Smile Emerging Artists Sharehouse    The story of the greatest physical comedian of all time – Charlie Chaplin – is given a stunning one-hour treatment and re telling by one of the most dazzling performers to emerge on the fringe circuit: dancer, actor, singer Marcel Cole.    Being a classical dancer and burgeoning clown it is not a huge stretch to imagine why Marcel Cole chose Chaplin as his character and subject matter in this new show which premiered at Sydney Fringe 3 days ago. The show will take a while to truly blossom but in its current form it is both entertaining and enlightening.  Cole tells the story of Chaplin’s life from having been born into dereliction to becoming one of the most (if not THE most) influential artist of his time. He spanned the transition from silent films to the talkies like a titan only to be exiled from America. He was accused of communist sympathies, and some members of the press and public were scandalised by his involvement in a paternity suit and marriages to much younger women. An FBI investigation was opened, and Chaplin was forced to leave the U.S. in 1952 and settle in Switzerland. Marcel Cole dresses as Chaplin’s “Little Tramp” throughout complete with pale face, heavy eyebrows and toothbrush moustache. He has even curled his hair under the recognisable bowler hat.  An ambitious and charming element of the show is that Cole enlists the audience to help tell the story.  Through gesture and the occasional whispered instruction Cole has us playing the police, the rich robbed guy at the end of the Little Tramp’s antics; his mother, his brother and eventually the woman he marries before exile. As time shifts and Chaplin uses his voice on film things become somewhat easier in communication.  Having said that, Cole’s gestural language is to die for, and his gentle, elegant performance style has us transfixed. The performance is assisted by some classy projected titles that provide the dialogue in the first half of and headlines to advance action and fill some gaps.  We get a snippet from the great “Modern Times” but it is Cole’s treatment of the telling of both the creation and content of his first sound film “The Great Dictator” that is worth the price of admission. Stripped to black undies, a red armband and peaked cap his ballet chops come to the fore and we are transported by a crazed dictator and this interpretation of the famous Chaplin globe dance underscored by Wagner’s prelude from the opera “Lohengrin”. This scene encapsulates both Chaplin and Cole’s physical and comedic gifts in a way that is biting and timeless. It is both romantic and scary as we contemplate a modern would-be dictator in Trump. Though dialogue adds beauty and expression to our world, some emotions are so complex that they can only be expressed through movement. Movement and dance can bring out subtleties in emotion that speech will never fully explain. For this reason, Charlie Chaplin’s ability to incorporate dance into his film work deepened his abilities as an actor and allowed him to tell stories in an interesting and frankly beautiful way. Marcel Cole will make you laugh and cry. See if you can catch his “Smile” before it leaves town.  His multi award winning “The Ukulele Man” plays next week.   Kate Gaul

Hemlines Emerging Artists Sharehouse   In a 25-seat fringe theatre venue in the Erskineville Town Hall is a wee gem of a piece devised by Director Amelia Gilday, and performers Madison Chippendale, Lana Filies and Alicia Badger.  “Hemlines” as it says on the packet – is a fresh and provocative piece of devised theatre that balances on the razor's edge between the silly and the serious. It is produced by Moon Bureau.   The audience enters and three women dressed in fabulous white frilly bloomers and matching peasant tops ritualistically weave three ribbons into a maypole-esque structure on stage.  It is a calm, gracious action which creates a feeling of the carefree and private. I could have watched that all night.  During the piece there is excellent movement with lanterns and retractable measuring tapes – all delightful.  Dialogue ensues.  It seems that these women are in a kind of limbo with time a kind of irrelevant measurement.  On day or one hundred years -none of this matters.  These three fates – Doris, Florence and Eleanor – are seamstresses who sew women’s garments, stitch hems, and sort haberdashery. They all have distinct personalities, desires and challenges.  There’s the inevitable squabbles and conflicts which belong to a very recognisable world. There are songs.   Do they ever yearn to be free of this world?  Well as in all good drama there does need to be a purpose and yes, they want out.  But how?  They consult a giant needle called Genny (that’s Jenny with a G) who is a kind of oracle. They are tempted through the eye of a needle. Essentially, “Hemlines” is asking whether we have power to change the course of a myriad of forces that shape us.  Additionally, what are the threads that bind us together?   Madison Chippendale brings a gloriously wistful quality to the work.  As a performer she has real mystery.  