WEDNESDAY 12 AUGUST 2015

CHRIS KENT: NO STALLING
Last year Chris Kent entertained his audience with stories aplenty set in his hometown of Cork, in which various of his family members appeared. Perhaps looking for new characters with which to play, this year he got married, inspiring his new show 'Stop Stalling'. Though, he insists, he never actually intended to turn his wedding into new comedy material, but events unfolded that made it an inevitability. We caught up with Chris to find out more.

ThreeWeeks' Chris Cooke chats to Chris about his show here
Three recommended shows for Thursday at the Edinburgh Festival 2015.

Adam Riches is Coach Coach
Our Week One cover star is award-collector Adam Riches, with his character Coach Coach and an all-Fringe-star cast of ten along for the ride. Find out more about that cast from Coach Coach himself here. And make sure to check out the show at the Pleasance Dome.
Pleasance Dome, until 30 Aug.

Aaaand Now For Something Completely Improvised (pictured)
There's improv a plenty at this festival of course, but high up our list of improvised recommendations is this show. "Improv group Racing Minds inform us that 'anything can happen' and, having witnessed the madness for myself, I can't disagree" reckons our wowed reviewer.
Pleasance Dome, until 31 Aug.

The History Of Music
Another top musical recommendation from the Fringe's kid's programme now, a wonderfully daft exploration of the history of music. "The musical examples are played and acted out by a first class brass quintet, with a likeable flair for humour and pleasing a crowd without uttering a word" noted our reviewer. A must for Fringe-going families, then.
New Town Theatre, until 30 Aug.

Look out for a daily Three To See each day in the ThreeWeeks Daily, and for Three To See recommendations all year round in London click here.
THREEWEEKS WEEK ONE ISSUE IS OUT NOW!
Pick up your copy from venues across the city. Or check it all out online here.

Inside: Adam Riches, Doug Segal, Hannah Chutzpah, Story Pocket Theatre, Goose, A Tiger, Chris Kent, Spectretown, Nijinsky's Last Jump, Juan Vesuvius, John Hinton, Clair Whitefield, Stand Up & Slam, Festival Of The Spoken Nerd, plus Festival news and lots of reviews.
 
TUNE IN TO THE LATEST TW PODCAST
It's the TW Podcast at the Edinburgh Festival. This week, as the Festival gets properly up and running again, ThreeWeeks Co-Editor Chris Cooke chats to Harry Deansway about his 'Audience With' show, and Lucy Danser and Dan Simpson about 'Stand Up & Slam'. Plus hear show snippets from Laughing Stock, Tom Allen and Grey & Green Theatre.

Listen and subscribe to the TW Podcast here
POETRY CORNER #04: BY STAND UP & SLAM
ThreeWeeks invites Fringe-favourite poets to put some words to paper – or a portable device of their choosing – to entertain you here in Poetry Corner. This time, Dan Simpson and Oli Forsyth, the resident poets on the 'Stand Up & Slam!' show.

Check out Dan and Oli's ThreeWeeks column here
THREEWEEKS DAILY ADS
Promote your show online through an advert in the ThreeWeeks Daily email bulletin - essential reading for Festival-goers - daily rates are £25+VAT with hefty discounts for block bookings.

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We are offering the 300x250 pixel banners on a daily tenancy - 25% share of the spot starts from £10+VAT each day. 300x125 banners on a daily tenancy with 50% of the spot starts from £15+VAT per day.

Again - we offer keen discounts on longer bookings with these adverts, so please email TW.advertising@unlimitemedia.co.uk to discuss your booking.
LIFTSHARE SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ENCOURAGES FRINGE-GOERS TO THINK GREEN THIS FESTIVAL
Social enterprise Liftshare – which, says the customary company blurb, encourages and enables people to travel in a more environmentally friendly way by sharing their journeys – is encouraging Fringe-goers to think green as they navigate the Festival this year. And to help with that process it has launched a new competition to find the Fringe performer that makes the best green-themed video.

"The new award", says Liftshare's Community Outreach Manager Lex Barber, "is about creating a platform to get both Festival performers and their audiences thinking about their green impact on Edinburgh this August".

Explaining the gist of the promotion, she goes on: "We're inviting comedians to send us a short video clip of themselves sharing their green views, telling a joke and encouraging their fans to think twice before taking their car out to a show; or, if they have to drive, to make sure they share their vehicle to lower their CO2 footprint".

