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(F-H) 6 out of 16

Rating Guide
None = Unmissable
= Unwatchable
Page number refers to the Fringe programme

Gianni Schicchi (Page 138)

Drams 0
Company Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group
Music Puccini: Gianni Schicchi Opera in one Act sung in English
Performers Lauretta: Karen Richmond (soprano); Zita: Susannah Prins (alto); Rinuccio: Adam Apostoli (tenor); Gianni Schicchi: Henry Manning (baritone);Simone: Ed Curry (bass)
Orchestration Andrew Lees
Musical & Orchestration Director Alistair Braden
Assistant Director Henry Manning
Producer Will Searle
Date 15 August 2006
Venue Augustine’s (Venue 152).
Address George IV Bridge
Reviewer Mairi Anderson

Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group has had four consecutive sell-out productions on the Fringe and every seat was taken for this performance. Their reputation is well-deserved and this is a wonderful production.

Gianni Schicchi is a 50 minute one act comic opera, brimming with black humour with a plot full of twists and turns. Gianni Schicchi himself was a real person, a Florentine mentioned in Dante's Inferno!

I would recommend this opera to anyone with a love of Puccini’s music or who would like an introduction to his work. It is performed in English which makes it accessible to a wider audience and it is light-hearted and entertaining. It also has two stunning arias which are justifiably adored by Puccini fans – O mio babbino caro and Firenze è come un albero fiorito.

The Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group are very talented and have well-developed theatrical and musical skills.

The pivotal role of Gianni Schicchi is played by Henry Manning, who also acts as Assistant Director. Henry has a wonderful voice, excellent comic timing and a natural flair for engaging with the audience.

Susannah Prins as the severe Zita steals the show. Clever make-up adds to her creation of a crusty, austere, sharp-faced old woman. She has superb comic timing, is very expressive and totally commands the stage.

Adam Apostoli as Rinuccio is charming, sings beautifully and brings depth and sensitivity to his duets with Lauretta, played by Karen Richmond.

Karen’s performance of O mio babbino caro is captivating. It is such a well-loved aria that expectations run very high. Karen more than rose to the occasion and drew an appreciative response from the audience.

Space and costs required a reduced size of orchestra and they played beautifully. A new orchestration was created which is premiering at the Fringe. According to programme notes it is being studied by musicologists at the Puccini estate.

Having just returned from Tuscany, the home region of Puccini, I enjoyed the love of Florence which permeates Gianni Schicchi. The innovative technique of using lighting to recreate the Tuscan sunshine is very effective.

All aspects of the lighting and sound work well together. Costumes and set are beautifully designed, with a fine attention to detail.

Gianni Schicchi is an interesting, entertaining but rarely-performed opera. With fine acting and wonderful music this production deserves the very positive response it received from the audience.

© Mairi Anderson. 16 August 2006. Published on www.edinburghguide.com See also www.eusog.org

Run 15-20 August : 21.35 (50 mins) £8 (£5)

EUSOG 2004 visit to Honorary President Des O'Brien 1919-2005

 

 

Godspell (Page 138)

Drams 0
Company R.P. Theatre Company
Music and Lyrics Stephen Schwartz
Director Frances Collin
Assistant Director Rajiv Nathwani
Musical Director Jon Ranger
Choreography Jackie Buckley, Sam Harrison & Abi Hood
Date 15 August 2006
Venue Sweet ECA, Edinburgh College of Art (venue 186).
Address Lauriston Place
Reviewer Mairi Anderson

Godspell is a popular show to run on the Fringe, but this particular production is well worth catching. It is certainly one of the best I have ever seen.

The energy of this vibrant and enthusiastic young cast is boundless. They give as much to the finale as they do to the opening number and the pace never slackens. It is energising just to be in the same room with them. They are also incredibly good-looking!

This is an exceptionally gifted cast. Vocal ability throughout the company is of a remarkably high standard and the energy of the dance routines is dazzling. Choreography is brilliant – innovative and inspiring. The limited stage size of the venue is totally disregarded as they dance in the aisles, beside the audience and almost up the walls!

Everyone in the cast makes a significant contribution to this excellent show. I loved the richness of the harmonies in By My Side and God Save the People.

Oliver Harris handles the pivotal role of Jesus well. He is strongest in the high-energy numbers which he leads with great enthusiasm and charisma. I think it is a weakness of the role itself that any actor who excels in the upbeat aspects of the Jesus role is a bit less comfortable with the quiet melancholy of some of the later scenes.

Jamie Morris makes the switch from John the Baptist to Judas with ease, though also seems most comfortable in the upbeat aspects. He has a tangible stage presence.

Oliver Gately is tall and strong and plays Herb, a sensitive, sweet and huggable character. He radiates a lovely energy. The contrast between his physical size and that of Oliver Harris and the girls is used to good dramatic effect. When he carries the body of Jesus from the cross, the dramatic contrast between his strength and the vulnerability of Oliver Harris moved me to tears. He also handled all of the more sombre second half with the most sensitivity.

Sam Harrison’s Jeffrey is an over-the-top, passionate, warm and loveable character who draws an enthusiastic response from the audience. Amy Dowd’s “Sonia” is provocative, self-assured and funny, and this girl can really dance! Sophie Graham brings grace and sensitivity to her role as Peggy.

The backing band, sound, lighting and costumes are all excellent.

For me it is in the little touches that this production of Godspell excels.

I loved:- John the Baptist juggling the coloured balls under the strobe lights; the vaudeville song & dance routines for All For the Best; the Marx Brother’s dialogue; the goats speaking in the disapproving accents of upper-class Scots; Sonia’s final goodbye to Jesus incorporating a hip bump; the red ribbons representing the blood of Jesus; the inclusion of some rap and street dance routines to give a contemporary feel.

To be present while this brilliant young cast sing and dance their hearts out is a sheer joy. They give it their all and the result is inspiring, energising and totally entertaining.

[NB this is a 2 hour show, not the 1.5 hours advertised]

© Mairi Anderson.16 August 2006.Published on www.edinburghguide.com. See also Godspell

Run 3-20 August 2006 except 17th: 19.30 (1 hr 30 mins) £12 (£10)

Have a Nice Life (page 138)

Drams
Performers Arts Educational Tring Park
Written by Conor Mitchell
Venue C (Venue 34)
Address Chambers Street
Date 21 August 2006
Reviewer Mairi Anderson

Have a Nice Life is a rather strange mix of a musical. The strength of the show lies in the sharpness of the dialogue and the enthusiasm of the talented cast who put a lot into their delivery.

This new musical by young Irish writer Conor Mitchell is set in a therapy group. The song lyrics are witty and the observations of group behaviour are bitingly accurate. There is a good mix of stories and characterisation is strong. Each cast member gives a solid performance and they all have good voices.

There were no programmes so I can’t credit the cast by name. I can only identify them by the role they take.

“Chris” is the first and last character on stage and gives the most impressive performance as the “mummy’s boy”. The characters spark well off each other, demonstrating how difficult communication can be and how easily we judge and conflicts arise.

For me the music didn’t work well. The songs are mostly spoken / shouted rather than sung. The sound is strident; with cast members out-shouting each other and the piano accompaniment is overpowering and jarring in places. The action often feels stilted and forced.

It’s hard to say exactly why Have a Nice Life doesn’t work. The cast demonstrate in some parts of the show that they can act and sing very well indeed. I have reviewed shows before on the Fringe for Arts Educational and they are usually four star shows. There is plenty of comedy and many lines to make you laugh out loud.

For some reason it just doesn’t feel comfortable and doesn’t flow. I know that is partly because it deals with the subject of people feeling uncomfortable. Perhaps it would work well as a TV script where the audience could be more detached. We accept that the characters have problems, but there is nothing in them to warm to, to draw the audience in. It just feels raw and unpleasant.

