Friday 8 August 2014

Edinburgh Festival Day Six: 'The Duchess of Malfi', 'Quentin Crisp- Naked Hope', 'Light', 'Victorian Vices- The Picture of Dorian Grey'

The Duchess of Malfi: UCL yet again lowered me in to watch another show with their outstanding performers. I can't say the play was particularly gripping but this could be because an hour is not really long enough for lots of detail. It wasn't that bad but it was a tragedy so you can guess what happened. Lighting was used better than in so many shows at the Fringe, it had really been thought through and made a lot of difference. There was nothing wrong with the show, in fact there was a lot which was amazing, but I wouldn't say it was a must-see.
3 STARS

Quentin Crisp- Naked Hope: Mark Farrelly amazes me for the second time this year with his engaging performance and writing. This time his character is entirely different, more comedic, homosexual and the play was an entirely different topic. This one man show set in London and New York has two areas of set to show the change in location which simultaneously reflects his age, also shown in the incredible physicality. Dissimilar any show I've been to this week but I wouldn't have missed it for something else.
4 STARS

Light: A dystopian future where we each have our own MindSpace and we are all connected. The visuals were inspiring, the use of torches to highlight the story and show messages being passed was incredible, making it not only interesting but also spontaneous. Physical theatre was used, rather than dialogue, and every movement sequence was sharp. Adding an incredible soundscape only made this one of the most intriguing shows I've ever watched.
4 STARS

Victorian Vices- The Picture of Dorian Grey: 'You give substance to the shadow of art' and this show really did. An immersive, promenade, musical Dorian Grey at first sounded like a terrible idea but one of the cast convinced me to give it a go when flyering. You felt in another world, engaging with the characters as soon as you enter the building and throughout the performance, while the stunning music (those harmonies were perfect) and plot unwrapped around you. Everything about this show was creative, charming and captivating; I can't do it justice in this short review.
5 STARS

0 comments:

Post a Comment