Although performers can be as silly as they want in the videos they submit, Liftshare does have a serious agenda here. "Our aim is underline the fact that air quality, gridlock and CO2 are real concerns during the Festival. But we also want to make clear that by making simple changes to how we travel – such as organising car shares so we're not all taking individual cars out on the roads – anyone can help do their bit to keep Edinburgh a beautiful and gridlock free place during this wonderful celebration of culture".

As for other ways Fringe-goers can be green, obviously the mountain of paper handed out each day is one concern. Performers may we wary of the suggestion they go without the customary flyer this year, but "we advise audience members to think twice before simply binning their fliers or throwing them on the ground, always try to recycle" Barber adds. "And we've heard of one performer who has gone for small business cards rather than the usual A6 or A5 flyers this year. It sounds like a small thing, but things like that can really help".

Performers interested in submitting a green-themed video can find out more about how to participate in the Liftshare initiative and the competition element here. The closing date is 21 Aug.
5/5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED | 4/5 RECOMMENDED | 3/5 GOOD | 2/5 MEDIOCRE | 1/5 BAD  
CHILDREN'S SHOWS

Damsel in Success: Fairytales Retold (Not Cricket Productions)
This engaging new children's show retells Grimm's fairy tales with a modern, feminist edge. Three siblings are read fairy tales, but one, Rose, is unsatisfied by the speechless damsels and re-imagines Grimm's classic protagonists as empowered women. Golfo Migos portrays Rose's playful, childlike curiosity pleasingly, and humour and physicality are used well, but the piece feels a bit wordy and fast-paced at times, leading to a slight information overload. The set is beautifully immersive; audiences are invited to sit on the floor of the bedroom to watch the piece, yet though this is apt for this production, it can become rather uncomfortable. However, the warmth of the cast and this involving setting leave children feeling at home and comfortable watching this well produced comedy.
C nova, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Stephanie Withers]

Jack And Molly And The Beanstalk (C Theatre)
Family fun with a good moral message, 'Jack and Molly and the Beanstalk' is a reworking of the classic tale 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. Low-tech but high on charisma, the show's cast engages its young audience from the second they walk in the door, frequently encouraging the children to get involved in what's going on on-stage. Furthermore, the writer is to be commended for eschewing entirely the notion that all little girls want to be helpless princesses, and including the feisty character of Molly Whuppie, from the traditional Scottish fairytale, who shows girls that they can be anything they want to. While the show won't be anything new to the younger viewers' adult companions, it still has a lot to offer.
C, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Megan Wallace]

The Secret Garden (Not Cricket Productions)
Not Cricket Productions have created an evocative period piece, which offers children and adults alike a chance to re-experience Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic tale. The set is stunning: a child's bedroom softly lit and papered with pages from an old novel, while the audience sits on the floor, encircling this performance space. The musical element was unexpected (by me, at least), but the cast offer some impressive vocals and these musical interludes help to liven up a story which, though touching, may be a bit boring for younger children. Overall, the company has done a great job of condensing the source material down to an hour, without losing the charisma of the original.
C Nova, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Megan Wallace]

The History Of Music (Buzz Brass)
Fancy a good laugh? Like music? Perfect! This show is great fun, musically excellent and completely enjoyable for both children and adults. The style is similar to the 'Horrible Histories' series and children will enjoy the daftness whilst romping through a tour of the history of music. The musical examples are played and acted out by a first class brass quintet, with a likeable flair for humour and for pleasing a crowd without uttering a word, and it's narrated by a hilariously egotistical MC who engages easily and naturally with his young audience. I can't praise this show highly enough for imparting sophisticated information in a way that both teaches and amuses children. Demystifies the musical mystique with a big smile!
New Town Theatre, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Louise Rodgers]

COMEDY

Cut The Mustard (Chisnail & I)
When two very talented performers manage to find each other and create a dynamic double act it can be a wonderful thing. In 'Cut The Mustard', Jack Chisnall's dry style compliments Georgia Bruce's enthusiasm and it's immediately clear that the duo have bags of chemistry. The show itself was entertaining, with a mixture of music, monologues and sketches (any show featuring a sketch involving Chris Tarrant and a swan definitely has potential!) but it felt like something else was needed to complete the experience. I suspect the best is still to come from these two young promising acts: stronger content coupled with their ability on stage could be a winning formula in the near future.
C Nova, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Ben Shannon]

