Edinburgh Fringe 2011 - First Picks

As always with our Fringe previews, what follows shouldn't really be taken as recommendations - while some of our choices are based on experience with the companies, many are simply shows that we think might interest us based on the blurbs in the Fringe Programme. Your mileage may vary.

But before we get to that, we do have reviews already for a couple of productions that are now being revived for the Fringe. We adored the Citizens "One Million Tiny Plays About Britain" and Mark Thomas gave us an entertaining and thought provoking evening with his "Extreme Rambling". The Tron's "Casablanca: The Gin Joint Cut" was a fantastic night out and should feature near the top of anyone's list of must-see shows.

We've managed to put together quite a considerable list of shows - it was so much easier than last year when we found the pickings to be rather on the slim side. The downside of that is that with so many shows it will be harder than ever to schedule them all - and budget will certainly play a part too. So sadly it's inevitable that while we'd like to see all these shows, some will be 'lost along the way'.

We'd wanted to see Dundee Rep's production of Dennis Kelly's "After the End" but couldn't schedule the trip to Dundee, so it was good to see them taking it to Edinburgh. We also missed Fish and Game's "Alma Mater" at Scotland Street School last year so it's another show we're hoping to fit in - we love its idea of using technology as part of the performance.

We like the sound of "Commencement" with its schoolgirl revolution while the Comedian's Theatre Company are always worth seeing, so "Cul-de-Sac" is high on our list of shows to fit in.

Having given us "Sub Rosa" and "White Tea" in recent years we're more than willing to indulge David Leddy - even if his 'innovative meditation' in "Untitled Love Story" sounds a little outside our comfort zone. Similarly You Need Me have been pushing our boundaries since we first saw one of their shows three years ago. After a year's absence we're really looking forward to seeing what they have in store for us with "Death Song".

Long time followers of our Fringe coverage may have noticed that any show describing itself as "darkly comic" will catch our attention - but woe betide a show that doesn't live up to that billing. The first of those shows attempting the equivalent of a chocolate fondant on Masterchef is "The Ducks" which looks at youth unemployment. "Pushing up Poppies" set in a WWI trench also attempts the task, but should benefit from having Kieran Lynn as a writer - I've really enjoyed some of his other plays.

While for many Fringe-goers (and the press critics) the Traverse is their main hub for the first week, previous bad experiences and high ticket prices make us wary of booking up. But "The Golden Dragon" with its promise of "whisking you away from your local takeaway to East Asia and back" is enough to convince us to take a chance.

The prospect of "Handling Bach", a show about a fictional meeting between composers Handel and Bach wouldn't normally get a second glance from us, but Nonsenseroom have more than earned our trust over a number of years. As always with their shows out at Rosslyn Chapel we particularly recommend booking up for one of their 'special evenings' on Saturdays 13th & 20th which include a light buffet and tour of the Chapel. The Chapel is a bus trip out from the city centre but the effort should be well rewarded.

I've been wanting to see Fin Kennedy's play "How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found" for several years so I'm delighted to see The Outsiders staging it - so much so that we're prepared to break our usual rule of avoiding anything in a 'hotel venue'.

We've enjoyed a few of Mike Maran's storytelling shows over the years and we're looking forward to seeing his tale of the Italians who made their home in Scotland in "Italia'n'Caledonia". A different take on immigration/integration also caught our eye in the shape of "Rose" which focuses on the struggle between 1st and 2nd generation middle eastern immigrants starring father and daughter Art & Keira Malik.

A comedy based on a search to cast a dog in a film could well be awful but something about "Lights, Camera, Walkies" makes us want to give it a chance. Similarly unusual is "The Tour Guide" which appears to take place on an open top bus around the city.

"The Monster in the Hall" was a big hit for the Citizens/TAG last year and it's great to see them taking it to the Traverse, but unless we can take advantage of a 2 for 1 offer that whole "Traverse ticket price" thing might be a problem. Of course, the Traverse isn't the only place where prices can make us think twice about a show - Steven Berkoff's "Oedipus" at the Pleasance is another show with higher prices than we'd like. Also at the Pleasance but with a much more attractive price tag is "One Under" - a tale set on the London Underground from PartingShot.

Cumbernauld Theatre's "Viewless" is set around a witness protection programme and as we enjoyed their previous take on "The Wasp Factory" we reckon this is worth a look. Of course when it comes to relying on a company's reputation few shows are in better standing than "What Remains" from site-specific legends Grid Iron. But seriously - at up to £19 a ticket we're already left wishing we'd booked up before the 2 for 1 offer sold out.

