The 288 page Fringe program guide is enough to do anyone’s head in. Matador takes a peek at six of over 2,000 shows that will take place over the next month, during Edinburgh’s celebration of theatre, comedy, dance, and music.
Idiots Of Ants
Idiots Of Ants wobbled through their first preview show but managed to stay on their feet, ultimately charming the audience by being smart, if not often funny. This Is War runs through over 20 sketches, covering subject matter from penis size to Nazis.
The four members did a fantastic job of moving things along. It was great fun to watch as they sometimes fell prey to their own jokes, breaking character and cracking up. Placed perhaps a bit late, a hilarious live-action video game sketch proved to be the big laugh that the group needed to kick things through.
This one’s sure to liven up after previews and tinkering.
Tickets £9.00, 8:15pm, Pleasance Courtyard, Over The Road 2.
Janeane Garofalo
It was incredibly difficult to watch Janeane Garofalo struggle, if not bomb, during her first night at the Fringe. As veteran of dozens of Garofalo shows, I’d never seen anyone walk out until this gig. Her act seemed a bit too loose for the crowd and The Debating Hall definitely outsized the intimate (and sometimes desperate) performance that she gave.
Normally Garofalo’s strong point, the first 20 minutes of her off-the-cuff riffing fell dangerously flat. The rest of her show was spent unsuccessfully trying to woo the audience back from crossed arms and head scratching. While I always find her schizo approach hilarious and sincere, it remains to be seen if the Fringe audience will come around to Garofalism. Her attempt to cover UK politics missed by a mile, as did much of her ranting about targets as easy as Republicans and customs officials.
It’s not good when a comic ends the night by saying “Thank you for not leaving during the show.” Especially a funny one.
Tickets £12, 8:30pm, Debating Hall, Gilded Balloon Teviot.
Die Roten Punkte
Die Roten Punkte’s Robot/Lion Tour is sure to be a justifiably buzzy show as it builds during The Fringe. The duo took the stage with a setup similar to The White Stripes, instead using miniature sized drums and guitars. They blazed through several hilarious numbers, cutting the music with German-accented banter and a great deal of crowd interaction.
It’s the kind of show that you can either give the finger (there were walkouts) or completely surrender to (everyone else). There’s no question that as they build an audience of full-fledged fans, they’ll have the whole room singing along. Many were already.
The two have ideal chemistry and pull the gig off with ease, making none of it feel staged or planned.
This one’s gonna be big.
Tickets £10, 11:11pm, Pleasance Courtyard, Over The Road 2
Anna and Katy
In retrospect, I would have rather spent an hour in a foxhole. The show (whose flyers offer the amusing tagline, “So Funny You’d Think They Were Men!”) fails to be funny beyond its advertisement.
The sold out house saw 11 walkouts and two worried performers, both very aware that things weren’t going well during their hour. Impossibly likeable and certainly a team that the audience wanted to guffaw for, it’s a shame that their jokes fell so far out of bounds. A sketch about two South Africans with large arms was not funny the first time – it was even less funny when the duo brought the characters back in the second act.
There was a flash of brilliance when the two pretended to be dimwitted housewives explaining television shows and popular events. If the entire hour had been filled with material like this, Anna and Katy would be stars.
Until then, it would appear that they’re just another sketch group renting space at The Pleasance.
Tickets £9.50, 6:40pm, Pleasance Courtyard, Over The Road 2
Orphans
As good as it gets. A psycho-thriller dressed as a drama, Orphans moves like few things I’ve ever seen on stage. Dennis Kelly, the playwright, seems to be on the tip of everyone’s tongue this year as word goes around that Orphans can actually back up the hype with riveting performances, a fantastic (yet sparse) set and superior writing.
Set entirely in a kitchen, the play begins with a couple having dinner, only to be interrupted by a visitor covered in blood. Yet it’s not gore that ends up shaking the audience’s nerves; it’s absolutely the words that come from these characters’ mouths as they tackle the subjects of life and death in a way that remains gripping even after you’ve left the theatre.
Tickets £16, (times vary), Traverse Theatre, Traverse 1
Bourgeois & Maurice
Bourgeois and Maurice’s Social Work is an hour of camp cabaret at its best…but probably not in its best setting. The steep theatre in Over The Road 2 sucked some of the life out of what is probably an electric performance in nightclubs. Still, the act is strong enough to stand up and remain funny, witty and engaging for the full hour.
The pair entered the stage dressed to the nines and performed piano-based songs about Ritalin, celebrities and the perils of being gay. Bourgeois, who favors extravagant outfits and prowls through the audience, leads the show with the fearless ease of somebody who could eat hecklers for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Maurice plays the smart fool, often carrying the show with just the bat of two extraordinarily large eyelashes.
Probably even better after a few pints of lager.
Tickets £12, 9:45pm, Pleasance Courtyard, Across the Road 2
About the Author
More By This Author
Related Posts
2 Comments... join the discussion!
-
-
Nice work Tom, looks like you’re working hard up there!
↵
