21 AUG 2012 ISSUE #05

NOMINATIONS TAKE CENTRE STAGEEIGHT PLEASANCE PERFORMERRS NOMINATED FOR THE STAGE AWARDS

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THE STAGE AWARDSBY SOPHIE CHILVERS & ANDY SMITH

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Last week saw the announcement of nominations for The

Stage Awards for Acting Excellence at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and The Pleasance has a handful of participants in the running.

Mike McShane – Best ActorUp for this award after playing the lead role in his two-hander Mon Droit, Mike McShane has been nominated for Best Actor. He is best known for his work on both the big and small screen, from shows like Whose Line Is It Anyway? and films such as Robin Hood. This nomination sees recognition of his powerhouse performance as a mentally ill American who believes the Queen is sending him messages, and he needs to get to her. The performance takes the audience on a huge journey and is a truly brilliant piece of stage acting.

Julian Glover - Best Actor Julian Glover has been nominated for his

performance in Maruice’s Jubilee, a stirring play about a 90-year-old who is waiting for the Queen to visit him for tea to celebrate her Jubilee and his birthday. Julian Glover is known very much for his work in film, including classics Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Star Wars, although he started out as a classically trained actor and is well renowned for this as well. In his role as Maurice in Maurice’s Jubilee, Glover portrays deep longing and the intensity of a long lived life, just yearning for one final celebration.

Scarlet Sweeny - Best ActressPlaying a lead role in As Ye Sow, Scarlet Sweeny is excellent in this intense horror. Having starred in other productions with Theatre of the Damned, Scarlet plays the part of the daughter of a disturbed old man with dementia who is unaware of her father’s hauntings. Proud, controlled and struggling to balance her father’s needs with the needs of her own children, Scarlet takes on the role of Susan with great poise, adding to the productions unnerving atmosphere.

JULIAN GLOVER AND NICHOLA MCAULIFFE IN MAURICE’S JUBILEE

THE STAGE AWARDSNichola McAuliffe – Best ActressNominated for her performance as Katy in her play Maurice’s Jubilee, Nichola McAuliffe plays a nurse trying to soothe the longing of a man who believes the Queen is coming to visit him for his 90th birthday. Having starred in such well-known films as Tomorrow Never Dies and the institution that is Coronation Street, Nichola McAuliffe has become a household name. In her central role as Katy, she plays her character with incredible precision and a beautiful prowess.

Katie Bonna - Best ActressHaving both written and performed Dirty Great Love Story, Katie’s talent has been illustrated through this production. In a highly comical story about a couple and their one night stand, Katie plays herself, struggling to escape from the boy she sees as a mistake, but he just keeps cropping up everywhere. Katie is hilarious in this role with her writing equalling her acting talent. Having been writing together for years, Richard Marsh and Katie have created an unmissable performance.

Q Brothers - Best EnsembleThe Q Brothers are energetic, vibrant and

comical in their latest show Othello the Remix. With intelligent word play and quick wit, the brothers have their hip-hop Shakespeare rap down to a T. After the great success of Bomb-itty of Errors and Funk it up About Nothin’ this new performance showcases some excellent writing in a modernised adaptation of Othello. This enthusiastic pair collaborate seamlessly throughout the performance.

Alexander West - Best Solo PerformerHere with the Start to Finnish initiative, Alexander West is exceptional as the one and only cast member of My Elevator Days. In a highly moving performance an old man talks about his life, alone in his Helsinki apartment. Submerged into the mind of this elderly man, the audience are faced with some moving questions

surrounding life and old age. Seemingly simple yet thought provoking this performance deserves recognition.

Joanna Bending - Best Solo PerformerAfter her performance as Emily in one-woman show Hand Over Fist, Joanna Bending has been nominated for her role as an Alzheimer’s sufferer recounting her life and relationship with her husband. Having made appearances in several popular British soap operas and TV dramas, Bending’s performance is a tour de force of monologue performance, keeping the audience constantly engaged. The subject matter of the play is touching and poignant, and Bending’s performance really brings out both the visceral and tender undertones of the script with a deft touch.

ALEXANDER WEST IN MY ELEVATOR DAYS

NINA CONTI PHOTO BY CLAES GELLERBRINK

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PUPPETRY IN MOTIONBY ANDY SMITH

For many, the word ‘ventriloquist’ brings to mind an old-

fashioned side-show attraction, or the haunted marionettes of Victorian ghost stories. However, in recent years there have been Fringe acts proving this reputation wrong, making puppetry fashionable, funny and modern.

