The Legend Of Shadows (Point View Art Association and Shadow Legends Drama Group (Macao/Taiwan)
There seems to have been a lot of shadow puppetry in kids' shows this year. This then is a handy and timely primer as to its origins, alternating between actual performance and explanation of the form. The former seems less successful - whilst some effort has gone into re-imagining 'Journey to the West', it's comes across as mostly shouty with no particular sustaining narrative. However, as the children are invited to look more closely at the materials and, for those whose numbers come up, to venture behind the 'curtain' and have a wee go, something much more edifying and engaging is going on. The storytelling part is somewhat lost in this translation but, as an immersive experience for the small, it's a success.
C south, until 26 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Bruce Blacklaw]

Slime (The Herd and Absolutely Cultured)
In 'Slime' we meet two garden creatures, the slug and the caterpillar, who must work together to reach the only leaf in the garden and satisfy their hunger. It's an immersive experience from start to end; upon arrival your ticket is swapped for a foam piece of slime, you're asked to take off your shoes to enter the "slime garden" and at the end there is time set aside for the children to play with some slime. I particularly liked the use of sign language accompanying the few words in the show. 'Slime' takes you on a surreal journey of imagination and is a very accessible and well-developed piece of children's theatre, perfect for the age range it's aimed at.
Pleasance Pop-Up: Central Library, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Natalie Holman]

COMEDY

Simon Caine: Every Room Becomes A Panic Room When You Overthink Enough (Simon Caine / Sweet Productions)
Despite unpromising circumstances - a broken microphone, Tattoo fireworks and some unwelcome comments from the audience - Simon Caine produced a humdinger of a performance. After a delightfully loose preamble, Caine settled into a superb rhythm, combining well-crafted material with sharp improvisation. His themes (the frustrations of his life) were hardly mould-breaking but his treatment of them was a cut above. He continually deconstructed his performance, adding layers of humour and pathos. Usually a tired cliché, Caine's anecdotes about previous shows were delightful. His fabulous tale of accidentally going into a wedding cake shop (and the repercussions) had the audience in convulsions of laughter. As with the final reveal, this outstanding performance delivered far more than the opening moments suggested.
Sweet Grassmarket, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Charlie Ellis]

Rodgers With A D - The Tommy Rodgers Centenary Celebration (Louise Rodgers)
In this charming narrative, Louise Rodgers delivers the tale of her father through anecdote, family testimony and some sweet little ditties (a spot of communal singing helping to create a delightful atmosphere). What emerges is an exploration the very different lives lived in Tommy Rodgers' era and in particular the harshness of the world before the NHS and before industrial safely was taken seriously. Rodgers rightly sees her tale as a celebration of a generation who had little choice in their lives. Her story of malnourished children attempting to jump over the Union Canal (and the dangers involved) was a highlight of this warm and unpretentious show. Like Joe Bor's lovely show, this indicates the variety of comedy that the Fringe offers - it's not all shouty stand-up...
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, run ended.
tw rating 3/5 | [Charlie Ellis]

Will Mars: Phoenix (Purple Martian / Free Festival)
A low-key start set the tone for this slow burn of a performance, examining Will Mars' midlife crisis. The intimate venue allows him to interact playfully with the audience, who were unsure whether to laugh at Mars' account of his father's physical abuse and imprisonment. His childhood left him with scars but he also inherited his mother's dark sense of humour, and this pervades the entire performance. Mars details how a decade working in Spain for Club 18-30 left him poorly prepared for proper relationships and how falling in love with stand-up has given him purpose (if not financial security). Wisely, given the furnace-like room, he cuts the show slightly short but his thoughtful performance doesn't short-change the audience.
Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Charlie Ellis]

Got A Text: A Musical Parody (Round Three Productions)
Parodying the famous ITV2 reality TV show, 'Got a Text' sees eight singletons search for love on an island in the sun. From the moment you enter, videos are playing introducing each character, which works very well and is an instantly recognisable nod to the TV show. While the songs are catchy, there are large sections of the show with no music; I would like to have seen a few more songs in there. That being said, the lyrics were well written, particularly 'Millennial' - a parody of 'Hard Knock Life' from 'Annie'. The production felt slightly underdeveloped and under-rehearsed however, and there were moments in the choral singing where the cast weren't in unison.
Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, until 26 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Natalie Holman]

Alex Hylton: Get Rich Or Die Crying (Alex Hylton)
Alex Hylton is acutely aware of his privilege. In this show, he's out to explore it from various angles and, in some ways, to defeat it, or at least to mock it for (preferably lucrative) comedic purposes. The programme blurb says he's 'giving it everything' and that's absolutely evident in the flesh: the show is breathlessly rapid, perhaps to a fault at times. Some comics feel like they're struggling to fill an hour, Hylton if anything has too much material, and batters on when a little more room to vary the pace might be of benefit. However, it's also very good. Vivid storytelling in a mostly well-crafted debut hour, performed with commitment and, most importantly, it's engaging and funny.
Just The Tonic @ The Grassmarket, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Bruce Blacklaw]

Ian Smith: Half-Life (Bound & Gagged Comedy)
Ian Smith manages to combine an incredibly well structured gig with almost Basil Fawlty levels of anger and somehow come away with a very funny and endearing hour. There's nothing malicious about his anger, which allows him to focus his attentions on latecomers and talkers without causing undue embarrassment or concern. The recaps for the latecomers become increasingly amusing and he makes full use of technology with slides and a video break in the middle, cleverly referencing a previous joke. A retelling of his visit to Chernobyl, told in sphincter-tightening detail, is the focus of the show and rightfully so. Very scary stuff! The whole show is good, angry fun.
Underbelly Bristo Square, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Chris Lambert]

