Tag Archives: London Fringe

London Fringe — AMAZE: Full of Energy, Some of it Nervous, but a World of Talent

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By Jay Menard

Combining magic and comedy can be tricky. You don’t want one to overwhelm the other, nor do you want to distract from the tricks with jokes. But David Eliot, in his show AMAZE, has almost found the perfect balance between the two and presents an entertaining show that’s a pleasure for all ages.

Eliot’s sleight-of-hand magic is elite level. Even in moments where he slows down his tricks and focuses the audience’s attention on the result, you’re still unable to see the moment of deception. That’s a real talent and one that takes years of dedication and practice to master. Continue reading →

London Fringe — Irena Sendler: The Right Story, the Wrong Presentation

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By Jay Menard

Irena Sendler: Rescuing the Rescuer is a valuable show to see for the simple fact that it’s a story that needs to be told and retold. Thankfully, the story is so compelling that it overcomes some of the challenges with Libby Skala’s presentation.

It’s a tremendously hard show to review because any criticism feels almost sacrilegious. But separating the plot from the performance, there are areas that can be refined and improved to make an already impactful story more compelling. Continue reading →

London Fringe – Woody Sed a Musical Trip Through Time

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By Jay Menard

Woody Sed examines the life and times of Woody Guthrie, his experiences, and the songs that were inspired by them. Thomas Jones does an admirable job trying to embody a couple of dozen characters who come in and out of the noted wanderer’s life.

It’s a warts-and-all look at Guthrie, from his early dust bowl days to his eventual silencing from Huntington’s Disease. Along the way, we travel along with Guthrie as he moves west, leaving families and wives in his wake, en route to New York. He gets introduced to communism and develops his voice — one that’s eventually silenced by Huntington’s. Continue reading →

London Fringe – Love is a Battlefield: More of a Gentle, Predictable Skirmish

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By Jay Menard

Love is a Battlefield is a perfectly pleasant and perfunctory piece of dramatic theatre. It doesn’t break any new ground, but it features capable performances by both leads. It’s less of a battle and more of a civil, but largely forgettable, disagreement.

The play, written by Martin Dockery and featuring dramaturgy by Vanessa Quesnelle, covers ground that’s been done frequently. It’s the standard femme fatale/oblivious suitor storyline that’s been a part of dramatic arts for decades. It’s a paint-by-numbers plot line with plot twists that are painfully obvious and viewers are able to predict the end well in advance. Continue reading →

London Fringe – Fool Muun Komming: Not Quite Full, but Potential to Wax

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By Jay Menard

Fool Muun Komming is fringey. Not quite able to be defined; not quite finished; but certainly representative of the oddball quirk that only Fringe theatre can provide.

Steve Day plays an alien who is coming to Earth on a crash course for a first-contact meeting of two peoples. Of course, there’s a good chance that the asteroid that Day is riding will destroy the very people that he’s excited to meet — but that point escapes him.

The alien has been inundated with Earthly culture through the miracle of sound and audio waves. He’s a card-carrying member of the YouTube generation with a fairly passable command of the English language — even if the subtleties of language sometimes escape him. Continue reading →