And rounding up the shows that Waldorf and I plan on seeing together is "The World According to Bertie" - an adaptation of an Alexander McCall Smith novel.

But that's only the beginning, we've each got shows that we just can't persuade the other to see, so we've got our individual lists too...

I'm not sure that "Antony and Cleopatra" would normally make my list, but I've enjoyed reading director Claire Wood's Play Thing blog on her efforts to put it together, so I'd like to see how it turns out. "Dust" seems certain to gain plenty of publicity with being set on the day of Margaret Thatcher's death and featuring Arthur Scargill (as a character - not the real one!). Staying with politics/history (although going a little further back) is "The Trials of Galileo". I'm also hoping to see "Remember This" from Edinburgh University Theatre Company as I really enjoyed their "Wild Allegations" last year.

Rather unusually, and possibly inspired by her new Edinburgh based job, Waldorf has managed to find herself a substantial number of shows she hopes to see on her own. It remains to be seen just how many of her ambitious list can be fitted in to long lunches or early finishes (and she may wait for early reviews). Realistically I'll be amazed if she manages more than a handful and god knows when she'll get round to writing them up, so if these are your shows please don't count on a review you can use. Anyway, here is what caught her eye...

Bawbees and Ducats or A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Piazza
The Boy James
Bluebird
Can't Stand Up For Falling Down
A Dish of Tea with Dr Johnson
The End
Even in Edinburgh / Glasgow
Find Me
4.3 Miles from Nowhere
Free Time Radical
(g)Host City
The Girl Who Thought She Was Irish
Go to Your God Like a Soldier
The Historians
I, Malvolio
Ink
The Laramie Project
Laundry Boy
Me, Myself & Miss Gibbs
Minute After Midday
The Mourning Party
One Thousand Paper Cranes
Private Peaceful
Release
Simon Callow in Tuesday at Tescos
Taketh Me Away
The Toll
Your Last Breath

And do feel free to let us know what your tips are...

"Yes, Prime Minister" - June 2011

Although she's taken a back seat from writing reviews these days, Waldorf always contributes to what ends up in our thoughts here. After seeing "Yes, Prime Minister" she surprised me by offering to write our comments on it. Turns out her plan was simply to say "Give it a miss and watch the DVD box set instead". But by then I'd already had to make a conscious decision not to leave at the interval - and the main thing that kept me there was the fact I was going to be writing about it here.

When I'd first heard about this stage version of the much loved TV show I was sceptical. It was hard to imagine these characters played by anyone other than Paul Eddington, Nigel Hawthorne & Derek Fowlds. Even with the original writing team of Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn I struggled to believe it would work. And then the reviews came in - all very positive - for both the London and touring casts. We simply couldn't dismiss it anymore.

But almost as soon as the show started we knew we'd made a dreadful mistake. This was horrible. Simply horrible. It would be understandable if our disconnection from the show was due being unable to accept these new faces as the well known characters, but that wasn't the case. Yes, the central performances from Richard McCabe, Simon Williams and Chris Larkin were overcooked, but the real problem was in the writing. Sir Humphrey no longer has his aura of supreme competence and Jim Hacker appears to have the upper hand for most of the evening. Hacker and Bernard have lost all the charm and likability of the originals leaving Hacker a pretty vile little man and Bernard a cliched upper class twit. It's as if they have been B'stardised into their New Statesman equivalents.

The plot, such that it is, also seems terribly misjudged. The (comparatively) grounded reality of the TV show has disappeared and the replacement is almost beyond farce. The suggestion that they should comply with a foreign representative's request to provide him with an underage prostitute is at best in bad taste; to attribute that request to a "Kumrani" politician and include discussion of Islamic attitudes is likely to cause considerable offence.

In the interest of fairness, many in the audience at Glasgow's Theatre Royal clearly enjoyed the evening. Although the reception to the first half was generally rather flat, by the curtain call it had won most over. And don't forget that there are plenty of excellent reviews of the show with only one or two feeling as we did.

For us it was totally lacking in humour, cleverness or subtlety - everything that made the original so wonderful.
Give it a miss and watch the DVD box set instead.

"Yes, Prime Minister" runs in Glasgow until Satuday 25th June and then continues on its national tour.
Image by Manuel Harlan used with permission.

