Kat Mokrynski - Page 9

When a show begins with a content warning about balloons, '80s music and danger, you know you’re in for an interesting one. The Giant Balloon Show, performed by Dizzy O’Dare, mixes balloon tricks with a playlist from the 1980s to make a show for all ages, but there’s one catch - the actual giant balloon doesn’t appear until the end of the performance. A bit misleading, but what can one do?

PEAR: Phobia makes quite the interesting promise to its audience. Patrick and Hugo McPherson, 6’7” identical twins, proclaim that, by the end of the show, there will be no more fear in the world. Take that, Fleabag.

Glenda & Rita: Live has a simple concept - Glenda Swing and Rita Herringbone, two former movie stars, are moving from the screen to the stage in an attempt to win back the fame that has faded for them. The catch? They’re still stuck in the world of black-and-white. Literally.

The City of Ladies, described as an “offbeat comedy exploring the radical ladies of the past through puppetry, drag, and special hats,” has quite the unique premise. Two muses, Ladies Rectitude and Reason, visit a medieval woman named Christine de Pizan, who is struggling with what it means to be a woman in the 15th century.

Written and performed by Fay Downie, Puck: A Fairy’s Tale gives a backstory to the sprite from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the servant of Oberon who loves to pull pranks and cause chaos. Downie is joined creatively by Olivia Mace, who takes on both the role of director and dramaturg, pulling inspiration from not just Shakespeare’s work but also The Mad Pranks and Merry Jests of Robin Goodfellow.

The Big Bite-Size Breakfast Show has quite a fun concept for a Fringe show - audience members are greeted with a croissant, a strawberry and a choice of a hot drink before taking their seats for the performance. Instead of just being one play in an hour, audiences see multiple “bite-size” ten-minute plays, getting the chance to see four or five works in one sitting.

It’s common to hear about people moving to New York City in order to find themselves and start their path. Something not as common? Moving from New York City to a small village in rural Germany. But that’s exactly what the family of Alexis Sakellaris does when he’s only eight years old, and it’s where our story begins.

Chloe Radcliffe: CHEAT begins with a bang - literally, with Radcliffe telling the audience about the time that she “lived a porn” and had sex with the FedEx delivery driver. It’s a surprising start to the show, but it certainly sets the tone for the show, with Radcliffe revealing a secret that some people keep for the rest of her lives. She’s cheated.

Recently, we had the chance to speak with Matthew Seadon-Young, who is playing Gordy in Shucked. We discussed how he first found the muscial through working with Alex Newell, what it’s like to be part of an original cast for the show in London and even his favourite line - though you may need to see the show to fully understand it!

As someone who first got into the world of British Comedy through Mischief Theatre, particularly The Play That Goes Wrong, it has been quite the fascinating journey to travel back in time through the history of British comedy, including the iconic Noises Off, which has opened at New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich. This is a new production of the play, which was written by Michael Frayn in 1982, now directed by Douglas Rintoul in collaboration with Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Theatre by the Lake.

Ed Mulvey: Pregnant Gollum is self-described as “next wave feminist nerd comedy from the Elon Musk of emotions,” so, as one can imagine, audiences are in for quite a few interesting opinions being shared by Mulvey on stage. The poster for the show is interesting as well, with Mulvey holding his belly in front of a volcano that one can only assume is in the land of Mordor from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

Walking into The Secret Society in the basement of The Walrus pub definitely feels like you’re about to join a cult - and that’s exactly what it is. Audience members are given a coloured sash with a letter painted on as well as a card, being instructed to not reveal its contents to anyone until the time is right.

Acaprov: The Improvised A Cappella Musical has quite the interesting concept - a group of performers will put on a fully-improvised musical based on audience suggestions, with the music being, as one might guess from the title, completely a cappella.

Comics vs Kids has a title that exactly describes the show itself - it’s a battle of wits between comedians and children to prove who is the funniest and cleverest of the bunch. Host Nik Coppin begins by explaining the concept of a Fringe Festival to the children in the audience, which is a lovely touch as it allows them to learn more and potentially see more shows throughout this festival.

Sophie McCartney: One Foot In The Rave opens with a montage of moments from McCartney’s childhood with “Forever Young” playing in the background. It’s a sweet moment that immediately transitions into rave music, setting the tone for the rest of the show as McCartney dances onto the stage to cheers from the audience. One Foot In The Rave focuses on McCartney entering her 40s, leaving behind what she considers “Club 18-30.” McCartney says that she is “too old to be young, but too young to be old,” trying to find her place in the world as a comedian who started later in life than others.

Tambo and Bones are trapped in a minstrel show. Tambo and Bones have taken the world by storm with their rap music. Tambo and Bones are the leaders of the revolution. Are Tambo and Bones real? Or are they simply characters in a play? Written by Dave Harris and directed by Matthew Xia, Tambo & Bones asks an impossible question to its audience - how do you know what’s real?

From its opening moments, Nic Sampson: Yellow Power Ranger has quite the fun concept - Sampson, who played the Yellow Mystic Ranger, Chip Thorn, in the fourteen season of Power Rangers, is at a fan convention, preparing for the “Cast Reunion Panel” of the Power Rangers Mystic Force team.