"It's a Wonderful Life" - December 2007

Despite this only being our second year attending Nonsenseroom's Christmas show at Rosslyn Chapel, it has very much become part of our Christmas festivities. Nothing quite beats sitting huddled up on a bench wearing hats, scarves and a blanket across your lap to get you in the Christmas spirit. Or maybe it was the hugely enjoyable show (and the mulled wine).

Adapted from the much loved film by Frank Capra, Simon Beattie's "It's a Wonderful Life" stays as close to the film as is practical for an intimate in-the-round setting, and works equally well for those familiar and unfamiliar with the original. Told largely through flashback we find George Bailey on the verge of a suicide attempt being 'saved' by his guardian angel (second class) Clarence. Events from George's past are brought to life, followed by the revelations of how different the world would have been had he never been born.

While a 'Christmas show', this isn't really an alternative to pantomime in the way that "Peter Pan" is - it's more 'proper' theatre with a seasonal theme, and it would possibly struggle to keep the attention of young children. But much like the source material, for older children and adults it's an absolute joy. Okay, so it might be more gentle humour than laugh-out-loud, but looking around the audience the smiles were pretty constant throughout the whole show. It's quite simply a beautiful tale, beautifully told.

Director Bruce Strachan really has his cast of nine earning their money, rushing around the darkened chapel, playing multiple roles and performing lightning fast costume changes. While Fraser C Sivewright plays George Bailey straight down the middle in the first Act, he really comes into his own as we see George's life collapse in Act 2. Sivewright makes the descent from regret to despair all too believable and at times uncomfortably intense, while also managing to make his scenes with Clarence seem effortlessly comic. Susan Coyle is delightful as his wife Mary, transforming in front of the audience from young love to supportive mother of four (invisible) children.

Colin Scott-Moncrieff copes wonderfully with the herculean task of playing Clarence the Angel, Potter the villainous mogul of Bedford Falls, and George's brother Harry. It's an incredible performance - and he gives independent life to each role (so much so that Waldorf hadn't spotted he was playing Potter!)

Natalie Bennett's performance in Nonsenseroom's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was my favourite female performance of 2006, and although she doesn't get the same chance to shine here due to playing so many roles, it's still an impressive performance - particularly as George's mother. Neil Kent also does well in numerous roles while Amie Walker, Kerry Cleland, Ben Winger and Tom Holmes provide strong support. Productions that make use of strong accents risk shattering belief in the piece with every line, and it's something I'm often irritated by, but here the whole cast hold their accents well throughout. The show isn't quite flawless - the off stage voice of "Joseph" could be clearer and the first act lacks a little in humour - but it's pretty close.

There is one minor problem with the evening from the audience side of things that I'd like to address. With a limited audience due to the venue size, many wearing gloves, it's difficult for the audience to really show our appreciation by generating a volume of applause, but trust me, if you look at the smiles during the curtain calls and listen to the chatter afterwards you'll know how much the audience enjoyed it.

As always with Nonsenseroom's shows at Rosslyn Chapel we recommend catching one of their 'special performances' if possible. These include a light buffet, mulled wine and a tour of the chapel and really make the evening an experience to remember.

"It's a Wonderful Life" is on at Rosslyn Chapel, Roslin (near Edinburgh) on 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 18th & 19th December, with 'Special Performances' on 14th and 21st.

Nonsenseroom are also taking the show to Greenock Arts Guild on the 17th, Eastgate Theatre in Peebles on the 20th, and East Kilbride Arts Centre on the 22nd.

Photo used with permission.

"Handling Bach" - Edinburgh Fringe 2011

Forget any assumptions you may have made about a play based on a fictional account of a meeting between composers Handel and Bach. A meeting that never happened. The most important thing you need to know is that Paul Barz's play (translated by David Bryer) is a comedy. And a very funny one at that. Music lovers will undoubtedly get more out of the piece, but we know even less about music than we do about theatre, and we enjoyed this immensely. Having had the misfortune to encounter the stage version of "Yes, Prime Minister" recently, it was a joy to see something here that approaches the charm and wit of the original TV series. Think of Handel as Sir Humphrey, Bach as Jim Hacker with Handel's deadpan servant Schmidt as Bernard and you'll get an idea of the show's tone.

But it would be a mistake to dismiss it as inconsequential gentle humour. For part of the second act, the laughs take a back seat as Handel and Bach's initially polite chat develops into a 'frank exchange of views'. There's also a very contemporary discussion on the value society places on art and artists; and of the nature of celebrity.

