#Review By Lou of Eleanor Morton’s Haunted House @BarrelComedy #FringeReview @edfringe #FringeEdin #WhatsonEdinburgh #Edinburgh #Fringe #Theatre #Comedy #UnleashYourFringe

Eleanor Morton’s Haunted House

At Monkey Barrel Comedy, 12:05pm (55 mins) until 25th August

Step down the stairs, careful as you go into the atmospheric, yet witty Eleanor Morton’s Haunted House. Haunted comedy with twists. Find out what it’s about below and then my review.

Synopsis

Have you ever seen a ghost? Comedian Eleanor Morton hasn’t… yet. Could today be the day? Let’s find out. Eleanor Morton is a Scottish stand-up, writer and actor. Notable recent gigs include tour support for Kevin James Thornton, appearances on Breaking the News and You’re Dead to Me. In 2022 her BBC Radio 4 one-off comedy special, The Rest of Us aired, in which she and comics Mary Flanigan and Esyllt Sears explored what it’s like to be British (but not English). ‘A nuanced and exceedingly funny hour’ **** (EdFestMag.com)

Review

Have you ever seen a ghost? Do you believe in ghosts? These are the pertinent questions Eleanor Morton is asking.

Down in the Monkey Barrel comedy theatre is a house that just might be haunted.

Class and living in Edinburgh, politics to a certain extent and of course ghostly apparitions and spooky books are the topics covered in this spooky show, where you can also learn about 3 different types of ghosts.

Hear the voices of the people of Edinburgh about the ghosts they’ve seen and a certain amount of history that’s revealed.

These ghostly tales then are brought back into the world we are living in.

This is a show with the most unexpected twists in jokes. One moment the auditorium is silent, the next there’s peels of laughter. This is skilful comedy!

You too can enter this haunted, humorous house. Tickets can be found here: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/eleanor-morton-haunted-house#

#Review By Lou of Claire Parry, I am Claire Parry @ClaireLPParry #FringeReview @edfringe #FringeEdin #WhatsonEdinburgh #Edinburgh #Fringe #Theatre #Comedy

Claire Parry, I am Claire Parry

Assembly Roxy – Snug Bar – Venue 139
2nd Aug -15th Aug at 14:50 (1hr)

I am Claire Parry (very funny stand-up). ‘Mesmerising clowning’ ***** (Express). ‘Seriously silly’ ***** (Everything-Theatre.co.uk). ‘Hysterical’ **** (VoiceMag.uk). ‘Masterful’ **** (TheatreWeekly.com). ‘Very funny stand-up’ ****** (Claire Parry). Made with directorial and dramaturgical support from Cecily Nash and Alex Prescot.

Review

Claire Parry, I am Claire Parry is very funny physical, interactive theatre. Discover the entertaining Claire Parry and what it takes to put on a show.

Ever been one of those people who have sat in the wrong seat or can’t find your seat or seen people try to find their seat? This forms part of the beginning as she becomes part of the audience before jumping on stage. She then takes the audience through many emotions of sheer joy and the downs of putting on a show and talks about Arts Council Funding. She splits the audience in parts to be part of her music and sings some songs, including one about a notebook. Stay with that, there’s a funny point and twist at the end.

Claire Parry, I am Claire Parry has lots of humour as well as some serious points about the state of the arts and funding, which adds a certain amount that is though-provoking.

For fun, laughter, clowning around check out tickets here: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/i-am-claire-parry-very-funny-stand-up#

She also has another show called Boorish Trumpton, which I highly recommended in 2023.

#Review By Lou of The Last Laugh – 5 stars – @djwilliamsact @Bobsickle @simplysimon321 @ARedinburgh @assemblyfest @LastLaughPlay #TheLastLaugh #FringeReview @edfringe #FringeEdin #WhatsonEdinburgh #Edinburgh #Fringe #Theatre #Comedy

The Last Laugh
By Paul Hendy

1:20pm (1hr 10 mins) 1st August to 25th August 2024 @ Assembly George Square Studio 1

Review By Louise Cannon (Lou)

Meet Tommy Cooper, Bob Monkhouse and Eric Morecambe in a dressing room. Sounds a bit surreal, right? But this is where a sparkling kind of magic occurs.
The Last Laugh is full of amazing acting and atmosphere. This show excels at bringing 3 talented comedians back to life.
Find out what it’s all about and then the rest of my review below and how you too can see this wonderful show below… :

Synopsis

The Last Laugh sees three legendary comedians – Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse – sitting in a dressing room, discussing the secret of life, death, comedy and what it means to be funny. Written and directed by the award-winning Paul Hendy and starring Edinburgh Fringe-legend Bob Golding as Morecambe, Damian Williams as Cooper and Simon Cartwright as Monkhouse, The Last Laugh is warm, funny, nostalgic and poignant. Not to be missed.

