrack with for instance the various classical takes on the ditty "splish splash I was taking a bath". The ensemble are all incredibly skilled and delight the audience with a huge variety of stunts which includes, the trapeze, acrobatics, dance, juggling, and clowning. Indeed the clown character adds a lovely dimension to the evening, creating a sense of inclusion and a lightness of touch to the whole show. In particular her sketch in a bath with a puppet hand on a lead was hilraious and endearing as was the contortionist skit in another bath. Another highlight for me was the foot juggler, which was as it sounds, someone juggling (hoop and a foam brick) with their feet. While that may sound slightly odd, in the context of Soap it was amazing and actually rather beautiful.

This is a company which is undoubtedly incredibly skilled and each of whom brings a hige amount of energy and slickness to the stage. There may have been times when it was ini danger of becoming a series of stunts but this was never the case largely down to the constant injections of comedy and humanity. In fact a trapeze performance near the very end of the show was beautiful to the point of being very moving. As one artist twisted and turned on the trapeze, rain fell on to the stage and the rest of the company sheltered under various parts of the set watching or looking out. It was a gorgeous image to end a gorgeous, fun filled, water soaked evening.

The Arab, The Jew and The Chicken

The conflict over land that has seen ferocious atrocities between Israel and Palestine for over 60 years is no laughing matter, but conflict relief’s satirical take of the mayhem in The Arab, a Jew and a Chicken is so hilarious you will laugh until you cry.

The four-piece ensemble entwine political propaganda with the confusion and heart-ache of the real people caught up in an absurd war that shows no signs of letting up. With tremendous versatility, the performers switch effortlessly between scenes and characters, spanning the spectrum of age groups and demonstrating their knack for accents, comic timing and spoof song and dance.

The comedy and the detail of information that spills out in the writing is intelligent as much as it is playful and though the seriousness of the subject matter is made light of, it has to be said it should be taken very much tongue in cheek. In my mind the education system would be much better if all applicants for Jobs in secondary education where educated in this type of humor. Not even the British, French and American’s escape the butt of the jokes, egged at with a olden one-liner that claims, “English bad. Bush mad. America stupid.” Even India, who to be fair have little involvement with events in the middle-east, are caught up in the hilarity with one of the most amusing put downs of the piece: “My father said the worst people to know are half Jew and half Indian. Stingy and cheap!”

The Arab, the Jew and the Chicken is an excellently portrayed political comedy, superbly executed without losing sight of the real issues faced by the people in the thick of the catastrophy. It’s one of the funniest comedies I’ve seen in the theatre for a long time and, unlike the real conflict in Gaza Strip, you simply don’t want it to end. Before jetting off for a show in Luxembourg, conflict relief will be playing in London at the Courtyard Theatre on the 11^th and 12^th March.

Never Tell Them - OxFringe March 24th - 27th 2010

In the autumn of 2008 I had the great pleasure of attending the annual production of the Oxford Writers'Group at the Burton Taylor Studio. Of the three one act plays being premiered by far the best was Stuart Lee’s First World War drama "Never Tell Them"directed by Joe Austin.

The play is set soon after the Great War and focuses on returned hero Lt. Simon Jones. Jones is haunted by the memory of his colleagues and men who all died during the conflict. His troubles fall upon his wife, Celia, and their young children.

Celia has called in the assistance of spiritualist Professor Norman Brailey on the recommendation of a friend. Brailey claims that he can communicate with the fallen and that by putting Jones in touch with his now deceased army colleagues he will be able to come to terms with the fact that he was the only survivor.

A seance is held and the audience witnesses how the charlatan Brailey manipulates his "victims". However this does succeed in getting Jones at least talking about the dreadful happenings of the war. Jones however continues with his visions once the seance is completed and there is a dramatic and thought provoking ending. Though this was well acted in 2008 unfortunately the director possibly over extended himself with the special effects which did not work well on the night that I was in!

The Oxford Finge production runs at the New Road Baptist Church, Bonn Square (Wed 24th - Sat 27th March). Sadly only Steve Hay (Lt. Jones) remains from the original cast. I hope that Hannah Morrell, who plays Mrs. Jones can bring the sympathy to her role that was beautifully portrayed previously by Jo Middleton. Whilst Simon Holden-White takes on the role of Professor Brailey which was played with great character in 2008 by the brilliantly smarmy Cymon Snow.

Vaction planning: The proposal to take a caravan to the fringe this year are in the works! Although we do need to look into getting some Caravan insurance, I am appointing this to Linda...

Tower Hamlet at the Courtyard Theatre,London

It’s fair to say that experimental theatre may not be everybody’s tasse de thé-atre, but Admiration Theatre thrive on it - even to the extent they go as far to make it educational as well a entertaining for attending audiences.

