The Vaudevillians, The Sun Also Rises, Assembly 30^th Anniversary, Jimmy Carr, Divine Comedy, Adam Hills, Andrew Maxwell, Andy Zaltmen, Axis of Awesome, BBC Comedy, Betrayal of  Penguins, Bo Burham, David O’Dotherty, Dead Cat Bounce, Des Bishop, Foil Arms and Hog, GB 25^th, Jarlath Regan, Jason Byrne, Maxwell Fullmooners, Newsrevue, Paul Merton, Penny Dreadfuls, Political Animal, Stand Up for Freedom, Two Episodes of Mash, Wittank, Duke Special, Eels, Magnets, Modest Mouse, Fame, Hairspray, Spring Awaking, The Author, Flesh and Blood, Freefall, Girl Yellow Dress, Breakfast @Traverse, Daniel Kitson, Ladder and Moon, La Locandiera, My Romantic Histrory, Newsrome, The Not So Fatal Death of Grandpa Fredo, While You Lie, Traverse Live, Speechless, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Roadkill, Penelope.

This list is my first and will be ever changing as the festival goes on, I’ll endeavor to keep you up to date!

Most importantly its never too late to decide on a quick trip to the festival, with flight prices still pretty low! You could go for a day or a few and there is an awesome amount of shows on to cater to any desire!

You can look at the programme here.

Check out this cool video on how they designed the programme cover this year!

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is one of seven festivals taking place in Scotland’s capital each August. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs for 3 weeks August 6-30th.

FRINGE FACTS 2010:

• Fringe 2010 features 40,254 performances of 2,453 shows in 259 venues
• Fringe 2009 featured 34,265 performances of 2,098 shows in 265 venues
• Fringe 2008 featured 31,320 performances of 2,088 shows in 247 venues
• Fringe 2007 featured 31,000 performances of 2,050 shows in 250 venues
• Comedy makes up 35% of the programme as it did last year, followed closely by Theatre with 29% (up 1% from last year). Music is next with 16% and then Musicals & Opera with 5%, both the same as last year. Dance & Physical Theatre is down 0.5% at 4.5%. Events are up by 0.5% to 4.5% while Children’s shows continue to make up 4% of the programme and Exhibitions make up the final 2% of the programme.
• An estimated 21,148 performers will take to the stage in Fringe 2010, compared to 18,901 in 2009 and 18,792 performers in 2008.
• 558 shows at Fringe 2010 are absolutely free, compared to 465 last year.
• The Fringe has a 75% market share of all attendance at Edinburgh’s year-round festivals and annually generates around £75 million for the Edinburgh and Scottish economy.

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Post tags: Adam Hills, Andrew Maxwell, Andy Zaltmen, Assembly 30th Anniversary, Axis of Awesome, BBC Comedy, betrayal of penguins, Bo Burham, Breakfast @Traverse, Comedy, Corn Exchange, Daniel Kitson, David O’Dotherty, Dead Cat Bounce, Des Bishop, Divine Comedy, Druid, Druid Theatre, Duke Special, Edfringe, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Eels, Fame, Flesh and Blood, Foil Arms and Hog, Freefall, GB 25th, Girl Yellow Dress, Hairspray, Jarlath Regan, Jason Byrne, Jimmy Carr, La Locandiera, Ladder and Moon, Magnets, Maxwell Fullmooners, Modest Mouse, My Romantic Histrory, Newsrevue, Newsrome, Paul Merton, Penelope., Penny Dreadfuls, Political Animal, Roadkill, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Speechless, Spring Awaking, Stand Up for Freedom, The Author, The Not So Fatal Death of Grandpa Fredo, The Sun Also Rises, The Vaudevillians, Theatre, Traverse Live, Two Episodes of Mash, While You Lie, Wittank

Included on their list were

• Plastcine

• The Seafarer

• Pornogrphy

• Stockholm

• blue/orange

• The Pride

• Our Crisis

• Taking Care of Baby

• August On Stage Country

Obviously these are taken from a UK point of view but I really agree with The Seafarer (National’s Production at least) and Pornogrphy. I would also include Freefall ( Best Irish show of last year imo) The Pillowman, Improbable Frequency, The Wallworth Farce and Seawall.