One of the forerunners of this trend is the infamous Fringe favourite Nina Conti, who is performing this year with her new show Dolly Mixtures. Nina has polished a rare talent, and has made ventriloquism sexy. Her range of characters, from the hilariously suave handyman (brought to life by a member of the audience ‘getting inside’ him – with all resulting innuendos fully intended) to her psychic Scottish Granny, are extremely accomplished and all very different. This is the most impressive thing: all her characters are very distinct, never blurring and never merging into one another. Her interaction with the characters is so natural; it makes it seem all the more authentic.

Nina explained in the show that her characters

were based on important figures in her life, but also themes of life and parts of herself - like the puppet of a Great Uncle who is influenced by her fear of death and senility. This gives the show a greater sense of meaning and, while it is absolutely hilarious, it is also

interesting and engaging.This show has brought

ventriloquism into the 21st century and made it popular again. With the entire run selling hugely successfully on little more than her reputation alone, Nina Conti is a game-changer on the puppetry circuit.

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A new puppetry show which has been impressing audiences at this year’s festival is The Boy With The Cuckoo-Clock Heart. Funded by theatre company Les Enfants Terribles to bring the show to Edinburgh, creator Jimmy Grimes and his company tell the story of the boy born on the coldest night in Edinburgh, causing his heart to need to be replaced with a cuckoo-clock. Jimmy was thrilled to be given the opportunity to perform under Les Enfants Terribles guidance, saying ‘I’d been a huge fan of LET’s work for a few years already so it was great to be given recognition from them as a company. They’ve been a real support over the last few months, directly giving advice or checking up on us as we prepared,

but also just knowing that they were there was a real security’.

This is a very different kind of puppetry to Nina Conti’s, portraying a traditional folk tale beautifully, looking to tell a story rather than play for comedy. Grimes said that he wanted to adapt the original novel for stage because he ‘was gripped by its poetic language and the familiar feeling tale yet slightly twisted plot’.

The careful control which the puppeteers exercise makes the puppet of Jack extraordinarily life-like, making him all the more relatable, and the story all the more touching. Jimmy said that puppetry has a certain power wiithin theatre: ‘it allows us to witness the creation of the piece in front of our very own eyes and experience the creative challenge in

a tangible way’. Weaving humour and touching moments, this family show illustrates a greatly talented company, with a charming story to tell. The show uses live music and song to tell parts of the yarn, creating a real atmosphere of folklore and fairytale.

These are just two in amongst a whole host of exciting, new and inventive puppetry performances on the Fringe this year. With such a diverse use of puppets across performances, there was never a better time to see some.

Nina Conti’s show Dolly Mixtures is sold out but there is an extra show at the Dome at 10pm on the 23rd August, and The Boy With The Cuckoo-Clock Heart is on at the Courtyard at 12.45pm until the 27th.

PHOTO BY IDIL SUKAN

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The beauty of line-up shows is that you never get the same

performance twice, and here at The Pleasance we have a bucket-load of these ever-changing sets for you to choose from. It’s a great opportunity to stumble across an act you never knew existed as you’re given the opportunity to see a variety of comedy in one sitting; you might see a show you’re not sure about, but you’re sure to find something you love and isn’t that what the Fringe is all about?

Monkey Toast: The Improvised Chat Show is a line-up show with an

interesting twist. Host David Shore chats to various guests throughout the night about their lives, careers and projects. Six comedians then improvise on the subjects discussed, often resulting in bizarre sketches and hilarious scenes inspired by the guests’ words. There are no limits to the what the comics might come up with or how they might interpret what the guests or fellow comedians say.

Line-ups have included Sara Pascoe, Paul Foxcroft, Charlotte Gittins and Idil Sukan, who have braved the stage to experiment and cleverly twist what the guests have to say.Interviewees have included famous faces such as Mike McShane and Suki Webster, talking about their new show Mon Droit. The comics then cleverly twist the subjects of the fascinating interview into uproarious comedy. With many of the comics getting involved in one scene, the direction in which the show will turn is always uncertain, adding to the excitement of this unique show.

Storytellers’ Club again

shows off the great variety of comic talent available on the Fringe, giving an opportunity for you to have a taster of what’s on offer. In this show comedy geniuses from all over the globe gather a to tell their tales, in a simple but effective set-up. Created back in 2006 by Sarah Bennetto, she also hosts this performance herself inviting a great range of talent to join her round the camp fire, whilst exemplifying her own stand-up brilliance. Each night a different theme is set, recently guests have been asked to tell a story about ‘worst jobs ever’, ‘road trip stories’ and ‘ghost stories’, proving for some entertaining yarns.

These shows prove a slightly different breed of line-up showcase, as the performers are not just performing a snippet of their show. They are asked to come up with something new, which makes for a brilliant and interesting night.

Monkey Toast is on in the Dome at 11.05pm until the 26th and Storytellers’ Club is on at 10pm in the Courtyard until the 25th

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@LYNGARDNER: BOTTLENECK AT PLEASANCE BEGINS AS A COMING OF AGE STORY AND TURNS INTO SOMETHING MUCH

DARKER. COULD HAVE HEARD THAT PIN

BY SOPHIE CHILVERS

STRIKEOUTBEASTS GIVE US THEIR PREFERENCES

London vs Edinburgh (Cos we’re here)

Theatre vs Comedy (Theatre is comedy with no laughs)

Poetry vs Prose(Prose before hoes)

Spiderman vs Batman(Better films)

Summer vs Winter (It’s hot. Sort of.)

Speaking vs Listening (Listening is just speaking without speaking)

Bob Dylan vs Bob Marley (Taller)

“Supper” vs “Tea” (Drink AND meal)

FOR1DEALS AND OFFERS2

Cut out and present to the Box Office for

2-for-1 ticketsfor:

Jubilate!

12.40pm22nd August

Pleasance Courtyard Below

‘Marvellous... crackling with

comedy’- Libby Purves(The Times)

BEASTS is on at Pleasance Courtyard t 2.15pm until the 27th August

THE SPECIAL RESERVEBY SOPHIE CHILVERS

Established in 2004 after The Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill sadly

passed away at the young age of 32, this fund was created in his honour. The fund helps to support new talent every year and for this Fringe has brought two shows up to Edinburgh. Since 2005 17 shows have benefitted from this initiative, with a grand total of around £90000 going into the fund in the last 8 years.

The support is aimed particularly at helping companies made up of four or more people on the stage, with 40% of them being less than 5 years out of full-time education. It hopes to allow fresh talent the opportunity to experiment and present their work to audiences at the Fringe. Not only does it provide financial support, but as the cast of Don Quixote! Don Quixote! said ‘we have been supported all the way through: from artistic advices to marketing and production’.

In a beautiful visual performance, The Charlie Hartill Special Reserve has supported Panta Rei Theatre’s exciting Don Quixote! Don Quixote!. In

a wonderfully adapted show, mental illness and fantasy intertwine as we see Don Quixote’s bizarre visions - whilst believing himself a Knight he goes in search of a princess.

Originally a site-specific show, the group told us how they ‘transformed a cold ex-factory into Don Quixote’s world to lead the audience

through a physical as well as imaginary journey’, but it still works wonderfully here on the stage. It was a challenge for the group to adapt their piece for the Fringe, yet now they ‘are pleased with all the work, it helped us to understand both the piece and ourselves better’. Peforming at the fringe has been a learning curve

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we have been supported all the way through: from artistic advices

to marketing and production

for the group and they are extremely appreciative of all the feedback they have been receiving, telling us that ‘performing at the Fringe is an incredible learning experience. Theatre for us is about working as a collective and this includes the spectators’.

As well as supporting theatre, The Charlie Hartill Special Reserve has also enabled The Pleasance to fund a brilliant collection of up and coming comedy, showcased each night in The Comedy Reserve 2012. Now in its eighth year here at the fringe previous line-ups have helped to project some names that are now very well-known, including Fresh Meat’s Jack Whitehall and BAFTA award winning Daniel Rigby.

This year The Comedy Reserve shows some promising new talent including Matt Rees, nominated this year for Chortle’s best newcomer award. This young Welshman’s stand-up comes highly commended. Suzy Bennett joins The Reserve, after being crowned the winner of the 2006 Funny Women Awards, she has since hosted the award and is now here as part of this fantastic collaboration. John Kearnes has been described by Three Weeks as ‘manic and fast paced’ with his wit, whilst Chris Turner is busy at the Fringe not only performing in The Comedy Reserve but also being a part of 3 other shows. These four make up for a brilliant hour of entertainment as the

audience get an eclectic mix of comedic styles. You can also catch a one-off comedy showcase Charlie’s Special Reserve Comedy Benefit in aid of the fund on 22nd August at the Pleasance Beyond. This is a great opportunity to support the stand-up stars of tomorrow and support this brilliant cause.