James Bryce makes Handel a larger than life character, but it's clear there are layers to him that Bryce skillfully strips back as the evening progresses. As Bach, Simon Tate gives a wonderfully subtle performance: much of it with mere glances, while Andrew Dallmeyer completes the cast as Schmidt and is in danger of stealing just about every scene he's in. Bruce Strachan's direction in-the-round ensures a lively pace for what could otherwise be a rather sedentary piece and makes great use of Rosslyn Chapel's acoustics.

As the play takes place over a dinner shared by the characters, we advise eating beforehand to avoid becoming too envious as they tuck into a veritable feast. A post show enquiry revealed that this is prepared for each performance by Mike Osborne & Cathie Owen; and that although most was exactly as it appeared, what had been passed off as 'oysters' on stage was in fact a rather less appetising alternative.

Seeing this show from Nonsense Room does require a bit of effort due to its location outside of central Edinburgh, but there is a good bus service and it can be combined with a visit to the chapel during the afternoon and a meal nearby before the evening performance.

Handling Bach runs at Rosslyn Chapel until Saturday 20th August

"Romeo & Juliet" - Edinburgh Fringe 2008

With budgets tight, Nonsenseroom's decision to stage Romeo & Juliet with a cast of only three is understandable, but it takes a talented and committed cast to make such a production work. Fortunately that's exactly what Cameron Mowat, Louise Bolton and Stuart Nicoll have supplied.

Rather surprisingly this hasn't necessitated that the text be played for laughs. Yes, there is humour - but it comes from the text. It would have been very easy to go down the road of over-the-top wigs and falsetto voices, but instead we have a cast who, along with director Bruce Strachan (and some clever costuming), have crafted each of their multiple characters clear identities allowing them to be easily distinguished. Even the occasional moments when characters are required to change on-stage are handled sombrely. Indeed, the representation of Tybalt's death by Nicoll shedding his costume is an incredibly powerful image.

The wonderful atmosphere the location provides, both in the chapel and its grounds, is further enhanced by Fiona Rutherford's harp playing - her accompaniment for the scene with the Apothecary truly creates a sense of impending tragedy.

Would I rather have seen Nonsenseroom mount a 'full scale' production? Possibly. But given the choice between this production and someone else's 'full scale' one, this one wins hands down every day of the week (and even more so on Saturday when your £25 ticket gets you a couple of glasses of wine, a light buffet, short Q&A and a late night tour of the chapel.)

Due to planned restoration work it's unlikely that Nonsenseroom will be able to stage a show at Rosslyn next year - and our Fringe experience will be much poorer for it.

Romeo & Juliet runs at Rosslyn Chapel until 23rd August (not 17th) with 'Special Performances' on the 16th and 23rd

"Hairy Maclary & friends" - August 2016

Although Lynley Dodd’s Hairy Maclary stories have never been among Miss Ritz’s favourites, we had good reasons for taking her along to Nonsenseroom’s “Hairy Maclary & Friends”.  Their shows for grown ups at Rosslyn Chapel were highlights of our Fringe trips for many years, and Waldorf had seen their “Hairy Maclary” show with some friend’s little ones a few years back.  So we knew this would be high quality stuff.

Unlike so many character based shows for children, this one doesn’t take the puppet option (with the exception of Zachary Quack the duck).  As well as the two human characters, all of the dogs (and cat) are performers in costume.  Being so used to similar shows operating with very small casts I was initially incredibly impressed by the impossibly quick changes the performers were making - until it dawned on me that this is a full company of seven actors – which eventually allows all of the canine friends on stage at once.   For years I’d mocked one of the little ones (old enough to know better) that had accompanied Waldorf previously for asking at the end “Were they real dogs?” but I have to admit that from more than a few rows back both Hairy Maclary and Muffin McLay are pretty convincing!  And the set is also several cuts above the usual efforts – with some very cleverly created obstacles and an ingeniously designed multi-purpose picket fence. 

It’s a charming show to watch as a child or adult – in part of course due to Dodd’s writing and characters – but also because of the framework that holds the stories together.  Miss Plum and Sam Stone the Butcher act as our narrators and keep the youngsters in the audience fully involved while calling back to old school panto routines to boost the nostalgia factor for the adults.  Our Miss Ritz really enjoyed it, but I do have to issue a little parental warning about the show.  At two-and-a-half, Miss Ritz can be a sensitive little soul at times and she found Scarface Claw a little on the scary side. She also gets quite emotionally involved so had a couple of quiet tears rolling down her cheek when (spoilers ahead) Schnitzel von Krumm lost his comfortable old basket.  Of course the biggest tears of the afternoon were when she didn’t want it to end, but fortunately the cast recording CD made for an acceptable substitute (and we felt was well worth the £10 we paid for it).  And although photographs were not permitted during the show, at the curtain call we were encouraged to take pictures which Miss Ritz will enjoy looking at later.