So what do you think? What have you seen that has blown you away?

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MCD have announced that you can have a chance to choose songs that Muse will play at the Oxegen Festival this year.

The band will endeavour to play at least one from the top 5 songs at Oxegen!

Fans can vote once and choose the three songs they most want to hear the band play at Oxegen…

Click here to vote.

However if choosing just a few songs isn’t enough then how about choosing who plays the gig.

Irish band CODES. are looking for a band to support them playing their Academy show on June 26th.

this is what the lads have to say:

{Hey all,we’ve been getting a lot of requests from young artists asking to open the show for us in The Academy 2 on Jun 26th

.

We figure the fairest way to choose who is to let you decide!

So, if you’d like to open for us at this show,drop us a mail at info@codes.ie with your MySpace link.

We‘ll set up a poll and then you guys can vote …for your favourite!{Hopefully you’ll get some new listeners to your sites through it too!}

Deadline for entries is May 8th !

Good luck
{Codes+}

You can find more information at www.codes.ie

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Post tags: CODES., Muse

The Line up is as follows:

Rory Keenan as John (Jack/Ernest) Worthing, Rory Nolan as Algernon Moncrieff, Aoife Duffin as Gwendolyn Fairfax and Gemma Reeves as Cecily Cardew, along with Peter Daly as Merriman, Darragh Kelly as the Rev. Canon Chasuble,Eleanor Methven as Miss Prism and Arthur Riordan as Lane. The production will be directed by Rough Magic Artistic Director Lynne Parker

This has to be one of the most spectacular theatre line ups in Dublin in a long time, all the actors being highlights of previous Rough Magic (and many other) shows but rarely have they all come together in one show!

Its booking now.

GAIETY THEATRE, South King Street, Dublin 2

Box Office 01 677 1717

24 hour Ticketmaster 0818 719 388

www.gaietytheatre.com

www.ticketmaster.ie

For more info on this story click here.

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“I thought Jeremy Paxman was going to punch me.”

Offering a “money back guarantee” is a dangerous thing to do in any business but when your job is to make people laugh during a recession it might be the daftest idea you can think of. But that’s exactly how rising Irish comedian Jarlath Regan has made his name and packed out his festival shows at the Edinburgh Fringe.

“In a world where we all feel like we’ve had the wool pulled over our eyes, I think people appreciate the honesty”, says the Kildare born comic of his “no smile no fee” promise. In three years of touring and shaking hands with every audience member as they leave the venue he hasn’t been approached for a single refund. That’s not to say he hasn’t had a couple of close calls.

While performing at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival he joked that BBC journalist Jermey Paxman was “a real huare for the drink” only to learn later the News Night host was seated in the third row. “I was shaking hands with everyone on the way out and next thing I see is his head appearing around the corner! I thought Jermey Paxman is going to punch me or demand his money back!” Instead, Paxman renowned for his uncompromising ego, shook the comedian’s hand and told him he thought the show was “Delightful stuff.”

Regan’s tour of Australia as part of the “Best of The Edinburgh Festival” gala show culminated in a sell-out run at the Melbourne Comedy Festival along side the likes of Des Bishop, Jason Byrne, Neil Delemare and Dylan Moran. Television audiences will recognise him from his appearances The Apprentice “You’re Fired”, The Panel and Tonight with Craig Doyle.

Irish audiences will have their first chance to see his new stand-up comedy show “Not So Common Sense” at The Sugar Club on April 16th. A host of surprise special guests who will also perform on the night have yet to be announced.

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And their new brochure it outlines the details:MATINEE CLUB

Join our Matinee Club and enjoy low price tickets to matinee performances of Macbeth, Bookworms and The Plough and the Stars. Meet the writer, director or cast after the show and enjoy a cup of tea. There might even be biscuits!

Upcoming matinee club performances:

Macbeth

Saturday 15 May, 2pm

Bookworms

Saturday 3 July, 2pm

The Plough and the Stars

Saturday 18 September, 2pm

Membership €45 – €60

(includes tickets to all three performances)

To sign up or find out more phone (01) 87 87 222.

Seams like a great deal including some fantastic extras including meet and greets and maybe biscuits!

The new brochure can be downloaded here.

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Post tags: Abbey Theatre

Culch.ie - Its been almost 4 years since Turn, how did the album come about?

Oliver Cole – I started recording straight after Turn – I sent a girl in Germany a copy of a Turn album as she couldn’t get it there. She was asking me what I was doing now and I told her I wanted to do a solo album but I don’t have any money. She said she had a friend in Raymon (one of the biggest bands in Germany) and he is going on tour, maybe I could record there. So, ‘yer man’ phones me up a few days later and I met him in Dublin and he invited me to Frieberg, which is the most beatuiful place. I had a look at the studio. He gave us the keys and went on tour and we were there for nearly 2 months.

Culch.ie - I notice Close Your Eyes is a new version from the one on Turn album and Too Many People was originally on the Cake Sale album – Were most of these songs floating about for a while or did you set out to make a solo record?

Oliver Cole - Yeah we just kept going – since about 2007  – and by then end I had around 30 songs. The head of EMI said just go away and come back with 10 or 12 songs and it got really hard to limit it down . I found it hard to narrow down – so I had two very different albums worth and even the songs I choose for the album are all over the place with no two songs alike.

Culch.ie - Having had many interactions with various record labels over the last 10 years, were you anxious about getting back into it?

Oliver Cole - I didn’t really want to. Once I finished the album a while ago I didn’t have much energy I would  just get up and watch telly I wasn’t even answering the phone. Once the record was done, I was happy and I was reluctant to get on that wheel again. Even in Turn we started off on Infectious, then when we did our own record. I was constantly doing the business work as well. I was so busy and stressed and we had no manager. I was doing everything. I wanted to leave Turn at the end but didn’t have the balls to leave. So with the last album with Setanta I didn’t do anything and deliberately let it fall down around me. So only now I’m starting to get up and realise that I have to get out and promote the album and myself. I used to be so good at self promotion with Turn and have to get back into that.

Culch.ie - How is it different from being the front man of a band to being a solo artist?

Oliver Cole - It’s a little the same, as Gavin from Turn and Ciaran, who replaced him, are playing with me now and I’m going to get Binzer along. Our first gig was last week and it was weird but I feel really comfortable. I’d played a couple of solo support gigs as well and I thought I’d be nervous but I like playing the songs as well as possible and if people like it, that’s great. So the gigs to support the album will be full band in most venues, except one or two of the smaller ones. In the Sugar Club I’m going to get a good few friends in play piano and turmpet etc. I think it will be strange. I haven’t gigged around Ireland in a while so I’m looking forward to it.

Culch.ie - Towards the end of Turn many would say the band’s sound mellowed a little – is this a continuation of this or could we see a return to songs like Beeswax & Beretta?

Oliver Cole - I think that was me but I think there are songs that rock in the set, like a song in the set called Hole in your Heart. The bulk of the songs are more subtle, not like the quite loud formulae of Turn.

Culch.ie - Your touring to publicise the album what’s after that? Will we see you on the festival circuit?

Oliver Cole - Yeah we’ll be doing electric picnic. I like the idea of that. Then record out in England is the next step and then a Scandinavian company are looking at bringing it out. And then hopefully back to Germany where it all started.

‘We Albatri’, hitting the streets on March 26th, preceded by the single, ‘Oh My Girl’ on March 19^th. He’s playing a pre-launch free gig in Tower Records on Friday 26^th at 1pm and then live on the following dates :

Sat 27 March     DUBLIN , The Sugar Club, album launch night

Thu 15 Apr          LIMERICK, Dolan’s

Fri 16 Apr          WEXFORD, Sky & The Ground

Sat 17 Apr         GALWAY, Roisin Dubh,main room

Sun 18 Apr        KILKENNY, Set Theatre

Thu 22 Apr       CORK, Cyprus Avenue

Fri 23 Apr         GALWAY, Roisin Dubh

Sat 24 Apr         WATERFORD, Electric Avenue

Sun 25 Apr        DUNDALK, Spirit Store

Find out more info here myspace

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Post tags: Olly Cole

The largest capacity purpose built theatre opened with a performance by the Russian State Ballet of Swan Lake to a packed house. Among that  house President Mary McAleese, Harry Crosbie, Paul Mc Guinness, Brenden Gleason, Daniel Libeskind (who designed the venue) and Paul Brady (who will perform there later in the year).

However it was Crosbie who had the first performance with a speech outlining and thanking all who helped bring the project to life. And  for his vision and effort he was rewarded with the first rapturous  applause and standing ovation. Of which I’m sure here will be many more  to come.

The building itself has been well document including this culch.ie post but as a first time user i found it excellent. Easy to get to, in and  around and it’s clear, like it’s big brother across the river, there  hardly a bad seat in the house.

As for the ballet itself well I enjoyed it thoroughly however I’m not sure I am an expert to examine the quality of the dance itself. The RTE concert orchestra provided the music which was excellent. I’m a huge fan of the RTECO and they didn’t disappoint. The one issue I had was with the lighting which felt very harsh. Lighting state changes were far too bulky and dramatic and the follow spottting operation was terrible.

Having said all that the night was far more about the theatre itself and what it says about the future for Irish audiences and hopefully Irish performers. A packed program is already planned with west end hits such as hairspray and legend Gilbert O’Sullivan. With only a few Irish acts on the bill so far I do hope this raises the stakes for Irish performers allowing them as well as the stars o the world to be seen by an even great number audience.

As Loughlin Deegan, Artistic Director of the Dublin Theatre Festival tweeted it’s Game on now!

You can find more about Grand Canal Theatre on their website, facebook or twitter.

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On April 8th the RTE Concert Orchestra with the fantastic David Brophy conducting will perform with the River Tenors otherwise known as Apres Match.

This is what the RTE website has to say.

A very special evening of musical guests and comedy with Après Match stars Gary Cooke, Risteárd Cooper and Barry Murphy who will entertain us with their tenor creations, The River Tenors, live with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. ‘.the writing is superb and savagely funny’ Evening Herald re Après Match

I saw the lads perform elements of this show last year at the Carlsberg Comedy Festival and they were fantastic. With the backing of a fabulous orchestra should be a night not to miss.

Then The Beach Boys come to town!

NCH website says:

The Beach Boys are one of the signature sounds of modern pop music, making them the Number One selling American band of all time, and were second only, to the Beatles, in terms of success and popularity.

Hear them perform the hits Good Vibrations, California Girls, Wouldn’t It Be Nice, I Get Around, Help Me Rhonda, Barbara Ann, I Can Hear Music, California Dreamin’, Sloop John B, Surfin’ USA and Surfer Girl.

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As a huge Rough Magic and West Wing fan I am thrilled that this rumour has proven to be true!

Stockard Channing is to star in Rough Magic‘s upcoming production of “The Importance of Being Earnest” at the Gaiety Theatre.

Channing (65) who will play the part of Lady Bracknell is probably most know for her roles as Rizzo in Grease and Abigail Bartlet in the tv series, The West Wing.

Artistic Director of Rough Magic Lynne Parker who will direct the production was quoted in today’s Irish Times, saying “this Earnest will be faithful to the original”. The production will open on June 2nd and run for 3 weeks.

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Post tags: Earnest, Gaiety, Rough Magic, Stockard Channing, Theatre

Here’s what Jar had to say:

At the shortest of notice, some of the biggest names in Irish and International comedy have rolled in to help raise much needed funds to help the victims of this terrible disaster. Stand-up and do your bit. Come to The No Pricks Comedy Show for Haiti this Thursday in Slatts.

As with any No Pricks Show:
– the line-up is a secret until the night
– admission is free with the goodwill bucket on the way out
– there will surprises
– there will be a raffle
– there will be no pricks

Kick off is 8pm sharp. Haiti needs you.

More details from Facebook and remember it kicks off at 8 and its for a great cause.

