Author: eviegreenstreet039f43f8d8

REVIEW: The Choir Of Man

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

‘Feel good, fun and free!’ 

The concept is simple, a group of men who are regulars at their local pub ‘The Jungle’ join in song. Each character represents the well-loved pub locals we all recognise from the heart broken romantic to the practical joker.

The show celebrates hubs of community and togetherness, cultivating a unique one for the night through inviting audience members on stage to share in a pint or join in with a tune. If you like audience participation, this is the show for you, the usual rules of theatre do not apply here.

It doesn’t have a story as such but gently explores the themes of the importance of places to gather, something that I felt could be explored in greater depth. Instead, it is a collection of energetic and feel good sing-a-long songs offering something different to the usual musical theatre experience. 

Each character takes in turns to perform, with songs ranging from emotional ballads to cheeky pop hits with comedic moments threaded throughout. For me, the highlight was Jack Skelton’s tap dancing, his shoes becoming the through beat of the Paul Simon song ‘50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.’ It was clear the audience were enjoying themselves as there were numerous ruptures of applause rippled throughout the evening. 

Not only were the group full of infectious energy but they were also strong vocally which was showcased through their acapella rendition of Sia’s ‘Chandelier,’ a crowd favourite that we had the privilege of watching not once but twice. 

The second performance of this song was particularly special as a couple of local Glasgow choirs joined to sing with them, turning a large proportion of the audience into the choir. This was a particular joy to experience and another creative way to celebrate gathering in community. 

If you are looking for something with a through narrative and complex story beats, then this isn’t the show for you, but if you are willing to lean into the cheese and up for a sing-a-long then you are guaranteed to leave the theatre with a big smile on your face. The show is best served with a pint or two.

The Choir of Man plays at the Glasgow King’s Theatre from 28th April to the 2nd May before continuing it’s tour around the UK. Tickets can be purchased here.

REVIEW: Waiting for Godot

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

‘A sharp and refreshing take on this elusive, existential play.’

Set on a stark stage in the newly renovated Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, Dominic Hill’s Waiting for Godot did not disappoint. The eerie scenery, designed by Jean Chan, created a timeless place shrouded in mystery, the perfect backdrop for restless existential questioning. Although Samuel Beckett’s play was written in 1948, the complex themes still resonate today.

The play is an exploration of what it means to be human. We join Vladimir, played by George Costigan, and Estragon, by Matthew Kelly, as they wait for the mysterious character Godot, longing for a change in their lives. Who is he? What does he represent? Why are these men so desperate to meet him? Can the longing for Godot be reflected in our own life? As the play unfolds, the audience become part of their journey, joining in their waiting, hoping for their sake that Godot will come.

The strong performance from the cast created a mixture of shock, laughter and bewilderment from the audience. What stood out most was Matthew Kelly and George Costigan’s chemistry and impeccable character work. Their connection suggested a rich history and deep understanding of one another, perhaps solidified through the actors’ decades of friendship off the stage.

Interrupting their waiting was Gbolahan Obisesan’s Pozzo and his slave Lucky, played by Michael Hodgson. The power struggle between them was palpable, uncomfortable and shocking, eerily echoing some of the unsavoury characteristics demonstrated by some in power today.

Throughout the performance Kelly and Costigan caused ripples of laughter through their physical acting and their quick-witted quips, often finding depth stretching well beyond the original text. They create a tension, manipulating the emotions of the audience, causing us to connect with their humanity. Their on-stage relationship had moments of humour, frustration and tenderness, signs of those who have weathered storms and lived life together. Perhaps, really this is a story of a friendship.

As we watch, it feels we are trapped in a painful cycle, holding on for something that may never happen. Nowadays we wait for nothing; almost anything is attainable at the click of a button. The contrasting timelessness on stage lead to moments of discomfort as the pair struggle to attempt to while away time. The number of creative ways the friends come up with to distract them from waiting is both astounding and amusing. We feel their pain, their hunger, their search for something more.

Samuel Beckett’s play is somehow timeless and universal, with many of the themes explored continuing to hold relevance today. In a play where nothing happens, this production left you considering your place in the world. In a world full of uncertainty, Matthew Kelly and George Costigan’s performance of Waiting for Godot still resonates profoundly today.

This show runs at Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, 27th February until 14th March. Tickets here.

REVIEW: Thanyia Moore: August

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

‘A thought-provoking, carthatic watch’

Thanyia sets up the show by highlighting the importance of the Fringe festival for a stand-up comedian. Likening it to the Olympics she explains the pressure both financially and reputationally to pull off a podium worthy show. The opening of the show is light and fun and her bold, energetic character shines through. 

She wryly confesses that when it was finally her turn to go to Edinburgh and take the stage she felt confident, even cocky and lucky to have the support of producers and a production team behind her. But the universe had other plans. 

In this one-woman show were story telling blends with laughter, Thanyia shares about the horrific, unexpected turn of her first Fringe and how she reacted to having a miscarriage the day she was due to make her Fringe debut. Thanyia isn’t afraid to face this somewhat taboo topic but tackles her story head on the way she knows best, with laughter. 

Her experience reflects that of many women who have hidden their grief and pain both physical and emotional to uphold their professionalism and maintain a certain persona for fear that their ‘woman’s issues’ will not be understood. Perhaps, through this show she will offer a space to discuss this further.  

But in her darkest moments, she managed to find relief through the unusual characters found in the streets of Edinburgh. There was the wizard who lead tourists around the cobbled lanes and the familiar face of a repeat taxi driver who became a constant as Moore was travelling to and from hospital on discovering she had an ectopic pregnancy. 

Thanyia praises the supportive, cheery experience she had from the NHS in Scotland and compared its differences to the bored, disillusioned healthcare she was used to in London, looking for comic relief and silver linings at every turn. 

This story is heart breaking and yet Moore sprinkle moments of light relief and joy throughout, sharing that the comedians curse meant that even as this was happening, she was gathering material for her next show. 


The show runs until 24th August at 17:40 in the Pleasance Courtyard. Tickets here: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/thanyia-moore-august

REVIEW: Do You Accept These Charges?

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

‘Jaw droppingly funny and shocking’

Laurie Magers is both open and vulnerable in her one-woman debut Fringe show as she shares the history of a particularly turbulent relationship. 

Set in a prison on Christmas Day, the show’s opener instantly reveals that Laurie’s relationship story was anything but conventional and this is only the beginning of her tale. After the initial scene setting Laurie breaks the fourth wall inviting the audience to befriend her as she tells her story frankly, openly and with wit. 

She explains there are two groups of people: those that have been touched and affected by the tendrils of crime and those who haven’t and Laurie wants to ensure that the latter group understand every tiny aspect of what it is like to be on the other side of that line. 

Laurie leaves no stone unturned, sharing about the time she had phone sex in the fridge at work, the horrors of the prison bra box and how she was so keen to please her man that she was almost imprisoned herself. As things got more extreme, you start to wonder, ‘what will be the straw that breaks the camels back?’ And the answer is not what you’de expect. 

There were many laugh out loud moments and although her set was simple, she clearly painted a picture of the different facets of her relationship using a blend of props and projections to layer her story telling. 

Some of the revelations she shared were shocking and yet through her bold, vivacious storytelling there were moments where surprisingly it felt possible to understand how and why she chose to stay with a man in maximum security for much longer than she ever should have. I mean, doesn’t everyone want to date a bad boy? 

If you can think of a question about what it is like dating someone who is incarcerated, Laurie answers it and more in her hilarious one woman play.

The show was clever, funny and outrageous and is definitely worth a watch! 
This show runs runs until 24th August at 15:10 in the Pleasance Courtyard. Tickets available here.

REVIEW: Pickled Republic

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

“A highly physical, entertaining, absurd cabaret performance that is not to be missed”

Have you ever wondered how it feels to be a vegetable, past its sell by date, forgotten in the back of the cupboard? Have you considered the lives of the characters tightly packed together in the pickle jar in your fridge? Ruxy Cantir’s performance follows the life cycle of the produce left to wither and wilt. 

This surreal and abstract show creates an environment where you find yourself considering the existential questions of the journeys of these poor, unfortunate souls. In a highly physical, entertaining, absurd cabaret performance that is not to be missed. 

Ruxy Cantir has impeccable character work. We meet a terrified, forgotten tomato who once basked in the sunshine and now is squashed in the bottom of a mouldy jar, a sexy, confident, ‘spud-uctive’ potato in her prime who begins to age and wither and a loving mother of a baby carrot who is having an existential crisis. 

The set is simple and effective, each vegetable is clear from their differing costume and characteristics and the accompanying sound of the pickle in a jar paired with mime creates such a strong visual that you want to smash the jar open yourself. The venue in Summerhall suits perfectly, the intimate nature of the space drawing the audience into the stifling world of these vegetables. 

Ruxy breaks the fourth wall, including the audience in comical nods throughout, inviting us into her universe and making us care about the outcome of each of these characters in their strange reality. 

For ‘fork’ sake, go and see this show. 

This show runs until 25th August at 13:15 in Summerhall. Tickets can be found here: https://festival.summerhallarts.co.uk/events/pickled-republic/ 

REVIEW: What’s In The Kitchen

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

‘A feast for the senses’

Welcomed into the venue with a gift bag of food and a tipple accompanied by a local soundtrack to set the scene, ‘What’s In The Kitchen?’ delves into the bright and bold flavourings found in the Brazilian gastronomy scene. 

Split into a menu of chapters, the show follows a number of characters across Brazil and how food can create different feelings and bring communities together. Each story comes with a food pairing taking you directly into the kitchen using multiple senses with taste leading the way. You may even find you learn something about your own taste buds when discovering the five tastes.  

Eduardo Estrela is an engaging storyteller, easily transporting you to the different culinary corners in Brazil from a high-pressure, chaotic restaurant kitchen in Sao Paolo, to the glossiness of television chefs and ending with my personal favourite, the tranquil pasta making Brazilian-Italian Nonna Theresa who opens heart and home to anyone in need of a bowl of fresh pasta. 

He even nods that Theresa is inspired by the show’s director Dani Angelotti whose talents can be seen both through the performance and the delicious homemade Brigadeiro which rounds off the performance’s menu. It is worth mentioning here that the food by Chef Alejandro Huerto was a wonderful addition to the show, elevating the story telling further by incorporating all the senses. 

Along with tales of cuisine, Estrela examines himself as both a restaurateur and actor. He draws comparisons between the performative nature of gastronomy and the theatre.

Speaking about how the constant pressure of succeeding mirrors the life of an actor always trying to give his best performance. 

The performance is predominantly in Portuguese with subtitles on a screen above, so it is worth sitting back far enough to read the subtitles to accompany the performance. 

The meal kit is simple and numbered with Eduardo clearly instructing you on what to eat when. That being said, I still managed to muddle it up by eating the shrink-wrapped treat too early confusing the final desert for the sweet section in parcel two. So, make sure you follow the numbers carefully and pay attention to get the full experience. 

If you are a foodie, you enjoy travelling or love local stories or are just looking for something a little different then this is the show for you. 

This show runs until 23rd August (except Mondays). Tickets here.

REVIEW: The Nutcracker

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

‘A beautiful, creative interpretation of the popular Christmas classic.’

Choreographed and directed by Christopher Hampson, with additional flavour from a team of choreographers, this enchanting ballet was the perfect way to start the December festivities. 

From the beginning of this mesmerising interpretation, there was a fun and festive feel at the grand Christmas eve party. A busy bustle of children playing, guests dancing and gifts exchanged with an array of attendees from lively youngsters to the eccentric aunts who were humorously characterised by Gina Scott and Madeline Squire. 

As the unique and bedazzling Drosselmeyer arrives to entertain the guests, the mood changes form light-hearted to curious and mysterious. Drosselmeyer who is skilfully performed by Grace Horler commands the stage and captivates the audience with magic and excitement. 

It is in this scene that Drosselmeyer gifts the family with a charming nutcracker resembling a handsome prince. There are lots of clever slights of hand in this sequence, from unique magic tricks to the moment Drosselmeyer repairs the nutcracker following a playful mishap between young Fritz and Clara. 

When Clara, danced beautifully by Ava Morrison, falls asleep after the festivities the magic truly begins as she is thrust into a strange world of fantasy. There is a shift in tone as she meets the scary King rat, cleverly characterised by Ishan Mahabir-Stokes and his band of mice. 

Thankfully, Drosselmeyer’s magic continues as the beloved nutcracker awakens to reveal instead a charming prince who was precisely performed throughout by Yuri Marques Da Silva.

Not only does the prince valiantly defeat the King Rat in a thrilling battle but he then takes Clara on an enchanting and wonderous adventure to the shimmering Land of Ice and Snow, where delectable dancing delights await. The delicate snowflakes and the graceful Snow Queen performed by Roseanna Leney take the stage for a spectacular wintery treat. The perfect end to the first Act. 

There is outstanding costume and set design from Lez Brotherston from the intricate features of the King Rat and his band of rodents to the opulent and delicate designs of the Snow Queen and her entrancing sleigh. And the second act is no different as the playful, festive and eye-catching set transports us to the realm of the Sugar Plum fairy.

The exquisite dancing continues in the second Act as Clara feasts on an assortment of dances from across the world. Each dance evoked a different feeling as we moved through the five different countries. I particularly enjoyed the punchy and jovial nature of the candy canes from Russia where Sophie Laplane’s fun, acrobatic choreography was enhanced by Brotherston’s bright and bold Russian clown costumes.

I also appreciated the beauty and delicacy of the bon-bons from France who danced with poise and precision. Jessica Fyfe who later expertly danced a stunning Sugar Plum Fairy also choreographed this beautiful delight of treats.

When the curtain closed at the end of the show, I could not believe how quickly the evening had past. From the enchanting live orchestra playing Tchaikovsky’s well-loved music, to the captivating dancing and delectable costumes, the evening was spectacular. This ballet was as delicious as the array of sweets danced in the second Act and is not one to be missed!

REVIEW: Woof!

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

‘Real, existential and funny’

Last at the Fringe 7 years ago, Hannah Gadsby is back with their new show ‘Woof!’ which aims to ask all the big questions. Gadsby continues to hold the space between comedy and tough truths with a self-awareness that is highly relatable and on numerous occasions had the audience burst into applause in agreement. 

They touch on big topics such as mental health struggles, death, grief and anxiety describing this show as having a more chatty, jittery and anxious energy, very different from the deep intensity of Nanette. They ask big questions, little questions and everything in between, my personal favourite being, ‘what happened to all the cabbage patch dolls?’ 

They share that Woof wasn’t the original plan for Hannah’s show, that the show was going to focus solely on grief but following a last-minute panic attack, they threw that show away to create space for this new one. Perhaps that show is for another time they joke, a ‘buy one get one free.’

Instead, Woof focuses on the anxiety of the modern age. There is so much to be anxious about, the climate crisis, the news, social media, the fact that we have started making plants out of plastic. Hannah really hammers this point until it hits home, why remove the oxygen from the plants? 

In fact, Hannah addresses plastic pollution throughout. Are there thousands of cabbage patch dolls hidden in landfill? Are we supposed to be calm about the fact that all of us have components of plastic inside us? 

