Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens

Just the Tonic at the Caves

5^th to 30^th August 23:00

*** 

The story of this kitch musical revolves around a cabaret club called “Saucy Jack’s”, at which the performers become the victims of a serial killer as they try to leave to better themselves elsewhere. Step in the Space Vixens in their role as investigators and upholders of the oath. As well as Rocky Horror there are clearly influences of Barbarella as the Vixens’ interrogation device the Vibratron appears to be similar to the Orgasmatron of that movie and the Vixens’ characters more than a little like Jane Fonda’s character in that movie. Musically the influences are predominantly disco with an original score

This show is a cult classic of the fringe, proving a hit with late night audiences, essentially this rocky horror for a newer generation. In terms of performances it’s a mixed bag, with Adam Scott Pringle as Sammy Sax excelling with a daft cuteness. Also the deliciously hot Kristopher Bosch turns in a fine tuned and dam sexy turn as Mitch Mapole who gyrates his way through the finale in dressed in nothing more that plastic pants. Also working the drag character of Booby Sheville is Caspar Cordwell James and he delivers in spades.

Sadly not all of the space vixens deliver such a balanced performance Suzie Thorn as Anna Labia plays blonde hair bimbo well but her performance needs more energy and force to carry it through.

The performance also had a few technical issues with sound and light with performers often acting in the dark having been plunged into darkness before getting all their lines out.

Hopefully that will settle down as they get more runs under their belt. If a camp musical romp is on your fringe list then get to Saucy Jacks even if it’s  just for seeing Mitch Maypole shake his groove in plastic! Quick! To the spaceship!

Brett Herriot

The International Stud

C Cubed

Fountainbridge

5^th to 30^th August

20:45

**** 

It’s hard to believe Harvey Fierstein’s seminal and generation defining play made its debut 37 years ago. The international stud forms the first part in the “Torch Song Trilogy” and tells the story of  New York Drag queen “Arthur” played by CJ De Mooi (yes he of eggheads fame) his quest for love in the gay club back room scene of 1980’s new York.

It’s during these liaisons in the darkness that Arthur encounters Ed a calm boy who is struggling with his bisexuality. The exploration of sexuality and identity and love went on to achieve a Tony award for Fierstein.

Following the success of last year’s Safe Sex and on Tidy Endings, director Dan Phillips has once again joined forces with CJ to produce a truly moving and impassioned piece of dramatic theatre hidden away in the small C Cubed venue just off the royal mile.

It’s with great relief that an audience expecting the cheeky and dry witted game show panellist CJ are in for a shock, he can truly act and takes us through the brash drag queen exterior to the inner and dam vulnerable core of Arthur.

His passionate exchanges with Ed made for a gripping 50 minutes of theatre as the audience is swept along with the story.

There were only some minor pacing issues which as the show continues to bed into its run will even out leaving something truly special for audiences to see!

If you believe that a story 30 plus years ago has no importance then think again, head for c cubed and sit amongst the sparkling frocks and feathers as the compassionate examination of life and love is laid bare in performance that will inspire you with its passion. Unmissable.

Brett Herriot

SG2015 Review: The Harmonium Project

Venue (EIF): Usher Hall

Category: Music
Times: 22.30
Dates: Aug 7 only
Stars: ****
Reviewed by Roy Isserlis

One of the strange quirks of August is the locals vocally detest the Fringe, but love the Edinburgh International Festival’s large scale outdoor events. IF the EIF has any sense they’ll try and open every year with a similar spectacle and close with the Festival Fireworks which is seen as a fitting celebration of getting rid of the Fringe crowds and reclaiming the city.

59 Productions’ visuals certainly matched up to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Edinburgh Festival Chorus rendition of John Adam’s choral work Harmonium. Adam’s now seems to be a fixture of the EIF with two of his previous operas being staged in 1988 and 2005, but the crowd would be more familiar with this work included in the soundtrack to last year’s film Birdman.

At no point did the visuals seem to escape the choir, the graphics from Edinburgh Uni’s Infomatics team floated over the landmark Usher Hall (with the new glass building thankfully masked off) highlighting passages of the music with abstracts of text, sync’d up faces to the choir and route travelling through a map back to the building itself. The highlights at the end were literal with a dozen moving beams of light forming a crown around the dome of the hundred year old building.

Unfortunately due to the process the team went with; the music unusually for an EIF production was not live.