Reviews Written by J

Make it Happen is a dramatisation of the events surrounding the collapse of the Royal Bank of Scotland during the 2008 financial crash. It stars Sandy Grierson as Fred Goodwin (then RBS CEO), and Brian Cox as the ghost of economist and alleged forefather of capitalism Adam Smith. Written by James Graham and directed by Andrew Panton, it plays at the Festival Theatre as a part of the Edinburgh International Festival. Make It Happen is semi-s atirical, but mostly is in possession of the kind of humour that elicits a mild chuckle at most.  At first it is hard to tell if this is the writing or the delivery.  Brian   Cox however seemingly proves the latter to be true, as all his scenes inject a much needed energy. Cox's "Adam Smith" is a  campy self-caricature that is the light and humour of the production. Make it Happen opens with tourists being shown around an  Edinburgh   gallery. This being festival season, much of the audience will be tourists themselves. ...

Hood is a retelling of the classic story Robin Hood. It follows Robin (Katie Poole) and daughter of an aristocrat Briar Rose (Rebecca Caslake). When Briar Rose discovers Robin true identity, she becomes embroiled in danger. Written by Katie Poole and directed by Lucy Victoria, Hood runs at Just the Tonic at The Caves as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.  There is clearly a strong directorial voice emerging within Lucy Victoria. She has injected Hood with lots of clever elements, with strong movement coordination. The involvement of the ensemble - as jeering crowds behind the audience is very effective. There is a scene towards the end of the play where the stage is only lit by an oil lamp, with the entire cast in unison voice, in this almost tormenting way. Although interesting in isolation, and emotionally quite intense, it fractured the narrative rather than served it. Sometimes more unique ideas are applicable, and sometimes they are not, learning this is a fine art. I thin...

Prudence Play is a one-woman show written and performed by Caroline Dunn. It follows Prudence, a nun grappling with her sexuality. She is adamant she is not gay though.  The play begins as Dunn enters the theatre through the back of the room (audience entrance) with a chaotic timidity, as if almost late to her own show, apologising and readjusting her flapper dress skittishly. Brittney Spears plays and Dunn takes the stage and tap dances for us. Iconic.  It is this moment that totally sets the scene for Prudence Play. Within barely a minute Prudence is established as a messy and down to earth individual; brilliance. Some of the lines early on are rather lyrical and are delivered with an slam-poetry like cadence, which is hyper-engaging. The show is funny, with a distinctly American style of humour. Prudence Play almost seems to transport a high-school dramedy mood to the nunnery, with this awkward coming-of-age lilt to everything. This seems to parallel the queer experience, w...

The statement "there is a fine line between genius and insanity" has all but been sanctified by Jessica Durand and her Edinburgh Fringe show Over the Top. Directed by Rowan Ellis (hi Rowan I love your essays) Over the Top is a deeply absurd one-woman show that follows Jessica in a WWI-era Downton Abbey fanfiction of her own making.  Over the Top is the kind of project that could only be devised by the neurodiverse. It feels very much of this era, and I am sure it will resonate with the right niche crowd. Jessica documents aspects of her life such as her forays into the worlds of Wattpad and AO3, her shared birthday with Obama, and her unhealthy obsession with Thomas Barrow, Downton Abbey's very own gay butler. The chaotic world Jessica brings us into is not just that of her own life, but the fanfiction she has devised. It sees her as a humble maid at Downton, who then goes to the WWI front line in order to serve as a nurse.  But in case you were concerned, the mental...

Here Comes Gudong an incredibly endearing production aimed at children and families. Inspired by Chinese and British folklore, Here Comes Gudong tells the story of a motley crew of animals as they follow a strange "Gudong!" sound through a forest. The show was at The Space at Symposium hall, as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, but will later in the year be performed at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith.   Here Comes Gudong opens with the voice of a child (very cute) to mark the start of show. I like the idea that the children of the audience are given an introduction to the production by one of their peers, as well as the fact that instructions given to turn off phones etc. may be listened to by parents as they might their own child.  Here Comes Gudong involes a great deal of elements: acting, live puppetry, video, music, and sound design. It is fair to say there is a lot that could go wrong, and that is before you get to the perilous ...

Frozen Love: A Buckingham Nicks Story follows the relationship of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, reaching its climax with the pair being asked to join Fleetwood Mac. Created by and staring  Georgie Banks and Jake Byrom, Frozen Love features the music of Buckingham and Nicks (performed live), and is currently playing at The Space at Surgeons' Hall. First things first, someone needs to tell the Space to sort out their air conditioning situation.  I do not feel that the conditions (absolutely boiling) were acceptable for the audience, let alone hard-working performers. If the first thing your theatre goers are saying while leaving is not “wow what a great show” but rather “oh my gosh so hot in there” you are doing the show and its attendees a disservice. That aside,  I found Frozen love totally immersive, and in many ways a joy to watch. The charming performances of Georgie Banks and Jake Byrom, American accents included, are very strong . The m odest set elements do m...