Edinburgh 2006 round-up - part the first
Aug. 17th, 2006 04:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shewhoIn which I shall endeavour to record shows we saw and nothing more of import. We shall see!
SUNDAY
First flaw in plan - arrive at station to find the Cavalcade about to start and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
diamond_geyser's directions impossible to follow due to marching bands and policemen. Fail to get to flat to dump bags. Head straight to first venue for....
Jim Henson's Puppet Improv (for kids)
What a wonderful way to ease us into the festival. Muppets! I am very glad we saw this version, children's minds being far less obsessed with beer and s3x than adults, and suggestions being *completely* bizarre. The aliens were my favourite thing, followed closely by a chair of hotdogs. No, I'm not going to explain. I don't have to!
This is followed by....
The Book Club
...which I'm sure was its usual entertaining self, but by now I have actually seen so many Book Clubs in weird and wonderful places that they are all running a little bit into one in my head. One joyous over-running occasion of mirth. Or something. Plus I'm starting to get Very Hungry. Luckily there is time for the first pint of the holiday and a meaty cheesy sandwich before....
Gary le Strange - Beef Scarecrow
I love this with ALL of my heart. I've heard all the songs already at various things, and some of the inbetween stories and poetry, and I could hear it again a million times. In fact, I've earwormed my self with "When I'm Prime Minister" already. Aaaah. The songs are funny, and surreal, and I think I like them independently of that anyway. I refrain from phoningperfectlyvague during "Secret Wolf".
We go and wait for everyone else to leave Mark Watson (I can't believe I missed *all* of his shows dammnit!) and then tis time for...
Natalie Haynes - Watching the Detectives
Tricky this. I do love Natalie. And I do love daytime detective drama. But I have to agree (with chortle) that the show as a whole doesn't hang together incredibly well. I disagree completely that she should pander to people who don't KNOW the Johnny Cash episode of Columbo, these people are bad and wrong and should be shot.
Simon Amstell
..... is brilliant. Though I have to say this because of his vanity searching on the internet. Tis true though! Althoughpataka and I are constantly distracted by wanting to pull up his trousers. Sorry Simon!
Dirty Book Club
Had enough Book Club? Not We! Book Club with added s3x. And oh my word, some of the wrongest things I have heard in my life. Robin has a FILTHY book of fantasies, that scares me. The "s3x off" turns into some cannibal/incest/rape horror, whichcatbo judges via aria with her usual aplomb. How can this filth be funny?! It is. However, having failed to get to the flat all day and still carrying bags means that I am not as thrilled as I normally would be with the 3 hours instead of 1 hour advertised, especially as I crave gin. Be thankful I never managed to make that crack.
Bed by 3.30am, possibly the earliest.
*****
MONDAY
Monday starts in a hardcore 3-plays-in-a-row fashion. First is....
True West
....starring Phil Nicol and another chap who I keep forgetting the name of as 2 bickering estranged brothers. I like it. Not love, but like. Phil Nicoll really is good at this acting malarky. Better though, are the millions of toaster and real toast. I hope it doesn't go to waste afterwards.......! Somehow I end up sitting next to an actual mental who won't sit still at all, which makes me uncomfortable and on edge for teh duration. Thanks there, mental.
The mental also appears to be in the queue for....
Levelland by Rich Hall
Luckily I don't have to sit near him.
Rich Hall's play (starring himself and featuring a scarier-than-usual Mike Wilmott) is about oil and a DJ and America. I'm enjoying it, but it is very worthy and quite hard work. I am an idiot, and I doze off in the warm dark. I still catch most of it, but doh! at my stupid face.
Talk Radio
This is my favourite play of the day. Phil Nicol again takes the lead role,. this time as a shock-type DJ. Stewart Lee has directed it. Despite the lack of movement around stage (pretty much mostly 3 'static' characters in a row) I am completely mesmerised. Phil Nicol REALLY REALLY is a great actor. (NB t'other half dislikes this play immensely.)
We bump into people before the next show, and figure there is time for pizza. We get pizza. There isn't really time for pizza, and most goes to waste. Which is a shame because we were rushing for......
This is not About the Simpsons
....by Harry Shearer. And his wife. In fact, more his wife singing dull songs (in a nice enough voice) than Harry Shearer. Which is *almost* a blessing as he isn't being particularly funny. I'd have walked out of this if I wasn't so gosh darn British. Thankfully......
Robin Ince & Martin White
...are perfectly timed to make me forget about the previous horrors. Admittedly I've seen much of the material being worked on, but it was all drawn together so beautifully it made me very happy indeed and was the first show to make me want to give it a little kiss on the forehead for being so ace. "..magic man dunnit..." is clearly a panacea for all, everyone was in a much better mood afterwards.
And decided to go and see a show I'd been flyered for in Newcastle. On the train.
The Murder Show - 24 Ways to Die
This runs on an interactive who-dunnit sort of basis. A different comedian is killed every night in Club Sandwich (in some very scary cellars of dooom!). And with the aid of various skits and clues the audience has to work out who the killer is. We got Jason Wood. Who was ace in a kilt, and then dead. [Regularshewho readers may remember him as the poor man who gave me a lift all the way to Walthamstow once when I was incapable after the Monday Club once....]
Paul Trap was very good indeed, especially when picking on people I know! (D won a book signed by Terence Trent D'Arby. Aka Paul Trap. Gullible fool!)
It was marvellous fun,diamond_geyser's questions rule, and I failed to recognise Christian Reilly with his silly wig, which is apparently not a wig AT ALL, but I can't see how real hair would do that. Anyway, DON'T MENTION MY BREASTS!
I chose the right killer. Hurrah!