"5 Minute Theatre" - 24 hours of theatre

Just a quick point in the direction of the National Theatre of Scotland's "5 Minute Theatre" which starts at 5pm on Tuesday 21st June and runs until 5pm on Wednesday 22nd June. 24 hours of individual pieces of theatre, each lasting five minutes, will be streamed on the website fiveminutetheatre.com

I think we'll be limited to watching some of the Tuesday evening pieces, but hopefully some or all of them may be made available to watch after the initial event.

"Fair Friday" - June 2011

I'm too young to have witnessed the mass exodus from Glasgow 'doon the watter' each July, but as a child I spent the odd day cycling round Millport and remember fondly a trip on the Waverley. So the Citizens Community Company's "Fair Friday" rekindled memories while also giving an idea of just how significant an event it must have been in its heyday.

Combining true tales, moments of comedy and traditional Glasgow songs it was clear to see it resonating with sections of the audience old enough to have experienced the reality for themselves. It was pretty incredible to see so many people singing along to songs that I'd never heard of - it certainly made me wonder about other parts of Glaswegian culture I've missed out on.

As with all youth, community and amateur shows we share our thoughts on them in the same manner as we do professional shows - we don't believe in making 'allowances'. Indeed, one of the things that influenced that 'policy' was the high standard that the Citz Community Co have delivered over the years - their "Wicked Christmas" shows are a regular highlight of our year. And with that in mind, we did feel that "Fair Friday" was not as polished as previous shows - while still clearly well received by the audience. The songs were a great success, however some of the scenes lacked impact and perhaps due to there being so many entrances and exits there were a couple of stumbled lines.

One of the enjoyable things about seeing the group's shows year after year is seeing familiar faces develop, but it was also good to see a number of new faces this time around. It's to the credit of all involved how successful the company has been over a prolonged period. And we've already booked up for this year's Christmas show.

Fair Friday has completed its run at the Citizens.

"Dunsinane" - June 2011

After spending an evening doing a 'first pass' of the Edinburgh Fringe programme, I can't escape the irony that a sequel to Macbeth with political allegories for present day conflicts is exactly the kind of show I'd run a mile from. Yet Dunsinane is the best piece of theatre I've seen in months. But then, in fairness, those Fringe shows don't have the pedigree of a writer like David Greig attached to them - or the logos of the RSC and NTS on their adverts.

Despite being aware that the play had been well received on its initial run in 2010, I'd avoided reading much about it in advance - so its comedic tone and contemporary language came as a bit of a (pleasant) shock. Although I must confess that my puzzlement as to how exactly Lady Macbeth ('Gruach' as she is here) was still around, did require a pre-show check of her fate in Shakespeare's tale. But I needn't have bothered as Greig quickly explains her 'resurrection' with a rather ingenious bit of 'retcon'.

He also creates a wide scope for the play, letting the audience engage with both the high level political machinations and the soldiers whose lives are affected by them. Jonny Phillips excels as Siward, the English general tasked with securing the throne for Malcolm (and a peaceable neighbour for England). Even when his character crosses all kinds of lines, Phillips gives him a nobility that keeps the audience with him. Siobhan Redmond's Gruach coalesces her character's playful and steely aspects beautifully while Brian Ferguson gives Malcolm enough ambiguity to leave us wondering if the weak King is in fact a master manipulator. Tom Gill gives a wonderfully engaging performance as the young soldier (who also serves as narrator) and Alex Mann as Egham delivers many of Greig's best lines with a perfect sense of comic timing. And I could go on - the whole supporting cast deliver in every role.

The contemporary 'message' about the dangers of nation building bleeds through the play, and there are only one or two occasions where it feels slightly heavy-handed. Waldorf felt the final scenes didn't provide the ending the piece deserved, but for me it worked well. So much so, that as a whole I don't think I've seen a better 'traditional' 'proper' 'on-a-stage' piece of theatre. Ever.

And that's probably where this post should end. But that would ignore a significant element of how I felt about Dunsinane. An aspect that required me to make a conscious decision to flick an 'ignore' setting in my head during the show in order that I could enjoy it.

