I think I've done pretty well up until now, getting each day done and out on the day, though admittedly 'on the day' was actually '2am in the morning, in bed' at one point. But inevitably, time and fatigue has caught up with me a little, hence this report comes to you the morning after.
You will note that this was something of a studenty day.
Sherlock
Lime Studio @ Greenside @ Nicolson Square
Sherlock, the world’s most loved detective returns to solve the case of the Speckled Band and more. We know Mrs Hudson and Watson, but who brought the sock puppet? An irreverent, fast-paced comedy.
The Ocelot says: It wouldn't be the Fringe without a youth theatre production or two of Holmes. This fast paced romp from Bablake school, performed by four young ladies and a young chap, is entertaining enough, though I struggled to understand the sometimes gabbled and garbled dialogue, especially from young Mr Holmes. 3/5
The Ocelot says: It wouldn't be the Fringe without a youth theatre production or two of Holmes. This fast paced romp from Bablake school, performed by four young ladies and a young chap, is entertaining enough, though I struggled to understand the sometimes gabbled and garbled dialogue, especially from young Mr Holmes. 3/5
Game's a Foot, Try the Fish
Theatre 3 @ theSpace @ Surgeons Hall
Rakish aristocrat and first-time detective Charlie Montague is hired to prevent a murder. The chap dies. Or does he? PG Wodehouse meets Agatha Christie in this hilarious one-man murder mystery
The Ocelot says: An older lady on flyering duty (the director, I suspect) came up to us while we were at the Greenside for the previous show (a rather nice venue that does reasonably priced (under £.50) cups of tea), and implored us to see this show. You can imagine my immense satisfaction at waving my prebooked ticket at her. Anyway. This is a one-man show, which I had totally failed to realise until it started, but writer/performer Tom Taylor does a decent job of playing half a dozen Christie/Wodehouse type characters at a seaside hotel, though the lead role of the silly-arse detective had a decidedly odd accent, starting off as strangely French/Afrikaans for a line or two. The plot is actually fairly complex for a comedy murder mystery. 3/5
The Ocelot says: An older lady on flyering duty (the director, I suspect) came up to us while we were at the Greenside for the previous show (a rather nice venue that does reasonably priced (under £.50) cups of tea), and implored us to see this show. You can imagine my immense satisfaction at waving my prebooked ticket at her. Anyway. This is a one-man show, which I had totally failed to realise until it started, but writer/performer Tom Taylor does a decent job of playing half a dozen Christie/Wodehouse type characters at a seaside hotel, though the lead role of the silly-arse detective had a decidedly odd accent, starting off as strangely French/Afrikaans for a line or two. The plot is actually fairly complex for a comedy murder mystery. 3/5
Ellie Taylor: Infidelliety
Just the Tonic at The Tron @ Just the Tonic at The Tron
Star of Mock the Week, The John Bishop Show and Snog Marry Avoid gets to grips with that pesky bit of marriage known as monogamy.
The Ocelot says: I love Ellie Taylor. No really, I love Ellie Taylor. I do. She has all the charm in the world and puts on a great comedy hour about love and marriage and pregnancy and stuff. I do like seeing attractive women gurning and doing lots of stupid voices. It was at the Tron pub in what passes for a basement performance area, dodgy noises, dank surroundings and all, but she made that part of the experience. Also she taught us the word 'minjury'. 5/5
The Ocelot says: I love Ellie Taylor. No really, I love Ellie Taylor. I do. She has all the charm in the world and puts on a great comedy hour about love and marriage and pregnancy and stuff. I do like seeing attractive women gurning and doing lots of stupid voices. It was at the Tron pub in what passes for a basement performance area, dodgy noises, dank surroundings and all, but she made that part of the experience. Also she taught us the word 'minjury'. 5/5
Bristol Suspensions in: Netflix and Trill
theSpace on Niddry St (Lower) @ theSpace on Niddry St
Snuggle in, unwind and let the award-winning a cappella sensations and 2016's Voice Festival University champions, The Bristol Suspensions, give you a night you won't forget. From Muse and Michael Jackson to a viral internet mega mix, watch these talented students make music using nothing but their mouths.
The Ocelot says: A very pleasant sound experience. It's sometimes nice to just close your eyes and let all the blended voices surround you, especially in a relatively small space like this. If I have one criticism, it's that some of the solo voices were no louder or clearer than the 15 or so backing voices. I didn't recognise all the songs (and I'v come to the realisation that I mainly like a cappella if it's a popular tune) but I loved their version of the Fairly odd Parents theme. 4/5
The Ocelot says: A very pleasant sound experience. It's sometimes nice to just close your eyes and let all the blended voices surround you, especially in a relatively small space like this. If I have one criticism, it's that some of the solo voices were no louder or clearer than the 15 or so backing voices. I didn't recognise all the songs (and I'v come to the realisation that I mainly like a cappella if it's a popular tune) but I loved their version of the Fairly odd Parents theme. 4/5
This Walking Life
Frooty Goose @ MacLachlan Theatre
A newly qualified, but disillusioned lawyer embarks upon a quest to find himself via an extended hiking trip, but only discovers the re-animated corpses of the dead. He eventually encounters his recently deceased classmates and the inescapable conclusion that his past defines him.