I think there was an earlyish night this night. I can't remember. There may have been a red witch or 2.
........Edinburgh update to be continued another time......
SUNDAY
First flaw in plan - arrive at station to find the Cavalcade about to start and
diamond_geyser's directions impossible to follow due to marching bands and policemen. Fail to get to flat to dump bags. Head straight to first venue for....Jim Henson's Puppet Improv (for kids)
What a wonderful way to ease us into the festival. Muppets! I am very glad we saw this version, children's minds being far less obsessed with beer and s3x than adults, and suggestions being *completely* bizarre. The aliens were my favourite thing, followed closely by a chair of hotdogs. No, I'm not going to explain. I don't have to!
This is followed by....
The Book Club
...which I'm sure was its usual entertaining self, but by now I have actually seen so many Book Clubs in weird and wonderful places that they are all running a little bit into one in my head. One joyous over-running occasion of mirth. Or something. Plus I'm starting to get Very Hungry. Luckily there is time for the first pint of the holiday and a meaty cheesy sandwich before....
Gary le Strange - Beef Scarecrow
I love this with ALL of my heart. I've heard all the songs already at various things, and some of the inbetween stories and poetry, and I could hear it again a million times. In fact, I've earwormed my self with "When I'm Prime Minister" already. Aaaah. The songs are funny, and surreal, and I think I like them independently of that anyway. I refrain from phoning
perfectlyvague during "Secret Wolf". We go and wait for everyone else to leave Mark Watson (I can't believe I missed *all* of his shows dammnit!) and then tis time for...
Natalie Haynes - Watching the Detectives
Tricky this. I do love Natalie. And I do love daytime detective drama. But I have to agree (with chortle) that the show as a whole doesn't hang together incredibly well. I disagree completely that she should pander to people who don't KNOW the Johnny Cash episode of Columbo, these people are bad and wrong and should be shot.
Simon Amstell
..... is brilliant. Though I have to say this because of his vanity searching on the internet. Tis true though! Although
pataka and I are constantly distracted by wanting to pull up his trousers. Sorry Simon!Dirty Book Club
Had enough Book Club? Not We! Book Club with added s3x. And oh my word, some of the wrongest things I have heard in my life. Robin has a FILTHY book of fantasies, that scares me. The "s3x off" turns into some cannibal/incest/rape horror, which
catbo judges via aria with her usual aplomb. How can this filth be funny?! It is. However, having failed to get to the flat all day and still carrying bags means that I am not as thrilled as I normally would be with the 3 hours instead of 1 hour advertised, especially as I crave gin. Be thankful I never managed to make that crack.Bed by 3.30am, possibly the earliest.
*****
MONDAY
Monday starts in a hardcore 3-plays-in-a-row fashion. First is....
True West
....starring Phil Nicol and another chap who I keep forgetting the name of as 2 bickering estranged brothers. I like it. Not love, but like. Phil Nicoll really is good at this acting malarky. Better though, are the millions of toaster and real toast. I hope it doesn't go to waste afterwards.......! Somehow I end up sitting next to an actual mental who won't sit still at all, which makes me uncomfortable and on edge for teh duration. Thanks there, mental.
The mental also appears to be in the queue for....
Levelland by Rich Hall
Luckily I don't have to sit near him.
Rich Hall's play (starring himself and featuring a scarier-than-usual Mike Wilmott) is about oil and a DJ and America. I'm enjoying it, but it is very worthy and quite hard work. I am an idiot, and I doze off in the warm dark. I still catch most of it, but doh! at my stupid face.
Talk Radio
This is my favourite play of the day. Phil Nicol again takes the lead role,. this time as a shock-type DJ. Stewart Lee has directed it. Despite the lack of movement around stage (pretty much mostly 3 'static' characters in a row) I am completely mesmerised. Phil Nicol REALLY REALLY is a great actor. (NB t'other half dislikes this play immensely.)
We bump into people before the next show, and figure there is time for pizza. We get pizza. There isn't really time for pizza, and most goes to waste. Which is a shame because we were rushing for......
This is not About the Simpsons
....by Harry Shearer. And his wife. In fact, more his wife singing dull songs (in a nice enough voice) than Harry Shearer. Which is *almost* a blessing as he isn't being particularly funny. I'd have walked out of this if I wasn't so gosh darn British. Thankfully......
Robin Ince & Martin White
...are perfectly timed to make me forget about the previous horrors. Admittedly I've seen much of the material being worked on, but it was all drawn together so beautifully it made me very happy indeed and was the first show to make me want to give it a little kiss on the forehead for being so ace. "..magic man dunnit..." is clearly a panacea for all, everyone was in a much better mood afterwards.
And decided to go and see a show I'd been flyered for in Newcastle. On the train.
The Murder Show - 24 Ways to Die
This runs on an interactive who-dunnit sort of basis. A different comedian is killed every night in Club Sandwich (in some very scary cellars of dooom!). And with the aid of various skits and clues the audience has to work out who the killer is. We got Jason Wood. Who was ace in a kilt, and then dead. [Regular
shewho readers may remember him as the poor man who gave me a lift all the way to Walthamstow once when I was incapable after the Monday Club once....]Paul Trap was very good indeed, especially when picking on people I know! (D won a book signed by Terence Trent D'Arby. Aka Paul Trap. Gullible fool!)
It was marvellous fun,
diamond_geyser's questions rule, and I failed to recognise Christian Reilly with his silly wig, which is apparently not a wig AT ALL, but I can't see how real hair would do that. Anyway, DON'T MENTION MY BREASTS!I chose the right killer. Hurrah!
I think there was an earlyish night this night. I can't remember. There may have been a red witch or 2.
........Edinburgh update to be continued another time......