There are plenty of good elements to the show to balance it out a little. The song and dance routine for Old Fashioned Romance is well choreographed. There are some lovely little touches like “Chris” improvising the saxophone sounds; the scene where they mount the chairs and the confusion over “Jean’s” name. Some of the one liners are clever:- “You just want someone to save you from your life”. There are some astute insights into how we all hide behind masks and misjudge each other.

Although in one of the final songs “Jean” claims that she “would do it all again” it didn’t ring true for me in the context of what I had just seen. I love black humour, but this story is just too negative and cynical in the end. The humour can’t rise above the bleakness of life as it is portrayed in this musical. It made me laugh in places, but it also made me want to leave.

I commend the cast on a brave effort, but for me the strident, discordant style of music spoils what is in parts a good show.

© Mairi Anderson. 22 August 2006. Published on www.edinburghguide.com

Run 20-28 August 22-28: 20.00 (1 hr 30 mins) £9.50 (£8.50) (£6.50C)

Heart of gold (Page 138)

Drams 0
Company The Princes Trust
Story by Gordon Douglas and Gary Mitchell
Narrator Gary Mitchell
Choreography Sianna Bruce & Terri Bannister
Percussionist Jean Noel Ngando
Sound Engineer Mike Dewar
Band Prisoners of Fender
Venue Stockbridge Parish Church (Venue 80)
Address 7B Saxe-Coburg Street
Date 8 August 2006
Reviewer Mairi Anderson

Heart of Gold The Prince'sTrust

This show is the result of a lot of hard work from the young people of the ShaRed Road Project and Community Music Therapy. ShaRed Road brings together young people from refugee/asylum and local established communities living in Glasgow. CMT encourages engagement & participation in youth performing arts. With support from project staff and the Prince’s Trust they have brought this energetic and upbeat production to the Fringe and the result is an uplifting & entertaining show.

The theme of the show is that dialogue and understanding must replace bombs and bullets. The young cast wrote the words of all the songs. Unfortunately the programme doesn’t include a song list, so I’ve guessed at the titles and can’t match individuals to particular songs.

I was very impressed by just how well they can sing. There is a really high standard throughout the group. Each of the soloists has a very strong and individual voice and they all sing expressively and with confidence. I particularly liked the pair who dueted on each of “I Am a Stranger Here” and “Here is the Answer” and the male / female duet on “Love and Bullets”.

Musical accompaniment is of a high standard. The 4 piece band, Prisoners of Fender, are more mature in years but excellent on vocals, percussion and guitar. “Always Had My Dreams / Last Chance” was so good I’d buy a recording! Four of the boys added extra rhythm on Djembe drums. In a stroke of sheer genius, little percussion “eggs” are distributed through the audience for “Children Safe from the Storm” and the resulting musical mayhem ensures everyone can get involved in a unique way.

Choreography is good and the standard of dance is uniformly high, with some outstanding examples of street dance. Each dancer is given time in the spotlight to demonstrate the uniqueness of their talent.

I liked the way the cast came out into the hall, using all the space and bringing the audience into the story. The make-up worked very well, with blacks and whites all “whiting up” and “blacking up “ demonstrating the breaking down of stereotypes.

The set is bright, colourful and modern. Costumes are simple but effective, with white crosses and “O’s” on black t-shirts delineating each side in the “war”. With so many X’s and O’s the group could maybe find sponsorship from a certain stock cube manufacturer??

There were a few tiny hiccups with sound and lights, but nothing that detracted from the warmth, energy and commitment of this extremely talented young cast.

The rousing finale “Heart of Gold” had everyone clapping, cheering and sharing in the sheer delight of the whole company. I think young people would really enjoy this show because it speaks in the universal language of movement and sound using the best of current music and dance styles. As the narrator comments, music is one of the best healers and this upbeat, inspiring show is evidence of that.

© Mairi Anderson. 9 August 2006. Published on www.edinburghguide.com.

Run continues: August 8-10th: 19.30 (1 hr 5 mins) £5 (£3)



Hey Diddle Diddle.(Page 138).
Drams .
Venue  Augustine’s(Venue 152).
Address 41 George IV Bridge.
Reviewer Nathan Witts.