In their innovative version of Shakespeare’s epic, ’Hamlet,’Admiration Theatre deliver ’Tower Hamlet’performed using the methods of Traditional British Shakespeare, Stanislavski, Lecoq, Mime and Grotowski. The result was a thought-provoking, comical and energetic display of visual art and dance.

Theatre reviews would generally explain a little about the plot of the play, but unless you are familiar with the story of Hamlet, there is little sense of attending the Courtyard Theatre to watch this production, therefore there is little sense of engaging readers with the plot of Hamlet in this review. For those who are familiar with the story of the Bards Danish Prince - together with an interest in theatre as a pure art form and power of expression - ’Tower Hamlet’is a must.

Played in the round, the scenes alter dramatically from one form of acting to the next and transform Shakespeare’s tragedy into a tragi-comedy. Opening with Traditional British Shakespeare, the actors slip effortlessly between different methods which at times borders on the verge of satire. With each scene the styles contrast between the surrealism of Stanislavski and Grotowski with the energy of mime.

Each theatrical style is played in groups of actors, thereby giving us several Hamlets and several Ophelias, which included Regina Fichter’s convincing mime of Hamlet seeing the ghost of his father and the bearded Giorgio Spieglegefield’s amusing Ophelia dressed in her ballerina’s costume complete with chest hair protruding from beneath the leotard.

Though the script is mostly true to the original, the contemporary take allowed for cultural references such as Hamlet turning up in England seeking asylum under the name of Mr Prince and declaring, "England is good. I can write a book."

Tower Hamlets is full of surprises, thought-provoking, though at times a little baffling. The play runs at the Courtyard Theatre until Sunday 21^st February.

Holiday update: The plans to take a trailer along the south coast are in full swing! Although we do need to look into getting a Touring caravan insurance quote, I am delegating this to Milton...

Tess of the D'urbervilles/Crime & Punishment Repertoire

After acclaimed success at London’s Baron Court Theatre last year, Myriad Productions return for three weeks with a repertoire of two of their most popular productions, Tess of the D’urbervilles and the epic Crime & Punishment.

Opening on the 16^th February with Tess of the D’urbervilles, the plays will take precedence on alternate nights before closing with Crime & Punishment on the 7^th March.

In what was Thomas Hardy’s penultimate novel, Tess of the D’urbervilles tells the story of Tess, a young peasant girl whose family is thought to be related to the wealthy and noble D’urbervilles. In engaging contact with the aristocratic family, Tess is raped by Alec D’urberville and falls pregnant. However, the baby dies and Tess falls in love with and marries Angel Clare. When her husband learns of her sinful past Tess is abandoned only to fall back into the arms of Alec D’urberville who supports her. Meanwhile Angel has a change of heart and returns to reclaim his lawful wife.

Hardy’s classic is a haunting tale of betrayed innocence, rape on designer bedding and bloody murder brought to life in gripping detail by Myriad Productions.

Russian author, Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote his epic Crime & Punishment after returning from the Siberian gulags. Set in St. Petersburg, we are invited into the life of the mentally unstable, Rodin Raskolnikov, a drop-out student with a plan to kill an elderly, though unscrupulous pawnbroker. Though Raskolnikov’s murderous intentions are to solve his financial problems, he reasons with himself that his actions are not purely selfish, but a service to others in ridding the world of an evil parasite. After committing the crime Raskolnikov must come to terms with his demons. Dostoevsky’s insight into the criminal mind and lust for power is explicit and this tale of love and search for redemption is skilfully played out to dramatic effect.

The admission price for Tess of the D’Urbervilles or Crime & Punishment is £10, or alternatively catch both shows for £15.

Courtyard Theatre in London brings expeimental Shakespeare to the Stage

Following on from the success of their production of Romeo and Juliet staged in the Isles of Dogs last year, the Admiration Theatre Company are performing their latest Shakespeare adaptation - Tower Hamlet.

The challenging performance will be given by five small groups of experienced actors and delivered using one of five theatrical methods - Traditional British, Stanislavski, Lecoq, Mime, and Grotowski. The ambitious project takes four scenes from Shakespeare’s famous play and adapts them for a contemporary audience ever mindful of local history and current geography.

Admiration Theatre are an experimental group who are clearly on a mission to promote theatre as a unique and challenging art form and persist to educate the public in the differences between the many forms of stage acting traditions. Artistic Director, John Seaforth explains: "We believe that putting these five methods in one production is the best way to create for the audience a public debate on theatre as an art form."

Asked about the inspiration for selecting the chosen traditions, Seaforth believes Stanislavski is "the greatest single influence on theatre training of all time," and that "mime is underrated in Britain."

