A deeply engaging exploration into regret by a master storyteller
Ivo Graham is a household name when it comes to stand-up comedy, a staple on all our favourites including, Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central, QI, Sweat the Small Stuff, Richard Osman’s House of Games, Have I Got News For You and Taskmaster.
The sheer volume and history of his stand-up work makes this pivot to a theatre show curious and revealing. Graham is desperate to make it clear that there are NO JOKES, to his audience and flyers. No jokes, he says, but that doesn’t mean the narrative isn’t peppered with laughter. Laughter from the truth of his story, and honesty.
Graham takes us on a journey exploring regret, remuneration and holding on. Holding on to tickets, to school reports, to receipts, the poignancy of moments bouncing out of his immaculate storytelling.
He plays with the form, negotiating seamlessly from direct address to almost spoken word, often with a soundtrack, one that he gives us a list for when we exit.
The stage is sparse, just a table with objects, a cork board with moments from his life upon it, and in the corner a tiger onesie that I hoped wouldn’t be awful when I walked in. The tiger onesie is possibly where we see Graham at his most animated, speaking with joy about his moments with his daughter, playing the tiger who came to tea. But even then regret creeps into his vision. It reminds me of the moment in Inside Out where Joy realises that Sadness is important and can affect those core memories, only Graham demonstrates it.
It’s clear that he’s still finding his feet, with both the words and the structure, occasionally stumbles and confusion seep in, but it actually makes him more engaging. An inability to put on his marathon vest was a signifier to the nerves.
Graham has crafted a beautiful piece of theatre, but there is an element to it which feels a little too raw, the stand up nature of the storytelling but without the laughs brings up the uncomfortable feeling that we’re seeing too much into the soul of a stranger’s real life, which has real consequences.
Maybe that’s the intention, the uncomfortability of inviting the audience to feel and see his regret.
Ultimately Graham is a master storyteller, magnetic in the way he gently holds space, and that’s the reason I’d go see this show again.
Acclaimed playwright and theatremaker Nick Cassenbaum and Plotnek Productions presents REVENGE: After the Levoyah – a brand new two-hander comedy-heist that romps through Jewish Essex. After the Levoyah will be showing at Summerhall during Edinburgh Fringe from 1-26 August.
Set in 2018, After the Levoyah joins twins Dan and Lauren at their grandfather’s funeral (levoyah), where they meet former gangster Malcolm Spivak. Malcolm, who has ‘had enough’, enlists the siblings in a ragtag Yiddishe heist to kidnap then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Gemma Barnett is a performer in After the Levoyah.
Gemma Barnett is an award winning actor, writer and poet. In 2020 Gemma won the 2020 Off-West End Award for Best Actor in a play for her solo performance as Rory in ‘A Hundred Words for Snow’ at Trafalgar Studios.
1. Tell us about REVENGE: After the Levoyah
REVENGE: After the Levoyah is a comic two-hander about Jewish Essex twins Dan and Lauren. After the death of their Grandpa, they are co-opted by an old east end, Jewish gangster, Malcolm, in his heist to kidnap Jeremy Corbyn. It is a quick, hilarious and political piece that shows us what can happen when fear, hysteria and disorganisation meet.
2. Who are the main character(s) in the show and what are they like?
The play centres around Lauren and Dan. Lauren is fierce, opinionated and thinks of herself as a radical. She’s an excellent poker player and sick to death of her mother trying to set her up with a nice Jewish boy. Dan is the kind of guy who tends to get swept up in the action around him. He often finds himself drowned out by strong, vocal women that drive the decision making. Poor lad. He also eats pickles straight from the jar.
3. How does it feel to be bringing After the Levoyah to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
We are so excited to be bringing this show to the Fringe. The Anatomy Lecture Hall at Summerhall is the perfect venue for it and to get to perform it immediately after a general election feels pretty special/important.
4. Have you done the Fringe before? What are the key pieces of advice you have been given or would give to new groups or people performing at the Fringe?
I have! My advice would be: as an extroverted introvert it’s ok to take some timeout when you need it. Go and lie on some grass/have a nap. Also see shows and support other artists – the best thing about the fringe is the community you get to be a part of. Lastly, Arthur’s Seat is worth it – especially at the end of the run.
5. What do you hope that audiences will take away from REVENGE: After the Levoyah?
I hope the audience will leave the theatre having laughed a lot. But I hope that there will be a lot of thinking and reflection that will follow that laughter. To me (and especially in playing Lauren) the piece is about the journey to radicalisation. I think that’s a pretty important conversation to be having right now.