Nonsenseroom have made an amazing success of this show with several runs at the Fringe and UK and overseas tour, but I still miss those summer evenings at the Fringe and their freezing cold Christmas shows at Rosslyn. The Hairy Maclary tour has now finished but info on future tours will available on the Nonsenseroom website.  They also have a new show at this year’s Fringe – The Shark in the Park. 

"Ballad of James II" - Edinburgh Fringe 2007

I was nervous going into this show. Based on previous Nonsenseroom productions of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "The Canterville Ghost" it was the only production that I had been prepared to strongly recommend to others before seeing it, so there was some credibility at stake here. I needn't have worried...

Nonsenseroom have done well to obtain the world premiere of this work by Douglas Maxwell, and as well as these performances at the stunning Rosslyn Chapel they are also taking it for a short run in London. The story focuses on a short period in the life of James II of Scotland as he deals with a potential rebellion, the machinations of his wife and mother, and mental illness.

Scott Hoatson produces a wonderfully deep performance as James avoiding the temptation of playing him like a manic Jim Carrey and making him more of a tortured soul. Lois Creasy is excellent as his wife Queen Mary effectively conveying her mixed feelings for her husband, while Charles Donnelly provides perfect comic relief as Bower. As the King's mother, Queen Joan, Lori McLean was suitably manipulative while keeping the character three dimensional, and Neil Smith brought a believable stage presence to the charismatic Douglas.

The tale is tightly plotted with a few twists and turns along the way as alliances switch, and the fact that it's written in verse works well here (and it's something that often irritates me). The scene where James and Douglas swap roles works particularly well and the wide ranging swordfight is impressively staged.

It's a pacy and incredibly energetic piece, particularly the second act and as an audience member you'll feel thoroughly involved - both physically and mentally. The humour has a light touch which is well handled by the cast but the core of the play is an emotional one.

The Production is top class in its own right, but we'd recommend trying to see one of the 'Gala' performances which include a post-show Q&A and tour of the chapel along with a delicious light buffet and couple of glasses of wine. These performances make it an real experience and the cast/creative team were happy to chat away with the audience during the buffet.

"The Ballad of James II" runs until the 25th with Gala Performances on the 18th and 25th. Ticket availability is limited for some dates on the Fringe website but tickets may still be available directly.

The show then moves to the Greenwich Theatre, London from 4th to 8th September.

And Nonsenseroom have already announced their version of "It's A Wonderful Life" will be returning to Rosslyn Chapel this Christmas.

"The Apprentice" - Edinburgh Fringe 2010

Nonsense Room have been part of our Fringe-going since 2006 and have produced delightful shows year after year. Part of the attraction is their venue, the stunning Rosslyn Chapel, and never more so than this year where they revive their show based on the chapel itself. Theatre just doesn't get any more site specific than this.

The legend goes that an apprentice stonemason completed an intricately carved pillar with a design that came to him in a dream while the master mason was abroad seeking inspiration. As he had intended to carve the pillar himself, the master mason was somewhat less than pleased on his return. Writer Simon Beattie has filled in the gaps with a tragic love story that left me feeling how I always think I should feel when watching Romeo & Juliet - but never do. The sense of being made to choose between love and loyalty really hits home here, and unlike Shakespeare's pairing there's no sense Beattie's tragic couple have brought this on themselves. However, this emphasis on the tragedy leaves little room for the humour we've become used to in Nonsense Room's shows and Waldorf in particular missed the lighter tone.

But for me, the accomplished script and performances more than made up for the required shift in our expectations - and in truth as we knew the legend we should have been prepared for something rather darker. As the apprentice mason, Marcus, Rhys Teare-Williams has to carry much of the show on his shoulders and makes an impressive job of it. Colin Moncrieff delivers a remarkably intense performance as Vincenzo the master mason while Alison Macfarlane makes Megan's relationship with Marcus charmingly believable. Beattie's dialogue and fine performances from James Bryce and Catherine Owen as Sir William and Lady Sinclair make their characters three dimensional and elevate them beyond the plot devices they could easily have been.

There are some lovely moments of direction from Bruce Strachan - particularly a dance sequence by Marcus and Megan and the final confrontation between master and apprentice. The accompanying musical score adds much to the production and of course, the setting is sublime.

I'm unsure if 'enjoyable' is quite the right word for such a sad show, but it's certainly a beautiful and moving piece of theatre.