Much of the humour, particularly in the first act, is at the expense of Scotland and the Scots. It's genuinely laugh-out-loud funny and the Scottish audience enjoyed the opportunity to laugh at themselves. And that's where I have a problem. For despite the National Theatre of Scotland 'badge' this is a revival of a Royal Shakespeare Company production that ran in London at the start of 2010. Which leaves me feeling rather uncomfortable at the thought of a 'London' audience enjoying laughs at the savages up north. Perhaps I'm being overly sensitive - I'd certainly be interested to hear if anyone else had similar concerns.

But even with that caveat, I'm pretty sure that in a week/month/year my memory of Dunsinane will simply be of a wonderful night at the theatre.

Dunsinane has completed its run at the Lyceum and the Citizens. It runs at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon until 2nd July.

Image by Richard Campbell used with permission.

Website Problems

As many of you will be aware Blogger has had some serious difficulties in the last few days. While View From the Stalls doesn't seem to have been down at any time, Blogger took the decision to 'roll back' the system and temporarily remove posts made during a time period of several hours. As a result it removed our post about the announcement of the shortlists for the Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland for most of today.

Fortunately it appears that normal service has now been resumed.

Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland shortlists

Congratulations to all those on the shortlists for the CATS awards 2010-2011 which were announced today. Disappointingly, despite seeing rather a lot of theatre in the last 12 months we only managed to see two of the productions recognised. While we are delighted to see "Roadkill" feature deservedly in 5 categories we're a little surprised it didn't also get the nod for John Kazek for Best Male Performance. The only other nominated show we saw was Molly Taylor's charming "Love Letters to the Public Transport System" which appears in the Best New Play category.

Other shows with multiple nominations include Dundee Rep's "Sweeney Todd", Stellar Quines/Lyceum's "Age of Arousal", the National Theatre of Scotland's "The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart" and the Traverse's "The Three Musketeers and the Princess of Spain".

We can't comment on shows we didn't see - other than to say that they must have been brilliant to edge out some of the shows we did see. There are two in particular that we expected to feature in a few categories this year that the critics have overlooked entirely - the Citizens brilliant "One Million Tiny Plays about Britain" and the Tron's outrageous "Valhalla!".

The full shortlist is available at the CATS website and the winners will be announced in a ceremony on Sunday 12th June.

"Falling/Flying" - April 2011

Stef Smith's 'monologue' in two voices allows us an insight into what it means to live the life of a transgender woman. We witness her early realisation of how she wanted to live, the prejudice she encounters, and then finally watch as her hard won identity is stripped from her by illness. But this isn't as bleak as it sounds. There is plenty of humour as 'he' and 'she' share memories and the overwhelming feeling is of adversities overcome and a life lived to the full.

John Paul Murray and Gordon Brandie give compelling performances as the 'male' and 'female' voices and make a real connection with the audience - it really matters that we're there to listen to her/their story. For the most part Ros Philip's direction works well, but although they add a nice touch, the projection elements seem unnecessary and out of place in what is otherwise a pretty pared back production. The moments when the actors play other characters in her life aren't always as clearly realised as they could be - in part due to a narrative that jumps around a little too much (also resulting in it being difficult to get a sense of the timeframes involved).

"Falling/Flying" is a touching personal tale but with its complex structure, poetic language and movement the volume of the theatricality risks drowning out the intimacy of the story.

Falling/Flying has completed its run at the Tron.
Image by Chris Amos used with permission.

"Project Branded" - April 2011

Tron Skillshops, the Tron's drama group for 13 to 17 year olds, brings us a look at where society may be headed with "Project Branded". With its group of close friends refusing to conform to the state's new programme designed to restrain teenage impulses it's like a mash up of "Skins", "A Clockwork Orange" and "We Will Rock You" - which isn't a bad place to start.

This is the first time we've been along to a Tron Skillshops production so it's worth outlining our approach to youth drama. Along with amateur and community theatre, we don't make any allowances and treat all performances exactly as we do fully professional shows. We believe that to do otherwise would be patronising to all those involved.

So, with that in mind, let's get the negatives out of the way right at the start. Most likely due to first night nerves, there were some quiet voices, a fair number of stumbled lines and a couple of horribly hesitant moments. And similarly, during the chorus/dance/movement segments there wasn't always the polished execution there might have been.

Fortunately, there was a lot of good stuff on display here too. The band of 'Outlaws' fighting the system make for a believable group of friends with Grant McDonald's "Ryan" and Ebony Blair's "Jess" making particularly strong impressions. Jack Kennedy gives an assured performance as Project Branded's "Head Advisor", clearly enjoying the character's almost GLaDOS-like personality. Directors Lisa Keenan & Gillian Crawford have given the show a well thought out structure that keeps things interesting - and all involved deserve credit for giving the show quite a ballsy finish. Hopefully as the run progresses the cast will gain in confidence and experience and be able to showcase the full extent of their talents.

