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Brett Herriot at the Festivals

A Chorus Line, The Fringe, Review

Brett Herriot

**** (4 stars)

“An Awesome Production”

The 1975 musical classic, A Chorus Line conceived by the late Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch is rarely revived in the professional theatre let alone attempted at the Fringe and its a brave choice for Edinburgh Little Theatre to choose but they deliver an awesome production filled with power and heart-rending performances as well as some of the most fabulous choreography you will see on the fringe this festival.

A Chorus Line, latterly adapted for the cinema in 1985 and directed by Richard Attenborough lifts the lid on life for Broadway performers especially dancers as the try to attain there dreams of appearing in the Chorus life of a brand new Broadway show having been whittled down from 100’s who have audition the final 16 stand before us and the shows director “Zach”, Mackenzie Harley as he seeks to the find the final 8 dancers who will make up his Chorus Line.

What follows is not only an exploration of dance talent but also the lives of each dancer as we discover both their passion for dance but also the very real emotional costs of their choices to pursue their dreams. It’s essentially a sequence of vignettes and the shows Director Zoe McRae clearly has a passion for the script and understands its heart well and that comes over in tremendous style from the stage.

All the performances are excellent especially when delivering CJ Miller’s inspired Choreography which harnesses everything we have come to expect from Chorus Line but also opens it up to a new generation and his decision to stage some of the dance on the audience floor gives a fabulous opportunity to see his work up close.

Performances are uniformly excellent but special mention must go to Louis McNorton as “Paul” his monologue breaks the heart with its beauty and truth and brings the tear to the eye as his story is one that we who identify as gay completely understand, it’s a uniquely beautiful moment in the show.

Production wise alas it’s a little clunky especially on sound and lighting that could be a little sharper but hopefully that will tighten up as the run beds in. There is no live band but musical director Libby Short has brought out the best in the vocals.

Running at just shy of 2 hours and 30 minutes this Chorus line delivers real bang for your buck so don’t kiss today goodbye head along for a fabulous musical treat!

A Chorus Line, The Fringe, Grand Hall at Braw Venues @ Grand Lodge, Venue 7, Runs Until 31st August for more information go to: A Chorus Line | Edinburgh Festival Fringe

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Bliss, The Fringe, Review

Brett Herriot

**** (4 stars)

“A Fringe Musical Feast!”

The Fringe has always been a massive testing ground for professional producers and companies to test new shows that they hope are bound for the west end and with the advantage of pouring a massive budget, compared to many fringe shows, into their offerings they become the must-see shows of the festival. This is true of the epic new musical Bliss!

The Olivier Award Winning Producers of “Cabaret” and “Benjamin Button” bring Bliss The Musical to the Pleasance Courtyard. Directed by Sheryl Kaller and Choregraphed by Josh Prince featuring a book, music and lyrics by Emma Lively and Tyler Beattie this is a true Fringe Musical Feast.

Telling the story of four sisters who happen to be princesses, Piper (Akshara Gunda), Carmella       (Alexandra Emmerson-Kirby), Faye (Miriam Nyarko) and Holly (Matilda Shapland) who escape there fathers control and the tower they live in to discover that Fairy Godfathers rule the roost and that happy endings so often come at a major cost. The show blends the art of fairytale and comedy in a well driven plot however the show leans heavily into already acclaimed smash hits “Wicked” and “Six” for its overall flavor.

This is truly a pre-west end try out for the show with a stunning Set design from Jason Ardizzone-West, Costumes by Paloma Young, Lighting by Jai Morjaria and sound design from Tony Gayle that ensures the 14 strong ensemble cast shine every second they are on stage.

The chorography is high energy and pulled off in spectacular style by the collection of Perfect Princesses and Jesters and the entire cast sing well and back by terrific onstage band.

There were many sound niggles and issues including a few missed microphone cues, but the talented cast soldiered out regardless. Yes, this might be a work in development, but Bliss is already gained its title of “a must see” and this year’s Festival and deservedly so, because you will leave the “Grand” smiling and having witness a show that give real bang for your buck! Wonderful musical stuff indeed.

Bliss, The Fringe, Grand at the Pleasance Courtyard, Venue 33, Runs Until 31st August for more information go to: Bliss | Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Brett Herriot at the Festivals

Sissy Boy, The Fringe, Review

Brett Herriot

***** (5 stars)

“A Sparkling Diamond!”

Becoming somewhat of a rarity amongst the festival is late night slots hosting quality drama instead of the plethora of Stand-up comedians. There are thankfully still a few companies willing to brave the city’s venues long after the sun has gone down and Cried Wolf Productions debut at the Fringe is one of the Sparkling Diamonds that shine brightly in the moonlight of city soaked in culturing offerings for the month of August.

Sissy Boy is a one man tour de force performance from Jack Bickford who writes what feels like an autobiographical coming of age story of a Bristol Boy who expresses his sexual desires as a humiliation kink driven teenager who is infatuated by his online Domme Mistress,  Sex and all its proclivities are so often Taboo and never spoken about in a honest and public way, this stellar play addresses that in admittedly very adult way but also one that questions the audiences’ own desires and insecurities.

