So my summery of my third and final day at the Edinburgh fringe is a bit late really. I mean, the other two days were written and posted sereral days after the events they talk about but this one? Two weeks after. Whoops.
And it'll probably be the easiest to write too. We only saw two shows that day.
After very quickly dismissing the idea to do another breakfast play and instead have a bit of a lie-in, we checked out of our accomedation and made our way to our first venue. Just about sneaking in time to grab a quick bacon role to eat in the Queue. The reason we only saw two shows on this day (in addition to the fact that we had an early evening flight home) was primarily due to the fact that the first show was 2 and a half hours long (inc interval). It was a full blown musical. Our only musical of the fringe. But we couldn't resist because it was "The Addams Family" and it looked good. I'd heard rave reviews about this musical from around the country where it has been released to amateur groups before any full profeshional productions and it defiantly deserves a profeshional west end or touring production because it is a very good, very funny musical. The writing is witty and the songs are toe-tapping and fun. The famous Addams family theme is heard briefly in the orchestration at the beginning but my one disappointment with this show is that they didn't sing the lyrics as part of the curtain call, instead revisiting a song from the show.
It was performed brilliant by students of the Scottish Royal consevertoire. A particulalr highlight was the gentleman playing Gomez who absolutly nailed the comic timing and charactisation.
If you see someone near you performing this show I'd definatly recommend it.
We grabbed some lunch and found a seat at a bench table, sharing with a lovely couple and their son with learning difficulties for who it was also their first year at the fringe. But not their first visit. They had come up at the beginning of the fringe and enjoyed it so much that as soon as they got back they immediately booked another trip for the end of the month. Now that says something about how exillerating coming here can be.
The final production of the fringe for us was one I was very keen to see and which is very much linked to my day-job. Wireless Theatre company were doing live records of audio drama each day, in front of an audience. You may say that's a bit of a bus man's holiday but I'm lucky enough to work in an field I love, radio drama, so it doesn't at all feel a waste to take in a show that involves this. I wasn't sure what to expect, it was billed as stories about couples who had had a big impact on history. And the recording we were watching was Henry Ford (the car man) and Adolf Hilter (the sycopathic mass genoicidal murderer). I didn't know of any connection exsisting between the two and as it turns out I shouldn't have either... as these audio dramas were pure made-up satire. And what brilliant made up satire they were. Laughter out loud was had throughout. The actors were surpurb. Especially the guy who played hitler.
It was fun to spot all the little radio drama tricks that I'm very familiar with. When the actor fluffed a line and paused a second before going back to the beginning of a previous sentence I knew why (so they can easily edit out the fluff - if you were wondering). I delighted at some of the spot FX they were doing and the way they would change their voice to make themselves sound in a different position to the mic without moving.
All the audio dramas recorded at the fringe are going to be available to download from their website (which has an "all you can eat" subscription price to listen to as many of their dramas as you like. I'd definatly recommend checking them out. I certinaly plan on listening to all the others they recorded at the fringe.
And then.... That was it. Back to the airport (again via tram) back on the plan and back home.
When I planned this trip I had thought it was something that I really wanted to do, yes, but something that I could "get out of the way" before circumstances meant coming was impractical and too expencive. Now I want to come every year. I've caught the fringe bug.
As it happens after we'd booked our accomedation for this year, my sister happened to mention that NEXT year she plans on coming up here with a show. in a tech or backstage capacity but either way it'll mean I obviously just HAVE to come back up. Small little human in pushchair will just have to come with.
I can't wait.
No comments:
Post a Comment