We received our ticket for Project Branded through our membership of the Tron's Patrons Scheme - which we thoroughly recommend to all regular attendees at the Tron.

Project Branded runs at the Tron until Saturday 9th April
Image by John Johnston used with permission

"Mark Thomas - Extreme Rambling" - April 2011

Since the shocking revelation at the weekend that I have parents who think Michael McIntyre is funny, my mind has been tormented by the possibility that this may be the result of a genetic flaw and that later in life I may succumb to the same mental frailty. But fortunately, last night I had my fears banished – I just don’t believe anyone who found Mark Thomas as funny as I did could ever tolerate watching McIntyre’s ridiculous grin for more than 60 seconds without putting a foot through the TV.

This latest piece of political comedy saw Mark tell the packed Citizens Theatre of his escapades on an attempt to walk the full length of the Israeli-built wall which divides Israel from Palestine. As with all comedy gigs there's a danger of any review spoiling half the fun - so please forgive us for not providing any details of the evening. But here's everything you need to know: Mark Thomas is a comedy genius - not a word we use lightly. What he delivers is a carefully constructed retelling which has been crafted and polished for maximum impact; yet his obvious fire and passion make it feel fresh and spontaneous. Along with the rest of the audience we spent 95% of the evening grinning and laughing. But Thomas has an ability, like no other performer I've encountered, to shift to a more serious point and kill the laughter stone dead as we take in the shocking detail he's just dropped on us. So often we've seen audiences at other performers fail to appreciate such shifting tones, but Thomas has such control over his audience that we follow his lead as single unit.

With impeccable timing, a self deprecating attitude and an ability to bring characters to life, Thomas is a comic and theatrical performer at the absolute top of his game. For anyone even a little sympathetic to his views on politics, human rights and civil liberties, I doubt there is a more entertaining night out available anywhere.

Mark Thomas - Extreme Rambling has completed its two night run at the Citizens as part of the Magners Glasgow International Comedy Festival. It continues on an extensive UK tour including dates in Inverness and Aberdeen.
Image used with permission.

"Frankenstein" (NT Live) - March 2011

The National Theatre's production of "Frankenstein" starring Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch, directed by Danny Boyle has been one of London's hottest theatre tickets in recent months; so we weren't alone in being grateful for the opportunity to see it on the GFT screen as part of the NT Live scheme. The demand for tickets was inflated further through the gimmick high concept decision to have Miller and Cumberbatch alternate roles on a nightly basis between Frankenstein and the Creature which left many wanting to see both versions. And although we really enjoyed it, I'm just not sure it merits a return visit.

We won't rehash the debate about how well the whole NT Live thing works as we've covered all that before when we saw "Phedre" - it suffices to say that we're wholeheartedly in favour of it as a way of enabling us to see productions we would never get the chance to see. I'll just add that in some respects Boyle's direction of the show seemed well suited to the cinematic transfer but some of his more striking moments probably really have to be experienced first hand.

By the time we saw the show, we knew we would be seeing Miller as Victor Frankenstein and Cumberbatch as the Creature - which Waldorf had already decreed to be 'the wrong way round'. However, the show changed our opinions on that - but perhaps not quite as you may expect. And that was only the start of our disagreements about this show.

I quickly found Cumberbatch's creature to be lacking in subtlety - perhaps due to the camera zooming in for a performance designed to be viewed from a distance. Waldorf on the other hand loved his performance and was distinctly unimpressed by Miller's portrayal of Frankenstein, who I had thought excellent. And it wasn't enough for either of us to simply see the 'reverse' casting - I wanted to see Miller play both roles simultaneously and Waldorf wanted to see Cumberbatch do the same. But that might be an ask too far even for a director of Boyle's talent.

We also couldn't agree on the production's prolonged opening sequence as the creature is 'born' and gradually gains control of his body. For me this was unbearably long and I just wanted it to start already while Waldorf found it an important part of the character's development.

Our other significant disagreement was over the colourblind casting of Victor's family. I'm all for playing individual characters against 'expectations' as to their race but they should retain the relationship between characters. Without explanation of adoption or a step-relationship it was impossible for me to accept them as a family unit, particularly given the accents involved, which left me struggling to feel the pain the characters are put through. Waldorf again disagreed - not caring about the racial identities and more concerned by what she considered a poor performance by George Harris as Frankenstein Sr.