Review

Meet Tommy Cooper, Bob Monkhouse and Eric Morecambe together in a dressing room. Sounds a bit surreal, right? But this is where a sparkling atmosphere occurs. It’s comedy gold!
Each of the actors have the comedians they play down to a “T”. They all look and sound very convincing. The energy oozes off the stage in what is highly humorous and very poignant play, with the balance spot-on.

From the moment Damien Williams walked on stage as Tommy Cooper, with the famous chuckle that builds and builds, it got off to a strong start. This strength never dipped throughout the show. By the time Simon Cartwright as Bob Monkhouse and Bob Golding as Eric Morecambe enter the theatre dressing room, the show is made. The repartee and banter between the three comedians is fantastic! It has warmth, some “ribbing” of each other and all humorous and and in good jest that warmed the heart and can’t help but smile at. There’s also music and in general, so much fun to be had.

As the audience reminisce about this talented trio in their hey-day, they too remember other comedians, who are since gone, so as well as their own jokes as there are jokes from others too.

There’s insight into more poignant moments of their health, the pressures of going out on stage to be funny and about the perils of fame and a joke not working, brings a different side and realism to the play and yet is still cleverly punctuated with humour. The ending, oh, the ending couldn’t have been more perfect!

I highly recommend The Last Laugh. You’ll come away still smiling and with a warm glow of joy for this play.

Tickets: https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/578-the-last-laugh/performances

#Spotlight By Lou on #EdinburghFringe Favourite and Regular, Arthur Smith @ArfurSmith Reunites with Phil Nice in new #EdFringe Show, Oof! #WhatsonEdinburgh #Edinburgh #Oof @ThePleasance Venue 33 #PleasanceTheatre

written by Louise Cannon (Lou)
Arthur Smith has reunited and teamed up with fellow actor and writer, Phil Nice to bring their new witty and relatable comedy drama about age, friendship and more to The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. You can find the duo at The Pleasance Theatre – Venue 33 – Cabaret Bar between 2:30pm to 3:30pm from 2nd to 18th August. See further details and tickets below.

Oof takes audiences on a comedic, reflective journey. “Legendary double act Fiasco Job Job, Arthur Smith and Phil Nice, having surprisingly beaten the visitation of the grim reaper, reunite for one final time to celebrate their 40th anniversary. Two old men on a bench reflect on religion, politics, life and happy slapping, but it transpires there is more to their relationship than we realise. Hilarious sit-down drama about age, showbiz and the cartography of friendship.”

Arthur Smith says Oof is “Waiting for Godot meets Morecambe and Wise.”

Arthur Smith has been a stalwart of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for years. His debut was in 1978 and here he stays with his quick-wit for the whole of August with his shows. This time, he is joined by his fellow comedian and actor, Phil Nice.
The pair have known each other for decades and even worked on tv together in Arthur and Phil Go Off… Separately, Arthur Smith has appeared on The One Show and comedies such as People Just Do Nothing, Grumpy Old Men and voices animated tv show, The Rubbish World of Dave Spud and many more…Phil Nice has appeared in tv shows such as Outnumbered, Broadchurch, Doctors and many more… Both are also writers.

You can purchase tickets from the show’s page on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival website here: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/arthur-smith-and-phil-nice-in-oof

*please note I am not affiliated to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and nor been asked to produce this piece. I solely wanted to just to be nice and think it’s worth promoting.

#Review By Lou of A Jaffa Cake Musical By @TheGigglemug at Venue 33 @ThePleasance #FringeReview @edfringe #FringeEdin #WhatsonEdi #Edinburgh #Fringe #Theatre #Musical #Comedy

A Jaffa Cake Musical
A Gigglemug Theatre Production

Review by Louise Cannon (Lou)

A Jaffa Cake Musical
Time to decide once and for all… Cake or biscuit?

3:10PM (1hr), 31 July – 26 August 2024 (not 13 Aug) @ Pleasance Courtyard

It was a delight to attend A Jaffa Cake Musical. Please see below to find out what’s it’s about, my review and how you too can attend this musical at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Synopsis

Inspired by the 1991 tribunal which determined the true identity of a Jaffa Cake, multi-award winning Gigglemug Theatre (Scouts! The Musical, RuneSical, Timpson: The Musical) return to the Edinburgh Fringe with a brand-new musical comedy for the whole family!
Jaffa Cakes are a British institution but their identity has always prompted debate, so Team Gigglemug, known for creating seriously silly musicals based on existing brands, set out to shed light on one of the most bizarre and heated legal battles in recent history. Whether you’re a Jaffanatic or have never even eaten a Jaffa Cake, this new musical takes the biscuit (or cake…?).