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Post tags: charity, Comedy, Haiti

Today at the National Concert Hall, VideoGames Live will perform for two shows. We have already mentioned in on the site and from 6am today people were in transforming the hall in time for the first show.

Some games to play as you arrive…

Biggest screens I have ever played a video game on!

Space Invaders!

I saw them play a range of songs including space invaders in which the orchestra responds to how well the player is doing. Also sonic and mario which are simply amazing to hear live and see on the big screens.

A range of the more unusual instruments.

Some of the merchandise available.

I do have a picture of the setlist but I wont spoil the surprise for anyone going – Ill update it later!

Seeing the orchestra play with people playing the games live and the video shots is amazing. An excellent use of modern technology to enhance the orchestral experience. The subject matter may have be a bit flippant for some regular visitors to the NCH however enhancements to the experience like this will help to draw more to see orchestras in the future without loosing any of the essence of a live performance.

Tickets may still be available from the NCH for the two performances today at 3.30 and 8.00.

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First up we have the 50 show and around 500 euro worth of tickets.

What was the best? The best comedy show out there was without a doubth Dead Cat Bounce – and your lucky they are playing the Bulmers Coamedy Festival this month. Other notable mentions go to the brilliant Jarlath Regan and exciting Neil Delamare and the most promising Betrayal of Penguins.

From the theatre, the best show out there was Simon Stephens emotional roller coster performed by Andrew Scott. It was spellbiding. Other notable mentions go to the ever exciting Luck, Been So Long and the fantasticly intriguing Daniel Kitson

In the traverse we got over 50 4 and 5 star reviews and 19 Awards, more importantly we got a fantastic crew and over 15 kilos and £600  worth of gaff tape in gaffa baby!!

Half of the lights used and all those shackles keeping things in the air!

On the fringe 1,859,235 tickets – a 21% increase on last year’s figure and 9% more than the previous record set in 2007. It has also been revealed that Fringe 2009 featured a total of 34,265 performances of 2,098 shows in 265 venues and an estimated 18,901 performers took to the stage this year. Not bad for three weeks eh!

And finally what its all about putting on 10 shows a day in the Traverse Theatre!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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O’Dotherty shows no complacency from having won comedy’s top prize last year with another amazing show. No difference in the quality of the comedy only the size of the room! On the night in question the musical whimsy is top notch as well as the more regular stand up. Tonight he does go off script to look at a copy of Donegal Democrat and Warlords of Pez as prompted by the audience. This is comedy in its purest form with no preparation showing just what a true genius O’Doherty is.

Neil Delamere is the lad off the telly. Perhaps only really known for The Panel Delamere’s show this year is loosely worked around Bookmarks in ones life. While the scripted stuff is loose, the audience interaction is sublime. Having observed early an Palestinian and Iranian members of the audience Delamere brilliant creates and destroys comic tension.

Covers were then the order of the day as it started out at Pythonesque, a tribute to the beginnings of the python crew. With impressions that so easily have gone wrong and a story line that the pythons could have a created this was an enjoyable show. The one thing I would question is that it markets it self as a history of the Pythons, it seams like you needed some specific knowledge of them to fully enjoy it.

The Magnets are my find of the festival. An amazing array of cover songs reaching every gene preformed entirely a capella. The six guys are amazing and had excellent stage presence with voices that any major lable would fight for. It was their intelligent arrangements that I loved not simply copying the songs but recreating them how the may have and in some cases should have sounded. The whole thing was a little staged but still very enjoyable.

Its Alistair McGowan’s first time at the fringe in 13 years and it seams like he never stepped away.  Not knowing what to expect from this masterful impressionist I thoroughly enjoyed the mixture of straight stand up and impressions, although some of the more specific British characters went over my head. Classics such as Tony Blair, David Beckham and a host of other famous faces guided us though the hour of excellent comedy.

Irish woman Camille O’Sullivan has been a sensation at this years fringe. Its true to say that during the intense songs such as that by Nick Cave that you could not only hear a pin drop but the audiences hearts in their mouths and begging for more. I wasn’t so much taken with the faster more erratic parts of the act. Still worth every penny.