Hari Sriskantha: Like Breath On A Mirror (So Comedy)
Hari Sriskantha breaks us into his set by pointing out what we're probably all thinking: how on earth do you pronounce his surname? From then on his personality shines through; self-deprecating and awkward but with an obvious underlying confidence, he shares his ideas on how to live a more meaningful life. At less than forty minutes long, the set is undeniably short, but there are one-liners galore and the whole show is a ringing endorsement for laminated props. While he may not achieve all of his criteria for immortality, Sriskantha's style does feel very promising indeed. He could go far this Fringe – if he can teach enough people how to say his name, that is.
Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Stephanie Gray]

Shit-Faced Shakespeare (Magnificent Bastard Productions)
I doubt that when Shakespeare wrote 'The Merchant of Venice' he envisioned it performed by a heavily intoxicated man in a gondola clutching an e-cig, but that's the Fringe for you. The concept of 'Shit-Faced Shakespeare' is simple: a different cast member gets intentionally hammered each night, his classically trained colleagues stay sober, and together they attempt to create a piece of serious theatre. Hilarity ensues as the drunk actor causes all sorts of commotion, while the others are torn between letting the chaos unfold and trying to shepherd him through the play in one piece. I don't really know what actually happened in 'The Merchant of Venice', but who wouldn't forgo education in favour of a good laugh at somebody else's expense?
Underbelly, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Stephanie Gray]

Jimmy McGhie: Winged Goddess Of Victory (CKP)
The bunker at the Pleasance Courtyard is perhaps the ideal space for Jimmy McGhie to play – it's small and intimate enough to showcase his confident ridiculing. Any bigger (and McGhie probably deserves a more sizeable venue) and 'Winged Goddess Of Victory' would risk losing its connection. The comedian uses hilarious anecdotes from his life and his father's as a basis for his comedy, discussing childhood and masculinity, then relates them to his audience by interrogating and poking fun at them. In his fifth solo show he's quite clearly enjoying himself, and the crowd certainly relishes his company. Ultimately, this is the quintessential comedy show from somebody who knows their craft inside out.
Pleasance Courtyard, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Kieran Scott]

Aaaand Now For Something Completely Improvised (Racing Minds)
Racing Minds inform us that "anything can happen" in this show and, having witnessed the madness for myself, I can't disagree. Armed with an array of costumes, an imaginary horse and a teapot, the talented improv group crafted a Mexican adventure for this particular audience. Their humour is wickedly fast and intelligent throughout, with the musical accompaniment adapting faultlessly to the obscure plot twists. More audience input may have been fun, but the hastily formed characters took on lives of their own so quickly that perhaps to meddle too much would have ruined the magic. The show will be unique for every audience, but the sheer ingenuity of this group will ensure success and belly laughs day after day.
Pleasance Dome, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Stephanie Gray]

John-Luke Roberts Stdad Up (John-Luke Roberts/PBH's Free Fringe)
The unconventional start to Robert's latest show should serve as a warning for the 50 minutes that follow. The nervous audience gradually settled, though it has to be said that this show won't be for everyone - Roberts isn't tackling an easy subject matter and this isn't your average 'dead dad show'. It is, however, brilliantly performed and it's clear early on how much this show means to him. No two performances will ever be the same, but I did feel by the end that the use of extended repetition was too frequent. A show with many dark questions and a challenging message; it takes a lot of courage to stage a piece that really does 'bare all'.
Voodoo Rooms until 30 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Ben Shannon]

Omar Hamdi: In The Valley Of The Kings (Omar Hamdi)
If Michael Macintyre mated with Russell Brand, I truly believe they would produce Omar Hamdi - fizz, brilliance, introspection, bullshit and all. Hamdi does cover well-trodden territory - it was the third time that day I'd been treated to someone's daddy dilemmas. But he does it refreshingly well, exploring the Egyptian cultural narrative surrounding masculinity and what that means to him - the flamboyant, cosmopolitan son of an emotionless, immigrant engineer. Hamdi's real strength is his ability to be equally funny on fundamentalism and fannies alike. His profiling of the archetypal ISIS recruit was reductive, but I'm nitpicking here. I really shouldn't use that reviewing cliche - "one to watch out for" - but I will, and you should.
Assembly George Square Studios, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Patrick Galbraith]