As for the others, Lecoq was a natural choice due to the influence and reputation of Shakespeare adaptations in London whereas Grotowski’s pioneering methods of ’being’ the character was a radical step forward from an actor ’representing’ a character. The essence of a good actor is not acting, but reacting.

To add a local and contemporary flavour the performers were asked to research the local history and geography of the locations setting, Tower Hamlets, so the audience can expect to discover some interesting, and perhaps little known facts of past events in Tower.

Tower Hamlets runs from 2^nd February to 21^st February at the Courtyard Theatre on Pitfield Street in North London. Tickets prices are £12.

How does a competition where the winner gets a month of time to spend at a choice of resorts sound to all of you? All of you must put your names forward, I am convinced we need to to win this and get out of London for a bit because I am deadly bored of it!

Plan D at Tristan Bates Theatre in London

The Tristan Bates Theatre on Tower Street in London, is a self-professed ’thorn in the side of the west end.’ It has a reputation for staging innovative and powerful plays and Plan D is no exception.

Written by actress and playwright Hannah Khalil, winner of the 2007 Special Commendation in the Verity Bargate Award for her moving play ’Stolen or Strayed,’ Plan D is a far-reaching account of a family with deep buried secrets set during the 1948 war between Israel and Palestine. When the family is visited by a cousin who brings warning of a powerful and unseen force, they must decide whether they can trust him.

In what is a complex political issue, the story is inspired by first hand accounts of Palestinian Arabs who survived the atrocities that eventually led to the State of Israel commandeering Arab territory that is still being fought over today.

The mounting troubles in the Middle East began when the United Nations declared Israel independence and recognised it as a State within its own right in the Middle East. Already fraught with tension the relationships between Israel and bordering Arab nations deteriorated and Israel found itself under attack.

Having successfully defended all fronts, Israel moved to expand the territory granted to them by the United Nations at the expense of many Palestinian Arabs. The war left many Palestinians, dead or severely wounded. Many survivors found themselves homeless and persecuted.

Khalil uses the tense situation of the Holy Land to reflect the mistrust and tension between the family and visiting cousin which have had reviewers in Ireland drooling. Writing in Culture, Jane Coyle remarked:

"a play whose subject matter is heartbreakingly apt for these fraught times... a little piece of narrative magic."

Plan D runs at the Tristan Bates Theatre from 26^th January to 13^th February. Tickets cost between £7-£10 and booking in advance is recommended as some nights are already sold out.

Some thrilling news everyone, I was talking to my mate last night and he has just got a lovely new gig at an human resource software company. Well done Thomas

The Little Dog Laughed in London's Garrick Theatre

Taking a satirical view of Hollywoods cut-throat agents and closet homosexuals, ’The Little Dog Laughed,’ staged at London’s Garrick Theatre is a witty, dynamic and altogether enjoyable theatre experience.

Set in New York, the story revolves around Mitchell, an up and coming film actor, and his secret passion for men. The story is catapulted forward when he encounters and falls in love Alex, a Manhattan rent boy who doesn’t consider himself gay. The story is cleverly put together with cinematic influences in keeping with the major industry of Tinseltown. The story is effectively narrated by Diane, Mitchell’s agent, a manipulative and cynical vixen in high heels and Armani suits. Her sharp tongue cuts into her fellow cast with scathing put downs, suggesting she would ’rather give firearms to small children’ than allow a writer to do a final cut. Her best moment however comes when she is asked to keep her word. ’My Word?’ she exclaims, ’You’re asking a whore for her cherry!’

As the relationship of Mitchell and Alex deepens, Diane becomes increasingly worried about protecting her client’s secret from the gossip mongers of Hollywood’s fickle film industry - and their apparent distaste for homosexual men. Matters are complicated however, when Ellen, Alex’s friend come occasional bed buddy announces she is pregnant to the sexually confused rent boy. In the clutches of drama we wait for the sting in the tail to kill us off and are not disappointed.

Director Jamie Lloyd keeps things ticking over like a finely tuned motor, fluent scene changes, perfect comedy timing and such high-octane pace there is barely time for a pit stop from start to finish. The set is minimalistic yet effectively suits the rapid scene changes and numerous locations the character find themselves in. For comedy value, you get your money’s worth and the twist in the tale makes this enjoyable little dog all the more worthwhile.

And now for an update on work for you all to critique, I have finally finished changing the images for the tattoo removal stockport webpage. I really don’t know how I feel about this one, any criticisms are welcome

Fringe Show Review: The Lady Or The Tiger

The show ‘The Lady Or The Tiger’ can be seen until February 13 at the Orange Tree Theatre. It is really a parity to the Arabian Knight’s tale. The story is about a princess whose lover is punished and has to choose between two doors. Behind one door is a tiger waiting to kill him and behind the other is a beautiful woman to whom he will marry. The princess knows who is behind which door, but what will she do? Will she show him the right direction?