The writing is OK, but her personal quality and the final speech gave “Hemlines” a real charge and a call to action: “Atlas with the world on his shoulders, he gets all the glory. What about us? No one ever talks about Eleanor’s impeccable seams. We’re just supposed to take pride in a job well done. I suppose we do; take pride. In our work, in each other. Though I’d never say it out loud. But I am proud of their work. Even Floss. Sometimes.    … Do you ever feel like your entire self is tied up in what you do? That you don’t know who you are when everything is torn away? I’ve been doing this job for as long as I can remember but today’s the first time I’m going to change the pattern.”   Alicia Badger has authority and a clarity onstage and provides a consistent core to the work. All beautifully working as a foil to Lana Filles bubbly chaotic energy.  Let’s face it there needs to be grit in the oyster to make a pearl.   “Hemlines” is an imaginative, lively and enigmatic addition to the Sydney Fringe program.  The team of emerging artists behind it promise great things ahead.  So get down to the Sharehouse and see them and you can say you saw them when…..   Kate Gaul

Augusta Emerging Artists Sharehouse   Sydney Fringe really comes alive at the Emerging Artists Sharehouse at Erskineville Town Hall.  The building – transformed into a number of small theatres – is the perfect place for a hub and the diversity of the audience speaks to its success as a venue. With a queue spilling out and onto the pavement it was the perfect night for some fringe action.  Subtlenuance is a local theatre company that has quietly gone about the business of creating and developing new work since 2008. The website tells us “Our focus is the exploration of political and philosophical ideas. We believe theatre is a forum for many voices; an art form especially suited to both the exploration and creation of subtlety and nuance. Through these two qualities our world becomes richer.”   Tonight, it’s the premiere of “Augusta” written by Paul Gilchrist and directed by Daniela Giorgi. Paul loves his historical figures, and this taut one act play tells of the first woman of Rome, Honoria- sister of an emperor. She’s rich, she has it all, but she doesn’t wield the kind of power that the men have. She has a brother whom she considers to be much less able, so she hatches a plan and sets it in motion. Oh, and in case you’re confused about the name – she has the name Augusta bestowed upon her as a great honour but as it didn’t amount to much in reality, she was forced to write to gool ol’ Atilla the Hun. Because of various scandals.  He then interprets her letter as a marriage proposal… Anyway, go see the show for yourself to get the story.  Don’t be put off by its historical roots this is far from a dry retelling of history.   What is striking about the play is it feels so very contemporary – not only in its dissection of power and the place and role of women - but its dialogue is witty, very funny and often poetic.  Megan Bennetts inhabits the titular role with aplomb.  With loads of stage charisma and effervescent authority she commands the stage.  We laugh, we feel for her, and we even identify with her courage. Russell Cronin plays the male roles – all of whom have very florid names: Hyacinthus, Eugenius and Valentinian.  He covers the territory well enough but doesn’t always find the balance between playing a fool and being foolish.  The characters don’t know they are fools and it’s up to Augustus to outwit them and show them up for who they are. Brilliantly still and mostly silent is Alyona Popova who delivers a crystal-clear Prologue and Epilogue.  During the action of the play she kneels as Sisek, a servant – always present, a witness, always listening. There are no small roles, as they say….   Director Daniela Giorgi has the action played around a central chair in a royal luscious blue colour.  Sisek wears a contemporary green dress, and the main characters wear garments constructed to look like something out of ancient Rome.  It’s all super evocative and visually astute. Being a fringe show there is a limit to what can be achieved technically and thankfully the production does not rely on other elements.   “Augusta” is a solid, mature piece of work and well worth your time as part of an evening out in Erskineville this fringe.   Kate Gaul

Voices of Joan PACT Theatre   Review by Kate Gaul   Whale Chorus presents Janie Gibson in her original solo performance “Voices of Joan”. Based in Newcastle, Australia, Whale Chorus is a professional theatre company in the Hunter region. From the website: “Our mission is to reinvigorate theatre’s true function as a ritual of reconnection. We tell heart-centred stories, from Shakespeare to boundary pushing original plays, and experiment with new ways of engaging audiences through immersive, immediate and enlivening theatre.”   Joan of Arc is well worn territory for performance. Joan was a 17-year-old peasant girl from France who bravely led army forces against English invasion under the influence of divine inspiration. She was tried and burned alive at the stake by her enemies for crimes of heresy, sedition and witchcraft. She was burned three times to destroy all bodily remains, and her ashes dumped in the River Seine. 