I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Edinburgh last
week for the beginning of the 2016 Fringe Festival. It was purely coincidental that I was there at that time but it meant that I was able to take in a couple of shows while enjoying the
lively atmosphere. It’s likely that many of you will be heading there at some
point this month so I thought I’d share a couple of mini reviews and
recommendations with you!
The first show I saw was Shit-Faced
Shakespeare. Although it’s a format that’s been doing the rounds for a
while, both at the Fringe and in London at times, it’s not a show I’ve seen before although I’d heard great things. The premise is simple: a small
cast performed an abridged version of a Shakespeare play (in this case the play
was Measure for Measure) with the
crucial difference being that one cast member is drunk during the performance.
It makes for an hour full of unexpected shenanigans and almost non-stop
laughter from the heckling audience. I’ve never seen such an insane performance
of a Shakespeare play and I imagine the man himself would adore it. The show
runs every night at 10.15pm until the 29th August at the Udderbelly
and the cast member that is drunk changes every night so the show is always
going to be different. They also have a sister production which is a drunk
version of one of my favourite operettas, The Pirates
of Penzance, which I think would be equally hilarious. You can book tickets
for both shows on the Edinburgh Fringe website.
I feel like it would be wrong to visit the Fringe Festival
without seeing some kind of improvisation/sketch comedy so I saw Birmingham
University’s Improv Troupe’s Improvabunga!
It’s your classic improv format: the audience shout out genre suggestions
which the six actors, one musician and one technician use to put on a fifty-minute
show. Our show was a fairytale set underwater titled ‘Boy It’s Moist’ which
provided the audience with a very entertaining show. The intimate venue (Upper
Thrust at theSpace on Niddry Street) really added to the hilarity as even the
smallest twitch of an actor’s lips was seen. There are nine actors in total who
rotate for each performance so I would have loved the opportunity to attend
multiple shows to see all the different performers in action. Tickets for this
show are very reasonably priced (£7 full price, £6 for concessions) and you can
see the show every night at 8.05 until the 27th August. It’s great
to support young actors and comedians especially when they have as much talent
as these guys so definitely check them out if you get chance!
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to see any more shows as I was
only in Edinburgh for a limited time but just from walking along the Royal Mile
and being handed leaflets I can say that there are so many exciting shows out there
this year. My other recommendation is not a show as such but is still part of
the festival: Guru Dudu’s Silent
Disco Walking Tour. You’re given a pair of headphones as you dance your way
through Edinburgh accompanied by dance moves and witty commentary from Guru
Dudu himself. I lost all of my inhibitions. It was incredibly freeing and
genuinely one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. Even better, it cost only
£10 but it’s filling up quickly so book well in advance if you want to give it
a go!
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