CHILDREN'S SHOWS
Circa: Wolfgang (Underbelly and Circa)
Mozart and circus. Two festival staples right there, albeit rarely both happening at the same time... until now, thanks to this fun new family show from the Australian acrobats of Circa. The gap between the two apparently disparate genres is bridged by an amusingly deadpan accordionist, lending a jaunty air to a score which really works. The casting of Mozart as a slapstick clown might raise a periwigged eyebrow, but the younger viewers lap it up as he is helped by his tremendously capable assistant to, among other things, get dressed whilst cycling around the stage. A winningly amusing and, at times, dizzying succession of throws, lifts, leaps and silliness ensues. For circus thrills with a classy, classical touch, 'Wolfgang' hits the right notes.
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Bruce Blacklaw]
COMEDY
Rhys Nicholson: Seminal (Underbelly and Phil McIntyre Management)
Sharply dressed and with a flash of red hair, Nicholson's character filled the room from the start. Confident, camp and charming (yet outright acerbic) he is, quite simply, blisteringly funny. You'll soon understand why he's already an award-winning comic in his native Australia, with a 'Live From The BBC' show under his belt. With the theme of relationships carrying the show along, 'Seminal' is masterfully cohesive. The thinking person's millennial, there's plenty for those of us in that bracket, but he's still broadly appealing. If nothing else, you'll want to hear about his time working on a cruise ship. Catch him early before it's too late, this is definitely one to add to your list.
Underbelly Bristo Square, until 26 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Daisy Malt]
EVENTS
Edinburgh's Greatest Hits - The Story Of The Capital's Music (Edinburgh Music Tours)
This was an enjoyable morning walking round parts of the city that busy people usually miss, hearing great stories about the Edinburgh music scene from friendly people who know it well. There are many overlapping layers to learn about; the Festival Theatre was originally an old music hall that went on to host bands such as T-Rex in the seventies, and there's a strong personal connection between The Beatles, David Bowie and Edinburgh. There are also lots of intriguing stories to hear about local bands, from The Bay City Rollers to The Scars. Many of the old buildings are still there, so go along and immerse yourself in the lively Edinburgh music scene, treading in the footsteps of some of the world's finest musicians.
Outside Main Entrance To National Museum Of Scotland, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Louise Rodgers]
MUSIC
#Pianodrome Live (Sound Mirror)
The pianodrome is an amphitheatre built from old "upcycled" pianos - including five working instruments - and is an agreeably resonant place to hold a musical party. ThreeWeeks Editors' Award winner, the hilarious Will Pickvance, was our host in Edinburgh's Botanical Gardens (the bar is under a lime tree!), introducing the excellent house band S!nk and tonight's guests, violinist Kate Young and accordionist Raphaël Decoster. The amphitheatre inspired a good-humoured gladiatorial energy between the highly engaging multi-instrumentalists, who stalked and confronted each other while the audience clapped and shouted encouragement. A favourite moment was when saxophonist Matt Wright ran round squeaking his instrument in mock alarm! All was resolved when performers and audience danced together and so I give these gladiators the thumbs up.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, until 26 Aug
tw rating 4/5 | [Louise Rodgers]
Trollbadour (Grant Sharkey)
Grant Sharkey plays slap double bass, ukekele and sings well but, even more importantly, he's a proper left-wing, risk-taking satirist, who delights in dividing the audience over his uncompromising opinions and high-octane swearing. His audience interaction can feel a bit like martial arts, as he uses the other person's own weight (their opinion) against them, but - unlike in judo - he then goes home and writes a song about it. His songs are funny, jazzy and all self-penned; I enjoyed his political material but took exception to his harsh words about ukuleles, though true to his own principles he wouldn't back down. If you can take the swearing I'd recommend a visit because he's a great bass player and really opens up political debate to all.
theSpace Triplex, until 11 Aug
tw rating 4/5 | [Louise Rodgers]
B Minor Mass (Ludus Baroque)
I thought I knew JS Bach's magnum opus well, but what had eluded me completely until tonight's performance was the sheer joy of this music. Ludus Baroque is a chamber orchestra that plays early instruments with flawless technique and visible enjoyment. For this piece they were joined by a formidable group of solo singers of the highest professional calibre, who were bursting with such exuberant musicality that I put aside my notebook and grinned back at them, captivated by their verve, animation and beautiful Baroque voices. Woodwind and trumpets shone, though the whole performance was an electric combination of intimate musical conversations and ever-changing partnerships, drawing the audience irresistibly into the great JS Bach's lifelong musical adoration of God.