20 years later, the verdict was overturned, and Joan was cleared of all crimes. Her canonisation in 1920 solidified in her place in history as a martyr and a saint, one who would be remembered for her bravery and courage long after all her pious self-righteous accusers had perished.   Oppression, violence, the patriarchy, media, politics are all ripe subjects for the theatre. “ Voices of Joan”  explores Joan’s trial in a minefield of misogynistic beliefs that persist to the present day. Gibson is a charismatic presence, and she explores Joan anew with wit and humour.   As we enter the theatre Jamie Gibson sits on stage and is present with us.  She has an old-school radio come cassette player from with emanates a staticky sound of bad tuning and messages partially received. Instantly we know this is a production of fragments, of words spoken and captured, recorded and repeated forever resonating in the air around us.  Some we recognise but what we understand is that as an audience we are involved, and complicit in its outcomes. These are calls to action, to war and division – the world of the 15th century isn’t so remote. It’s a clever and apt lens through which to receive this telling and interpretation of Joan’s story.  It also positions the audience as a witness to the action and opinions, not a passive outside force.   The words of Joan’s trial are a starting point - as they have been forever interpreted – Gibson builds a story about gender and slippery truth. Anu Almagro (Song of the Goat Theatre) directs. Gibson tells this story through embodying a multitude of characters (Bishop, Judge, young woman…).  To do so she makes elaborate onstage transformations with costumes, wigs and props. She swaps clothes with a male audience member and thereby changes the presentation of her femininity. Great the first time but it is a tedious technique with such fragmentary material and broke the flow of an otherwise crafted buildup of ideas and – presumably the intention – audience anger, empathy, understanding. The audience interaction is confident and smartly handled. The swapping of clothes as mentioned, the invitation to read aloud or write things down all culminates in achieving a stunning ending with all audience members rising from their seats to create Joan’s pyre. Music and dramatic lighting support the production.  One striking section of the content is Gibson’s excavation of text from a book called ‘Hammer of the Witches” – a treatise on witchcraft. It is a ridiculous and very dangerous compendium of demonology which ultimately condemned many, many women to execution. “Voices of Joan” is all a bit loose and its tricky at times to appreciate the thematic cohesion, but its glue comes from a line repeated: “Once a word is spoken, its sound exists forever.” A haunting invocation for our times.    Kate Gaul

Comala Comala Zoo Southside   Occasionally there is a show that is so different, so undeniable as an experience that it blows me away after 4 weeks at Edinburgh Fringe. “Comala Comala” presented by Mexico’s Pulpo Arts is this production. I confess that I didn’t always know what was going on, but I loved it. On the way into Zoo Southside’s small studio, we are offered a shot of mezcal and told to hang onto our cups as there will be a refill during the show. We are entering the world between life and death. Based on Juan Rulfo’s magical realist novel, “Comala, Comala” tells of a young man’s quest to fulfil his mother’s deathbed wish that he finds his estranged father. It was a promise made by Juan Preciado to his mother Dolores, to return to her home of Comala, a prosperous town with the fine scent of honey beyond the green fields of maize, to find and meet his father Pedro Páramo. But the Comala that she remembered and described to her son is not what he finds. Rather, a run down and almost deserted, a ghost town of memories where laments are sung like a river of tears that never ends.   The music and lyrics are by Pablo Chemor.  It is sung in Mexican with translations projected on the back wall.   The Studio seats around 80 on three sides.  The audience packs in, mescal in hand.  The stage is also packed for eight performers and a collection of huge drum like structures.  Certainly, they are made of wood with a skin stretched over the top. From inside the drums, light permeates. On top of the drums sit bottles, candles, lights, scarves.  The performers will play accordion, fiddle, trumpet, mouth organ, a gong, and piano.  Eerily, a giant jawbone of an ass is “played” often and even becomes a character in a story that conjoured more or less out of the ether.  It has been described as séance like.  Any other illumination is subtle.  The story telling is immediate, intimate and we pass through the present to the future and past, and from life into death.   The cast comes together. Are they a family? Characters are allocated. A story unfolds. The actor playing Preciado is also to play his father, represented by the jawbone of an ass. The story and characters are slippery.  Based on an idea by co-creators Alonso Teruel and Alejandro Bracho – in which each actor/musician takes on several characters -there is little attempt to differentiate them at times. If you are too rational, I think you would be frustrated by an event that is overwhelming as text music and characterisation drifts like a strange dream. The past, the present, the living, the dead, the tangled families and their betrayals mix with the blood and tears in the dry Mexican soil. It’s Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) meets spiritualist meeting meets drunken party.   The production begins with a primal incantation and songs punctuate the spoken story.  Music sets the scene and keeps the atmosphere bristling. Brilliant, vibrant stuff and a unique opportunity to sample performing arts from Mexico.   Kate Gaul