Revan And Fennell: Fan Club (Revan And Fennell)
Do you want to have a lot of fun, watching two funny women also having a lot of fun? Revan and Fennell's sketches are joyfully performed and immediately accessible. Social norms and scenarios are soundly mocked in smartly shaped sketches with satisfying punchlines. In some cases the characters could be developed further, but both comedians perform their parts with infectious glee. The pair have excellent comic chemistry which makes for engaging scenes, and their relationship with the audience is one of trusting camaraderie that cannot be resisted. It will be interesting to see how much further the pair can take their irreverent energy as the run progresses, but this is already an extremely clever and enjoyable show.
C Nova, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Vicki Baron]

DANCE & PHYSICAL THEATRE

Sushi Tap Show (Tokyo Tapdo)
Few things are trickier than making fake mistakes, but Tokyo Tapdo can tap and trip with equal panache. In this Japanese comedy tap show, much of the humour relies on a seemingly seamless combination of impeccable footwork and choreographed pratfalls. Highlights include a spoof on Riverdance; an audience-participation lesson on "ribbit" and "oink" in Japanese and an extended film-noir tango – with some fun(ny) use of cups. There is some variation in quality – a few numbers fall flat (and not on purpose this time). But the seven-year-old in the front row was giggling away, and I definitely left the theatre smiling. It's not listed as a children's show, but it will definitely be a hit with the under twelves.
C, until 30 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Lucy Diver]

Camera Obscura (The Secret Dance Club)
How do you set a lifelong marriage to dance? Ask Lillie Hedderwick Turner and David Layne, whose performances in this show were pitch perfect. The choreography is ghostly, sexy, sad and passionate. The simple but hard-hitting narrative shows an elderly couple remembering their past, as the woman struggles with dementia, which is portrayed with realistic and touching acting. Some of the strongest motifs are drawn from the everyday: she standing on his feet as they dance close and slow. There are some threads left hanging: a child with an unexplained arm cast appears in the danced past but not in the acted present, and the incurable nature of dementia can't be erased from the ending. I left wanting more, and wanting to be in love.
C, until 18 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Lucy Diver]

MUSIC

At The Crossroads (Modern Robot - USA)
Murnau's classic silent film 'Faust', about a medieval pact with the devil, angry villagers and sticky ends, was a pioneer of big screen horror. Ninety years later there's little that can shock us, but in 1926 this was nastily new. Modern Robot's live drum and electric guitar accompaniment helped me view the often told story anew, by introducing an unexpected harmonic rock element. The sensitively played music softened the story, directing our attention to the very ordinary human frailty highlighted by the actors and effects, without sensationalism or discordant surprises. My overall impression, however, was that this is more a film buff's night out than a music-lover's because, inevitably, the film's the star.
C nova, until 15 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Louise Rodgers]

Tom And The Pennyblacks
In the competitive world of music, it can be an arduous process to get gigs outside of the city that an artist originates in. With Tom And The Pennyblacks, a young indie blues outfit from London, it's mind-boggling that they have managed to make the trip up north. Their gratingly unharmonious collaboration is only worsened by ringleader Thomas Soares' awkward Lou Reed-esque stagecraft. Aside from the bassist Hayden Day's frequent playfulness, the rest of the band appear exceedingly uncomfortable – immersed in their own instruments as if they are unrehearsed. Somewhere in this 45 minute show, there was a question destined to be answered: is this serious or not? Less a project with potential, more a discordant high school performance.
C, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 1/5 | [Kieran Scott]

MUSICALS

Promise And Promiscuity: A New Musical By Jane Austen And Penny Ashton (Penash Productions)
I wish I had half as much energy as Penny Ashton! In seventy minutes the multi-talented Kiwi delivers a hilarious take on Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice', full of modern-day twists. I lost count of the number of characters she performs, with each so skilfully and humorously defined. Following Elspeth Slowtree's family and love life, 'Promise and Promiscuity' is full of razor-sharp wit alongside song, dance, and a little bit of ukulele. Craftily placed Austen quotes are woven in with current celebrity and musical references (William Joel's Pianoforte Man was one of my favourites). Austen fans will already know the story, but those who don't frankly needn't bother with the original after seeing this show.
Assembly George Square Studios, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Daisy Malt]

