EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: F**k You Pay Me at the Assembly Rooms

Joana Nastari's intoxicating femininity fills the room when she appears on stage. Like a modern priestess, she reads from an ancient book the ten commandments of her show and the audience cheers loudly when she gets to the one that says 'no shame'. This is the purpose of F**k You Pay Me, a performance intended to fight the stigma that surrounds sex workers and remind the world that 'sex work is just work'. 

Blending fiction with reality (more reality than fiction, me thinks) this is the story of Bea, a stripper in her late 20s whose family is about to discover her real occupation. We follow her to work, in the club where she needs to deal with internal politics and the competitiveness of the industry even before getting to talk to her first potential client. Opening up on what the profession entails, we learn about hefty fines for being caught chewing gum or using a phone. We also learn about tariffs and average income. 

Her portrayal of the men who attend the club is quite primal, although many will recognise in it some familiar features. She admits that she's picked up lots of dad jokes along the way, as her crowd is mainly composed by dads, and she emphasises the necessity to lie about her real name and age. The first to protect her identity from potential stalkers and the second to reassure her clients. '23 is the perfect age,' she says, 'if you're younger, that's creepy, and if you're older, that's desperate'.

REVIEW: Angry Alan at Underbelly, Cowgate (Big Belly)

Fired from his unrewarding job and stuck in an ordinary life, Roger (Donald Sage Mackay) is scanning the internet for something interesting to read, when he bumps, almost accidentally, into some content published by the Men’s Rights Movement. What he reads makes sense to him and some videos, posted on YouTube by their motivational speakers, draw him into wanting to know more. Now actively reaching out to the Movement's comrades, he runs into the profile of Angry Alan, some sort of guru within the league who inspires a great change in his views.

This sudden mutation doesn't go down well with his feminist partner and, feeling misunderstood, he's even more convinced to support the cause, donating more than he can afford and hoping for special recognition from his peers. Meanwhile, his son has got something important to tell him.

The videos projected in between scenes are excerpts from genuine propagandistic material that appeared on the internet. In these, a bunch of enraged men denounce the 'oppressive gynocratic regime’ and accuse women of being the first cause of male suicide. Whilst watching, everyone in the room laughs out loud, but a chill runs down my spine. It is disturbing to think that these people really exist.

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Stardust at Pleasance Dome (10Dome)

Colombian artist Miguel Hernando Torres Umba is building a cultural bridge between Latin America and the United Kingdom and has started his mission by addressing his country's greatest stigma: the production and export of cocaine. Weary of the joking comments he receives about his nationality and the endless checks he's submitted to, every time he goes through an airport, he analyses the subject-matter with verve, offering 60-minutes of pure exhilaration and piercing truths. 

His solo performance is deeply rooted in the responsibilities that western countries hold towards Colombia. From the Hollywood and Netflix glamorisation of narco-trafficking to the soaring demand generated by those supposedly-conscious consumers who turn vegan, reduce plastic, use hybrid cars and snort cocaine as regular features in their trendy lifestyle. 

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: How to Suffer Better at Laughing Horse at The Newsroom

One of the most exciting features of the Edinburgh Fringe is the great selection of free shows offered by the Laughing Horse festival. Often in bars, pubs and makeshift venues, these events involve hundreds of performers, who work exclusively on tips and are, most reasonably, prepared to bully you into putting a fiver inside their hats. 

Because of all the mayhem generally undergoing in Edinburgh during the whole month of August, you might find yourself attending one of these open shows with just a handful of other punters, as was my case when I went to see Amanda Erin Miller's solo comedy How to Suffer Better. 

In these circumstances, an artist should be particularly aware of the different impact that their voice and stage presence can have on their – arguably sober but most realistically hungover – 1pm audience, and hopefully adjust their levels of enthusiasm accordingly.

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: The Tinder Tales at the Greenside @ Infirmary

Tinder. It’s all over the Edinburgh Fringe this year and for good reason. It seems to be a massive talking point for a broad spectrum of people. Tinder Tales, takes the real life stories from people using the app, and flips between the good, the bad and the ugly in a short 40 minutes. 

With one interviewee chair placed centre stage, and the cast sat behind it, the play mainly focuses on the stories of the individual but allows a few moments for the whole cast to get involved. Most stories were fun and comical, which allowed the most sombre moments to land quite beautifully. I questioned, however, the need to gender swap for two of the scenes. Whilst all actors in these scenes played it wonderfully, I felt if they’d kept the scenes as written, it would have landed even more of a message. 

