SUNDAY 6 AUGUST 2017 THREEWEEKSEDINBURGH.COM
QUICK QUIZ WITH MICHAEL REDMOND
This August the Edinburgh Festival celebrates its 70th anniversary. To mark the occasion, we have asked a plethora of performers about their personal Fringe experiences. Today comedy Michael Redmond.

CLICK HERE to read Michael Redmond's answers to the Quick Quiz.

Michael Redmond is performing 'I Wrote A Joke In 1987' at Gilded Balloon Teviot until 28 Aug.
TW:TALKS WITH ROSIE WILBY
With Edinburgh Festival 2017 up and running, we TW:TALK with Rosie Wilby about her new show 'The Conscious Uncoupling', which completes a trilogy of shows about relationships. Wilby explains how her music career led to comedy, talks us through her Edinburgh Fringe experiences to date, and tells us all about her new book.

CLICK HERE to tune in and sign up for the TW:TALKS podcast.

Rosie Wilby performs 'The Conscious Uncoupling' at Edinburgh Festival 2017 at Laughing Horse @ The Counting House until 27 Aug, plus 'The Breakup Monologues' also at Laughing Horse @ The Counting House from 4-12 Aug.


Three recommended shows to see on Monday 7 Aug...

Phil Wang: Kinabalu | Pleasance Courtyard | 7.00pm + 10.45pm (pictured)
Today's Three To See features performers who all appear on our TW:TALKS podcast this festival. First up, the brilliant Phil Wang, who is back in stand-up mode at this year's Fringe after doing the sketch thing last year as one third of Daphne (though they are doing two special shows this month, plus you can hear their radio show on the BBC RadioPlayer). Check out our interview with Phil here, and then check out his rather fine new stand-up show 'Kinabalu' - there are two chances to see it on Monday.

Rosie Wilby | Laughing Horse @ The Counting House | 6.30pm
Next, TW favourite Rosie Wilby, who brings new show 'The Conscious Uncoupling' to the Free Festival this month. It's the third part in a trilogy of shows on relationships. You can find out more about how the trilogy came about in this week's TW:TALKS. And then go check out the show for yourself.

John Robertson: Dominant | The Stand | 6.15pm
The ThreeWeeks Editors' Award winning John Robertson is in town this year with his brilliant interactive 'The Dark Room' show (both a kids version and the usual version) and a new hour of stand-up in the form of 'Dominant'. He'll talk about both when he appears on TW:TALKS later this month. Sign up to the podcast to hear that when it goes live - and then book your tickets to his shows.

5/5 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED | 4/5 RECOMMENDED | 3/5 GOOD | 2/5 MEDIOCRE | 1/5 BAD  
 
COMEDY

Patrick Turpin: Itty Bitty Little Titty Piece (Live Nation in association with Hannah Layton Management)
Turpy, as his "guilty straight white male" mates refer to him, brings us a fusion of Lad Bible, Grayson Perry and The White Company. Posing as the "typical metro millennial", clad in a boardroom suit with frilly socks and stage heels, he delivers a glittery and entertaining set filled with catchy tracks, tacky hen-do props, and the ridiculous. While the show is fun, and offers some promising moments, there are a lot of cheap gags (and dildos) flopping about. So if you didn't find doodled dicks on the back of toilet cubicle doors funny at school, and the thought of even more willies bouncing around on a comedy stage doesn't impress you, then this one isn't for you.
Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Stephanie Stapleton]

MUSIC

Aquapella: Happy Hour (Aquapella)
Glee fans will enjoy this - a talented group of students from the University Of Bath, dancing and singing acapella with great energy and focus. Endearing? Oh yes! In this humorous, feel-good show, the songs ranged from disco to Ed Sheeran and all points in between, with a storyline about the trials and triumphs of young love. As each member of the ensemble stepped out for their solo I saw them sparkle and command attention - I loved their individuality and their sheer enthusiasm. Honourable mentions go to the soloists in Gnarls Barkley's 'Crazy' and Prince's 'Purple Rain'. This was an hour of cheerful escapism to brighten a rainy Edinburgh day.
C, until 12 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Louise Rodgers]

The Blues Brothers - Live (Nicholas Abrams And Richard Williamson Present)
You gotta "shake your tail feathers" (the cast will show you how) to get the most out of this highly interactive, exhilaratingly effervescent Blues Brothers film tribute show, but if you do the rewards will be immense (though admittedly very sweaty!). Prefer just clapping along? Well, watching the black suited, hatted and shade wearing stars dance with a vigour that makes your eyes pop is also very rewarding. This non-stop, jaw-achingly funny evening has a great band playing all the rhythm and blues tunes this baby boomer can take. Audience, band and cast kept the frenzied dancing going all night, while my heart sang along with the harmonica and walking bass line.
C, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Louise Rodgers]