6. What is your favourite thing about Edinburgh during August?
Seeing everyones’ shows. I will also visit Mary’s Milk Bar whatever the weather.
A must-see thriller with a twist so shocking, you’ll be left speechless
I’m usually not one for horror shows, always hiding behind my hands or a cushion. But “2:22 A Ghost Story” was so gripping that I couldn’t take my eyes off it! Danny Robins’ writing is spot on, creating a mix of unease and curiosity that kept me hooked.
The story follows Jenny (Fiona Wade) and her husband Sam (George Rainsford), who’ve moved into a fixer-upper with their baby daughter. When Sam goes on a business trip, Jenny starts experiencing creepy stuff at 2:22 AM every night: footsteps and crying over the baby monitor, but no one’s there when she checks. When Sam finally returns, he’s no help at all, being a total skeptic. He claims he lost his phone, which is why he was out of touch. Their friends Lauren (Vera Chok) and Ben (Jay McGuiness) come over for dinner, and after hearing Jenny’s spooky tales, they decide to stay up to see if it happens again.
The production’s atmosphere is top-notch, thanks to set designer Anna Fleischle, lighting designer Lucy Carter, and sound designer Ian Dickinson. The eerie vibe, complete with sudden screams, flashing red lights, and darkness, kept me and the rest of the audience on edge. Every scare was followed by nervous laughter, and I found myself jumping more than I expected.
Jay McGuiness, who plays Ben, was my favorite. His down-to-earth attitude was a breath of fresh air, and his joke about the different ways posh people say “mate” had everyone laughing. McGuiness brought a lot of warmth to his character, making him one of the standout of the show.
Sam, on the other hand, was a real piece of work. Played by George Rainsford, Sam’s dismissive attitude towards Jenny’s fears made him hard to like. But credit where it’s due, Rainsford played the part convincingly, really selling Sam’s frustrating skepticism.
All of the cast were brilliant, making their characters feel very real. Their performances were natural and gripping, adding to the overall tension of the play. You really believed each characters story and motivation behind being a part of it.
The set design added a lot to the spooky atmosphere. The high ceilings and empty spaces made you feel uneasy, and the skylights made it seem like someone was always watching. The lighting and sound effects were perfectly timed, making sure the audience was always on edge.
One of the best things about the play is how it messes with your mind. Just like the characters, you start off as a skeptic but end up questioning everything by the end. It’s more than just a ghost story; it’s about belief and doubt, which makes it really compelling. I won’t spoil the ending, but trust me, this is a must-see. Even if ghost stories aren’t your thing, this play offers so much more.
In conclusion, “2:22 A Ghost Story” is a fantastic piece of theatre. With stellar performances, brilliant design, and a gripping story, it’s up there with some of the best shows I’ve seen.
Amina Khayyam Dance Company brings a double-bill to The Place, combining live music and contemporary Kathak to tell current stories. While there are compelling highs, both pieces struggle to land.
You&Me tells the story of a man’s repressed sexuality. While he yearns to be himself, the opportunity presented by a chance encounter with a fellow man, he is tethered to his normative life and the shackles of his Ghungroo bells. Shyam Dattani and Giacomo Pini play our two men, their differences represented by their different dance styles–Kathak and contemporary, respectively–which they teach to each other. It’s cute, as we see the tentative first steps of a growing connection which is then cruelly denied (don’t worry, it has a happy ending).
Bird is a group piece exploring women stuck in abusive relationships, their desire for escape, and the power of solidarity. Incorporating a silent scream motif, the choreography shows us many different yet connected, and sadly familiar, examples of suffering. The dancers–Jane Chan, Jalpa Vala, Abirimi Eswar, Mohika Shankar, Selene Travaglia and Amina Khayyam–endow each character with a welcome specificity and precision, and seem keenly aware of the responsibility of telling stories like these.
The biggest triumph of the night is Jonathan Mayer’s music, played by Mayer (sitar & subahar), Iain McHugh (cello) and Debasish Mukherjee (tabla) in near-darkness behind the gauze. It’s in one moment thumping, flooding the stage with energy and electricity, and the next soft, eerie and disconcerting. As a score, it deserves high praise for masterfully complementing the choreography and both leading and following the dancers oft-tricky sequences.