The Apprentice runs at Rosslyn Chapel in Roslin until Thursday 19th August
Please note that Roslin is some distance outside of Edinburgh city centre and make appropriate travel arrangements.
Image by Peter Searle used with permission.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2008 Preview

Now that the Ed Fringe website has finally started to play nice after a week of playing 'hide and seek' it's time we did our first run through of what we hope to see this year. At the moment we're aiming for around 30 shows but there's no guarantee we'll get to see all of them due to time restrictions. But these are the shows we'll be making an effort to see...

As always the Traverse is a great place to start for theatre at the Fringe and we'll be catching 3 of their shows early on to take advantage of the "2 for 1" offers on the first Sunday/Monday. "Free Outgoing" caught our attention with its look at moral and cultural outrage ( review now posted ) and "Fall" ( review now posted ) has an intriguing premise and a strong cast. The description of "Finished with Engines" as a "blackly satirical hatchet job" ensured our attendance ( review now posted ), and we hope to catch "Deep Cut" later in its run. ( review now posted )

We never like to strongly recommend shows without having seen them but Nonsenseroom's "Romeo & Juliet" out at Rosslyn Chapel is the exception. ( review now posted ) It's not just that we've had an excellent track record with them (including last year's "Ballad of James II") it's the 'Special Performances' they are doing on the 9th, 16th and 23rd that really make the difference. These include "a preshow drink, a post-show buffet with more drinks, as well as a chance to meet the cast and crew and find out a bit more about the show and Rosslyn Chapel." We're pretty confident the 'standard' weeknight shows will still be well worth the trip out to Roslin, but the 'Special Performances' really make it an event.

There's a bit of a historical theme to the next few shows we're hoping to see, starting with "My Grandfather's Great War" ( review now posted ) and then moving on to the horrors of the gas chambers in "The Factory" but given the likely intensity of that one we'll need to schedule it carefully ( review now posted ). We also have "White Rose" about student resistance in Nazi Germany (Sadly we couldn't fit this one in) and finally "Restitution" which features one man's quest to recover his family's painting which was stolen by the Nazis. ( review now posted )

Okay, after that lot we'll need to lighten up a little... so we'll be hitting the Musicals and Comedy sections of the programme. Last year Markus Birdman was a last minute gap-filler for us, but we ended up enjoying his stand-up immensely so we'll be back for his new show "Sympathy for the Devil" this year ( review now posted ). After a slow start "The Butler Did It?!" really hit the mark and gave me one of my most memorable moments from last year's Fringe. Then it was a comedic play with a couple of musical set pieces but they have gone a stage further this year and it's now "The Butler Did It?! - The Musical" and I'll be interested to see how it has turned out (not sure if we'll now manage to get to this one). I first suggested seeing "Plague! The Musical" as a bit of a joke but their impressive website has convinced me that it's certainly worth a look (review now posted). Rounding off our musical plans there's "Zanna, Don't!" from the RSAMD students Returning to comedy, sadly there is no new Rebus McTaggart show this year but last year's Rebus McTaggart:Crimewarrior does return for one week only and is a 'must see' if you didn't catch it last time round.

One of the aspects of the Fringe I enjoy most are the shows that fall under the label of "quirky" and I think most of these hold promise... "Call for the Condemned" set in Hell's call centre ( review now posted ), "The Third Condiment" about a new alternative to salt and pepper ( review now posted ), post-nuclear office politics in "After the End" (Please note - this show has been cancelled), "Sword of Maximum Damage" set in the world of role-playing games ( review now posted )and the near-future set "Involution" ( review now posted ). Describing it as a 'sci-fi comedy thriller' puts "Comic Potential" firmly in with the quirky (sadly unable to fit this one in), as does "Creation and All That Jazz" being described as a 'whistle stop tour through evolution' ( review now posted ).

I'm also a sucker for shows with a political edge or setting such as "Time Bomb" set in 2017 ( review now posted ), Macbeth does Westminster in "Golden" ( review now posted ), an Iraqi immigrant's tale in "Dirt" (unfortunately missed due to a run shorter than we realised) , a look at the (miss)use of spin in "Answers" (Review now posted), and the conflict between art and politics in both "Patriot Act" ( review now posted ) and "Army of Reason" ( review now posted ).

So, what does that leave? Well, "On The Waterfront" comes with a strong reputation, and I'm looking forward to "Stolen Secrets" ( review now posted ) from Fin Kennedy's school group that brought us last year's "Mehndi Night". "The Bird" ( review posted ) & "The Bee" ( review posted )are a pair of interlinked tales that caught our eye, so we'll certainly see one and take it from there, and although it's part of the Edinburgh International Festival rather than the Fringe we'll be rounding things off with the National Theatre of Scotland's new show "365" about children passing through the care system ( review posted ).

