What I Saw @ The Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2018 | Recommendations and Reviews

A round-up of the best (and least-best) shows I got the chance to see at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Festival...

Hey guys, I got the oppurtunity to travel to the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year and it was amazing. Let's talk about what I saw there.

I just want to quickly say that if you're at Fringe you should go for a drink at The Doghouse - it's an awesome pub based in Clerk Street that feels like it's been taken right out of Scooby-Doo's Spooky Island. The walls and ceiling are covered in film memorabilia, anti-Brexit neon signs and real, vintage Nintendo consoles which somehow just fit perfectly with the loud reggae playing in the background. It's super cool.

Okay, now lets talk about the shows.

It's Alright, Everything's Okay | Anorak Theatre

This initially funny piece takes a slow dark turn that has the uncomfortably close audience enthralled by it's final scene. It discusses some of life's biggest questions; Is the afterlife real? Can we fix the environment? Are...the whales gonna be okay?

It's hard to describe the energy in the room as the story in front of you ever so slowly falls into despair. It's like being on the climb of a roller-coaster that never reaches it's peak - not really anyway, because although there is a definite switch within the play between 'light' and 'dark' it is only when I exited the door that my own, very real questions started to latch onto my mind.

It's not depressing, though. Thankfully, Eleanor Stone and Maddy Burgess expertly deliver a very dense script (written by James Nash - also the Director) and imbue it with physical and lexical comedy that helps to lighten the mood as the play's atmosphere darkens. 

'It's Alright, Everything's Okay' is performed within a transport container and only has an audience of 10 people. This really drives home the play's idea of the interrogation of the individual and rounds out the surreal, anxiety inducing, funny 40-minutes into a little nugget of must-see theatre. Go on, push yourself...

The Trail to Oregon! | Gone Rogue Productions

'The Trail to Oregon!' earns its exclamation mark. That might sound like a weird way to open, but whenever I see a title that has an exclamation mark in its title I always feel put off. I guess it's a stubborn personality trait I have, but that's not the point, because - as I just said - 'The Trail to Oregon!' earns theirs.

The show follows a family migrating across America to Oregon where they hope to find more economic opportunity. Along with a genuinely fantastic peformance by multi-roler James Adams, it is this very family that manage to consistently improve on each previous scene by way of the casts bottom-less wagon of talent - and that's no easy feat considering the opening sequence is a spectacle in itself. 

I also have to give a shout out to the musicians who never faltered while providing the play with it's live soundtrack and to the entire cast for their singing voices (especially the Mother's) which are just as strong as their acting. Looking for something belly-achingly funny? Go see this. !.

How To Drink Wine Like A Wanker | Anna Thomas Productions

'How To Drink Like A Wanker' is one of the bigger presences at Fringe. Most have heard about it, many have gone to see it, and those that have will probably recommend it to you. Anna Thomas brings her Australian charm to the drizzly skies of Fringe to deliver a solo, wine-drenched monologue/lesson that will leave you charmed (and buzzed, if you choose to sample the six wines Thomas features during her performance).

'Wanker', as I'm elegantly choosing to condense the title to, is unlike anything I've ever seen before. This is a double-edged sword. The good comes from its genuinely engaging performance and interesting narrative. Thomas radiates kindness and severity - two polar strengths that you can imagine her utilizing during her past days as a business executive. You can't help but fall in love with her.

The piece's only negative, though very small, was how different of a peice 'Wanker' actually is. The performance isn't massively interactive and yet is through it's timed distribution of whichever wine Thomas is currently talking about. It's both very formal and very relaxed and I just wasn't quite sure how to 'audience'. It's hard to explain. Then again, it's nothing I can fault the performance for, more my own lack of theatrical experience. 

'How To Drink Wine Like A Wanker' is ultimately offers the perfect intimate evening at Fringe.   

Romeo and Juliet | Curious Pheasant Theatre 

I have to respect Curious Pheasant Theatre for the ambition behind their queer re-imagining of 'Romeo and Juliet'. Focusing on two rival rugby teams instead of two historical families, this play wonderfully subverts the original story of antiquated infatuation into one drenched in current music and modern issues while it takes on homophobia in sport.

The play's lead performances of Romeo and Juliet were flawless and engaging - both actors were incredibly likeable and performed the classic script with a fluent ease that seemed to come naturally. My only gripe with the play was it's length - or lack thereof. Because of its Fringe setting, the hour-long performance had to speed up the play's plot which, in turn, found the more emotional moments within the play seeming a little far-fetched. When Juliet murders himself over a boy he met 40 minutes ago it can seem a little much.

Still, this isn't really the fault of the cast (who all give great performances - specifically Benvolio) and I would happily sit and watch a full-length version of their play, one in which they would have more time to tackle both the original script and the modern issues touched on in this run.

Kidding | Sounds Like Thunder Theatre

'Kidding' is another ambitious play. This devised, verbatim piece tackles the relationship between mother and child through the presentation of both young and old perspectives. The cast are all genuinely engaging and each actor shines through the comedy that the play's more childish sequences offer up. 

It's an easy watch that flickers between the hysterical and the tear-jerking in a way that only verbatim's grounded sentiment can offer. If you like real stories, dungarees and childish discussions about the sexual lives of Cellar Spiders then 'Kidding' is a wholesome sure-bet. 

Tracy's Leaving Party: Hot Young Things | Christy Coysh and Kat Sadler

With 'Tracy's Leaving Party: Hot Young Things', Coysh and Sadler manage the impossible - they've created a free, roaringly funny, interactive sketch show. I say free, but the imagination and hard-work on display from both comics definitely deserves payment - a payment Chris will be happy to accept post-show considering he was just fired from his job for pursuing his dreams. Capitalism, eh?

Most of the magic about 'Hot Young Things' comes from the joyous surprise of its sketches, so I won't say much more. If you're at Fringe and don't give this show a try, especially considering it's technically free and undeniably hysterical, then you're a plonker. Just trust me, okay?

Now that I think about it, Tracy wasn't really mentioned within this fantastic set. I hope she's okay...

Written by James Green