In fact, just about the only thing we do agree on is that we both really enjoyed it. And to cap it all Waldorf has just disagreed once more with my earlier statement and insists it would be worth a return visit - although sadly time won't permit one. It might not have succeeded in connecting with either of us emotionally but as a piece of spectacular storytelling it's hard to beat.

There is an NT Live broadcast featuring Miller as the Creature and Cumberbatch as Victor on 24th March which will also be shown for a number of 'repeat' performances. The production at the National Theatre runs until 2nd May but advance tickets are sold out - a limited number of day tickets are available.
Image by Catherine Ashmore used with permission.

"Love Letters to the Public Transport System" - March 2011

Molly Taylor's re-telling of her quest to thank a number of train and bus drivers who got her to the right place at the right time, combined with the public transport related stories of others, is a delightful piece of theatre. The peg on which the concept hangs may be a little shaky - one of the central tales only really involves a coincidental meeting on a bus - but the beauty here is in the telling. It's a long time since I've seen a performer in the Citizens Circle Studio hold an audience's attention the way Taylor did.

Despite that, its charm and confessional quality did leave me with a nagging doubt - and revealed a difference in attitude between Waldorf and I towards theatre of this kind. Large parts of the play are presented as autobiographical, and while I was happy to take things at face value I couldn't help doubt the spark of inspiration for the piece. The Molly Taylor we met last night - or at least her stage persona - just didn't strike me as 'cooky' enough to start shooting off letters to anonymous public transport employees. Unless of course the idea of creating a piece of theatre based on it was there from the very beginning. Such premeditation wouldn't invalidate what followed, but for me it would somehow take a layer of sheen off of it.

Unusually, Waldorf was more sceptical than I, questioning not just the motivation but to what extent the events presented were based in reality - so far as to doubt if any letters were actually sent (even though the replies appeared to be produced on stage). And interestingly, that wouldn't matter to her at all. It didn't need to be real - none of it.

Fortunately we can both agree that regardless of what level of dramatic license she has employed, Taylor is a wonderful storyteller who is equally at home making an audience laugh as tugging their heartstrings.

Love Letters to the Public Transport System is presented as a work in progress as part of the National Theatre of Scotland's Reveal season. It has concluded its runs at the Traverse and the Citizens.
Image by Drew Farrell used with permission

"Count Me In" - March 2011

Gary McNair's "Count Me In" is one of those shows whose success (or otherwise) really depends on what the artist wants to achieve. If he's aiming to inform and provoke his audience then it probably has to be regarded as a failure; but if it's all just an excuse for a fun evening then it's a big success.

McNair's main problem in any attempt to educate his audience is its self-selecting make up. The vast majority of those choosing to see a show about the political system will have sufficient interest/understanding of politics that there is unlikely to be much here that will be new to them - and some will be frustrated by his inaccuracies. While his insistence that in Westminster elections we don't vote nationally for a Prime Minister but vote for a party may be de facto correct for many voters, it ignores the reality that we vote only for an individual person in a constituency - and one who is capable of changing their party allegiance at will. To be fair, McNair makes no claims to be an expert and is on journey of learning himself - but that's a fairly big mistake to make.

Most of the show is pitched at too basic a level for the majority of the audience - when he drops 'gerrymandering' into his illustration of varying constituency sizes it seems like we're about to go down a more interesting road but it's instantly discarded. And we get no mention of party funding, political broadcasts, media partiality etc. We don't even get the contrast between the various voting systems used in the UK in the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, European elections etc with the question as to how they can all be 'the best' system. It's also disappointing that we're given a largely Anglicised version of the development of British democracy.

In a couple of weeks, Mark Thomas appears at the Citizens - a comedian/activist who manages to highlight the absurdity of the detail and complexity of the systems that run our society, and although McNair's previous show on finance, "Crunch", showed he's capable of that, "Count Me In" falls considerably short.