The adapters wisely try and keep everything simple. They have reduced the cast to just four- King, Princess, playing most of it for light comedy and reducing the cast to four, the King, the princess, the lover and a narrator who also represents everyone else.

The title song has a Latin beat, which captivates everyone, while a few others offer a distinct 50’s pop feeling. There is also a sing along for those who would be interested. The best track has to be ’Gold’ which is played while the Princess bribes many officials to tell her the secret. The other dramatic climax ’ What Would You Do?’ is flat to say the least.

Andrew C. Wadsworth plays the Narrator and the role of everyone else. He does a good job by portraying the shows light and jolly tone in a very engaging and interesting way.

The real revelation in the show though is Riona O’Connor, who could be the next big thing when it come to acting. She has a distinct charm and can also be funny and sing a couple of songs along the way.

Howard Samuels is very entertaining in his role as a ego filled monarch, while Eke Chukwu catches your eye as the hero. The same cannot be said about his singing though as he seems to be having the wrong notes all the time.

This is a great show to see and you can surely bet that you will have fun.

Nadine’s surprise engagement party: I think I know what we should plan. We should arrange some chalets val d isere as a surprise.

Enron at the Noel Coward Theatre in London

The mind-boggling complications of high-finance, stock shares and hedging are brought to life in comprehensible laymen terms in ’Enron.’

Focusing on the rise and fall of the corrupt American Energy company that changed the face of business before collapsing to its insolvent knees in 2001, Enron transcends us into the world of finance and the subsequent irregularities business and politics thrive on. Playwright Lucy Prebble expertly redefines this difficult subject matter to simplify how hiding real facts and producing phantom figures is a possible metaphor, or cause, of our current financial plight.

Following the meteoric rise of Enron under the leadership of dynamic Chief Operating Officer, Jeffrey Skilling and his ambitious and eager to please Chief Financial Officer, Andy Fastow, we are given a detailed insight into how Enron attempted to hoodwink the business world by hiding their assets in shadow companies to effectively push the price of shares in their company up.

Though the subject matter is as dry as it is intriguing, director, Rupert Gould invites light entertainment by way of barber shop quartets singing stock market prices, eclectic musical interludes and a dazzlingly choreographed star wars style routine, complete with light sabres, to explain the deregulation of electricity in the California fiasco that left one of America’s best known states in darkness.

Consequentially, the light show in Enron is awe-inspiring, with illuminated rods lining the stage and a giant translucent centre-piece that projects political video footage, is used as the stock market indicator and effectively as a screen for off stage characters to oversee action on stage.

What this all amounts to is a fast paced, informative and part-time witty production chronicling contemporary issues. Samuel West superbly transforms Jeffrey Skilling from a nerdy ideas man into a uber-confident world player before sinking into the desperation of his demise. The stunning Amanda Drew ignites the stage with high-powered sexuality and is shafted in more ways than one by her corrupt counter-part.

Final thing, I have just looked at the design for this hr software page and I have to say in my web trained opinion it is incredably eye-catching. I was having the most difficult time actually finding any particulars about the company or services however, which made me wonder what is more crucial, charm or working order? Why is it that most sites aren’t actually able to do both?

A Movie of 'Airwolf'?

I wonder if they will make a movie of ‘Airwolf’. According to someone in this forum, a script is already being worked on. It wouldn’t surprise me. Hollywood are so low on new ideas they will drag anything back into the light of the present day if it will make them a few extra dollars.

Someone else in the discussion made another valid comment; the helicopter in the original TV series was a pretty cool cucumber at the time, but today’s choppers can do everything that it did. If there is a new film going to be made then the helicopter will have to be something very, very special. And if that is the case then the movie will be heavily reliant on CGIs. Yawn.

It all makes me wonder why the film industry is so lacking in original themes for movies. After all, just how many remakes of old television shows have there been? Oodles of sitcoms have been reinvented for films and they have turned every comic you can think of into a movie; and not just the ones about superheroes. Even cartoons are not safe! There was a movie of ‘Tom and Jerry’ with drawings that sucked and they have made awful ‘live actor’ versions of ‘Scooby Doo’ (twice) and ‘The Flintstones’. In fact, a large amount of modern remakes have turned out to be absolutely atrocious; think about something like ‘Starsky and Hutch’ and then tell me I’m wrong...

So, you can probably fully expect to see a movie of ‘Airwolf’. It may even come out just after the new ‘A Team’ hits the cinemas...

Boring old Hollywood; when will you finally come up with something that is a bit more interesting?

Aren’t cinemagoers tired of seeing the same old things time and time again?