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Week Two and there is shows coming and going with lots more to see!

This week at the Traverse we have welcomed three new shows. We say goodbye to three of the easier shows and hello to The Doubtful Guest, A Life In Three Acts and If That’s All There Is. The crew were just finding our rhythm in the turnarounds and now this will tip this slightly but we will press on. However the most important arrival or creation is that of our gaff ball. All discarded gaff tape for the last week is being put together to create a gaff ball/man!

One reason to see the Betrayal of Penguins is that you can say you saw John Gallagher and Matt Smyth’s first show. (To be correct it’s the second but the first stand up!) so you can brag to your friends when they become really big ala arcade fire. More importantly though you will realize what an excellent show it is. An unusual mixture of stand up, banter and sketches that really works, following the ideas of friendships and betrayal. The highlight of the show is the way the two performers interact and bounce off each other contrasting enthusiasm and pure energy. Cant See this catch Cat on the Matt!

Every night in Edinburgh there are lots of late night shows that bring a variety of comedians to audience in one night. One of which is run and hosted by the two sell out comedians Adam Hills and Jason Byrne. The show is titled Adam, Jason and friends and that’s just what comes across. Two mates who get together have a few jokes at each other and audience expense and introduce the audience to some fabulous acts. The night I attended we saw the Tao Drummers, Pajama Men and Sarah Milican. Three excellent acts I would never had time to see individually, as well as Hills and Byrne’s fabulous comparing. These two have sell out shows individually and so to see them together is incredible. It comes across as genuinely good friendship. I would have happily paid twice to see these two perform so a great night for only 11 pounds.

Daniel Kitson wouldn’t be know as well in Ireland, however in Edinburgh, he is a cult hero. He does stand up and a theatrical show every night and every single one of them are sold out. I managed to catch his theatre show in the Traverse. The show is about, Gregory Church and how writing 56 suicide letters delayed his death by 24 years. Kitson is simply the best wordsmith I have ever come across performing live. His ability to create a story and guide the audience through the life of Church is spell bounding and brilliantly refreshing while not loosing the comic talent that he originally became famous for.

As work is taking over my opportunity to get to shows I have asked my friend Sara Cregan to review what she has seen so far and pass them on!

Stefan Golaszewski Is A Widower: Traverse Theatre, Various Times

This is a beautiful show. Set in 70 years in the future Stefan tells us about the life he has had with his wife ‘Pudding’. This is the perfect follow on to last years superb Stefan Golaszewski Speaks About A Girl He Once Loved. Golaszweski is a wonderful performer and as a writer has a beautifully effortless way with words. The most wonderful thing about this show is its simplicity, falling in love, getting married, growing old…we all get there eventually and it is refreshing to hear the story stretch past ‘I do’ all the way to the end. In saying that this show is not all roses, as in all relationships there are many downs accompanying the ups but as heart-wrenching as they are, you find yourself leaving the theatre feeling better about love and life.
The Grandee Way: Underbelly: 15.45

Following on from last year, the Grandees are back! To destroy 80’s Soho nightclub Martini’s right in the middle of their big talent show. Another hour of 80’s movie nostalgia and men in leotards! It is a great piece of entertainment featuring some truly great characters…the Grandees themselves (particularly Baby Jack) and Martini are fantastic. This trio of comedians have a great gift for timing, characters and use of 80s’s power ballads. I love this group, you just cant help but laugh aswell as wonder how many times they sat through Dirty Dancing!

Emma: C Soco, 16.10

This will not be for everyone but i feel safe in saying that if you are a fan of the book, or indeed Austen in general then you will. If your not then you wouldn’t really want to see it anyway would you? Emma is another example of a good student production which has its flaws and its upsides taking the risk of bringing it to the Fringe. Some of the acting is great, in particular Ms Weston/Ms Elton who does a great job in both parts. The production itself was very bare, using only a few props in the different scenes but that works well in this case. The only thing that bothered me slightly in that Emma herself was outshone by some of the supporting cast. A pity but overall not detrimental.