But what it lacks in substance it makes up for, at least in part, in entertainment value. McNair's self deprecating approach works well and the electronic voting pads add the novelty factor = if perhaps not used to their full potential. His audience interactions are handled well, but at times he would benefit from a stand-ups killer instinct to shut-up an audience member enjoying their moment in the spotlight a little too much. What he does have, is a brilliant eye for a well crafted routine - particularly the creation of his 'digital assistant' (although she is then allowed to drone on far too long). There's no doubt that "Count Me In" is entertaining, but the overwhelming feeling we were left with was of a missed opportunity to really attack the flaws that exist in UK politics.

Count Me In was presented as a work in progress as part of the National Theatre of Scotland 'Reveal' season. It has now concluded its runs at the Traverse & Citizens.
Image by Drew Farrell used with permission

"Gagarin Way" - March 2011

How good was this show? That's an easy one to answer. Due to scheduling difficulties we had to drive two hours through snow and sleet to St Andrews to see it at the Byre Theatre. And two hours through mist and rain back home again. But even with a dodgy sat-nav inspired detour to Dundee, we don't grudge one minute of the drive. It was that good.

Yes, you could make a case that the political or social commentary aspects of Gregory Burke's play are overshadowed in turns by humour and violence. But when the laughs are so genuine and the brutality isn't out of character you really just have to hold on tight and enjoy the ride. Burke has created characters and circumstances which, while not believable in any real sense of the word, are certainly recogniseable - and director Michael Emans has put together an excellent cast to portray them. Jimmy Chisholm convinces as the activist who finds himself in over his head; Finn Den Hertog gives accidental witness Tom a nice balance of naive optimism and insecurity; while Dave Anderson manages to make us care what happens to Frank - despite spending much of his stage time unconscious. But it's Jordan Young's performance as Eddie, the driving force behind events, that makes the biggest impact with his character's fast paced dialogue and raw energy. It's a commanding performance and one that leaves you nervous of encountering him on the street outside after the show.

Emans never allows the pace to flag - even in the moments when little is happening - and from the very first bars of the Kaiser Chiefs track used to open the show the audience knows it's in for a great evening. Rapture Theatre have been one of our favourite theatre companies since we first saw their shows back in 2005 - and Gagarin Way just serves to remind us why we enjoy their work so much.

Gagarin Way still has several Scottish dates to play on its tour including the Tron in Glasgow and ends with performances at Greenwich Theatre in London.
Image by Eamonn McGoldrick used with permission

"King Lear" - March 2011

It's from one of the UK's foremost theatre companies, stars one of the country's most esteemed performers and has garnered five star reviews left, right and centre. So why did the Donmar Warehouse production with Derek Jacobi as King Lear leave us unmoved and, quite frankly, disappointed?

Don't get me wrong, this is in no way a bad show, it's just safe and unimaginative. I'll admit that I am a sucker for directors that play around with Shakespeare - either in setting or a complete re-interpretation but while I'm not averse to productions taking a classic approach I do need them to put some kind of stamp or character on it. With the quality of the cast and production team involved here - and yes, the ticket price - I wanted something more than I could expect to see from any local theatre. And we just didn't get it.

Jacobi is of course the main draw, and as both the 'angry' Lear and the 'old, frail' Lear his performance is pitched perfectly but I found his 'mad' Lear badly misjudged. The scene where Lear reunites with Gloucester was cringeworthily over the top - much closer to someone faking madness than a genuine and moving failing of the mind (only one step short of Blackadder's 'wibble' moment) . Watching a performance of King Lear with elderly older parents and grandparents (like we did here) should increase its impact. Given that it didn't resonate with us, even under those circumstances, it's difficult to consider it an overwhelming success. King Lear should have no difficulty in finding a relevance in the modern world.

Gina McKee and Justine Mitchell give fine performances as Goneril and Regan; revelling in their misdeeds, but Pippa Bennett-Warner's Cordelia has so little stage time she struggles to make an impression or give the character any real definition. Ron Cook succeeds in making the Fool hugely sympathetic - his affection for Lear shines through the verbal barbs and the scene where he appears usurped by 'Poor Tom' was the one moment in the play to generate any real sense of emotion. Alec Newman's Edmund and Michael Hadley's Kent are also particularly noteworthy amongst a strong ensemble cast.

I'm struggling to work out if our response was out of kilter with the rest of the Theatre Royal audience - there was certainly prolonged applause but not the standing ovation that might have been expected for the pairing of Jacobi & Lear. Perhaps we should adopt the attitude of Lynn Phillips, a friend who saw the show earlier in the week - "It's culture - you're not supposed to enjoy it."

King Lear has completed its run at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow and continues its UK tour.