We'll update this post with any additional shows that grab our attention, and our Tips for Fringe Goers post from last year giving general Fringe advice is still available.

Christmas round-up...

Now that we’re almost into December, I guess it’s time for us to do a round up of the Christmas shows that will be appearing at theatres near you shortly...

Firstly, congratulations to the Citizens Community Company on selling out all performances of this year’s “Wicked Christmas” subtitled “Cinder’s Revenge”. It’s a real testimony to the standard these guys have achieved over the last few years that tickets are in such demand - but next year we’d really rather they waited until we have booked up before selling out! In the main theatre at the Citz is “Cinderella” but as it sounds a little too close to a full-on panto I think we’ll be giving it a miss. Same goes for the Kings and the Pavilion which stage “Aladdin” and “Pinocchio” respectively. The Arches have a show aimed at younger audiences with “Little Red Riding Hood” and we’re hoping to acquire a three-year-old (and his parents) to take along to that. We’ll also be seeing “Ya Beauty & The Beast” at the Tron as part of their Patrons Scheme while out in Glasgow’s west end Oran Mor have staged a real coup and have managed to get panto legend Andy Gray on board for “Another Christmas Carol.”

Another version of “A Christmas Carol” is being staged by Nonsense Room out at Rosslyn Chapel just south of Edinburgh. It’s been a real part of our Christmas build up in recent years, and as always we recommend paying the extra and attending their ‘Special Performance’ on Friday 11th December which includes a light buffet and post-show tour of the Chapel. But do wrap up warm – hats scarves, gloves and blankets are a must for this – and we’re really not kidding!

In the centre of Edinburgh we’ve made a habit the last couple of years to attend the Lyceum’s Christmas show and it hasn’t disappointed. However, this year it’s "Peter Pan" of which I’m not a huge fan, and with the National Theatre of Scotland planning a production of the show in spring/summer 2010 I’m not sure I can bring myself to see two in such close proximity. Alternative options include the promise of swashbuckling adventure with “Zorro” at the Traverse and an impressively cast “Corstorphine Road Nativity” at the Festival Theatre. And the Kings in Edinburgh provides “Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates”.

Of course we won't be seeing all of those! We will be seeing "Another Christmas Carol", "A Christmas Carol" at Rosslyn Chapel, "Little Red Riding Hood", "The Corstorphine Road Nativity" and "Ya Beauty & The Beast". But do post your comments here and let us know how you get on with any of the other shows...

Now Booking / Coming Soon - April to August 2007

Well that's the first quarter of 2007 gone already and we've reviewed 10 shows already. It's been a great start to the year's theatregoing with a number of memorable shows for many different reasons with NTS Young Company's "The Recovery Position" probably the highlight. We've not got quite as busy a schedule at the moment for the next few months although we'll no doubt add to this list as time goes on. In particular we're still hoping to see Rapture's "Broken Glass" and of course a whole host of shows from the Edinburgh Festival. But in the meantime...

The Chicago Project - Citizens Young Company, Thursday 5th-7th April @ The Citizens
We enjoyed "Geeks, Greeks & Party Myths" last year so we're looking forward to seeing this production of 7 short playlets by young Americans performed by a young Glasgow cast. Review now posted.

Futurology: A Global Revue, NTS 10th-14th April @ SECC (then Edinburgh, Aberdeen & Brighton)
I still have almost no idea what to expect from this one but it definitely falls into the category of "Interesting" and with tickets still available for £5 on the first night in Glasgow this must be the bargain of the year. Review now posted.

Spanglebaby, Poorboy @ The Arches, 12th-14th April
A look at the increasing trend to live a "virtual" life. Showing as part of The Arches Theatre Festival. We missed out on tickets for Poorboy's promenading "Falling" last year so really pleased to have spotted this one just in time. Review now posted.

Black Watch - NTS 13th-26th April @ Old Fruitmarket Glasgow (& Touring)
Finally we can stop kicking ourselves for missing this at the Festival last year. With so many 5 star reviews and awards it's hard to keep expectations under control for this one. I'm sure tickets will be going quickly so if you haven't booked yet, what are you waiting for??? Review now posted.

Re:Union - 7:84 @ The Citizens and on an extensive tour April/May
Having always been a fan of political theatre I'm keen to see this production of 4 tales based around the historical separation of nations - Ireland 1921; Pakistan 1947; Croatia 1991; Scotland 2007. Review now posted.

