The Smu Reviews

Music
Art
Pop Culture
Music / Art / Pop Culture

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2024

Chasing down the best Theatre, Music and Comedy that you might not have already heard of.
*This page will be updated throughout the festival*


Skip to review:
1 Murder: The Mind-Reading Lawyer
Absolute Improv!
Badger
The Best Man Show
Big Feelings
Brett Epstein: Alone on Stage
Bye Bye Baby
The Crucible
Defective Inspector: A Stitch in Time
Dinner
Disco Horses
The Elton John Story
An Evening With Mere Mortals
Hound in the Light
How Dead Am I?
Hungry Like the Future
Improvabunga!
Improv Comedy with Box of Frogs
It’s a Mystery!
A Letter to Lyndon B Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First
Little Beast
A Midsummer’s Tempest
M R James: Whistle and I’ll Come to You
Mythos: Ragnarok
A Naff Play About Spies
A Play by John
Pretty Delusional
Ripper
Solve Along A Murder She Wrote
Suggestions of the Unexpected: An Improvised Horror Anthology
This Side of the House
The Twisted Chronicles
Uncanny Valley
What If They Ate The Baby?
What The Veck? Songs in the Key of Strife!

All reviews by Susan Sloan







Big Feelings
Billed as a mixture of Barbie monologue meets Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Big Feelings is a riotous tour through mental health, feminism, and cultural identity. The show blends poetry, comedy, music and an array of glamorously bedazzled costumes to create a rock & roll tinged, emotionally charged experience. Gigi’s performance is raw and relatable, connecting universal themes with her own life and the show’s blend of humour and poignancy keep it entertaining as well as thought provoking.

There is a charmingly rough edge to this production, most obviously displayed in the on-stage costume changes (each piece discarded into the sun-roof of an inflatable Barbie car afterwards) where the visible velcro and home-stitched sequins are a perfect metaphor for the home-spun grit and drive displayed by Gigi herself. Don’t go expecting a staid and academic reading of poetry, but pull on something sparkly and get ready to experience some Big Feelings instead.

Gigi Bella Poetry
Buy Tickets










Hound in the Light
An intriguing, melancholic mixture of poetry, masks, physical theatre, dance and music. Through pieces titled Puppy Yoga, Soul Switching, Animal Farm Dystopia and Cathartic Howls we are asked to consider how animals, of all sorts, seek out their place in the world. Yearning to be other than what they are, not realising that that the ‘other’ may be doing the same.

This production feels closer to performance art than conventional theatre for the most part, and whilst it could have benefited from more atmospheric lighting to help focus the viewer on the actors and props, it is a thought provoking and charming experience. Eve, Yip Wai Yin puts in a particularly notable performance during the second segment as the pup who becomes master. Deceptively gentle in tone, I was amused by some parts and moved by others.

Art Home Theatre
Buy Tickets


How Dead Am I?
A group of apparent strangers meet in a late night corner-shop that isn’t all it appears to be. It won’t be until they work out why they are, and how their lives intersect, that they can leave.

How Dead Am I? is an entertaining and witty examination of life, death and unresolved emotions. Initially focusing on the personal lives of the characters, the second half also deals with societal issues such as intolerance and hate crime. The cast give spirited performances (no pun intended) but the highlight of the piece is the effective use of lighting and choreography during the movement/dance sections which add a slick, edgy and more experimental aspect to the production.

How Dead Am I?
Buy Tickets


Hungry Like the Future

Set in the vibrant 1980s, Hungry Like the Future takes audiences on a journey back to the era of Duran Duran, Pac-Man, and personal computers. When Kevin receives a Commodore 64 for his birthday, his passion for gaming lands him in an unexpected adventure where he is transported into an alternate world of pixels and code. This family-friendly show contains a charming mixture of retro nostalgia and contemporary themes, such as the increasing dominance of AI. The plot is somewhat convoluted and McGuffin stuffed, but the fun and silliness of it all renders this largely irrelevant. Picture Black Mirror re-imagined as an episode of the Wide Awake Club and you are half way there.

The young cast all put in enjoyable performances, with notable standouts from Kevin and his sister. Additional kudos must be given to the staging of the show which is inventive and striking. The costumes and props are fun and effective, but the clever use of a scrim screen for projections, which actors engage with both in front of and behind, is one of the most unique and entertaining sets I have seen at this year’s festival.

Greene Shoots Theatre Company
Buy Tickets


Improvabunga!
Lively improv based around the creation of a ‘movie’ where the audience picks the genre, title and setting. The group all get a chance to show their chops, including during some musical numbers, and the novel set up may appeal to those tired of mini-games. Having one long set-piece did allow for some good running gags to percolate, however it was usually when the scene or plot was forced to change that it was at its funniest.

The Watch This Improv Troup
Buy Tickets


Improv Comedy with Box of Frogs
As Forrest Gump’s mother (possibly) also said – improv is like a box of frogs, you never know what you’re gonna get. What you will get with this specific box of frogs is a madcap hour of games, songs and silliness. Running through a series of improv set-ups that will be familiar to seasoned fans of the genre, I found them to be at their funniest during the musical sections. The closing number (a charity Christmas single about penguin eggs and ice cream) being a hilarious highlight, and almost aggravatingly catchy as it remained stuck in my head for several hours afterwards. If you are looking for improv that leans towards the daft, family-friendly end of the spectrum rather than offensive or overly ‘adult’ humour, the frogs would be a great pick.