THEATRE

Valiant (Handan Productions)
'Valiant' is horribly uncomfortable, but in a good way. Offering a thoroughly intense 70 minutes, this verbatim piece is adapted from the interviews of thirteen women about their experiences of war. This show promises, and then delivers, some serious emotional impact. It gives a platform to the often overlooked war-time experiences of women, in countries spanning from Japan to Northern Ireland, from Afghanistan to San Salvador. The four female actors each give strong dramatic performances, particularly in terms of assuming the accents of the women interviewed, and these performances offset one another beautifully. Despite only being a few days into the festival, I already know that I will be pushed to find a theatre show that tops this.
C Nova, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Megan Wallace]

The School Of Night: Rhapsodes (Extempore Theatre / Something For The Weekend)
Witty and educational to an equally impressive degree, 'The School of Night' is improv at its zany best. Drawing on suggestions from the audience, the Fey Prince and the Word Serpent take us on an hour-long odyssey of form, verse and metre - from 'The Pardoner's Tale' to Pinter, pausing along the way to point out the idiosyncrasies and tropes of different writers. The Fey Prince's ability to amusingly convey Pinter's comedy of menace is a particular highlight. 'The School of Night' feels very organic, where staggering linguistic acrobatics are interspersed with slips and tumbles. The two performers evidently have a contagious passion for literature and this, combined with some quality acting, creates something really special.
C, until 17 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Patrick Galbraith]

Jethro Compton's Frontier Trilogy: Blood Red Moon (Jethro Compton Productions)
The first of Jethro Compton's new trilogy starts with atmospheric, moody lighting and terse dialogue, fraught with tension. After an initial exchange in a chapel - the wooden room in which we sit - there is a slight jolt as the action regresses to a flashback, and we are to take the wooden walls for the wide-open plains of the West. Such feats of imagination are far from rare in theatre, but feel slightly at odds with the ethos of this otherwise immersive, site-specific production. This mild dissonance soon passes, though, as the tale of two brothers and the woman who comes between them unfolds, shot through with classic Western tropes, building to a gripping, satisfying climax.
C nova, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Andrew Leask]

Jethro Compton's Frontier Trilogy: The Clock Strikes Noon (Jethro Compton Productions)
'The Clock Strikes Noon', the second part of 'The Frontier Trilogy' is a masterclass in ratcheting up tension, and I spent most of the play literally on the edge of my seat. It begins with a classic Western stand off - a weaselly sheriff and a principled farmer are holed up in a church with a blind priest, surrounded by armed thugs in the pay of the railroad company. The action is cleverly contained within this one space, and as a result the tension slowly increases throughout the play, never fully dissipating even as cracks appear in the characters' morality and ugly violence erupts. The performances are great and the direction exemplary, creating an excellent, intense production.
C nova, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Andrew Leask]

Jethro Compton's Frontier Trilogy: The Rattlesnake's Kiss (Jethro Compton Productions)
The past weighs heavily on the characters in this, the final instalment in 'The Frontier Trilogy', and especially on Father Minoa, the blind priest who is the one character common to the whole trilogy. Previously a supporting character, here he steps up to the main role, casting new light on his lines in the other plays. Though the twists and turns of the plot are not really surprising, they are kept engaging through some deceptively simple, yet immersive staging. As things play out to their inevitable, tragic end, the audience can only watch, helpless to alter the tangled, bloody tale of vengeance. This is both a very good play and a fitting conclusion to the excellent theatrical experience that Compton has crafted.
C nova, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Andrew Leask]

Jethro Compton presents Sirenia (Jethro Compton Productions)
Not often does a disused attic space become useful in creating endless ambience for a show. For Jethro Compton's 'Sirenia', set in a lighthouse on the coast of Cornwall, the opening of a creaking door and the wooden staircase up to the room is only the beginning. The room is basic and tiny, yet the audience can't help but stare at the impressive set design that Compton has put together. This Celtic folklore tale of love, loss and desperation is certainly intriguing, with eloquent acting, but many things are foreseeable when the tension begins to mount. Saying that, 'Sirenia' is maybe trying to fit too much into 40 minutes, and could be something bigger and better.
C nova, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Kieran Scott]

 
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