Wednesday, June 15, 2016

A funny thing happened on the way to the Fringe...


Bath streets in sunshine are magic, all bubbles & buskers and strollers & singers & silver statues - you could make a massively long alliterative poem about its abounding delights and I was thinking of doing that on Friday when I visited, but instead here’s a haiku: sunshine i love you  / my personal Tramadol / hashtag smiley face.
I was back for the final day of Fringe Arts Bath, to see another Onset production at Burdall's Yard: Fear of God, with a strong central performance from Tiff Burr whose talents will be seen in Frome in Time Slides (about which more below). On then to to see Tinned Pizza Company take on As You Like it in a cleverly adapted & abridged version upstairs at Molloys, a friendly Irish (where Pinot Grigiot is £2.20 a glass, some local emporiums might note...)

Frome, never outdone in revelry,  enjoyed a republican God Save the Queens' Birthday celebration on Catherine Hill on Saturday, graced by her Maj with Young Pretender Chas in tow, Liz flinging aside her handbag and twerking vigorously to Dr Hook's disco sounds. Ciara Nolan & the traders on the hill throw a mean street party so other queens abounded ~ here's me being a queen cat...

Unless you follow the comedy scene closely you may not have heard of Gareth Richards, Naz Osmanoglu, Adam Hess, or Steve Bugeja, but they all want that to change as they head for the Fringe determined to win acclaim, fame, and TV fortune. Frome's Merlin theatre has been hosting three nights of Edinburgh Comedy Previews: the first two events, on Monday & Tuesday, shared the same style of blokeish self-observational humour, but the third night had Annie McGrath so was probably different. Monday was the best I saw, as the stage was set bistro style with club lighting rather than the school assembly look chosen by Tuesday's duo - and it didn't go on so long. All four comedians had their hilarious moments ~ Adam's critique of the Isis flag was one ~ but for me the highlight was Naz ending his set with an evocation of his boarding school as a child - too harrowing to be funny, but unforgettable. (Image: Gareth singing his stupid-white-guy blues)


And finally: with Frome Festival only just over two weeks away, our Nevertheless pub theatre production is coming together and looking great... Patrick Dunn, our wonderful musical director and live-on-stage musician, is recovering from his broken hand (kept that quiet, didn't we) and our talented & energetic cast Tiffany Burr, Gabrielle Finnegan & Matt Harrison, have now all graduated from Bath Spa University theatre course and are devoting their talents & energies into Time Slides, a 'contemporary comedy with an intriguing twist, blending fact, fiction and fantasy' for anyone who likes literature, love, laughter, or life.  Booking through Cheese & Grain, events 712 (Thursday) and 813 (Friday), upstairs at the Cornerhouse 8pm - can you believe we're still only £5?
"Best hour you'll ever have still with a glass in your hand" - audiences to all our previous shows.

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