The Ocelot says: A strangely bleak experience, despite the upbeat Britpop soundtrack and cast of attractive (though shambling) twenty-somethings. Strangely, South London seems to morph into long straight forested roads interspersed with abandoned gas stations and diners, perhaps reflecting the lead characters inner desolation and lack of sense of self. The middle act at the farmhouse full of lawyers was a bit dull. 3/5
The Ocelot says: A strangely bleak experience, despite the upbeat Britpop soundtrack and cast of attractive (though shambling) twenty-somethings. Strangely, South London seems to morph into long straight forested roads interspersed with abandoned gas stations and diners, perhaps reflecting the lead characters inner desolation and lack of sense of self. The middle act at the farmhouse full of lawyers was a bit dull. 3/5
Homeopathy and Other Jokes
Space 2 @ theSpace on the Mile
After five years of sell-out shows, the worryingly funny doctors of tomorrow are back for their 17th year at the Fringe! Catch this fast-paced sketch show before the Right Honourable Mister Hunt forces us to flee to Australia.
The Ocelot says: An actual proper medical student revue from St George's Medics' Revue, the very core of the Fringe, and yet the first one I have ever seen. What they lack in polish they make up for in pace, cramming dozens of quick skits in. A couple of the 8 or so medics performing in scrubs were really quite good. 3/5
The Ocelot says: An actual proper medical student revue from St George's Medics' Revue, the very core of the Fringe, and yet the first one I have ever seen. What they lack in polish they make up for in pace, cramming dozens of quick skits in. A couple of the 8 or so medics performing in scrubs were really quite good. 3/5
One Musical to Rule Them All
Forest Theatre @ Greenside @ Infirmary Street
Napier University Drama Society returns with an all singing, all dancing, contemporary parody of The Lord of the Rings epic. Embark on a misshapen parody adventure across the non-specific fantasy world with our colourful cast of companions, as they dodge villains and plot holes alike on their quest to destroy curiously powerful jewellery, while singing the whole way!
The Ocelot says: Splendid stuff. Good singing and dance numbers, and the plot liberally hacked around to make a reasonable hour-long story. The obvious 'just get the eagles to do it' problem is addressed too. Nice mix-up with the kiddie play about the solar systems that had been double-booked. Standout performance is Martina Vondrova, clad in black catsuit and golden hula hoop, as the One Ring, a largely silent but slinky and comical role scowling and scampering about the stage. 4/5
The Ocelot says: Splendid stuff. Good singing and dance numbers, and the plot liberally hacked around to make a reasonable hour-long story. The obvious 'just get the eagles to do it' problem is addressed too. Nice mix-up with the kiddie play about the solar systems that had been double-booked. Standout performance is Martina Vondrova, clad in black catsuit and golden hula hoop, as the One Ring, a largely silent but slinky and comical role scowling and scampering about the stage. 4/5
The Ruby Darlings
Voodoo Rooms
The Ruby Darlings give an outrageously honest yet totally sexy look at life with a vagina. Want to know what a mooncup is? Discover the real beauty of the aubergine? Shave your pubes into crop circles? See this lip-roaring, tongue-bending musical journey through sexual inyourendos.
The Ocelot says: As recommended by Herself and Cj from two years ago. Despite my absolute fear of being interacted with as they trawled the audience discussing genitals, I enjoyed the songs, especially holding up my 'badly wrapped kebab' sign for one of the vagina songs. I say one of, as it was a very vaginal show. One bit about getting trolled and hitting back at the haters didn't seem to fit, as with several other shows this year feeling themselves unable to get through their act without raging about Brexit/Boris/TheWickedTories, but on the whole a jolly fine, rude, slick night, ending on a rousing mass chorus of Say No To Anal. 4/5
The Ocelot says: As recommended by Herself and Cj from two years ago. Despite my absolute fear of being interacted with as they trawled the audience discussing genitals, I enjoyed the songs, especially holding up my 'badly wrapped kebab' sign for one of the vagina songs. I say one of, as it was a very vaginal show. One bit about getting trolled and hitting back at the haters didn't seem to fit, as with several other shows this year feeling themselves unable to get through their act without raging about Brexit/Boris/TheWickedTories, but on the whole a jolly fine, rude, slick night, ending on a rousing mass chorus of Say No To Anal. 4/5
ACMS: The Alternative Comedy Memorial Society
Stand 3 @ The Stand Comedy Club 3
ACMS returns for its sixth Sisyphean year at the Fringe, hosted and curated by Thom Tuck, 'an authoritative and slightly creepy blowhard' (Scotsman), and John-Luke Roberts, 'a lever-operated mouth on a stick' (Fest).
The Ocelot says: A failure! A noble failure! Good to see the ACMS again, this time in a much more decent venue way over on Queen Street. I do like the atmosphere, the safe structure of 'permitted heckles only' and above all else, Thom Tuck pulling faces. Most of the featured acts were great, like Johnny and the Baptists, resident trumpeteer/intro man Steve Pretty and Joz Norris. Only one act, a Swedish/Chinese woman lying down on some chairs at the back, totally bombed but even that was funny, especially when Thom tried to get us to all quietly sneak out without her noticing. 4/5
Quirky Incident
The quirky incident today was that there was no quirky incident.
The Ocelot says: A failure! A noble failure! Good to see the ACMS again, this time in a much more decent venue way over on Queen Street. I do like the atmosphere, the safe structure of 'permitted heckles only' and above all else, Thom Tuck pulling faces. Most of the featured acts were great, like Johnny and the Baptists, resident trumpeteer/intro man Steve Pretty and Joz Norris. Only one act, a Swedish/Chinese woman lying down on some chairs at the back, totally bombed but even that was funny, especially when Thom tried to get us to all quietly sneak out without her noticing. 4/5
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| A permitted heckle |
Quirky Incident
The quirky incident today was that there was no quirky incident.
