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Rating Guide Drams 
of Scotland's other national drinkVenue Augustines (Venue 152 ) Address George IV Bridge Reviewer Thelma Good A Musical written and produced by the youngest company on the fringe in the age of its participants, this is a a show which could do with a longer run for the company to really bed in their performances. But the cast of eight do well with a script whose story doesn't quite flow as it could, though some of individual scenes have spark and invention. They sing well to their credit as they are unmiked, the songs are funny and fit within their range. Father Joe, Jonny Kann, has just got out of jail and has invited his sons Max, James Lewis and Charlie Matthew Burman to compete by committing every sin, the winner gets his money. Charlie and Max just don't get on one is as straight as a ruler, the other as twisted as a spring. Sarah Cramer plays Max's wet girl friend while rest of the cast Daniel Sofaer, Gemma Knight, Heather Batsman and Robin Moss play a variety of cameo roles with spice. It's directed by Ingrid Squires, written by Andrew Burman with choreography by Heather Batsman. Their dedication and clear enjoyment of what they are doing shines out and the lyrics, which are comic and well delivered, all do much to make this production work. © Thelma Good 20 August 2002 - Published on EdinburghGuide.com Runs until 23 August Company - NPLS Spectrum Company
Drams Venue C (Adam House) (Venue 34) Address Adam House, Chambers Street Reviewer Jerry Gregson, Guest Reviewer Merrily We Roll Along is Stephen Sondheim's 1981 musical about the creative New York and Hollywood showbiz world, in particular about a successful producer and song-writer, Frank(lin) Shepard and the people around him. Since Sondheim never does anything routine, the story is told backwards, giving him a chance to ring changes on the "reprise" formula and to set up cross-references in the music. It's also an effective dramatic device: the audience is engaged by seeing the characters get progressively younger, and the incidents and personality traits which shape their later lives - and this being showbiz - they lead somewhat messy lives. Sondheim and his librettist George Furth also indulge in some autobiographical touches. Remembering that Sondheim is intellectual rather than "commercial" there's some criticism of more popular theatre. This they do partly by developing the characters' mood from their glossy cynicism in 1976 to their youthful idealism of 1957, the year of the Sputnik (and the year Sondheim himself was writing the lyrics for West Side Story, not having been entrusted with the music.) Perhaps appropriately, Merrily was one of his Broadway flops, but it is a great Sondheim piece for connoisseurs. This RHMT production is an excellent and rare chance to savour it. The cast of 15 deliver the show with considerable enthusiasm and talent. The six lead characters are all well taken, but Paul R Murphy as Frank's one-time friend and partner Charley, steals the show with his first virtuoso number. Then with Jon Hewines as Frank and Ruth Williams as Frank's first love Beth, they make the most of the other show-stopper, a sly cabaret number about the Kennedys Bobby and Jackie and Jack. The production maintains good pace and variety through close to two hours, played with no interval. In the early Chorus numbers we regrettably lose some of the sharp lyrics due to heavier musical scoring. They also have to contend with a cramped stage, shared with the 8-piece band. The only props are noticeboards announcing the date and location, and a piano used in several numbers. (They really should get its damper pedal fixed.) However the performance as a whole succeeds very well in building up the back-to-front story, and in building the audience interest and excitement. Sondheim is a class act, and this full-scale musical show - allowing for some rough edges and the limited production space - must be one of the better values on the Fringe. © Jerry Gregson, 08 August 2002
Drams Performers Strictly Songtime: Anne Diack, Greig W W Hill, Diana Randolph-Saunderson, and Craig Smith (singers); Andrew Thomson (piano) Venue Stockbridge House (Venue 138) Address 2 Cheyne Street, Stockbridge Reviewer Charlie Napier
Everybody knows a Rodgers tune, even if they don't actually know it was written by him. In 90 minutes, this group of singers gave us 34 songs from 21 shows dating from 1928 (Present Arms) to his last masterpiece in 1959 (The Sound of Music) but, interestingly, in reverse chronological order. Most of the standards were there but it was nice to hear songs from some of the lesser-known shows such as: Simple Simon; Jumbo; Too Many Girls: Me & Juliet. Two songs from Rodgers only collaboration with Stephen Sondheim in1965, Do I Hear a Waltz, were included. The result was probably indicative of why this partnership was never repeated. Each singer brought his or her talents to bear on their chosen songs, presented as solos, duets and quartets, with varying degrees of success. There were some slight problems with intonation and range, but the diction was excellent. Andrew ably accompanied all on keyboard, and was given a chance to show off a little during Craig's rendering of The Lady is a Tramp. Craig's invitation to Diana, Shall We Dance?, was gracefully accepted and performed. Some of the combinations worked better than others, but to my mind, the best song of the evening was My Funny Valentine followed closely by the closing number You'll Never Walk Alone, both sung as quartets. The overall presentation was excellent, resulting in a very enjoyable evening. © Charlie Napier, 08 August 2002 © Image: Strictly Songtime Run: 6-10, 15-16 August, 20.00 (1 hour 40 mins, including interval).
