Omnitorium

Ghosts from Fringes Past

bruceonthefringe 2023, Cabaret and Variety, Edinburgh bands, Edinburgh Fringe, Fringe history, Puppets Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Just a quickie (oo, matron)! It’s late but I feel like sharing….

The Blueswater at The Jazz Bar on Friday night were awesome, as expected. I rolled up shortly after showtime (come on, how often are these times accurate?) and was warned it was pretty busy inside – I was even given the opportunity to pop down and check out whether I wanted to commit to going in (there was a £10 entry charge), nice offer but I’d just go for it. Hell, the weather was really bad, I wasn’t going to have a wasted soaking.

It was very busy, but at least towards the back the floor is higher, allowing a better view. I could be wrong but I think there’s a grand piano on the stage, it takes up a lot of space – I was only able to see the heads and shoulders of the band (no dandruff) but I assume it’s still there, otherwise the close huddle of five of the band would just be weird. It kinda looked like they’d all ganged up against the drummer and were refusing to go anywhere near him. Okay, so that was my brain having fun, like, one scenario, Simon was letting loose some lethal gases! (Yes, that’s Simon Gibb, buccaneer and back-up crew) Haha, going along with that line, when Nicole Smit joined them for a couple of numbers, the huddle made her stand closest to him!

Plenty of classic blues was the order of the night and Felipe Schrieberg has the voice and presence to deliver them. Such a great night! Oh, and special mention for their rendition of The Wizard, wow, so, so good. And now, from a wizard to a doctor…

Oh my giddy aunt, how good was Dr Who on Saturday evening? Bloody awesomely good, that’s how good. RTD really threw everything into this episode including an old companion, a very old adversary and a Lethbridge-Stewart! Neil Patrick Harris was perfect to play the Toymaker, the man is such a great performer (apparently he was the first to play Hedwig on Boadway, god, I would love to have seen that!) With RTD back at the helm it was a great story, great script, so many digs at the state of humankind, wonderful – “the lies, the righteousness – that’s human, that’s you …… and hating each other? You’ve never needed any help with that.” He’s right, you know.

Hurrah, we met the latest incarnation of the good Doctor, and what’s this? David Tennant‘s Doctor is still among us, could he make further appearances along the line?! Who cheered with me when Donna stood up to the creepy dolls and bashed the mother doll against the wall? I’m shuddering again just thinking of her babbies; old dolls and puppets are always up to no good when they turn up on anything! The companion show Doctor Who: Unleashed had an interesting section on the filming of the puppet scenes, but I was amused that our guide seemed so unaware about how big puppetry is these days – okay so not huge, but there’s always puppetry of some ilk at every Edinburgh Fringe.

And on that note, yay! Boris and Sergey are back in Edinburgh Boris and Sergey’s Christmas Cabaret on at the Assembly Roxy until 21st December. Two hours of darkly delicious humour, macabre mayhem, oh yeah, I’m going. It’s been a while since I saw them at the Fringe, ah, not since 2016! The first time was in 2012, then 2013, those shows were both at the Pleasance Courtyard; in 2016 they had a new home, the perfect stage for them, the Omnitorium a wonderful, strange, unsettling little world on its own, set slightly away from George Square Garden. They have been back since then, but you know, so many shows to choose from!

Anyhoo, it’s very late now, I must off to bed. Sweet dreams!

Seeing double

bruceonthefringe Comedy, Comedy duos, Edinburgh Fringe, Fringe Venues, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

I do like a good laugh (really? I never would have guessed) and there are plenty to be had at the Fringe, as long as your Fringe-dar is working well. You’ll know it needs resetting when the third show in a row just doesn’t work for you (it happened to me some years ago, I still shudder remembering that day).

My fringe-dar was working well when I first picked up on Goodbear a few years ago. This year it bleeped at The Intimate Strangers: Mr Bond. Yes, it’s working fine, these two are very good. They have some great ideas and twists, some pure genius, but there’s something not quite right yet, something needs something!? Heck, I’m only a moose, sometimes words fail me. I do hope they return, I want to see them back next year, I’d definitely get a ticket.

Another duo new to me are Studio 9, though I think they are Fringe veterans from another show. These two are what I think The Intimate Strangers could be, again great writing and ideas, these two have a great chemistry and perfect timing with each other, needed for the pace they go at. Really liked the seagull sketch, one of those that sneaks up and grabs you by the funny bone.

Oo, another duo I saw early on, The Establishment, playing at the Omnitorium this year. I caught them towards the end of the Fringe last year, an unexpected delight of whimsy and absurdity, so glad they’re back. The Omnitorium is a great venue for them, being odd and quirky with a slight air of anything could happen. The show is ridiculously bonkers, as two terribly British chaps they are wonderful but there’s a sinister layer underneath bubbling away. I did feel the material was a bit thinner by the end, but still entertaining.

There was a bit recently on the BBC News website about whether comedy duos have had their day, judging by this lot I’d say there’s new day dawning for duos.

Local prices for local people

bruceonthefringe Edinburgh Fringe, Fringe Venues, Ticket prices, Uncategorized Tags: , , , Leave a comment

Those lovely folk at Assembly Festival are putting on a special offer to local residents. From the 2nd to the 6th we can buy tickets for a fiver for shows at their venues (proof of being local like a utility bill required). So who was I to refuse?

I’ve just about wrapped up my preview shows but nothing much further. A quick reconnoitre of my possibilities and the venue show lists, five shows presented themselves, utility bill found, five tickets bought (and no booking fee!), huzzah!

One show I’m really looking forward to is The Establishment: Eton Mess at the Omnitorium. I saw them last year the Dragonfly bar, quite odd, surreal and slightly discomforting but still somehow charming and so terribly British. I reckon the Omnitorium will be a great venue for them, as it too is quirky but with its own charms. It came into being last year and a real ragtag bunch of vaudevillian oddities gathered to it, not the least of whom were the irrepressible Boris and Sergey and huzzah, they’re back again. I love those guys!