#Review of The Dreamer Performed By James Phelan @FringeReview @edfringe #FringeEdin #WhatsonEdi #Edinburgh #Fringe #Comedy #Edinburgh #Magic Venue 360

The Dreamer
Performed By James Phelan

Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows, 5:15pm (1hr)
Aug 9-11, 13-18, 20-24

Description

It’s time to believe in magic… Award-winning magician James Phelan, infamous for jamming the BBC switchboard after correctly predicting the lottery, returns with this ground-breaking new magic show. Touching on his parents’ 12 year struggle with IVF, The Dreamer is a celebration of the impossible becoming possible. With magic unparalleled elsewhere at Fringe, this show will leave you aching with laughter and dizzy in disbelief.

Review

In the rather colourful big top circus tent with fun decoration is where James Phelan, the magician could be found, where he encourages both adults and children alike to dream and use their imagination. What a joy this is.
It feels a rather personal, engaging show on different levels as we get to know a bit of his magic background and a bit more than that about him as well as see tricks.

The show opens with information and photos of him being young and this is repeated at the end, but with sound, which was rather interesting.

The opening magic trick with cards was pretty amazing. No idea how he did it.
He was engaged with the audience pretty well throughout, including a fun icebreaker as it were of cleverly building up the atmosphere, first collectively as a whole audience and then in sections. It got the audience in the mood for something entertaining and magical to happen.
The show went on with funny results as he shown what the magical power of dreams and suggestion could do, especially with a few people selected from the audience, some with more imagination than others.
The elements of psychology he uses in his magic when it comes to adult participation is interesting and makes increases some of the intrigue.

The finale of the big trick at the end, before cutting back to the screen was so beautiful and meaningful, that really touched my heart and would’ve liked more made of the lovely insect. I won’t say what it is because that would be spoiling it.

All in all, The Dreamer is an at times, thought-provoking, touching on the philosophical, entertaining and intriguing magic show for adults and children alike.

“We’re all dreamers” he said. I find that to be so true and he put it perfectly and beautifully.

I had brought a friend along who says he enjoyed the humour in the show as well as the magic. He found some of the storytelling through psychology good fun for families. He especially enjoyed the opening trick and had no idea how he did it with a lottery ticket. He thought the mention of past magicians like David Copperfield was a nice touch and felt it brave to have such a personal feeling show, which at that point, I have to agree.

#Review by Lou – #EdFringeReview of Gang Bang – A Comedy About the Mafia Who Ended Up In Blackpool #FringeReview @edfringe #FringeEdin #WhatsonEdi #Edinburgh #Fringe #Comedy #Edinburgh Venue 33

Gang Bang – A Comedy About the Mafia Who Ended Up In Blackpool
Presented By Tinned Laughter – Hughie Shepherd Cross

Pleasance Courtyard – Beside Venue 33 – 12:55am (1hr)
31st July – 25th August (not 14th)

Review by Louise Cannon

In 1945, when Sicilians were pouring onto boats for America, one man by the name of Don Lambrini accidentally boarded an all-inclusive Thomas Cook cruise to Blackpool, England. A mob comedy from the writer of Ringer, Out To Lunch, Goons, Frog’s Legs and Boondocks.

If The Godfather is serious mafia, with a bit of dark humour, Gang Bang is the flip-side of the coin. It’s a comedy of errors and it is hilarious, with mafia type music playing intermittently in the background.

First they get on the wrong boat. Blackpool in Lancashire, England, where they end up sure is a far cry from America and there after there is much fun to be had.

After the death of the head of this Mafia mob, the question is, who will take over? There’s Aldente Panino, Jack Lambrini, Fray Bentos (yes, there are jokes about pies). Lambrini wants his revenge, bringing some classic scenes of this genre but in a more farcical way.

Fabian Bevan, Hannah Johnson and Fred Trenholme excel at telling this madcap story and their comic timing is excellent. The jokes and references keep coming one after another, each being very humorous and the acting also played on this.

The narrative throughout is great and the setting the scene at the beginning was rather interesting. The writing is sharp and these are most definitely people to keep looking out for. The talent of writing and acting is slick in this performance.

This show is entertaining and full of energy throughout, never missing a beat!

Tickets can be purchased here: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/gang-bang#

#Review By Lou of A Montage of Monet #FringeReview @edfringe #FringeEdin #WhatsonEdi #Edinburgh #Fringe #Edinburgh Venue 236

A Montage of Monet

Greenside @ George Street – Mint Studio

Review by Louise Cannon (Lou)

Monet’s paintings are world famous. We all know his water lilies, but how much do we know of the man? This new play explores his life and loves: his two marriages, the devastating death of his first wife, followed by the erratic behaviour of his lover and the desperation prompting his suicide attempt. We become privy to his thoughts on fellow impressionists and how he coped with his failing eyesight, which tormented him. It could have stopped him painting… or did it? This one-man montage of his life will be performed by award-winning actor Stephen Smith.