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Fag/Stag at the Underbelly Cowgate

No story is ever told the same way. The general gist might be there, but there’ll always be some anecdote or sentence missed out, or rose tinted way of telling it to make you sound a bit better. What would happen if two friends told the same story, at the same time, on the same stage? Take the Australian performer/writer duo, Chris Isaacs and Jeffrey Jay Fowler, ask them to do just that, and you have Fag/Stag.

Tamara is getting married and both Corgan and Jimmy are invited. Both men loved her, Jimmy for a week in high school, Corgan during their four-year relationship, and even more now. Fag/Stag journeys from the duo receiving their invites, to the day of the wedding and all in-between. There’s so much to say about this show that I don’t think I will do it justice. Both Issacs and Fowler are captivating throughout. In a performance which is mainly about male relationships, they only look at each other once but you can feel the chemistry between the two in abundance. Their quick witted, fast paced script grabs the audience from the beginning and doesn’t let go. It’s heart-breaking to watch as friends fall out over homophobia, self-harm, and not being there when your friend needs you the most.

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: The Prophetic Visions of Bethany Lewis at the Underbelly Cowgate

There’s a fair amount of puppets at Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year and a lot of it has been very good. It was now the turn for The Prophetic Visions of Bethany Lewis, and my oh my it did not disappoint. From the moment the furry purple puppet opened her mouth (or had it opened for her) to the last note of the perfectly pitched (in all terms of the word) ending song, I was crying with laughter. 

Three brilliant puppeteers take on a variety of characters that feature in the rise, and subsequent fall of Bethany Lewis, a normal girl who starts seeing visions when she’s bumped in the head by an escaping baked bean tin. Unfortunately for Bethany, she starts seeing things that the government, and their leader, don’t want the public knowing. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who is going to see it (and if you aren’t, you should) so I’ll keep quiet, but a specific scene between the Prime Minister and the creature that is running parliament is worth the ticket price alone. 

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Maddy Anholt - Herselves at the Underbelly Clover

Behind every woman is not just one character. There are a collection of weird and wonderful personalities just dying to be heard. At least that’s what Maddy Anholt will have you believe in her new show, Herselves. Luckily for the audience, the women wanting to be heard from Anholt are brilliant. 

This one woman stand up, character comedian and at times improv artist had the world out against her the day I saw the show but she batted every problem off with ease and hilarity. Mic problems? Don’t worry, one of her characters, Shazza, relied on her two days of drama school training and projected her chavvy heart out. Got a heckler that won’t give up? Just get the crazed zoo keeper dressed as peacock to give him one of the most disturbing lap dances he’ll ever receive. Or if someone decides to eat a full meal during your show, give them a blow-up phone half way through their mouthful and tell them it’s time for audience call in on double yolk eggs. Granted, these disruptions won’t happen every show, but Anholt’s beautiful comic timing made you think she’d planned them all along. 

15 things you should see at the Fringe!

Atlantic - A Scottish Story at the Assembly Hall ★★★★★

"If you see nothing else this Edinburgh Fringe season get your tickets to ‘Atlantic’"

Runs on various dates until the 27th August. Click here for more information. 

Atlantic: America & The Great War at the Assembly Hall ★★★★★

"If you are at Edinburgh Fringe this summer, this really is one not to be missed. Just Wonderful."

Runs on various dates until the 26th August. Click here for more information.

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Transmission at the Assembly George Square Studios

Carrying the deceptive promise of an immersive theatrical experience, Transmission could be one of the most criticised pieces of new writing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2017. Canadian company Toasterlab's ambitious project includes live installations, 16 podcast episodes and 29 augmented reality scenes set in various locations around Edinburgh.

Upon arrival at the Assembly George Square Studio Five, the audience is repeatedly invited to download an app, which can only function with Apple devices. The alternative intercache version for Android is wobbly and relies on the audience's willingness to use a good chunk of their phone's data allowance.

Time economy is also a precious factor during a festival that offers more than 3500 different shows and, for someone who spends just a week in Edinburgh, there isn't enough time for all the features proposed. Contacting the ticket holders in advance and suggesting them to become familiar with the extras beforehand, would give them a better chance to make the most of the elaborate virtual background.