Drams Venue Assembly Big Top(Venue 145) Address Edinburgh Academicals Sports Ground, Raeburn Place Reviewer Neil Ingram Imagine the Restaurant at the End of the Universe has fallen on hard times- it's now become a shady nightclub, run by a failed magician. And Saucy Jack has yet more problems, he keeps losing staff, who become victims of the mysterious Slingback Killer. This energetic musical show has been at the Fringe before- it won a Fringe First in 1995, and some of the original cast are in this production. It's back at the Assembly Big Top in Raeburn Place, which has become Saucy Jack's Club, and the action goes on around and amongst the audience. The kids who work in the club dream of better things- the waiter wants to be a famous musician, and the hostess longs to be a Space Vixen- a legendary tribe of cosmic women who are dedicated to justice, glittery clothes and disco! And of course the Space Vixens turn up in Saucy Jack's to find out who's been killing off the staff, and the plot carries on from there. But despite the glitzy costumes and the disco music, the show does't really take off until the second half- maybe there's too much serious story to explain, or 7pm was too early for the audience to get into the mood. In a strong cast I particularly liked Scott Baker as Saucy Jack, Simon McCoy as Sammy Sax, Christopher Ziter as Booby Cheval and the three Space Vixens- Chloe Hughes, Nicky Callanan and Lucy Hunter-James. Great singing, dancing and costumes make this a show which really is on another planet altogether! Runs until 26 August at 19.00, not Wednesdays © Neil Ingram 8 August 2002 Counterpoint Theatre
Drams Venue Augustine's (Venue 152) Address 41 George IV Bridge Reviewer Thelma Good It's a musical about want, wealth and getting rich. Through playing the lottery they find money isn't all it's cracked up to be. The lottery this company entered was that this slight story, by first time musical writers Peter Yates and Jenny Andrews, containing insufficient plot and sketchily drawn characters, would win them a future. Michael Dyer wrote the music, while the songs' lyrics are OK but predictable, the arrangements lack any stand-out quality, though well played by the musicians. Five cast members do what they can with the underdeveloped material, but only Sophie Higgins' strong and well toned voice is memorable. With just one week to rehearse the musical, the challenge of such a very tight scedule doesn't really show in the performances but the writers need to use more time, a lot more time to get the story ingredents sharp and biting, seducing you in like all the best sins do. They sold their performers too short. © Thelma Good, 20 August 2002 - Published on EdinburghGuide.com Runs until 26 August at 17.15 Company - Hidden Agenda
Drams
Venue Demarco-Rocket@Apex Hotels(Venue 16) Address 31-35 Grassmarket Reviewer Neil Ingram This is two shows in one, with a common theme and one group of performers. First they perform Wilde at Heart, a devised piece written by David Parsonson about Oscar's life, and then follow it with a musical interpretation composed by Steve Gresswell of Wilde's poem "The Ballad of Reading Gaol". The performers are four actors and five musicians from Reading College and School of Arts and Design, with Jamie Read as a guest performer. The play works well, with a succession of short scenes played on a simple stage with minimal scenery. Adrian McDougall is convincing as Oscar and Jamie Read is memorable as Lord Alfred Douglas. All the female parts are well played by Catherine Rendle and Hayley Thatcher, and Toby Spearpoint is a menacing Lord Queensberry, Lord Alfred's father. In the second piece, the poem is performed to music by Jamie Read, with the other four actors portraying scenes from the poem in mime. The musical score emphasises the different moods of the poem, with several recurring themes. Jamie Read's singing is expressive, but the work is rather long and on the opening night sound problems made following the words difficult at times. I hope this improves later in the run, as the overall show is at times very moving. Runs until 16 August at 19.15 Eclipse Theatre ©Neil Ingram 12 August 2002
Drams Presented by Swiss Church Music School pupils , London, Christine Sigwart (Director); with Karl Borromaeus Kollegium pupils, Altdorf, Switzerland Venue Augustine's (Venue 152) Address 41 George IV Bridge Reviewer Charlie Napier
The musical, written and composed principally by Christine, also included sections written by the young people themselves. The whole work was put together in only five days while staying at Gartmore House, near Aberfoyle, - a marvellous achievement. With a mixture of narration, songs, dance and action, accompanied by a few musicians, these young performers acted out the story of the plight of the Swiss people at the end of the 13th century. Under the heel of the oppressors, typified by the hated Gessler, the people needed a leader to fight against the tyranny. William Tell was the man. By shooting the apple off his son's head, he gave the lead to the people to throw off the yoke of tyranny. With an absolute minimum of props and costumes and with no scenery, these young performers managed to create an atmosphere and convey the message about what freedom, democracy and respect mean to them. I hesitate to single out any one person, but I have to mention Benjamin Munyaneza (William Tell) for his own adaptation of the "To be or not to be" soliloquy rendered as "To be free or not to be free. What is the answer?" His sincerity shone out. A most worthwhile project successfully carried out. This is what the Fringe is all about © Charlie Napier. 16 August 2002 Published on www.edinburghguide.com
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