Box of Frogs
Buy Tickets





A Midsummer’s Tempest
A Midsummer’s Tempest is a lively new take on the Bard’s works, sprinkled with humour and a dash of contemporary sensibility. From poking fun at the patriarchy to commentary on climate change, this Shakespearean mash-up weaves in hot button topics with a farcical playfulness that prevents it from becoming overbearing or dry.

Standout turns from Steven Hardie Colgan and Freya McCall, as Demetrius and Hermia, are particularly entertaining, but it is strong ensemble cast overall and they bring to life the colourful collection of characters, in a way that feels both familiar and new. Detailed costuming by Sadie Hemming and punchy direction from Julia Lisa and Riley Behrens keep the show visually engaging at all times.

A Midsummer’s Tempest does a great job of bringing energy and wit to the source material, ensuring that you don’t need to already be an aficionado of Shakespeare to enjoy this show (but might be when you leave).

The Edinburgh University Shakespeare co
Buy Tickets


M R James: Whistle and I’ll Come to You
Solid storytelling and character acting, along with good use of audio and lighting, make this a pleasingly spooky way to enjoy the classic tale. This is a simple, but atmospheric, adaptation that channels the spirit of the great horror radio plays of the past. A perfect pick for anyone looking for a bit of old fashioned, gothic creepiness.

Blue Orange Arts
Buy Tickets



A Naff Play About Spies

A fun, high-energy and slightly absurdist comedy-of-errors following a trio of bumbling undercover agents on a mission to foil a criminal mastermind. A criminal mastermind that one of them now happens to be in a not-as-fake-as-it-should-be romantic relationship with. Oops!

As the title may suggest this is not a high-budget, slick production but if you are looking for a fun, silly show with comedy moustaches and visual gags involving home decor, then this should tick the box quite nicely.

   

Collision Theatre
Book Here




Ripper

Ripper dives into the chilling tale of Jack The Ripper, the infamous Whitechapel serial killer of 1888, but with a twist. In this retelling, by Jacob Marx Rice, we follow reporter Gillian Spender who, writing under a male pseudonym, encounters “Jack” while covering the murders. Gillian’s brother secures her the job, and she strikes a deal to write under her real name if her reports boost circulation. The murderer manipulates Gillian, realising she needs his story to advance her career, creating a dark dynamic where she must choose between ambition and justice. While this version of events is fictional, it taps into popular theories around the case that journalists may have fabricated stories, or even the Ripper’s infamous letters themselves, to drive sales.

Out of Office Theater’s production has a strong cast, with notable turns from Gemma Tubbs as Spender, Michael Ross as Detective Abberline and Rachel Wilkes who, despite being in a supporting role, steals every scene she is in. Victoria Hadel’s direction is effective and immersive, employing great use of the visceral and bloody imagery of the piece. The inclusion of some choreographed stage-fights is particularly welcome to bring the action alive.

Ripper questions why certain crimes linger in our collective memory, and examines the power of sensational journalism. It also provides a nuanced dissection not just of the misogyny of the period and the Ripper himself, but also of how desire and ambition can become ugly when repressed.

Out of Office Theatre
Buy Tickets




This Side of the House
In this gripping look into the political and social dynamics of early 1980s Cambridge, the young cast successfully captures the intense atmosphere of the debating chamber and the shifting alliances, where cliques form and fracture around election time. A fun twist invites the audience to vote on the election outcome, leading to one of two possible endings. With sharp writing and strong performances, this play is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Lance Anisfeld’s debut play, directed by his daughter 36 years later, appropriately includes a warning on it’s promotional material, as it uses language and debating styles typical of the era, much of which would be considered highly inappropriate by today’s standards. While often funny, it can also be shocking, even to those of us with a fairly flexible sense of humour. This is especially true in the opening scene which features some extremely racist dialogue. The characters are refreshingly nuanced however, with no clear ‘heroes’ or ‘villains’ and although I don’t believe the challenging content should be considered a deterrent, it is something to keep in mind.

   

Fishy Business
Book Here


The Twisted Chronicles
A satirical, and slightly silly, journey through history hosted by Ken and Bryan, two visionary yet misunderstood teachers not deterred by having lost their jobs due to the tyrannical fact-checking of Ofsted.

With a large and talented cast, great costumes and an effective use of lighting and props The Twisted Chronicles is a professionally put together production following in the lineage of historical comedies like 1066 And All That and Blackadder. Split into four set pieces with adjoining narration by Ken and Bryan, the final segment (Bolshevik’s Got Talent) is a clear highlight, leaning further into the ridiculous side of revisionism and hitting a tone closer to what might be suggested by the synopsis.

    

Politicat Productions
Book Here


Uncanny Valley

Uncanny Valley is a surreal and unsettling exploration of faith and family, brought to life by the performances of Lauren Kelly, Juliet Arpaç, and Leah Coghlan. The three actors move with synchronicity, weaving a poetic narrative that engages the audience from the start. The dialogue and choreography works together to create an abstract dance, orbiting their complex relationships with a now absent mother and each other. The dreamlike atmosphere of Uncanny Valley will linger in your mind and is recommended for anyone seeking a more unusual theatrical experience.

   

AIMSIR Theatre
Book Here




Edinburgh Fringe Reviews 2023 »
Edinburgh Fringe Reviews 2022 »

All words by Susan Sloan.