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Penthouse at theSpace on Niddry St

Fast-paced, outrageous and addictive, Penthouse is all you need for a fun night out at the theatre. The exceptional acting and the recurrent use of loud rock music will drag you into the last wild night of a London banker on the edge of ruin.

Once considered the City's most promising banker, Ewan has suddenly lost his girlfriend and nearly 1.8 billion pounds of investors' money in illegal trades so, before ending it all, he decides to rent a penthouse and enjoy a booze-fuelled, cocaine-stuffed farewell party. There is a last-minute game-changer represented by Eloise, a hard-headed escort hired for the night, whose methodical approach to business appears like a handhold to the desperate Ewan. Until the very last minute, the audience is left on a cliff-hanger on whether she will manage to turn around his fate.

Playwright and actor Ed Brody, outlines four well-distinct – and mildly stereotypical – characters, brought alive by the outstanding performances of the whole cast. The speech is vivid, blunt and far from being politically correct. 

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Blues Brothers Live at the C venue

As each day draws to a close at the Fringe can there be a better place to be than at the Blues Brothers Live concert with a 7 piece band recreating iconic scenes from the famous films.

Jake and Elwood take us through classic line up of songs from the films with high energy, exaggerated movement and strong voices engaging the audience at every turn including Gimme some lovin' , Everybody needs somebody , Rawhide , JaIlhouse rock , Rollin on the river , Minnie the moucher and Stand by your man as well as the fun Flip Flop Fly.

The band is tight and enjoying themselves with Magic Mike on guitar , Fraser on trumpet , John Lucas in trombone , Scott on sax , Jonas on bass , Ray on drums and Ashley on the organ , each given their moment in the spotlight. The three supporting singers also each get their turn at the mike. 

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: The Time machine at the Assembly Roxy

Stephen Cunningham takes us on an amazing journey into the future as the world ends in HG Well's Time Machine. We travel forward 8000 years as human life is extinguished by the growing sun and he experiences the only creatures that can exist in the harsh environment . It is a nightmarish cautionary tale exhausting to watch and I am sure to perform.

He transports us from Victorian London using his adapted pocket watch as he transcends the years and his excitement at his invention slowly evaporates into fear and despair . He conveys the journey with few props and a powerful physical performance , drawing the audience in at times as if explaining what he has seen to a Victorian audience. 

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Catherine and Anita at the Assembly Rooms

Theatre can sometimes be uncomfortable viewing at the Edinburgh Fringe and it takes a strong performance to hold and engage the audience when the topic and venue is challenging . Sarah Roy gives such a powerful display in this disturbing play in a portacabin in George street as Catherine who is a troubled twenty something explaining her life through a series of chilling flashback scenes. 

Gradually we understand her friendship with Anita , her difficult relationship with her mother and father and how she comes to meet her first boyfriend Dan with whom she shares the secrets from her life. Roy with a simple twist of her hair and change of posture regresses back to a 7 year old , then a 12 year old and finally the 26 year old on her first date . We are shocked to learn about each relationship and its impact on her life and what brings her to the sad and disturbing end with which the play starts .

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Snap at the Assembly George square

This amazing all Korean cast of illusionists and technical team create a spellbinding world through the magic door into scenes where nothing is as it seems. Without words the 7 talented Magicians enthral and amaze the audience with their tricks.

We first meet the three tricksters in the auditorium as the audience arrives with amusing close up and simple interactions. As the lights dim they introduce us to the magic with a shadow puppet show where some of the shadows pop out of the screen. This is followed with Paintings that come alive , books that catch fire and a red hankie that flies in every direction across the stage. If there are wires they are hard to see! When one brings on his umbrella , it is no surprise when it takes on a life of its own!

They are supported by 4 wonderful specialist magicians. The Florist uses a butterfly, flowers and cards to create his magic. The oddball gives new life to the old trick with three juggling bricks . The alchemist turns sand in to sticks with elegant ease . The dreamer uses clever projection to create his illusions. Each creates a beautiful atmospheric scene that is entrancing and magical.

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Delorean at the Assembly Rooms

Everyone knows a little bit about the Delorean car story whether from the back to the future movie in which it features or from the news stories of the extraordinary investment in Northern Ireland to build the new car or the scandal that follows . But Jon Ivay sets out the whole story from start to finish in this exciting new play which has great potential to develop into a full play. It makes for a dramatic, amusing and shocking drama which has the same power to explain the business dealings behind the news story as the successful Enron musical did.