Unfortunately, the pieces fall flat in two major ways. The first, perhaps slightly more forgivable, is in the obviousness of the choices. In You&Me, we have a simple story of a man who is repressed, meets a man, struggles, they teach each other something, and finally they can be together. Dattani removes his bells (it’s a bold, slightly uncomfortable choice to have this cultural symbol be his shackles) and is free. This story is lovely but the choreography is often on-the-nose and feels like they stopped at their first choice for each moment. Bird suffers from a similar problem, wherethe examples of abusive relationships seem surface level and the dance feels like a missed opportunity to explore subtler and more complex issues and their embodiments. Indeed, I worry there is something harmfully reductive in portraying all the women as victims who all manage to escape by accepting help: a very narrow and inaccurate view of the majority of women’s experiences of domestic abuse.
This brings me to the less forgivable issue with this double-bill: what was promised. Bird’s description seems mostly appropriate, although it does feel as if the piece isn’t quite tackling (at least explicitly or implicitly enough to be recognised) some of its stated ideas. However, the handout for the evening describes You&Me as containing a “reversal of rūpānusāriṇī when a man plays a woman,” and as following a “female perspective”–since the piece started from a workshop with a women’s group. This leads the audience to expect a story from the perspective of a woman with a woman playing a man, neither of which we receive. At best, it fails in its delivery. At worst, it comes across as erasing the very perspective it reports to be led by.
Amina Khayyam Dance Company is clearly renowned for a reason, and not all art has to push every boundary. But for a company with its mission statement, I couldn’t help but be disappointed in the simplicity of what these works had to say. Queer people deserve to remove the shackles of their culture (and can quite easily in this case) and be themselves freely, and the suffering of domestic abuse victims is bad. Where’s the promised subculture?
This piece is macabre and is likely not for the faint-hearted, with graphic and gory moments
In half-light a gunshot rings out. As the lights rise we find a Mother (Mariah Gale) and her two daughters, Ida (Elizabeth Dulau) and Ada (Alexandra Jensen), who have just murdered their abusive husband and father. This one-act play delves into the three days following the murder, exploring how the women choose to dispose of the body and the aftermath of the man’s death.
As the subject matter suggests, the piece is macabre and is likely not for the faint-hearted. There are some graphic, gory descriptions. However, within the absurdity and grotesqueness of the situation quite a lot of dark comedy is found. Gale is particularly adept at getting a guffaw out of the audience with her dry delivery.
Jasmine Swan’s set is beautifully evocative of the harsh landscapes of rural Australia, where the piece is set. The stellar cast truly showcases their skill, bringing to life heightened, poetic language and unexpected phraseology that could easily feel alienating in lesser hands. The actors seamlessly switch between narrating, inhabiting their own characters, and playing all other characters who visit the family home to uncover what has happened. These visitors are passed between the actors line-to-line and are distinguishable only through cleverly defined physical and vocal choices that each actor takes on.
The movement work by Iskandar R Sharazuddin helps to feed the narrative, and does a lot to help the ‘show not tell’ aspects of the piece that are sometimes neglected in plays where the action is fully narrated. The soundscape by Asaf Zohar ties the sections and scenes together and heightens the movement sequences.
While Gale, Dulau, and Jensen deserve immense praise for bringing the text to life and driving this performance, commendation must go to the entire creative team for their cohesive effort. This production is a prime example of how all elements can come together to truly elevate a piece of theatre.
The Royal Lyceum’s 2024/25 programme is stuffed full of treats for theatre goers
Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum’s 2024/25 season looks to be an unmissable collection, with a variety of intriguing productions and unmistakable talent expected over the coming year.
The launch event saw Creative Director, David Greig, chat with eight guests about their involvement with upcoming events, some insider observations, followed by a brief audience Q&A in the intimate theatre setting.
Kicking off the season is Shirley Valentine (12 – 29 June 2024) – a production by the Pitlochry Festival Theatre, of Willy Russell’s work. Directed by Elizabeth Newman, and performed as a monologue by Sally Reid, the story is of a middle aged woman on a trip to Greece and the decisions facing her. Sally and Elizabeth were both at this event, where Elizabeth spoke movingly about Russell’s works promoting the choice of women, and it promises to be a funny, touching and unexpectedly deep experience for all.
Throughout the Fringe, The Outrun (31 July – 24 August 2024) will be performed at the local Churchill Theatre, produced by The Lyceum. Stef Smith and Vicky Featherstone are combining forces to bring to life Amy Liptrot’s compelling memoir of addiction.