These shows are exceptional examples of the up and coming raw talent available on the Fringe, and what better way to support a great fund such as The Charlie Hartill Special Reserve.

Don Quixote! Don Quixote! is on at 5.25pm and The Comedy Reserve is on at 9.30pm, both at the Pleasance Dome until the 27th August

‘A COLOUR, A REFERENCE AND A RHYTHM’BY SOPHIE CHILVERS

In a powerful show where the music takes a leading role, we spoke

to Adam Pleeth about his experience writing and performing the music for Juana in a Million. In a tale about the experience of an immigrant coming to the UK, Vicky Araico who both co-writes and performs the show used her own experiences to develop the thought-provoking performance. As Vicky takes on numerous characters, music is important as a support, creating atmosphere and rhythm to guide her.

Developing his music writing experience Adam told us how, with this being the first theatre music project he’s composed for, it has become ‘an amazing stepping stone for me because it’s a route that I really enjoy. I want to write music and get my music out there’. With the show being set both in Mexico and London a balance had to be found between these two contrasting places. Described almost as ‘trying to find a language’, the atmosphere of these locations are wonderfully depicted through the music of the show. Popular Mexican music inspired parts of the accompaniment as

the sounds of Banda and Mariachi flow throughout; ‘Banda has this big brass band and Mariachi music has the sound of guitars and trumpets. We wanted the urban sounds of London as well, which is the other side’.

As important as music is to the show Adam told us that it was vital the music didn’t dominate over Viky’s performance. Describing it as a ‘delicate ’ show, ‘the music has to support, it can’t ever overtake. So it was just finding that balance and realising that simplicity works better than the complex’. The music however adds to the essence of this play, creating an ambience that wouldn’t be illustrated so powerfully without it;

‘music adds a colour, a reference and a rhythm’. It is particularly striking that the music is played live during this performance, whilst this means there’s room for movement in the way the show is projected. Adam commented on this element of live music stating, ‘It always changes because the beautiful thing about having live music is you’re in sync with the performance. We know each other’s breath and feeling and we know how to slot in at the right moment’.

Juana in a Million is a powerful story in itself, however this show also reminds us of the importance of music in creating a moving experience for the audience and cast alike.

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WARNING SIGNSTHAT YOU’VE MET A MEAT MAN

!!

‘A COLOUR, A REFERENCE AND A RHYTHM’

US BEEF GIVE US THE INSIDE SCOOP ON HOW TO TELL IF YOUR TOWN HAS BECOME A MEAT HUB

YOU NOW OWN A YEARS SUPPLY OF BEEF.

YOU’RE BROKE.

YOU FIND ITEMS THAT YOU THOUGHT WERE IN YOUR FREEZER IN RANDOM PLACES AROUND YOUR KITCHEN.

YOU’VE FORGOTTEN THE NAMES OF VEGETABLES LIKE CUJUMBER AND POBATOES.

YOU HAVE GOUT.

YOU DEVELOP A TASTE FOR FROZEN MEAT-POPS.

YOU HAVE NO ROOM IN YOUR FREEZER FOR ANYTHING ELSE.

YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE SHOPPING AT YOUR HOUSE INSTEAD OF THE BUTCHER’S.

YOUR KIDS ARE THE ONLY ONES IN SCHOOL WITH A RIB-ROAST FOR THEIR BAG LUNCH.

ALL THE N E I G H B O U R H O O D DOGS SLEEP ON YOUR BACK PORCH.

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US Beef is on at the Pleasance Dome at 12.20pm until the 27th August

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TEN MINUTES TO CURTAIN: THE BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW JENNY FAWCETT

This is your first solo show at the Fringe, how are you finding it?I’m having a great time, thank you. The city has got busier and busier, and I’m enjoying sitting around the Courtyard with a couple of hotdogs, just people watching. Everyone is ever so friendly at The Pleasance - a constant stream of people can’t wait to chat to you, it’s really my kind of place.

How does it compare to performing in a group?I’m in a semi-professional folk group (rhythm section) and to be honest (and I hope Folk Incorporated don’t read this) but it’s tedious. I love performing on my own, you aren’t held back by someone else’s incompetence (my cousin Mick is often too high to focus on his tin whistle).

How did you get into performing comedy?It’s more true life stories than comedy if I’m honest. Like a Martina Cole novel. With tap dancing.

Who are your inspirations? Nigel Kennedy.

What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you on stage? Lionel Blair was in, and I was so angry that I heel-tapped his face during the finale. He bled from the nose and I was delighted. In the cold light of day it wasn’t Lionel Blair, it was a wide-faced man called Graham.