I am the Boss Assembly Piccolo   0471 Acro Physical Theatre from Taiwan presented one of my top ten favorite works  from last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, “Duo” – which I also have the pleasure of revisiting in Adelaide earlier this year.  “Duo” is for adults.  This year I am pleased to have seen their offering for years 3 and above, “I am the Boss”.   The company founded in 2020 by Sun, Cheng-Hsueh and Hsia Ling, the troupe is one of the few circus troupes in Taiwan that specializes in stacking acrobatics and is dedicated to using the unique body aesthetics of acrobatics to create visual images that defy gravity and turn the theatre into a world of imagination. Stacking is what it says – humans piling higher and higher into the air via each other. 0471 Acro Physical Theatre started with small-scale experimental performances. In 2022, the troupe embarked on the “Research Project on the Training System of Stacking Techniques”, which aims at bringing more diverse circus arts to Taiwan by developing stacking acrobatics through training and innovation and creating artistic and commercial performances.   In “I am the Boss” three acrobats play siblings left home alone.  Games ensue and things go crazy. Set in a familiar looking room with a couch, cushions and table on which are places familiar objects – bags of sweets, popcorn, family photo and so on. There are food fights, pillow fights, fight fights – a done through acrobatics and high energy fun.   The three, dressed in cute pyjama looking costumes, battle for dominance.  They fight and make up, feel guilty and start fighting again.  All the kid emotions are on display.  Popcorn gets spilt. The work is charmingly choreographed to a continual soundtrack and when the performers are not at ground level cartwheeling and flipping, they fly high in the air, balance on each other and do other amazing super-human feats!  It is thrilling for the younger audiences and adults alike.   The company have devised some appropriate audience participation too. It’s all voluntary of course.  In the circus tent in which they perform the cast can access the audience easily and stage a chase around the house complete with bubble blowing guns.  Some members of the audience get to play with the bubble blowers and one youngster is taken on stage to become part of an acrobatic trick.  This is all competed seamlessly proving that physicality communicates to all ages if intentions are clear. The audience are deliciously delirious by the end of the performance.    I can’t imagine anyone not loving 0471 Acro Physical Theatre’s “I am the Boss”.    Kate Gaul

Little Squirt Summerhall    Winner of Best Cabaret and the Edinburgh Touring Award at Melbourne Fringe 2023, and three Green Room Awards for Outstanding Production, Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Direction, “Little Squirt” is written and performed by Darby James with direction and dramaturgy by Casey Gould.  Darby James is a storyteller and songwriter originally from UK, raised in Canberra and now a resident of Melboune.   “Little Squirt” is billed as a comedy cabaret about the process of sperm donation featuring all original songs by Darby James. To be honest I wasn’t sure this show would be for me.  Did I really want to spend 60 minutes hearing a man talk and sing about the process of wanking into a jar?  How wrong was I?!  Darby Jones and his collaborators have crafted a gorgeous hour of exploration and provocation – all set to pre recorded music – around the ethical, practical, philosophical and existential questions surrounding procreation.  Basically: should we be having children?   Dressed as a sailor (seaman – yes, the show is full of puns!) he is stranded on a small island of his own confusion – his moral purgatory – as he ponders this unanswerable question. What starts off as a ‘Why not?’ answer to a Facebook advert for donors becomes a journey of exploration into what it means to be a father (given that he will likely never meet his offspring), whether indeed he wants to be a father in the first place, doubts about why he is doing it in the first place (is it selfish? is it generous?) and ultimately, given the state of the planet, whether we should be bringing children into this world at all.   Darby James has mountains of charm (not to mention superb talent) and he effortlessly moves from speaking to singing.  The show is funny and sad and has some tear-jerking moments. “Little Squirt” is performed in the Anatomy Lecture Theatre and thankfully this is one show where the sound levels match the tricky acoustic.  It is a top-class production all round!   It's an edge of your seat hour as Darby goes through all the physical, psychological, medical and emotional testing which leads to his ponderings on legacy, impact and joy. Yes, joy.  Will children born into our current world experience real joy? As a donor he can leave a letter for his potential offspring and Darby generously shares this fragile document with us as we reach the climax of the show. We are left with a powerful revelation which (I hope) will spur further productions.    I anticipate “Little Squirt” will have a longer life in Australia and if it comes to a theatre near you – GO!   Kate Gaul