The Tempest - Northern Broadsides 30th May - 2nd June @ The Citizens
Not being a huge Shakespeare fan this is more Waldorf's choice than mine but Northern Broadside's reputation was enough to secure my attendance. Review now posted.


The Wonderful World of Dissocia - National Theatre of Scotland, Traverse 6th to 9th June (and extensively on tour in England)
Although this started its tour in Glasgow at the Tron we decided to give it a miss as it sounded just a little too weird, even for our taste. However the reaction to the production when it reached London was so intense and polarised that we regretted our decision, but fortunately the show visits Edinburgh at the end of the tour so we'll get the chance to decide for ourselves. Review now posted

We Will Rock You - STF Productions, 18th to 23rd June @ Rothes Hall, Glenrothes
Yes it's in Glenrothes, yes it's a musical, so what the hell are we doing going to this? Well I've been following the fortunes of this show since it was first planned by Mark and the folks over at the Scottish Theatre Forum and I need to see it through to the end. I'm even hopeful that my attachment to the people involved and general appreciation of "Queen" may even make up for my general dislike of musicals. Although I am concerned that if I let on I enjoy it Waldorf will be dragging me to God knows what the week after! If you've wanted to see this but couldn't make a trip to London this is your chance, and from what I've heard the cast will be excellent. Anyway, just this once, and seeing as the production is for charity... (click on the image to enlarge it) Review now posted



His Dark Materials, Scottish Youth Theatre - 25th July tp 4th August @ Citizens Theatre
Likely to be at the Citizens at the start of August, this will be first Scottish production of the two part play based on Philip Pullman's hit trilogy of books. The original National Theatre production is legendary and this is a hugely ambitious choice for SYTs Summer Festival. It has been a few years since we saw the SYT "main stage" production but this looks like being unmissable. Just remember it's in 2 parts so remember to book for both! Part I review posted.
Part II review now posted.

The Ballad of James II - Nonsenseroom, 2nd to 25th August @ Rosslyn Chapel, Roslin
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" was the highlight of our Edinburgh Festival picks in 2006, so we're delighted to have this scheduled as the first of our 2007 Edinburgh Festival shows. Well worth considering paying more for the "Special Perfomances" which include a post-show light buffet, Q&A session and a guided tour of the chapel. (Review now posted)

We've currently got 16 shows booked up for the Edinburgh Fringe in 2007. It's more "what we'll be seeing" than "what to see" but you can read our Fringe Previews and a bit about each of teh shows we have chosen - 11 shows in Part 1, and a further 5 in Part 2.

The Bacchae - National Theatre of Scotland, August @ Kings in Edinburgh & Theatre Royal in Glasgow
After a two year absence from the Kings/Theatre Royal in Glasgow for the reasons outlined in "Are You Positive" we've finally found a production that we couldn't let pass us by. With some of the creative team from "Black Watch" and Alan Cumming in the lead role it definitely falls into the category of unmissable. (Review now posted)

It's A Wonderful Life - Nonsenseroom, December @ Rosslyn Chapel, Roslin
"The Canterville Ghost" was last year's hugely enjoyable Christmas show and for 2007 Nonsenseroom are reviving one of their previous productions due to popular demand. A truly wonderful alternative to panto, but wrap up warm and take a blanket!

Edinburgh Fringe 2010 - First Picks

We spent Sunday night working our way through this year's programme for the Edinburgh Fringe which launched at the end of last week. Surprisingly (and disappointingly) it didn't take us anywhere near as long as it has in previous years and if truth be told we found it pretty slim pickings. Usually we end up with a huge list that gets narrowed down to forty or so shows we plan to see but this year we found it a struggle to reach thirty. There's no guarantee we will see all of them once we have taken into account time/location and then scheduled them across a few day trips through to Edinburgh, but here are the shows that have caught our eye so far...

NonsenseRoom return to their home at Rosslyn Chapel and we're looking forward to finally seeing their show based on the Chapel's "Apprentice Pillar". In addition to 'normal' performances of "The Apprentice" there will also be 'special evenings' on the 7th and 14th of August which include a light buffet and tour of the Chapel and are well worth paying the extra ticket price for. NonsenseRoom have a second show at the Fringe - "Hairy Maclary & friends" based on a series of popular children's books - we won't be seeing this one ourselves but have no hesitation in reccommending it based on all their previous shows.

Next up is boxing based "Beautiful Burnout" from the National Theatre of Scotland and Frantic Assembly which comes with a cast that includes the usually impressive Ryan Fletcher.

"Blackout" from ThickSkin is inspired by the story of a Glasgow young offender waking up in a jail cell, and its description as "a 45 minute smack in the face" gained our attention.

