COVERING THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL SINCE 1996
Birdwatchers’ Wives (Caroline Smith / Escalator East To Edinburgh)
Something of an odd duck – an odd Great Crested Grebe to be accurate – this is a pleasantly quirky blend of theatre, comedy and performance art. The main focus of the show, devised and performed by Caroline Smith, is Rita Grebe, an avian diva who is preparing for a birdsong competition. If that sounds odd, it is, and that’s just a toe-dip into the giant lake of weird that Smith serves up. Much of it is funny, though often the audience was more bemused than amused and there were times when the character’s facade cracked. This won’t be to everyone’s taste, but it’s exactly the kind of off-kilter production for which the Fringe is famed, and rightly praised.
Summerhall, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Andrew Leask]