Jack’s performance is raw, vital and filled with vitriol but equally emotional, truthful and endlessly engaging. I went it expecting this play to be taken from a viewpoint of gay man but refreshingly it leans into a heterosexual that is questioning sexuality and gender and discovering who and what he is.

There is great deal of bravery in the piece too with the Bristol boy talking openly of his fetish for women’s Knickers, stockings and heels, his desire to be controlled and the connections and so often disconnections to those he loves in his life. The ending where he questions the cost of the journey his life has taken thus far is sobering and deeply moving in equal measures.

Sissy Boy is a very special play that resonates long after leaving the theatre. With a short run that comes to a close on August 15th this is a must see despite its late night slot.

Sissy Boy, The Fringe, Haldane Theatre, theSpace @ Surgeons Hall Runs Until 15th August for more information go to: Sissy Boy | Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Brett Herriot at the Festivals

Boobytrapped, The Fringe, Review

Brett Herriot

**** (4 stars)

“Intriguing and capturing”

Critically acclaimed No Tits Theatre company bring an intriguing and capturing body swap romcom to the 2026 festival. A night out in Gay club sees Kevin, a CIS man and Simon a trans meet hook up in a steamy encounter when Kevin realizes Simon’s trans status things take a transphobic path until a flash of lightening see’s Kevin and Simon swap bodies.

What follows is exploration of both men facing their fears, insecurities and prejudice in a world that is growing ever darker for our trans siblings. They are forced to work together to reverse the swap and along the way perhaps they can both learn something important about themselves and each other.

Boobytrapped is beautifully written two hander that embraces its themes with true passion and understanding of the various arguments that it explores blending some wonderfully judged comedy along with a stark reality of daily life for many in the transgender community.

Both performers turn in wonderfully emotive performances that are finely nuanced but also very real and they make the most of the intimate space. There are additional characters that are pre-recorded but the inclusion of the next-door neighbour as a live in the room voice over does jar a little but doesn’t detract from the overall quality of this sparkling piece of new LGBT+ writing.

Boobytrapped is at the very heart of the Fringe and what it stands for, theatre without constraints or boundaries and makes a very sobering remainder that no matter how far the journey has come for transgender equality there is still so much more to do. Adult, Truthful and a great addition to anyone’s Fringe Diary.

Boobytrapped, The Fringe, Space 2 at theSpace on the Mile Venue 39, Runs Until 29th  August for more information go to: boobytrapped | Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Mary Woodward at the Festivals

Prophets, The Fringe, Review

Brett Herriot

**** (4 stars)

“A Gripping Piece of Theatre”

Another brilliant two-hander at Roxy Boxy, a container just outside Roxy itself.  A tribute to the exellence of the show came from an overheard comment afterwards – “you were gripped even though you could clearly hear the people outside: it simply didn’t matter…

It certainly was no effort at all to concentrate on Prophets.    Jack McGregor has written a gripping exploration of belief and its dark side, set on a fictional island in Polynesia, St John [not to be confused with the very real St John in the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean!].

A young woman has arrived on the island after a very long and complicated journey.  She is tired, and not particularly interested in the attempt at a friendly welcome offered by Kiwi-accented Joe.  She’s a paleoclimatologist, doesn’t respond positively to his comments about the weather – she’s not a meteorologist – and isn’t interested in joining him later for a beer in his accommodation just up the hill: all she wants is to rest.

Joe has seemed rather uneasy – his friendly overtures somehow ring false.   We begin to have concerns, too, as we witness the attempts our heroine, whose name I failed to write down, to find out about the history of the settlement of St John.  Documents are sealed off under the Official Secrets Act.  National security has strategies to protect the island.  But what about its inhabitants?  They are all descendants of the crew of a ship that landed on the island and promptly burned it, because they were never going to leave…

We learn a bit more about Joe and his visitor.  Joe was born on the island, went to work in New Zealand, but then came back to the island under rather mysterious circumstances.  She grew up in a small fishing community in Scotland but now lives and works in Glasgow.  She asks a lot of questions – increasingly about the new sections she finds in a bible in her accommodation, which talk about the Prophet and the miracles he works.   They were written by God, Joe tells her.

Joe’s elliptical utterances about the temple, the services held there, the things he’s seen, all intrigue her.  She has phone conversations with her partner back in Scotland in which she reveals her conviction that all is not well on the island: he tries to convince her that she’s imagining things and should leave well alone… 

Will she?  Is it all real, or a figment of her imagination, triggered by her own past history?

Prophets is a gripping piece of theatre, superbly acted by Rebecca Wilkie and man of many talents Xander Cowan, who plays everyone else, switching accents and persona with great ease.  In an age where the cult of personality is pervasive, the play raises questions about belief, imagination, control and manipulation, truth and reality…

Yet another brilliant play from an upcoming Scottish writer – is there no end to Scotland’s emerging talent?

It’ll be another sell-out: hurry, get your tickets before they’re all gone!

Prophets, The Fringe, Assembly Roxy (Roxy Boxy) Venue 139, Runs Until 31st August for more information go to: Prophets | Edinburgh Festival Fringe