David Leddy's "Sub Rosa" established itself as one of the greatest pieces of theatre we've ever seen when we saw it at the Citizens last year. With its site-specific nature we're not completely sure it will translate quite so well to its new location - but what is certain is that we're looking forward to finding out!

The Citz has its own presence at the Fringe with "The Girl in the Yellow Dress" as part of the programme at the Traverse but we might wait and catch that one when it reaches the Citz in September.

Those of you who have followed our Fringe tips in previous years will know that anything described as "darkly comic" is likely to catch our interest, and "Honest" from the Royal & Derngate Theatre duly did so. The fact its tale of a man in the pub determined to tell the truth, no matter what, is staged in a local bar also adds the novelty factor often required to stand out from the crowd.

"Imperial Fizz" could easily have got lost amongst the thousands of shows in the programme and defining itself as a "surreal, intoxicating comedy" risked it ending up on our blacklist. But the involvement of performer David Calvitto who impressed us so much in "The Event" was enough to convince us to give it a go.

I'm a little worried that Waldorf's selection of "In Memory" may turn out to be a total tearfest but it sounds like it has the potential to be a powerful piece of theatre - and on a more shallow note I'm a sucker for an interesting publicity photo.

Another of Waldorf's picks is "The Interpersonality Workout" which appears to be an amusing take on corporate training but I tend to think the reality of these events often takes them beyond parody. But hey, it has the advantage of being free, so why not?

Despite how it might appear at times we don't spend our time sticking pins in the Fringe programme to choose shows, and quite often we'll place a lot of trust on the basis of what we've seen a company do previously. Dogstar Theatre's "Jacobite Country" was an easy pick on that basis - despite its somewhat bizarre blurb. We really enjoyed their award winning "Tailor of Inverness" and are also pleased to see it getting another outing at this year's Fringe.

"Jacob's Ladder" from Pocketful Productions promises to be "a twisted comedy about religious politics, social position and sexual immorality" - more than enough to get itself added to our list.

An office romance doesn't sound particularly promising for a comedy, but then, writer DC Jackson is responsible for some of the funniest shows I've seen in recent years so "My Romantic History" at the Traverse is a must see for me.

This next pick is an interesting one as I saw a production of Louise Welsh's play last year that proved intriguing and frustrating in equal measures. Our review prompted some intriguing revelations about the play/production that makes me want to have a look at this new production of it. Warning - trust me that "Memory Cells" is a show worth seeing, but I'd really suggest going into it cold. Don't go looking for any reviews of it and whatever you do don't go searching out our one.

Sex trafficking appears to be quite a popular topic this year and while Emma Thompson's Executive Producing role on "Fair Trade" seems to have generated a fair amount of publicity, we don't think we can face two shows on the matter in a single Fringe and have opted for Cora Bissett's "Roadkill" based on the fact that pretty much everything we've ever seen her involved in as actor/director has been nothing short of brilliant.

Yes, we know that the Fringe tends to throw up a lot of self reverential and self indulgent shows full of theatrical in-jokes that are totally unfunny to 90% of the audience, but for people who see as much theatre as we do it's hard to ignore a show that doesn't take theatre too seriously. And we hope we don't fatally damage any credibility we may have established over the last four years when we book up for "A Slacker's Guide to Western Theatre".

Simon Callow has built a reputation as a real draw in Edinburgh with his Dickens based show and this year his performance in "Shakespeare:The Man from Stratford" is bound to attract an audience. But given our long-standing year round policy of declining press tickets it's a bit of a stretch for us to justify ticket prices of £20 plus for a single show when we could be seeing three others instead. Maybe if we can sort our schedule and time off to take advantage of the 2 for 1 offer on 10th August...

Euthanasia is always an issue that I'm interested in seeing being dealt with by theatre and "6766" sounds like it's going to rush in where others fear to tread. This is quite possibly the show I'm most looking forward to this year.

Few words divide our opinion on a show's blurb more than 'moving' - it seems to be a magnet for Waldorf and sends me scurrying for some comic relief instead. So I think she'll be on her own for "Speechless" despite the involvement of Sherman Cymru who brought us "Deep Cut" last year.

I'll also be ducking out of seeing "Stationary Excess" for different reasons - it lost me at "Imprisoned on an exercise bicycle..." but Waldorf's still keen.

Of course there are just as many shows that I'll be left to see on my own - including "Stitched Up" which claims to be a "bitterly comic take" on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Its timeslot might be tricky for us to schedule but it sounds like it might work as a funny conclusion to a day of more serious shows.

