TOE DIPPING TIME

Don’t you just love eating standing up – waiting for a bus that’s already late/lost/re-directed – finding box offices – finding venues – queuing in the rain?

It’s August. It’s Edinburgh.

First up was Ronan O’Donnell’s ANGELS starring, indeed he’s the only cast,             Iain Robertson at Traverse 2

Wonderful performance from Iain playing the wrongly accused security guard who writes porn in the library, the DI who sees the porn as corroborating evidence (of murder?), the Brief, the Irish ma, the drug addict shop-lifter and Scarlett Johanson. All on a bare stage with music and lighting changes.

The story is told by the accused acting it out. I wanted a little more of why the shop-lifter was obsessed with the guard and a little less stereotyping of the DI and Brief.

Powerful work. Worth your time.

Next I saw BLINK by Phil Porter, a two hander. Harry McEntire and Rosie Wyatt gave lovely performances of two very strange young persons.

Again the cast were called upon to act several other characters and move the props and furniture around the stage. Not bare this time, but rather oddly provided with two office desks, two cardboard boxes and a lawn.

A thoughtful piece that lingers…

Hi-Kick at the Main Hall, Assembly Hall was a play/dance/match for three generations. Performed by Seol and Company and choreographed by Lee Lanyoung, the high energy performance showed off breath taking football and acrobatic skills as well as wonderful dancing.

There’s a plot of sorts and audience participation – Dads beware – or at least brush up your keepie-uppie skills before going.

Great fun.