This cast of young actors and singers put on a slick production that is very high in energy, and certainly not lacking in talent. The show is fun, its harmonies and parts are first-rate, its choreography is original and the use of space is well thought out. Particularly entertaining is the opening number of the show. Its tempo, energy, harmonies and choreography leave one closing one's mouth and wiping the drool from ones chin at its conclusion. Some of the cast have better voices, while others are better actors, but all are more than competent at both disciplines. They also produce some tremendously entertaining characters.

The set is simple yet extremely effective. For an hour a night the stage at Augustine’s is dressed in a patchwork quilt, a design repeated in some of the casts costumes. This duvet effect helps to transport the audience to a world of bedtime stories and imagination whose only occupants are the cast themselves, a piano and the occasional table and chair. The costumes are bright and eye-catching, lending themselves well to the land of Diddle.

If the show was to keep the energy and pace that it opens with it would be hard not to award this show zero drams but unfortunately it takes a rather melancholy turn. One can understand what the writers are trying to achieve however the pace dips a little too much for my liking. The second half of the show lacks the punchy numbers that make the first half so enjoyable. Despite this the NSTC do put on a fantastic show.
©Nathan Witts 11 August 2006 - Published on EdinburghGuide.com
Runs to 28 August at 22:50 every day except 14th and 21.
Company – National Student Theatre Company (NSTC).


Honk! (Page 139)

Drams 0
Company Royal Holloway Music Theatre
Producer Amy Thurgood
Director/Choreographer Eleanor Lacey
Assistant Director Rajiv Nathwani
Musical Director Dale Evans
Date 19 August 2006
Venue C (Venue 34).
Address Chambers Street
Reviewer Mairi Anderson

Honk! royalhollowaymusictheatre

One of the best features of “Honk!” is that it is an award winning exceptionally well-written musical, which gives a company something really creative to work with. This very talented group from Royal Holloway make best use of the material to create a funny, entertaining, feel-good show. The story is an update of the traditional Ugly Duckling tale.

The cast of 11 work very well together. They have a co-ordinated, well choreographed slick delivery, as well as a very high standard of musical, dance and acting skills. They have star qualities in abundance and use them to create a thoroughly professional show.

Dai Reed

Dai Reed as the Turkey and the Bullfrog is absolutely sensational! This young guy could have his own TV show. He has one of the most mobile and expressive faces I have ever seen. Add to this his complete mastery of physical comedy and an innate ability to connect with people and you really have an amazing new talent here. He totally dominates the stage and the audience adores him. He just has to walk on stage and everyone laughs. It’s not the easiest task to create a memorable and multi-dimensional character from a turkey or a frog, but he manages it effortlessly. Wonderful!

Emily Juler creates a warm, supportive mother figure as Ida. She has a wonderful clear voice and a strong stage presence. Along with Michael Burgen as Ugly, she succeeds in getting the central message of the story across – it’s ok to be different. This is expressed movingly by Ugly:-

“Different isn’t naughty, different isn’t bad.
So why should being different make me feel sad?”

It’s a serious and very important message, but put over in a witty, entertaining way.

Michael Burgen carries the central role with charm, confidence and ease.

Simon Pearl tackles the two roles of Drake and Greylag with gusto and more than does justice to both. Lizzie Carter is gloriously over the top as the snooty Grace and Kimberly Wren creates a very believable Maureen. Everyone in the cast plays their part well to contribute to such a fine production.

Costumes are brilliant with inspired little touches like orange flip flops for webbed feet. Sound, lighting and sets are all excellent.

This very fine cast take a wonderful script and turn it into a fantastic piece of entertainment. Catch this if you can. You won’t regret it!

Website at

© Mairi Anderson.16 August 2006.Published on www.edinburghguide.com. See also Godspell

Run 2-28 August 2006 12.45 (1 hr 40mins) £8.50 (£7.50) (£6.50C)

(F-H) 6 out of 16