Fiona Orr writes… Normally, our August is the richest month for culture and the arts here in Edinburgh. As we all know, the cancellation was necessary and my heart sank on the day it was announced. Knowing the amount of work, energy, creativity and drive all primed to reach its peak to bring work to the biggest arts event in the world would be suspended, worse still, may never happen, left me in a despair that still resonates.
Congratulations are due to those who conveyed their work online. We can only hope that these same pieces will be welcomed in 2021 in the new normal, whatever that may be, by then.
Like almost everyone, I miss live theatre desperately: the energy, anticipation and sharing of a one-off experience in the company of strangers shall return. Until then, here are a few snapshots offered online as part of the Fringe That Never Was.
The Space UK has had a good range of genres available, including a few musical theatre items.
Tickle the Musical (LAMBCO Productions)
One of the most attractive aspects of bringing work to the Fringe is the opportunity for work to be selected for further development or for touring. This online presentation is a showcase for Tickle, written by Chris Burgess and narrated by Amy Sutton. The witty concept is based around the activity of competitive adult tickling – strange, but true! The plot follows two lads relieved to break free of ‘Crappy Town’ to achieve fame and glamour. In this video rendition, the sound is occasionally compromised, but ‘Beautiful’ lives up to its name.
A selection of songs recorded remotely in lockdown alongside some clips and stills from The King’s Head production in 2019 convey a flavour of what this show might be in a live context. ‘What Would Julie Andrews Do?’ is a finale in the vein of Forbidden Broadway with a delicate wit about it. This would clearly play well and evolve with audience energy – we can but hope this shall return in 2021.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=wlgqTlmmc-s&feature=emb_logo
Being Posy (Posy O’Rourke)
An 18 year old strums her ukulele from her bedroom: a space full of the ephemera of young folk, interspersed with rainbows, as she sings of wondering if she ‘might be other’. Posy is 18 and gay, a realisation reached whilst watching the sex video lesson in school. Moving to the keyboard, the next song continues her examination of her sexual makeup, alongside an image of the king of androgyny, Ziggy Stardust. Then a One Direction poster as she sings about ‘finding her way’.
This is a stream of consciousness as Posy sings about what changes for her, evaluating what to keep as part of her as she moves forwards. The subject moves from the very specific to the more broadly general as she exposes the idea that we need to know who we are before we can fit into the wider world. Good for you, Posy– be part of the change for a better world!
Hollow (DK Productions) by David Kent
A string of rather lovely songs backed by guitar and some beautiful violin playing from Jeremy Williams are performed by David Walker. A fairytale adventure telling of love and loss has some strong verbal scene painting to evoke a landscape in the imaginary eye of the listener. A boy who becomes enchanted by a spirit is doomed to a life of waiting and wanting, evoking the spirit of a Peer Gynt story. The title song, ‘Hollow’ is particularly strong and there is evident craft and skill here that promises to create a charming, intimate theatre piece.
In addition to the Space UK, there is one piece from the National Theatre of Scotland’s ‘Scenes for Survival’ worthy of note.
The Longest Summer (National Theatre of Scotland)
Jemima Levick directs this short piece written by the prolific Noisemaker team (Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie) set a generation from today with Richard Rankin reflecting on the time of the lockdown – the longest summer. It’s a cathartic piece that colours the recent past of today’s children with a nostalgia that may come after. Rankin (familiar to anyone who’s seen Outlander, for instance) is very engaging in this piece that is almost sung through. It’s catchy, authentic and the refrain that ‘rainbows come after the storm’ is uplifting. A gem of a piece.
www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/latest/the-longest-summer
Each link here includes an opportunity to donate to ensure that when the future comes that theatre will continue to be part of it. Looking forward to 2021.
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