Liza Treyger: In The Weeds (Live Nation and Avalon present)
Liza Treygar talks a mile a minute. "In the weeds" means to be lost in the minutiae and Treygar's show is like a stream of consciousness, weaved around her seven self-confessed addictions. The show's focus is telling stories rather than telling jokes, but it's still funny, and Treygar doesn't hold back from audience interaction, playfully reading the body language of the crowd and warning a younger audience member of what's to come. There's no filter: with sharp, honest discussion of her sexuality and referencing past experiences, it almost feels like a group therapy session. The seven addictions are more of a loose framework for the show, however, and we only lightly touch upon some of them here: Treygar could easily fill another hour.
Underbelly Bristo Square, until 26 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Chris Lambert]

Marlon Davis: Emotional Black Male (Off The Kerb Productions)
Wow! What an interesting voice. And of course what he says with it is also very compelling. From the traditional introductory conversation with the audience where he recognises that we're judging him, to the no-holds-barred stories about his son, meeting his partner and how he got the scar on his head, Davis is continually honest and revealing. His humour is gentle and observational, as he skilfully lays out the scenarios and invites the audience to recognise the funny. The pacing is amazing too; his hypnotic storytelling takes you on a surprising journey with an unpredictable yet uplifting and life affirming ending. It's a wild ride, heartfelt and honest.
Underbelly Bristo Square, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Chris Lambert]

#Pianodrome Live Guest: Hebrides Ensemble (Hebrides Ensemble)
A memorable, informal hour of world class music in a unique venue made from recycled pianos. The famous ensemble was represented this time by a piano trio performing three pieces: excerpts from Nigel Osbourne's opera 'The Piano Tuner', with dumkas from Janáček and Dvořák on either side. The emotional Dvořák was showstopping, and "bravo!" for their intriguing excerpts from living composer and humanitarian Osborne's 'The Piano Tuner'. The musical storytelling was vivid; the strings added peril to the exotic journey of a Victorian piano tuner in the jungle, and children were invited to identify animals from their musical motifs in the work beforehand. A junior audience member declared loudly, "That was good!" - doesn't happen often at classical concerts!
Pianodrome at The Pitt, run ended.
tw rating 5/5 | [Louise Rodgers]

MUSICALS

Early Mornings - The Musical (Joel Goodman)
Finding the motivation to wake up early in the morning can be hard; this show tackles that dilemma head on, as the lead character wakes up early every day so he can write a show to bring to the Fringe. It's somewhat self-indulgent, and the musical numbers feel underdeveloped and incomplete, plus, while the harmonies are nice, none of the songs ever quite reached the crescendo I had hoped for. 'Early Mornings' has not yet reached its full potential, but there were good points to note: the cast worked well as an ensemble and performed with high energy that was sustained throughout. There is also a ten minute Q&A with the writer at the end of the show, which worked very well and was quite enlightening.
Paradise in the Vault, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Natalie Holman]

Freddie: One Night With Freddie (Outbreak Productions)
The full light show, video screens and industrial fans showed that Queen tribute band Majesty meant business, but led to a twenty minute delay when a fuse blew half way through the first song. On their return they launched into an acceptable reproduction of Queen's back catalogue, with Seth Daniels (as Freddie Mercury) disappearing every other song to change into one of Mercury's iconic costumes. Majesty have been doing this for ten years and it shows - the most notable part was a shot for shot reproduction of the video that Queen used to play instead of playing 'Bohemian Rhapsody's middle section live. Solid musicianship and a full-on show meant that they really delivered.
The Old Dr Bells Baths, run ended.
tw rating 3/5 | [Chris Lambert]

THEATRE

Anything With A Pulse (Wonky Donkey)
'Anything With a Pulse' revolves around a man and a woman meeting in a nightclub. This highly energetic production, very relevant to the modern dating scene, is bolstered by terrific acting from Rufus Love and Annie Davison. Both actors are diligent and assured in their performances, dropping into different characters with ease. Love and Davison effectively replicate approaching somebody in a nightclub, demonstrating the diffidence, uncertainty and connection that can come from such a conversation. In such a tight space, both actors manage the stage tremendously and are great at creating vivid imagery. While the ending is unfortunately sudden, 'Anything With a Pulse' is sprightly, joyous and thought-provoking.
Zoo Playground, until 26 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Kieran Scott]

Mighty (Jack Britton in association with the Pleasance and Leicester Curve)
Theatre met music, spoken word and comedy in this TED talk-style performance, all about heightism and the questions surrounding it. With a loop peddle, computer and microphone, Jack Britton used his voice (and the audience's at one point) to create tracks to accompany the show. This was impressive to watch but also ensured variety in the show. The occasional singing that was thrown into the tracks was also fantastic, as he has a very strong vocal range. A section he did about Tinder was of particular note, managing to be both hilarious and thought-provoking. With facts, real tweets, and personal stories throughout, 'Mighty' is an engaging, amusing performance raising some important questions.
Pleasance Courtyard until 26 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Natalie Holman]

Teach (Bread And Butter Productions)
The education system has been a contentious topic for a while. Attempting to confront its issues, this personal-political memoir explores one teacher's love/hate relationship with his career. From Gove to classroom homophobia, we witness his desperation as he tries to influence today's youth. Although the performance was impassioned and engaging, the narrative felt underdeveloped; for a play which claimed to be about education, it mostly focused on writer/performer Matthew Roberts's life. His portrayal of multiple characters was strong, but he failed to explore the many perspectives of children struggling within this system, and his relationship with them. Because of this the emotional moments, although genuine, weren't always clearly provoked. With fine-tuning, this timely piece could make a deeper statement on schooling.
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Ella Dorman-Gajic]