Circolombia, 12:00, Assembly Hall (**)
From name and appearance, this show promises something special: don’t be deceived. The dancing is average, the body-popping slurry and, depending on whether or not the cast have been partying hard the night before, they might pull off all of their tricks. In the performance I saw, there were too many dangerous mistakes for a physical show. Some moments were excellent, but they were a few acrobats short of tumbling trick perfection.
Faulty Towers Dining Experience, 14:00 & 20:30, B’est restaurant, (****)
Dinner and a show! If you are a Faulty fan, clear two hours in your diary and go. As an authentication test I took my father, a stoic Faulty fan - he loved it. Classic moments have been blended with new to create a slapstick, completely mad show. There is no escaping the mayhem as Basil, Sybil and Manuel serve you, interact with you and perform for you. They work the restaurant with precision, involving every square inch of guest in the show. The actors’ attention to detail, of the mannerisms and idiosyncrasies of the three well known characters, is flawless. Faulty’s walk, turn of phrase and twitching hand, Sybil’s waddle and shrills, Manuel’s ‘Que?’ and the way he stoats about the restaurant, they are all there in full. Talk back to them, interact and get involved, point out the problems you’re having as if you would do in a normal restaurant; the more you do the better as Mr and Mrs Faulty and Manuel respond to your request. The slapstick, pantomime action of the TV series transfers well to this dining experience. Superb.
Rock the Ballet, 18:00, Assembly Hall (**)
Commercialised, crowd pleasing junk. If what you want is the Chippendales doing ballet to the choreographer’s favourite playlist of tunes, then go. If you’re expecting fantastic, innovative choreography which fuses ballet and funk in a clever interpretation of the music – go and see something else. The dancers are technical virtuosos…and…?
Homemade Fusion, 20:30, C Soco (***)
Performed with the gorgeous vocals of a Broadway soundtrack, this show is a melodic treasure trove. The six performers deliver the musical by Kooman and Dimond with sensitivity, humour and integrity as Jonathon Wagstaff masterfully accompanies them with a handful of velvety keys. Melodically the tunes remind me of Scott Alan’s music, however there are too many of the same sounding songs with similar themes of love and lost love; the gems lie in the songs from eccentric characters with sexually obsessive behaviours who are brought wonderfully to life by the cast. The set suggests a living room, but it cluttered up the already very small stage and was only ever used in a few ways. Perhaps a simpler set would serve the cast and space better.
Vive le cabaret, 22:30, Pleasance Courtyard (**)
An average cabaret show lasting an hour with a variety of guests, some regulars, the others plucked from shows across the Fringe. It all depends on the night you choose: I chose poorly. The acts hitting the spot were in the minority. Not good when an act is onstage and around you the audience is sighing, willing an act offstage. A cabaret venue would suit this show a lot better, providing a more apt setting and atmosphere for the acts.
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