Jo Turbitt reviews Towards the Moon, Just So Stories and Fred McAulay.
Day two of touring the pop-up fringe venues of the festival. Yesterday was a great range of different dance ideas, physicality and one of cleverest table-top puppet shows I've ever seen. Today I've been out and about a lot more experiencing the festival on full throttle. Experiencing a new venue is always a thrill to a seasoned reviewer: different seats, different spaces and a different range of beer at the bar! Summerhall are punching with the big boys in terms of venue reputation, proving that they can host phenomenal companies at the fringe and give them a home that’s as successful and quirky as its peers across the city.
Towards the Moon, C Chamber Street (***)
Proof if there ever needed to be that musical theatre is thriving in Scotland, that Scottish Musical Theatre has a distinctive style and has a lot to contribute to the industry. Towards the Moon, one of the productions by the RCS this year, has many ideas, sentiments and concepts, all of which add up to a show which is quite Glaswegian in its attributes: cheeky, witty but with a whole load of heart. Performed by a six-strong cast, the story follows Bobby (Ryan Paterson) whose life is turned upside down and then back again. It's a warm story, expertly delivered by the cast who are so at ease on the stage, delivering moments without force and driving the show with paced skill. The acoustic guitar soundtrack played by the cast injects a folky/pop edge which, on the whole, was spot on but in a few songs became just that wee bit contrived. That aside, it's in no way your typical musical theatre show; it's refreshing, it's not conceited and the main character is a punter you can relate to. It seems true to its roots, which, if shows like this continue to be produced in Scotland, then the industry is definitely on its path towards the sun. Nice one.
Just So Stories, Quaker meeting house, 7 Victoria Terrace (**)
Children's Theatre. A tough nut to crack, but if it's captivating and enthralling then you're onto a winner. Newbury Youth Theatre have, in essence, a show which could crack the nut, but it lacks a certain zippiness which is required to hold an audience of kids and adults for its duration. There were a few great moments, lovely concepts which translated well onto the ensemble and the stage. However, it was clunky in places and overall too wordy. I wanted the directors to take more risks with their young, able and very energetic cast; explore the physical visuals that the stories suggests without the words, use every last thing on stage until its empty—that kind of thing. As a company, there is a lot of potential. It just needs a refined dose of theatrical risk-taking and a dollop of zippiness.
Fred McAulay, The Stand (***)
An hour with Fred is like spending an hour with a great mate: great chat and warm wit. It's his BBC Scotland turn of phrase but saying what he really really wants to and really can't on the radio. The audience warmed to him immediately, the banter was quick and the punchlines were sharp. A great way to kick off an evening at the fringe before you launch yourself into the more riskier shows.
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