Review

The big questions are: Are Jaffa Cakes a biscuit or a cake? Do you eat it with a fork or dip it in your tea? When you leave it out, does it go hard or soft? This musical is based on a real court case in the early 90’s. Find out how these pertinent questions are answered in a rather entertaining, factual way.

Have fun reminiscing about 90’s clothing styles and the boy-band look, the dance moves and the props in Jaffa Cake colours that create the court room.

The songs are catchy with a mixture of genres, including rap and jazz, bringing it to life in the dispute as lawyers debate and put their sides of the case and the tax man wades in about tax returns and VAT. There are many songs about this, with the memorable ones being, ‘The Fork Song’, ‘Cake or Biscuit’ ‘We Gotta Think’, ‘The Tax Man’ and ‘Chocolate Covered Nightmare’.
Surprisingly, there are some poignant moments as we get a momentary look at the background of the lives of the lawyers.

There’s a lots of humour and energy in the presentation of what was a landmark and rather surreal case of it’s time that then led to another similar case on another food product.

No Jaffa cakes are handed out (what a shame), but they do ask for boxes of Jaffa Cakes for a food bank.

Ticket Link: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/jaffa-cake-musical

Cast List

Cast: Sam Cochrane (Kevin), Sabrina Messer (Katherine), Harry Miller (Jake), Alex Prescot (Judge), Katie Pritchard (Tax Man)

Written by: Sam Cochrane
Directed by: Ali James
Musical Direction & Arrangements by: Rob Gathercole
Lighting Design by: Damian Robertson
Set by: Lauren Jones

#Review By Lou of #AndrewLloydWebber #Musical Cats Performed by The Beyond Broadway Experience @captheatres #Theatrereview #WhatsonEdi #Edinburgh #Theatre #BBEXP #Arts #Catsthemusical #cats

Cats
By Andrew LLoyd Webber

Review by Louise Cannon at Bookmarks and Stages

Cats was originally a book of poems by T.S. Elliott and was turned into a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1981. Now, his Really Useful Group has given the opportunity to The Beyond Broadway Experience to perform it in Edinburgh. I had the pleasure to review this, which you’ll discover below find out how you can get your ticket below too or join this company.

Synopsis

Join the Beyond Broadway Experience’s 200-strong cast as they present Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical, CATS.

A dazzling theatrical extravaganza, transporting you into a feline fantasy like never before.

The mysterious Jellicle Cats are gathering, and the stage pulsates with electrifying choreography, captivating tunes and mesmerising cat-like acrobatics.

Watch as whimsical characters from the poems of T.S. Eliot come to life – each with their own unique charm and flair – all against a backdrop of enchanting melodies.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s timeless score weaves a tapestry of emotions, from heartwarming to thrilling, making CATS an unforgettable journey into an enchanting world of music, dance and feline magic.

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on ‘Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats’ by T.S. Eliot

Orchestrations by David Cullen & Andrew Lloyd Webber

Review

From the first notes of music the stage burst into life with dancing and acrobatics across the floor before song filled the air as you learn about each cat

The backdrop of the book telling you the names of these Jellicle Cats appeared on screen and changed to rather atmospheric street scenes as the iconic music stirred around the auditorium from the overture and beyond.

The ensemble cast were great, with the energy they brought, with their “paws” wonderfully placed as they danced, bringing the feline stories to life in a magical cat world. The principal cast were strong. The outstanding cast members were Ian McBurnie as Old Deuteronomy, Lewis Boyd as Rum Tum Tugger and Kirsty Montgomery as Grizabella, Finn McFeely as Mr Mistoffelees. They skilfully brought the Cats together as well as telling their own stories. Lewis Boyd changed the style up and brought the jazz as he sang Mr Mistoffelees, whilst Finn McFeely did an amazingly long pirouette, Kirsty Montgomery had lots of emotion, strength and subtle nuances in her voice from the minute she started singing ‘Memory’. I’d sat on tenterhooks wondering if someone would be able to carry-off such a complex piece, but she really caught it and I was impressed.

To join this mesmerising Jellicle Ball, click here for tickets: https://www.capitaltheatres.com/whats-on/all-shows/cats-the-beyond-broadway-experience/2304#tickets

Footloose is next year’s production from BBEXP/Beyond Broadway Experience, check out their website if you are between 8 and 25 and want to try out apply here: https://www.beyond-broadway.com/experience/

Thanks to Kelly at Love Books Group for inviting me with her plus 1 ticket from Capital Theatres and BBEXP she got complimentary from them in-exchange of a review. I was not so obligated to review. I also decided to review.