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Post tags: Adam Hills, betrayal of penguins, Daniel Kitson, Edinburgh, Emma, festival, Fringe, Grandee Way, Jason Byrne, Traverse Theatre

In this blog I will be looking at Seawall, Luck, Foil Arms and Hog, Stefan Goalaszewiski, Des Bishop, Rich Hall, Sammy J and Les Infant Terrible.

Two pieces of advice for anyone coming over – bring a jacket and book your shows as things are selling out!

Sold Out Shows Edinburgh

Also the awards have started. The Trav have one 4 so far including a fringe first for Orphans and Internal. This weekend some of the shows leave and new ones arrive which means the turnaround rhythm that we had will be disrupted!

Seawall is a thirty minute show at the traverse that will enthrall. I had seen Simon Stephens’ work last year and clearly he has skill with the monologue, a kin to McPherson. Irishman,  Andrew Scott performs this one man piece about his relationship with his father in law, his family and god. Scott has you hanging on his words only to dismiss you with an excellently timed comic word or gesture and yet clearly there is something deeper. An anger that emerges towards the end, portrayed flawlessly. Excellently performed and written.

I had seen Luck before at this years Cork Midsummer festival however the device of the piece allows you to go again and again and never see the same show. Preformed by Megan Riordan, in the Underbelly Hullabaloo, the show uses various forms of gambling to decide the events of the night. Detailing her life as the daughter and team member of one of the worlds most famous professional gambler, Riordan works the crowd debating the merits and existence of the different types of luck. A frantic paced show that reveals a completely different side to a trip to Vegas with humour and delight.

Foil Arms and Hog have been described as the best threesome to be had and these guys can deliver. Sketch comedy that clearly a lot thought behind it, the three lads from Dublin play of 50 characters with some of the funniest returning throughout the show. In a venue that felt like a sauna the three guys did well to perform to a packed out crowd as I would later find out one member had only left A&E a few hours before hand. Having seen these guys develop from their time in UCD, I definitely think there is a lot more quality to come.

Stefan Goalaszewiski was widely known as one of the best shows of last year when he spoke about a woman he once loved. This year at the Traverse he is speaking about being a widower. The one man show is a incredibly sweet and refreshing look at the joys and dispair of being married. Set in 2056 the star of The Bill gently guides the audience though this relationship as he experienced it. This show will certainly rival last years however perhaps a pity it is run next to two other one man shows.

Les Infant Terrible tell stories in the most interesting way. Ernest and the Pale moon is simply the story of an unfortunate man accidentally assaulting the one he loves. What makes this interesting is the way the story is told. It is movie like the way the show cuts between scenes. The show is accompanied by live music played by the actors which excellently adds to the atmosphere.

Sammy J:1999 really takes you back a decade, when Britney and Google were starting out and when we were all staring at magic eyes. The story follows Sammy’s rise and fall from nerd to jock and back backed by his musical styling. Culminating in genuine footage of him on Australian TV, this is a fun show, well written and performed. An excellent follow on from last years Sammy J: In The Forest of Dreams which there are some performances of this year also.

What I have always liked about Des Bishop was that its comedy with a message. I remember being struck by a previous show about testicular cancer and this was no different. Des focuses this show on the idea of shame v guilt and why we feel bad about things that should be natural. The quality of this show is as good as you would expect from Bishop with the messages weaved throughout  and in no way overbearing.

The disappointing thing about Rich Halls show was the audience. There was so much unnecessary and unfunny heckling that Hall struggled to get through his written material and this reviewer couldn’t give a good account of it. Why people feel that they can shout out whatever they like when wherever they like? I feel only alcohol can explain this. With what you would expect from such an experience comedian, Hall still has to be commended for ability to deal with the trouble in the audience was fantastic and he did mange to end the show on his terms.

© ekilko for Culch.ie, 2009. | Permalink | No comments yet | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Des Bishop, Edinburgh, festival, Foil Arms and Hog, Fringe, Les Infant Terrible, Luck, reviews, Rich Hall, Sammy J, Seawall, Theatre, Traverse Theatre