Another show likely to cause us scheduling problems is the EGTG's version of "The Tempest" as it takes place on a barge down in Leith. But it's not just the venue that piqued our interest - we enjoyed their version of "Tiny Dynamite" a couple of years ago and director Claire Wood's blog provides an interesting insight into the production process.

I had nearly marked "That Moment" in my copy of the programme and then didn't as it wasn't quite enough for me to make the effort to see on my own and I knew it would be too hard a sell to get Waldorf to come along. So I was pleasantly surprised when we compared our picks to find that it had made it onto her list. Perhaps it's another show that's benefitted from the whole 'theatre eats itself' vibe.

But she's back on her own again for what sounds like a 'choose your own adventure' type performance in "Threshold" from 19;29. I'm a little cautious about this kind of stuff (terrified I'll miss a turn and wander off and get lost!) and the note that 'price includes a bus ticket' doesn't help matters.

We certainly wouldn't be rushing to see another "Hamlet" at the Fringe but SEDOS' "The Tragedy of the Prince of Denmark" might be an intriguing look at the play's events from a different viewpoint.

Waldorf's hoping to see "Tunde" but a 'powerful drama' about modern day child trafficking sounds a little too close to 'moving' for me...

How workers in a call centre cope when faced with a natural disaster isn't really an obvious choice for me - especially as the blurb says it's "funny, poignant and moving" but somehow I still want to see "20:20 Vision". Maybe it's my mother's 'end of the world' fixation coming through...

"The Typhoid Marys" true-life tale of 43 women confined in a psychiatric hospital for being carrier's of typhoid seems unlikely to provide a comfortable afternoon but sometimes those are the shows most worth seeing.

The Fringe often features shows that deal with a personal journey or triumph over adversity and Waldorf has picked out "Unshakeable" from the programme. Paul Betney's performance based around his diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease sounds a little too 'personal' for me - I prefer my shows more 'at arms length' but it sounds very much Waldorf's cup of tea.

We have very few hard rules about things that we won't see at the Fringe but "Ups and Downs" has managed to persuade us to break one of them. We've learned that shows in hotels are considerably riskier than those in other venues and in fact we can't think of a show we've seen in one that would gain anything like pass marks. But KDC Theatre's show about a group of the newly dead as they await judgement is the kind of thing we like to see at the Fringe so we're taking a deep breath and giving it a chance.

"Two couples explore the threat of honesty and our perverse need for it" sounds like typical Fringe stuff and wouldn't normally warrant our attention but "While You Lie" is written by Sam Holcroft whose "Cockroach" has the distinction of being one of only half a dozen or so shows that have genuinely changed my opinion about something important. And the fact it's on at the Traverse is generally a measure of quality... and provides a nice excuse to eat at the nearby "Spirit of Thai" restaurant.

Surprisingly, it wasn't the "slick, dark and very funny" that got "Wild Allegations" onto our list, but rather a hint at the play's format/structure. In any medium I tend to enjoy things that provide alternative views of the same events or any kind of 'he said'/'she said' situation so it was the mention of "parallel but conflicting tales" that grabbed me.

"a site-specific, interactive shopping experience" was enough to send me running in the opposite direction but I wasn't surprised to see "Your Dream Wedding" from Anything Bloody Goes on Waldorf's list.

That's all we have from the 'Theatre' section of the Fringe programme but we like to dabble in the 'Music' and 'Musical' sections too. As soon as we heard Alan Cumming was bringing his musical show, "I Bought a Blue Car Today", to the Fringe it was top of our 'hot ticket' list. And we'd enjoyed his performance in "The Bacchae" so much a few years back that we don't even grudge paying £20 a ticket. We're amazed there are still tickets available for his 3 night run but don't wait too long to book up.

We're also hoping to see "Spring Awakening" and I'll see "Fresher" if it can be slotted around a day's schedule.

And that just about concludes our tips for now, although we may add shows to our list once we get more details about shows such as cast etc. It's also unlikely we'll be able to see all these shows as past experience suggests there will be time clashes and distances between venues that will prove insurmountable given the relatively short amount of time we can spend in Edinburgh.

We are always open to suggestions for other shows to see, but if you're planning on e-mailing us about your own show, please do so as early as possible. We always get a few e-mails each year in the middle of the Fringe asking us along to see shows that sound fantastic but we simply can't rearrange our plans at short notice. And with that in mind I had made a mental promise that I would go along to see the first show that sent us a press release after the programme launched - so although it wouldn't have normally been on our list, is technically in the 'Comedy' section (which we haven't quite got round to yet), and is in a hotel venue, I will be going along to see "Dildon't".

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...