Pandemonium (24 – 28 September 2024) has been written by Armando Iannucci, as a biting satirical response to a government in chaos following a pandemic. An apt production for this political year, the previous run at Soho Theatre, London, earlier in the year was well received.
One for younger theatregoers and families, The Baddies (4 – 20 October 2024) is an adaptation of the Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler book, with songs by Joe Stilgoe. These ‘baddies’ are really bad, at being bad! It’s worth checking out the excerpt of the “Very Worst Baddies in the World” song for a hint of things to come.
A Streetcar Named Desire (24 October – 9 November 2024), the classic Tennessee William’s play comes to town, with Kirsty Stuart starring as Blanche Dubois, and directed by Elizabeth Newman. Expect the infamous Carousel Bar to form part of the staging, and an aching jazzy soundtrack to accompany this pressure cooker of a play, filled with longing and ‘what if’ reflections on a life that could have been so different.
A return to ‘home’ awaits for Treasure Island (30 November 2024 – 4 January 2025) – in a retelling of the well-loved Robert Louis Stevenson tale, where we find ourselves in a home for retired pirates in Leith, and travel north to Orkney. Adapted by Orkney playwright Duncan McLean and “folky, jazzy, comedic” orignal songs from Tim Dalling; director Wils Wilson told us there will be sea shanties, fun and drama, and perhaps a sword fight, to keep everyone entertained.
The Merchant of Venice (18 January – 15 February 2025) is an exchange with Theatre for a New Audience, based in Brooklyn and founded by Jeffrey Horowitz. Following the Lyceum’s Macbeth (an undoing) being performed in New York, Jeffrey and director Arin Arbus were present at this showcase to tell us about this exchange and the significance of this “rich, complex” production coming to Edinburgh, and the challenges of staging Shakespeare as an American repertory.
In this upcoming exchange, John Douglas Thompson, plays Shylock, and was the first Black American to do so. Set in New York in the near future, the play covers elements of our lives that are still relevant today, such as bias, justice, and speaks directly to us about our world, but with humour and romance entwined. If the passion with which both Horowitz and Arbus spoke translates to this play, then without a doubt, this will be a must-see ticket.
Nicole Taylor’s Wild Rose (6 March – 5 April 2025) is a musical based on her film, is having its World Premiere next year. A lover of country music since the age of 12, Nicole declared country music as ‘the aperture for understanding emotions’ in the unlikely setting of Glasgow, and a singer newly released from prison. This musical is directed by John Tiffany, and John described it as being all that is country, with a Scottish cast.
The Mountaintop (31 May – 21 June 2025) is a new production of the modern classic, set the night before Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and centres around the conversation he has with the hotel chambermaid. Written by Katori Hall and directed by Rikki Henry, this drama covers a gamut of human experiences.
Coraline – A Musical (26 June – 19 July 2025) based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, is sure to be a crowd-puller, with music from Skye-based Louis Barabbas. Director James Brinning and writer Zinnie Harris both explained the story that Neil Gaiman’s publisher originally deemed too scary for children, but in the best way, as a child confronting her fears in a rite of passage story. Hearing a snippet from “Leave a Little Room” showed why anticipation is high for this particular production.
A brief Q&A session followed, the highlight being some of the final thoughtful remarks of Jeffrey Horowitz and Arin Arbus, regarding the value of collaboration between Theatre for a New Audience and the Lyceum Theatre. Not only in being able to exchange productions between New York and Edinburgh, but also the sharing of experiences between artists, and even their respective education programmes, highlighting the importance of a global theatre environment.
At the start of the evening, David Greig candidly referred to the attendees tonight as the “Lyceum Ultras” – those who follow this theatre avidly and attend everything shown. On the basis of tonight’s previews and perceptive insights, there will be a considerable number joining their ranks as the season progresses.
A playful staging of Handel’s whimsical opera, in which true love is tested by powerful sorcery
In 1735, George Frideric Handel adapted a fanciful story from Ariosto’s Italian Renaissance epic, Orlando Furioso; the resulting opera, Alcina, is staged here by the Guildhall School in a playful and earnest exploration of a battle between true love and powerful enchantments.
The opera opens with a striking lighting shift revealing several performers in animal masks behind a scrim, with one unmasked individual in the centre; within moments, he is ‘magically’ transformed into a lion. This is Astolfo (Harun Tekin), a former lover of Alcina, the powerful sorceress. Like Circe in Homer’s Odyssey, Alcina rules over an island and casts enchantments to ensnare her lovers; when she tires of them, she turns them into animals and objects. Director John Ramster, designer Louis Carver, and lighting designer Andy Purves have crafted a visually impactful world of magic and transfiguration.