Greyfriars Kirk, 2 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Louise Rodgers]
Cathedral Lunchtime Concerts - Free (St Mary's Cathedral)
Ian Munro's lively xylophone playing and cheerful tunes transported me from the reality of the cool cathedral interior into a daydream of seasides and stripy deck chairs. This chirpy, light music repertoire would be highly restorative to anyone who had recently attended a theatre show with a harrowing theme and also very familiar to fans of concert bands. I'm pleased to say there was a liberal sprinkling of work by composer Leroy Anderson, most notably my personal favourites 'The Syncopated Clock' and 'Bugler's Holiday'. Munro's accompanist Gilmour Macleod, a talented soloist in his own right, played the second movement of Grieg's Piano Concerto, until the cheeky xylophone elbowed the piano aside and reasserted itself for the second half of the concert.
St Mary's Cathedral, until 31 Aug
tw rating 4/5 | [Louise Rodgers]
Ukelele Death Squad (Ukelele Death Squad)
This truly is "the world's most dangerous ukulele band", but their caring side emerged as the temperature rose and the pace became even more frantic - Australians know about heat exhaustion. They were very funny, with a rock'n'roll approach to their humble ukuleles - they plugged them in and thrashed them! Their band interaction was hilarious; they portrayed themselves as the hard men of music because of the abuse ukulele players get, and playfully teased the saxophone player for having an "emotional instrument". The programme was varied, fast paced - including ska - with a smattering of standards like 'Minnie the Moocher'. Last night in Glasgow they said a passer-by shouted "Ukelele Shit Squad!" - he was wrong!
Leith Depot, until 12 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Louise Rodgers]
MUSICALS AND OPERA
BARK! The Musical...How The Little Dog Found His Voice (Swansong Productions)
"C'mon you pussies - BARK!" is the clarion call of this endearingly hilarious musical, about a rescue dog receiving heartfelt advice from his canine friends in the park. The cast all play dogs; none of their owners appear though the dogs do sing lovingly about them. The choreography is laugh-out-loud funny, lots of scratching and sniffing, and the witty songs have been carefully researched to reflect the realities of dog life. I particularly enjoyed Laura Hyde as Golda the Jewish pug, and Brian James Leys as King, a gently authentic elderly labrador who made some adults in the audience cry. Musically, Emily Chesterton bow-wowed as Chanel the operatic afghan hound. This show is mandatory for anyone who loves dogs!
C, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Louise Rodgers]
When You Fall Down: The Buster Keaton Story (James Dangerfield)
James Dangerfield falls down with a thud more than once in this exquisite new one-man show; like Keaton he gets up again, to tell the story of the death-defying genius' personal and professional struggles. Dangerfield's dance, mime and physicality are riveting, and can be compared directly with Keaton's when his films are projected onto a screen behind the stage. His songs and singing technique are reminiscent of contemporary West End shows, but it is the palpable intensity of his commitment that makes this show very special - he wrote both book and libretto as well as composing the songs. 'When You Fall Down' gives an eloquent voice to a silent movie pioneer who often went unheard in his own lifetime.
Pleasance Courtyard, 27 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Louise Rodgers]
THEATRE
Love Song to Lavender Menace (James Ley)
Carving out genuinely queer spaces - not just a Barclay's float at Pride - is precious, precarious work. That's brought home in this portrait of Lavender Menace, a gay and lesbian radical bookshop on Edinburgh's Forth Street that was open between 1982 and 1987. The writing is very good - if sometimes a bit thinky - and the production effective: funny and tender. It's self-referential, a performance of a performance, a queer theatrical space dedicated to a queer physical space. The acting duo bear it all with warmth and charm, though in their main roles they occasionally fall just short of selling us the lust and humour of their rapport. But they're extremely dexterous throughout, cycling through the play's potpourri of scenes and characters.
Summerhall, until 26 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Alexander Hartley] |