Fringe Festival Review #1

As you may know, we are in Edinburgh during "festival season"-- a time in which the population of the city more than doubles and there are simultaneous theater, comedy, music, book, and film festivals going on. This means that the streets are crowded with performers and visitors from all over the world, hoping to make it to a good show.

Damien and I tried to take in some festival shows this weekend, making good use of the preview week's 2-for-1 deals and student discounts on tickets. Here is a quick run-down of what we saw:

1) Copenhagen (Poinmandres Productions)
We were excited to see this well-reviewed play about the German scientist Werner Heisenberg's mysterious visit to Copenhagen to see Niels Bohr in 1941. The script was amazing, and the play was well-acted but the dialogue was slightly rough around the edges, with some line flubs here and there. The actors were all younger than their characters were meant to be, and they carried out their respective roles admirably. Overall, a nice way to kick off our festival viewing experience.

2) Anonymous Comedy Show
This comedian was so bad that I am not going to put his name down to save him the shame of coming across this post when he googles himself. We had been warned that because there are so many acts going on simultaneously during the festival, there are some really good ones and some really bad ones, but nothing could have prepared us for the sheer awkwardness of this standup routine. The poor guy was obviously very nervous from the moment he got on stage, and couldn't master a segway to save his life. He also kept trying to sip beer but missing his mouth because of his nervousness. It didn't help that the theme of the show was about hopelessness, which meant that he told us a bunch of stories about his sad life (but nothing resembling humor). He also wanted to interact with the crowd but was completely thrown off whenever an audience member said something. Example: he asked us what we do for a living, and when I told him we were students, he had no material. He kept repeating "well, this isn't going very well, is it?".As public speaking instructors, our hearts went out to the poor fellow, but it was rooo-ugh. Luckily for him, the audience didn't heckle, but they did look at the ground for most of the act. There were a few jokes that got laughs, like: "Paul McCartney says he's against music piracy, but then he goes and marries someone with a peg leg." Also had some material that was downright sexist and homophobic. Painfully awkward.

3) Just Out of Reach (Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble)
We actually didn't realize that this theater group was from Pittsburgh when we booked the tickets, but it ended up being a great choice. Did any of you Pittsburghers see the world premiere of this play at the City Theater on the Southside in July? If not, it is a must-see. The story of the play is: "Narcissus, Tantalus, and Sisyphus angered the gods. As punishment, they were sent to the underworld and bound to endless torments-- each devised to fit the particular crime. After a long internment, they are visited by the gods who have come with an offer: continue their eternal struggles, or choose to end then by committing suicide. The offer is refused and bewildered, the gods question them, suspecting that the long tortures may have driven them insane. What is revealed is both shocking and beautiful."-- And the play was shocking and beautiful. They managed to combine music, dance, and drama all in one. The play was also surprisingly funny, a highlight being when Sisyphus appears on the jeopardy-style game show "Melodius Diagnosius." The crowd loved it. Overall, the PNME did Pittsburgh very proud.