As the lights rise on a crisp contemporary set, we meet our heroine, Bradamante, who has come to rescue her lover Ruggiero from Alcina’s clutches while disguised as her brother, ‘Ricciardo’; Bradamante is accompanied by the tutor Melisso. Mezzo-soprano Julia Merino as Bradamante, in armour and a fake moustache, is instantly captivating, with an engaging stage presence. Alaric Green as Melisso brings skilful comic timing and a resonant baritone voice to the stage. As Bradamante and Melisso encounter Morgana, Alcina’s sister, who is enraptured by the moustachioed Bradamante, all three performers exercise their comedic talents in a charmingly misguided scene of seduction reminiscent of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Soprano Yolisa Ngwexana’s Morgana, while often played as a villain, is impossible to dislike; she has a graceful and expressive style which recalls the silent film stars of the 1920’s. This impression is heightened by several old-Hollywood-style costumes later in the opera, including a shape-shifting gown in which she delivers an effortless and joyful performance of the famous aria ‘Tornami a vagheggiar.’
When Bradamante and Melisso arrive at Alcina’s court, they meet the sorceress herself, played by soprano Georgie Malcolm. Here we see the stage transformed by projections into a lavish 70’s-inspired party; these projections are the perfect medium to represent Alcina’s illusions, as they can come and go as her powers wax and wane. Malcolm brings a strong command of dynamics to add intrigue to Alcina’s arias, as well as pure, ringing high notes. Here we also meet Ruggiero, alongside Oberto, Astolfo’s young son who has come to find his father, and Oronte, Morgana’s lover whom she spurns for ‘Ricciardo.’ Mezzo-soprano Shana Moron-Caravel as Ruggiero has a winsome presence, and brings a real pathos to the character in later acts after a comic beginning. Soprano Samantha Hargreaves is endearing as schoolboy Oberto and inhabits the role with physical and vocal ease. The cast is rounded out by tenor Emyr Lloyd Jones as Oronte, whose comic physicality was paired with clear high notes. (NB: Jonah Halton will sing Oronte on June 5th and 10th).
The cast blends beautifully in the few moments in which we hear them as an ensemble. Handel’s vocals and instrumentation often echo and repeat each other’s melodies, and in these ensemble scenes, movement director William Byram explores themes of influence and enchantment as the characters ‘echo’ both the music and each other.
The opera’s later acts dive deeper into the struggle between Bradamante’s love for Ruggiero and Alcina’s control of the island, and some of the arias are accompanied by videos on multiple screens. These graphics explore themes such as illusion and decay, but can at times distract from the energetic and creative performances on stage.
Nevertheless, there is much to like about this production, and the cast’s spirited sincerity will have viewers chuckling along with the characters’ antics and rooting powerfully for the star-crossed Bradamante and Ruggiero throughout this whimsical adventure.
Alcina is playing at the Guildhall School’s Milton Court Theatre, with upcoming performances on the 5th, 7th, and 10th of June at 7:00 PM. Performances are sung in Italian with English surtitles.
Danusia Samal’s smash gig theatre hit Bangersis back with a brand new look, following five star runs at Soho Theatre and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2023. Coming to London’s Arcola Theatre for three weeks this summer, Bangers is bringing the party to Dalston.
An exhilarating night of original music, lyrical storytelling and pure UK garage vibes, Bangers sees two headliners crossfade between stories of love, sex and the power of music across one night where their lives intersect. Joined onstage by a live DJ and narrator, Aria and Clef hurtle towards each others’ futures as they each struggle with their pasts, blending early 00s and present day R&B vibes in an original soundtrack of pure bangers.
How would you describe the show, Bangers?
It’s nostalgic, poetic, and filled with musical bangers! A story about coming of age and reconciling your past – both gripping drama and a good night out.
What can you tell us about your role in the production?
I wrote the play, along with lyrics and melodies – which were brought alive by the sick compositions of Duramaney Kamara. I’m also one of the performers. I approached our director Chris Sonnex with a version of Bangers many moons ago, so making it into a full production has been a bit of a dream come true.
The show has had very successful runs at both Soho Theatre and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, how does it feel to now bring the show to Arcola Theatre for a three week Summer run?
