Fringe review: Dean Friedman - Songs For Grownups (4/5) Friedman is one of those singer-songwriters cast as a legend and if that implies longevity as well as a place in modern music folklore then certainly he is deserving of the label. His output has always been a curious mix of love songs, jazzy upbeat melodies and humorous novelty ditties and he switches seamlessly from one to another, just as he swaps acoustic guitar for the electric piano and, for one tender song devoted to an ailing … [Read more...] about Likeable legend and a master songsmith
Creative
Hour of joy as Cotton is Cash re-born
Fringe Review - A Boy Named Cash (rating: 5/5) There are some acts we all wished we had seen. For me, Johnny Cash is one of them. Well, I reckon I can just about tick that box after seeing Monty Cotton. The young man from Perth, Australia, is said to have "woken one day in 2012 and realised he could imitate Johnny Cash". Since then he has performed all around the world and was a contestant on the Australian version of The Voice. From the opening line of Folsom Prison Blues the similarity … [Read more...] about Hour of joy as Cotton is Cash re-born
Modern love told as stunning piece of art
Fringe Review – The Waiting Game (rating: 5/5) Fresh from a sold out run in New York, The Waiting Game is a game changer. Written by Charles Gershman and directed by Nathan Wright this play enjoying its UK debut features the lives and loves of four gay men, and is a pared down production with a minimal set and lots of moveable props. The plot revolves around the complicated lives of Paolo, Geoff, Tyler and Sam who is in a self-induced coma following an overdose. Dark material, but there … [Read more...] about Modern love told as stunning piece of art
Vlad’s tips to the best comedy at the Fringe
Double Scottish comedy award winning comedian Vladimir McTavish recommends the top comedy shows MICHAEL REDMOND: I WROTE A JOKE IN 1987 Gilded Balloon Teviot, Bristo Suare 6.30pm Legendary Irish stand-up Michael Redmond is probably best known as Father Stone from Channel 4’s Father Ted. For the past thirty-odd years, he has been one of the most idiosyncratic and recognisable figures on the UK comedy scene, and a stalwart on the Edinburgh Fringe. In this typically oddball hour, Redmond … [Read more...] about Vlad’s tips to the best comedy at the Fringe
Coles well versed in putting passion into poetry
Fringe Review - Man and Boy (rating: 4/5) So what makes a successful financial journalist up sticks from the City of London and decamp to Edinburgh for the month of August? Could it be the creation of one of Europe's largest fund management powerhouses? RBS delivering its first profits for a number of years? Hitting the age of 50? Well, only one of those three. Robert Cole's lifelong – yes that long – passion for poetry is being aired to Fringe audiences through his show which explores his … [Read more...] about Coles well versed in putting passion into poetry