Jenny Fawcett is performing at the Courtyard at 12.50pm until the 27th August

MAYDAY MAYDAY WINS AWARDMayday Mayday,

the true-life story of Tristan

Sturrock’s terrible accident in which he broke his neck and was almost paralysed, has been given a FringeReview Award for Outstanding Theatre.

The show, written and

performed by Sturrock himself, is a great piece of storytelling theatre in which he takes the audience through the events surrounding the accident and his long recovery process. He has worked in the past with Kneehigh theatre company, whose highly

physical performance style meant that this accident could have jeopardised his career as a performer.

This performance is enchanting and a testament to the resilliance of the human body and a celebration of the NHS.

NEWS

@TOBYDAVIES: JUST SAT IN FRONT OF ACTUAL REAL-LIFE HUGH GRANT THERE AT AN EDINBURGH SHOW ABOUT PHONE HACKING.

THAT GUY IS HANDSOME.

PLEASANCE PICTURE SHOWHIGHLIGHTS OF ALL THE PLEASANCE HAS TO OFFER CAPTURED BY OUR RESIDENT PHOTOGRAPHER IDIL SUKAN

THOMAS NELSTROP

PUNCH AND JUDY

DON QUIXOTE! DON QUIXOTE!

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PAPPY’S BY IDIL SUKAN

CARDINAL BURNS BY NAGEL, WOODCOCK, WINKWORTH

C A R D I N A L B U R N S A N D P A P P Y ’ S

After a knockout quote from Pappy’s back in our first issue,

Cardinal Burns are back from the corner of the ring for round two of Sketch Show Show Down!

Hot out of their hit E4 series, Cardinal Burns are performing their sketch show for six nights only at The Pleasance! Their highly original show is packed full of hilarious and surreal skits.

Cardinal Burns had this to say about Pappy’s:

In the Rock n Roll world of “Sketch” comedy, Pappy’s are the Kaiser Chiefs, whereas we are Wham, for Pappy’s shows are always joyous, boisterous, hilarious and ridiculous. They breeze onto stage and effortlessly make a room of 300+ laugh

(lots) making it all look so easy when of course it’s not. Behind the chaos their shows are intelligently written and very well structured... It’s such a shame that as soon as they step off stage the mask slips and they become utter cu-

Cardinal Burns is on at the Pleasance Dome, 20th-25th August at 8.20pm

SKETCH SHOW SHOW DOWN

ROUND 2!

PAPPY’S BY IDIL SUKAN

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SHOW DOWN

JUBILATE!

Rosalind Adler is back at the Pleasance after a fab run of LOL - ‘This show is bliss’ - Libby Purves, Chief Drama Critic, The Times in 2011.

Jubilate! is my award-winning dark comedy about the pleasures of controlling other people. I play Anna, the vicar’s wife who knows everything (what a comfort to the rest of us...) and four of the women in her husband’s parish in whose lives she meddles... sorry, I mean, whom she helps enormously....

Because ‘When you’re not sure, you’re alive’ (Graham Greene) and because I heard a woman a bit like Anna on the radio, who has no doubts, who is right - always. And while that degree of self-deception offers a rich comedy seam to mine, it’s also bloody scary. If I’m right and you disagree with me, that makes you - er - wrong. No way to achieve world peace, is it?

Pleasance Courtyard Below, 12.40 (lunchtime) August 14th - 25th.

By buying a ticket. You know you need Anna’s advice....

Who? What?

Where?Why?

How?Jubilate! is on at Pleasance Courtyard at 12.40pm until the 25th August

ROSALIND ADLER GIVES US THE LOW-DOWN ABOUT HER SHOW

HOW TO BOOK:ONLINE ATwww.pleasance.co.ukON THE PHONE

0131 556 6550

Pleasance Courtyard, 60 Pleasance, EH8 9TJ (9am-midnight)

Pleasance Dome, 1 Bristo Square, EH8 9AL (10am-1.30am)

OR

IN PERSON AT THE BOX OFFICE

/thepleasance

@ThePleasance

/ThePleasanceTV

FIND US ONLINE:

PLEASANCE COMEDY PODCASTYOU CAN FIND THE

BY FOLLOWING THE QR CODE

The Pleasance Theatre Trust Ltd is a registered Charity in England and Wales. Charity No 1050944. And in Scotland SC043227.

Edited by Sophie Chilvers & Andy Smith21 AUG 2012 ISSUE #05