Violin Variations (Ian Peaston)
The fizzing excitement I felt during this interactive performance of electric violin, laptop and iPad made this concert feel far too short. At times I was playing Peaston's iPad myself, to alter the violin's sound as it was passed around the audience, which pushed my musician's soul over the edge. He started with Bach and echo - nice enough - but then things got wonderfully weird with Bjork and looping. By the time he was adding in more electronic manipulations and mashing up Mahler and Radiohead I was beside myself! Peaston has had a distinguished career as an orchestral and chamber musician so he plays incredibly well - if you have any musical curiosity at all then you have to hear this man.
theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, until 19 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Louise Rodgers]

MUSICALS

Brexit The Musical (Strong and Stable Productions)
In light of the last two years, you'd be forgiven for overlooking anything with the word 'Brexit' in the title when perusing this year's Fringe programme, but in this case at least, you'd be missing out! Written by Chris Bryant, this witty new musical has a barrage of catchy songs delivered by a joyously talented cast. Accompanied by a live band, the musical numbers propel the audience through the story of Brexit. All the familiar faces are there: Boris Johnson; Theresa May; Michael Gove and that woman Jeremy Corbyn didn't quite high five. The set leaves a little to be desired, but that doesn't take away from the show's appeal. Overall, a hilarious experience you can get behind, no matter what your political alliance.
C, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Bethan Highgate-Betts]

THEATRE

Eggs Collective Get A Round (Eggs Collective)
Three glitzed up ladies and a lot of booze - they're out on the lash, and on a mission to have the 'ultimate' night out in Edinburgh. And we literally get to join in on their drunken antics, as they offer us shots of Caribbean Twist. I say offer, but these women "don't take no for an answer". With comical anecdotes that are all too easy to relate to, the stages of a night out are depicted with fearless honesty. Although the material is a little overwrought, the three actors are utterly compelling. Their philosophy is simple: all we need to fix us up and forget our troubles is a good night out - and I think they may be right.
Summerhall, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Amy Bonar]

Mary Go Nowhere (Black Rocking Chair Productions)
Written by and starring Julie Shavers, 'Mary Go Nowhere' is a black comedy about a woman on the edge of a breakdown. From depicting the vicious mothers of the PTA, to a war with the neighbours about the state of the grass, this show puts a darkly comedic twist on the mundane. Blithe throughout, a lot of the comedy comes from Mary's three-year-old son - played by the brilliantly funny (and completely fully-grown) Chris Grace. The abstract staging adds to the feeling of instability in Mary's life and mental state, but it can sometimes feel a little lacking - not quite up to the same quality as the writing and performances. A strange, but highly enjoyable take on everyday life.
Assembly George Square Studios, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Bethan Highgate-Betts]

Phools (Babolin Theatre)
A rollicking and exuberant piece of musical theatre, 'Phools' is an adventure into silliness - from the Pythonesque to the pantomime. The narrative is told by a New England Skiffle band and follows the titular character, Phools Mortalsby, as he travels to seventeenth century England in an attempt to find his father. The strength of this performance comes from the repertoire of bizarre songs and the constant, diverse use of comedy. The twelve-strong cast performs with an infectious energy that infuses through the show, however there is a clear lack of intricacy and depth to the narrative, plus the occasional use of tired clichés. 'Phools' is an entertaining performance, but one that ultimately favours silliness over substance.
Bedlam Theatre, until 12 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [James Napleton]

Ramy: On The Frontline (Viirus Theatre / From Start to Finnish)
Ramy Essam became a part of history when he played his guitar at Tahrir Square in the 2011 Egyptian revolution. 'Ramy: On The Frontline' describes the journey from street fighter to revolutionary, as people came together against the oppressive Mubarak regime. Essam's performance is multi-dimensional, using music, video footage and monologue to help capture his personal journey. The performance is incredibly emotive, and Essam's descriptions are rich with disturbing insights: "you don't feel or think when you are fighting at the front". However this story, often overwhelmingly graphic and emotional, does occasionally feel lost in structure or direction. Overall, this is a powerful and hypnotic journey through the trials of revolution.
Summerhall, until 13 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [James Napleton]

Show Me The Money (Paula Varjack)
Paula Varjack is an artist, writer, filmmaker and actor. For this fast-paced hour, however, she also becomes the spokesperson for struggling twenty-first century artists everywhere, tackling the uncomfortable issue of money. Wasting no time in seizing the attention of her audience, Varjack proceeds to pose the questions that many of us have never considered (or else have avoided asking). The result isn't a sob story, a lecture, or a dreary monologue, but instead a dynamic expression of ideas, created from both personal experience and over a year of research. Opening both eyes and hearts, this beautifully honest and expertly compiled show offers a new perspective on what it can mean to be "an artist".
Bedlam Theatre, until 13 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Emily Mildren]

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