Simply set at the Assembly Rooms with a strong cast and some short cut devises that could be expanded in a full version, it is entertaining and revealing in equal measure as John Delorean and his associates leave General Motors to start up a new company to create the iconic Gull wing sports car that everyone hoped would be transformational and profitable.

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Brutal Cessation at Assembly George Square Theatre

Brutal Cessation is exactly what it says on the tin - Brutal. A frank, no holds barred portrayal of an abusive relationship where both characters are struggling to find a way to finally call time on it. 

This two hander seamlessly swaps parts half way through, allowing the audience to watch the same scenes, comparing how you view certain conversations when the abuser is male or female. This is writer Milly Thomas’s second venture at this year’s Fringe alongside her one woman show, Dust, with Brutal Cessation being performed beautifully by Alan Mahon and Lydia Larson. 

Larson, in particular comes into her own during a scene where she describes how much she wants to physically harm her partner, so much so that this is her fantasy. During the scene, you cannot take your eyes off of her, even though you want to because her level of intensity makes the audience feel so uncomfortable, but that’s the point. Mahon is constant throughout, pitching the last big blow out scene perfectly. The duo manage to tread the line of highlighting the fragility and danger of the relationship whilst keeping the audience engaged throughout. The Assemble Gardens ‘The Box’ venue mirrors the piece, feeling a tad claustrophobic during the more uncomfortable scenes. 

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Murder She Didn't Write: the Improvised Murder Mystery at the Pleasance Courtyard

Returning again to Edinburgh Fringe for fifth year is @degreesoferror "Murder She Didn't write" a slick formula driven improv show which takes as its loose starting point a cross between Cluedo and the Angela Lansbury 90's detective show . 

On this occasion we meet Mr Orange , Miss Scarlet , Mrs Violet , Mr Blue and the young master Green with musical accompaniment by Mr White. One is to be the victim and one the villain and our detective's sidekick in the audience Jerkins must choose. However these accomplished performers are always dependent on witty and amusing suggestions from the audience and were let down by a rather dull Tea Party in the tale of the poisonous cucumber. On a previous outing the setting on a bouncy castle provided them with much more material to improvise around. 

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Bruce at the Underbelly Cowgate

This year, The Last Great Hunt's 2015 sell-out hit Bruce, a puppetry adventure through space and time, detailing the life of a puppet made of sponge, returns to the Fringe, playing once more to packed houses. Its popularity is undeniable. Bruce himself, an affable, likeable but misfortune-prone man, is brought to life expertly by Wyatt Nixon-Lloyd and Tim Watts, clad in black morph suits - one of whom provides all of Bruce's gestures with white gloved hands, the other the voices of Bruce and several other characters. So far, so good. It's a clever idea, and its Blue Peter-ish sponge central character should make for a show full of typical fringe chutzpah.

Sadly, however, the main problem with this comedy show is that it simply isn't funny. While comedy may be the most subjective of all the art forms, it speaks volumes that at the performance I attended, gag after gag failed to land. There were hushed titters here and there for much of the show. Several punchlines are repeated with a slight twist to reinforce the joke, in the manner of a tired American sitcom. The story begins to drag as it seems to start becoming an hour in search of a big laugh.

EDINBURGH FRINGE REVIEW: Tamar Broadbent, Get Ugly at the Underbelly Clover

“When you break up with someone, you become 25% less attractive” – the starter for the comedy talent that is Tamar Broadbent and her new show “Get Ugly”. Armed with jokes on the mic and witty songs accompanied by her keyboard, Broadbent takes the audience through her journey of becoming newly single and finding the strength in herself to finally move the fridge. 

Although her stand up was good, she really came into her own when she got behind the keyboard. Her songs were catchy, refreshing and really did make you laugh. It was easy to forget (whilst you were laughing at the “Shoreditch Wanker” she’d dragged up on stage) but Tamar Broadbent has a beautiful voice. I almost wished there were even more songs, as they were the highlight of the performance. With constant nods to current pop stars, she became the Edinburgh Fringe’s very own Taylor Swift. Break up songs don’t need to be angry or sad, Tamar Broadbent has delivered a new style, and it’s funny, really funny.