Review

Monet, we all know him for his most famous painting showing waterlilies. A Montage of Monet begins in 1923 and he is old, unwell with failing eye-sight. Stephen Smith takes the audience through a history of art, his art and the connections he had with other artists and their styles through the ages, such as Manet, Turner, Constable and more to the point where Impressionism was born.

Stephen Smith had good charisma and knowledge about his subject and sounded convincing. You could hear a pin drop in the room. The storytelling was enthralling in style and fascinating in depth as we learnt about his private life too, the good times and the harder times. His life story is one of rags to riches and acknowledging those who helped him and befriended him along the way.

#Review By Lou of Can Duggan? Should Duggan? By Will Duggan #FringeReview @edfringe #FringeEdin #WhatsonEdi #Edinburgh #Fringe #Edinburgh Venue 302

Can Duggan? Should Duggan?
By Will Duggan

Underbelly, Bristo Square, Friesian 3:50pm (1hr)

The stand-up comedy starts off laugh out loud funny. He cleverly blends comedy with clothing styles, colours, world topics, including a touch of politics that have been seen recently on the news, the climate, navigating being a dad and more. He talked about the first 4 minutes being that moment when anything can happen. You literally cannot even guess what direction he’s going to go in.

Many of the jokes are very humorous, some even self-deprecating and ends in a hopeful message.

It’s a strong performance, but there are a couple of unnecessary, cheap jokes in there which missed the mark a bit in the darker topics as he tried to be “edgy”, which was a shame really as it lowered the standard a bit, but then it picked up again. That aside, the rest of the show is a good one, so still worth a watch.

Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/can-duggan-should-duggan-will-duggan

#BookReview By Lou of The Perfect Place By Amanda Cassidy @AmandaCassidy @LoveBooksTours #Thriller #Suspense #ThePerfectPlace

The Perfect Place
By Amanda Cassidy

Today I am on the Love Books Tours blog tour for a suspenseful novel, The Perfect Place. Not everything is as perfect when you dig under the surface of the ‘good’ deals and the people.

Blurb

‘Immersive story, sublime storytelling… top-class’ Andrea Mara, author of No One Saw a Thing

What you see isn’t always what you get.

Elle Littlewood can barely believe her luck when her producer tells her about the chance to get her hands on a dilapidated chateau in Aix-En-Provence, France for a rock bottom price. It seems too good to be true, but as a home interiors influencer, she knows this would make incredible content.

Lately, Elle has noticed the cracks start to show. Her life is the envy of thousands, and her social media posts show a beautiful, accomplished woman. Yet this wasn’t always the case. If they knew the truth about her past, they would never look at Elle the same way again.

Elle needs this house. She doesn’t care that it comes with huge strings attached. And when people get in her way, there’s nothing Elle won’t do to protect her brand. After all, she’s survived by doing things that people could never imagine – and knows she would do them again.

A dark, voyeuristic and utterly captivating crime thriller that fans of People Like Her and Sun Damage will love from CWA Debut Dagger shortlisted author Amanda Cassidy.

Review

What a fabulous debut ‘The Perfect Place’ is. It’s mysterious with great suspense.
The setting of a dilapidated chateau was fantastic, full of possibility and inspiration. At a rock bottom price too, what’s not to love?
The endless possibilities of potential is a source full of great joy for Elle and her social media, until things turn dark and the downsides of social media. Elle is fierce when it comes to protecting what is hers, she will do anything it takes to do this.
Secrets and more cracks than the chateau itself start to appear and the atmosphere grows more intense in places.
The characters are ones that are easy to get absorbed in, a bit like how we get absorbed in social media in a way and time just disappears. It disappears into this great read, where you just don’t know where it’s going or what’s behind the pictures etc of some people.

#Review By Lou of Kevin Quantum Anti Gravity @kevinquantum #GildedBalloon #FringeReview @edfringe #FringeEdin #WhatsonEdi #Edinburgh #Fringe #Edinburgh Venue 24

Kevin Quantum – Anti-Gravity

Magic, The Gilded Balloon, Patterhouse – Doonstairs – 2:30pm 1hr

I saw Kevin Quantum last year and was delighted to be invited to his new show, Anti-Gravity. It’s fun for all the family.

Slight of hand, close magic with willing members of the audience and the piece de resistance, his ‘Anti-Gravity Machine’.

Humour mixes with magic as he increases the levels of complexity to his amazing grand-finale when he defies all that you think is impossible, in what is a quick hour.

This is a highly polished show that has warmth, charisma and amazing skill as Kevin Quantum captivates the entire audience into the wonder of the power of magic and levitation.

Kevin Quantum’s Anti Gravity will leave you enlightened and enchanted.

You too can find the magic here: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/kevin-quantum-anti-gravity