But perhaps, most interesting about this show is the way Gadsby addresses their newfound fame and discusses the fear of not being able to stay grounded. They have grown in confidence and are not afraid to share it but with success they are beginning to adapt and perhaps not in ways that they like. 

They speak of their journey ‘from Ken Loach to just Ken’ and chat about how they don’t feel they fit into their newfound lifestyle. They speak of going from being frozen to their bones in bed one winter to now being unable to sleep without two mattress toppers. They create space for us to question, what might we be like in that same situation? 

Although some things never change. Continuously stubborn, Hannah shares that when people said glasses were a key character component, they got laser eye surgery. They pull their glasses off their face to prove it. Gadsby doesn’t like the restrictive labels placed on them by others and that is why their fanbase loves them. 

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/hannah-gadsby-woof

REVIEW: Suitcase Show

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

‘a show with a uniquely captivating story telling technique’

The dark performance space has a stack of old suitcases on the left and one open in the centre where a record plays and a lone figurine rotates round and round. On the right there is a screen, before the play has even started it is clear there is something different about the way this story will be told.  

We meet a man at border control played by Ralph McCubbin Howell who is stopped by a baggage inspector played by Hannah Smith for having suspicious luggage. He is surprised by this and explains to the inspector that she really might not want to see the contents of the luggage. 

As would be expected the inspector is insistent and will not let him through without opening each suitcase, he reluctantly agrees but highlights that doing so will be at her own risk. What follows is a series of short stories told from the contents of the suitcases where each suitcase transports you to a different world. Every suitcase holds a different story with a different story telling medium, each as clever as the last. 

Hannah Smith’s direction is sharp and witty. This is enhanced by the extremely clever and creative production and technical design by Rachel Marlow and Brad Gledhill which gives the feeling that you are seeing to the mind of an inventor. 

The show combines intricate props and creations with light and sound to create a unique and captivating storytelling technique and Ralph’s actions and facial expressions enrich the overall affect. Some stories are interesting, others are humorous, but at first none of them seem that connected. Although, they do share an undercurrent of darkness. 

After hearing a few of the stories, there is a penny drop moment and Ralph’s true character is revealed. Suddenly, the stories make sense, and the contents of the bags highlight the history of the characters within them. We are brought to the present day watching the CCTV of events unfolding on the screen. As the show ties cleverly ties together you are left wondering, what story would be told in your own battered suitcase? 

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on#q=%22Suitcase%20Show%22

REVIEW: The History of Fortune Cookies

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

‘History, cookery and storytelling combined’

Self-confessed foodie, Sean Wai Keung welcomes you into a warm, cosy performance space and invites you to make yourself at home. It almost feels like you are sitting in his kitchen with him whilst he stirs the batter and talks you through the history of his recipe. He has thoughtfully replaced the egg in the batter with an alternative to create an inclusive space for vegans. With an audience of only ten you feel lucky to have made it into the room. 

As he begins to make the fortune cookies, he shares the story of his Grandparents, their immigration to UK and how they opened a Chinese restaurant. He tells us of spending time there as a child and selecting fortune cookies for eager customers as they collected their Friday night take aways. 

Sean tells us the history of fortune cookies, their origin story and how they came from many different places. He likens this history to his own cultural heritage and uses it as a method to shares his struggles of growing up as a mixed-race child, never feeling he quite fit into the world he inhabited. 

However, the art of making fortune cookies has helped Sean to come to terms with his own identity and share his family history with his newfound friends, the audience. The cooking component is a lovely addition to his story telling and brought in moments of fun such as the competitive element of shaping the cookies before they cooled. It also created an intimacy that drew the audience together in reflectiveness as they wrote their own fortunes. 

Sean spoke of how often it would be nice to create our own fortune cookies and to be able to forge our own paths so he gave us the opportunity to do just that. Every audience member got to leave with their own cookie, a fortune of their own making to go forth and tackle life, knowing that their sweet treat was in their pocket ready for when they needed it. 

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/history-of-fortune-cookies