It’s exciting! Dalston has a rich history and music scene, and we’re excited to tap into that. I grew up not too far away, and I’ve imagined our characters roaming these streets. The Arcola is also a great space that we’re looking forward to filling, and we’re really excited about collaborating with them on some post show events to keep the party going.
Bangers is described as “a lyrical love letter to UK Garage”, can you tell us a bit about how the concept for the show developed?
Years ago, I wanted to write a show about our relationship to music – how the songs we listen to shape our attitudes to love, sex and gender. There was always going to be a DJ and vibes, but the story grew and evolved and Clef and Aria were born. In 2020 I was given a place on the Soho 6 and an opportunity to stage a full production with Cardboard Citizens. I was writing about clubbing in the middle of a pandemic – when I wasn’t sure if we’d ever dance again! It was interesting because that was kind of the female character ‘Aria’s’ journey – returning to music after being cut off from it.
Alongside the show, there will be events for young people – what can you tell us about these and your motivations for running them?
We’re really excited about hosting events around the show – we’re hoping to run open mic nights, book DJ’s, and collaborate with the Arcola’s participation and community groups so WATCH THIS SPACE. The original production of Bangers toured community venues and homeless shelters and it was a massive part of the production. Theatres can often feel alienating so we want to run events to help bring in new audiences and welcome people to the show.
What do you hope audiences will take away from Bangers?
I hope it makes them think, I hope it gets them talking, and I hope it reconnects them to their love of UK garage. I also hope that someone comes to see this and thinks – ‘I can write a play too!’
This piece explores the themes of, love, loss and grief, focusing on the dynamics of three estranged siblings
The House We Inherit is a hard hitting play with a lot of tough themes. I feel all of the actors handled the plays subject matter really well and sensitively. The writing in this piece was lovely from Sarah Majland – it was funny and lighthearted when it needed to be and this made the darker themes hit that much harder. This allowed the audience to take in what was happening much more easily. The writing style felt very natural, there was so much truth in the way these siblings spoke with one another. It resembled the the real elements of what family estrangement looks and feels like. Everything in this piece was very intentional and clever.
The play was set in the siblings family home. The actors, Sarah Majland, Boyan Petrov, and Öncel Camci, made it very clear how each of their characters felt about being there. There were a lot of moments where the characters were alone on stage and simply just existing. It was nice to see them all so comfortable with being in the space for long periods of time without any action. This really made it feel like their home, you could tell there was a sense of familiarity even if their character was not comfortable to be there. When there was nothing happening on stage the energy was always up. Nothing felt rushed; it was lovely to watch the actors sit and go through the emotions. This allowed the audience in turn to do the same. All actors were bold with great stage presence. They were able to be heard well throughout the whole play. Each character was fully fleshed, and yet even though they were all so different in their opinions, you were rooting for them all.
Capital Theatres played host this week to what could be the closest thing we can get in 2024 to a live performance from folk music legends, Simon and Garfunkel.
Dan Haynes and Pete Richards bring an outstandingly accurate tribute and celebration of the duo’s lives and music. Through excellent musicianship, sympathetic arrangements and voices that simultaneously lull you to sleep and bring you tears.
When I closed my eyes, I believed I was listening to my mum’s copy of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.With careful use of an additional guitarist, violin, viola and cello, the sound from the stage was fully rounded and utterly balanced. Minimalistic lighting and staging let this talented pair rely on their sumptuous tone and let the music do the talking.
That said, where tribute acts often fall down in their audience banter between songs, Haynes and Richards have no troubled waters to traverse. Peppering the audience with interesting nuggets of Paul and Art social history with a perfectly rehearsed ease. What was really nice to see during the second half was that the stories shifted to their own stories of meeting in college and bonding over a mutual love of music while skipping classes. This is a pair perfectly comfortable on the stage and by each others sides and you can believe these two are true friends.
While this show might not have appealed to a younger audience with the average age in the auditorium sitting at mid 50s, I would (as a 32 year old young-ish perspective) urge my peers to experience this show when they can. I only mention this as the gentleman sat beside me actually commented on the fact he didn’t know people my age knew about the artists! While Simon and Garfunkel may have been most popular in the 60s and 70s, this is folk music at its finest that speaks to all ages as the songs were written from Paul and Art from adolescence through the ups and downs of adult life. Truly inspired song construction, lyrics to make your soul hurt and harmonies that send a tingle from scalp to toes. Having only ever been able to listen to the original music recordings before, it was a magical experience to get to enjoy this music live and done so exquisitely.
