Edinburgh.
Nigel Wrench is taking a look at the Fringe Festival for us tonight (it starts officially on Sunday) and he writes:
"There's a new seriousness in the air on the Fringe. Of course you can still go and see "Why We Ate Cliff Richard" or any number of stand-up comedians. But you can also spend time in a cellar that aims to recreate the experience of the gas chambers at Auschwitz. Here's a snap of one of the actors in "The Factory", Gary Faulkner
And if that's too relaxing (they're performing in old beer cellars in the venue that's become the Pleasance Undergrand), how about an evening on the flight deck of passenger jets about to crash (accidentally topical after last week's Quantas emergency over the South China Sea)?
Here's part of the script of Charlie Victor Romeo: a transcript of the cockpit voice recorder (hence the name of the play) of an American Airlines flight which hit trees as it approached a runway.
Below is the cast, from the US where the play has been a big hit, newly arrived in their rented Edinburgh flat and opening tonight:
At the back on the right, his face a little in shadow, is one of the show's co-creators, Irving Gregory, who's on PM this evening.
And this is Simon Stephens, the Olivier-award winning British playwright with the poster of his new play at the Traverse Theatre. "Pornography" is about the days just before and after the London bombings of July 2005. It promises controversy and an unflinching look at the motives of the bombers.
For light relief there is always the mayhem on the Royal Mile, home to every Fringe performer who wants an audience, ie all of them
The man on one leg is promoting Shakespod, one of several distilled productions of Mr William's plays that are available.
But my favourite poster on the Royal Mile yesterday belonged to none of the 2088 shows you can see on the fringe, but the one below, complete with legs of travelling minstrels
Who knows? Given the amount of reality theatre here this year, it's entirely likely that this poster will be transformed into a sleeper hit by the end of August."
Listen to PM
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~46~RS~)
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.
Never made it to the festival although one visit to Edinburgh for pleasure and another on business.
Charlie Victor Romeo? How about that, Nigel?
Aircraft hit trees? Sad.
Oil everywhere no doubt?
I suggest "There will be blood" and Daniel Day Lewis over acting again.
Off Raider? that is the body that monitors the variable quality of the Lara Croft series of video games isn't it?
Shopkeeper disagreed with their view on the last one did they? I don't blame them.
Complain about this comment
Ye Gods, how I wish I was there instead of being stuck in bloody Beckton!
Complain about this comment
I didn't know it was possible to beat off [remainder of thought self-censored].
;o)
Complain about this comment
Entirely depends on the quality of the paper Fifi....
;o)
Complain about this comment
I rest my case, mon petit four!
;oD
Complain about this comment
Why was this a "Raider with [the] Evening News"? Was this an undercover sting operation? We need to be told. We rely on the PM programme to tell us the truth!! Over to you, Eddie!
H.
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Moderators very touchy at the moment.
I am not sure what the problem is with a simple statement that a visit to the gas chambers ended in death. The original subject matter was initiated by Eddie, so presumably is no more offensive than, say, pictures of a BBC reporter blowing up condoms.
Complain about this comment
Well I hope the Fringe Box Office have sorted themselves out by the time the Festival starts - we're going next weekend, and still don't have tickets, as they've not been printed yet. ;o(
Complain about this comment
I missed the Romeo show in the US and though the commentary is critical of the somber tone of the events at the Fringe, in particular the holocaust and black box plays, we should be somewhat somber, our society is driven by gratification involving possession and status. The Pornography monologue on BBC website is particularly interesting for today, but violence is never a substitute for reason. There are plenty of places you can live without chubby children in eye makeup,. The problem is you give up the rest of the culture that makes it so interesting to live there in the first place
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS