Have we mentioned how much we’re enjoying our first Fringe? I already predict some serious festival withdrawal at the beginning of September. Here’s what we’ve seen in the past week:
Zoe Lyons **** An entertaining, well-polished show about nothing in particular. She had the audience laughing in the first minute and kept the pace up for the entire show. (Scott gives her a full five stars.)
Bridget Christie – A Bic for Her **** Made me laugh and despair at the evils of the world all at the same time.
Henson Alternative’s Puppet Up! **** An improv sketch show put on using Jim-Henson-inspired puppets. Large monitors were hanging above the stage that showed just the puppets, but one can also watch the puppeteers onstage to see what you usually miss. The show has a high list price, but has regularly been available at the half-price hut, where it then sells out.
Shane Mauss *** Poor Shane is obviously used to big audiences. There were maybe 20 of us there the night we saw him, and he was clearly tired of psyching himself up for small crowds by this point (about halfway through his run). Which is a shame, since most of us audience members agreed (we chatted with some other folks after the show) that his act was quite good when he wasn’t making everyone feel awkward about how awkward he felt about the small audience. Check the half-price hut for tickets.
A Note of Discord * A play based on a webcomic about an alternate history for computing heroes Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage. Unfortunately the script left us both bored and confused. It couldn’t be saved by the acting, which was okay, but at times over-the-top.
And now for a couple reviews from our houseguests. I think from next year this will be a requirement of anyone who comes to visit us during the Fringe – they must review every show they see without us.
Each of Us **** We liked this show. Ben Moore is a wonderful writer. His knack for combining words and phrases makes you want to pay close attention so that you don’t miss anything. Funny with interesting insights about relationships and life.
That Is All You Need to Know **** A story about a time, WWII, when governments spied on known enemies, not their own citizens. The story of Bletchley Park and how German codes were broken. Most interesting was the story of the women recruited for their skills who were valued during the war, but due to the Official Secrets Act they were dismissed after the war without acknowledgement of their contributions or references. Most of the women were relegated to traditional women’s roles, unable to use their skills and knowledge.
You can also check out our first batch of Fringe reviews.