Lost Connection Summerhall    Seed Company’s “Lost Connection” is part of the Taiwan Season at Edinburgh Fringe.  It is another example of the brilliant and inspired work in the season that encompasses mainly physical work. This is a European premiere.  We are warned in the blurb that  in “Lost Connection” the content surrounding connection to digital phones and devices creates a self-absorbed, pressure-cooked state of being which could be both exciting and distressing.  Four dancers over forty minutes explore the connection we have to our phones. Phone -like devices are clutched in the dancers’ hands – they are extensions of humanity.  It is hypnotic and beautiful. Choreographer Wen-Jen Huang begins the work with dancers lit only by their phones. It is clever and poetic.  This is the phenomenon of phubbing – paying more attention to your mobile than the people around you. The quartet of dancer’s hunch over their phone, are led by it, drained by it, excited by it.  Often, they are zombie-like and the shadowy lighting emphasises this quality of the connection.   They fight to get closer to a device. Once the phone is discarded the dancers retain the shape in their hands. The costuming is in dark greys and greens, hair is coloured purple and blue – a lot like the light coming off the devices.  The dancers wear incredibly stretchy tops, and it is with these garments that they partner. Often obscuring heads and faces they climb all around each other.  It is invasive and spooky – reminding us of the anonymity of the internet, and in particular social media. There is something strangely forbidden, dangerous about the power in our hands.   The soundtrack gives nothing away – we cannot penetrate these individual’s thoughts or inner lives. The imagery shows us lost opportunities for human connection as the dancers deftly weave in and around each other.  It is hypnotic.  And I guess that’s the feeling we get from the digital device.  “Lost Connection” is superb dance, and its content and message are salutary. It is well documented that digital devices increase isolation and loneliness and yet as the houselights rise at the end of the show the audience grabs for their phones and are led out face down into the day. Kate Gaul

The Hidden Garden Summerhall Negare C Venues Acquila   Both productions are at Edinburgh Fringe as part of the Luxembourg Selection.  The beauty of attending the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is sampling the range of works from cultures that we rarely if ever connect with.  These two short dance works are both intriguing.   The Hidden Garden   “The Hidden Garden” blurs the lines between dance, physical theatre and visual art, this powerful and humour-filled solo, performed Jill Crovisier, explores human preoccupation with utility, power, control and perfection.   Jill Crovisier’s choreography finds its inspiration within the world from its cultural, social and political aspect using a multidisciplinary practice . On a square of artificial grass, a woman appears holding a large bunch of flowers. She then moves through a series of scenarios that might take place outside – for example, a woman relaxes in sunglasses, at another time she brings herself to climax while rubbing herself on the grass (was she supposed to be a dog here, I don’t know), finally she becomes entwined with and under the grassy blanket. I think the piece is speaking to boundaries and the limits we place on and around ourselves.  When, in fact, we need to become more engaged with our (natural?) surroundings. The work underneath the grassy carpet plus the combination of lighting and sound to support the movement created a surreal and almost absurdist world. There is no doubt that the movement is skilled, and it became hot sweaty work. Probably one for dance afficionados but at only 40 minutes in length was amusing and engaging. Negare   Another choreographic solo immerses us in a poetic universe of a character who plays with his identity, transforming it to align with his wishes, fears, and dreams.  Luxembourg-based Z Art Company presents “Negare”, choreographed by Giovanni Zazzera. As the show begins, choreographer, Giovanni Zazzera, greets the audience in the foyer at C Venues. He introduces himself and engages in a brief description of the origins of the work. This piece is part of a triptych composed of three fragments: “Credere”, “Negare”, and (“di) sperare”. Each segment lasts between 25 to 45 minutes and can be performed individually or as a complete set. The works explore themes of human beliefs, self-perception, and the process of building identity.   We move into the room and take our seats.   The dancer, Alexandre Lipaux, is already in position, sitting on a box atop a piece of what looks like golden silk. He begins to eat a carrot. He then stuffs his shirt with pieces of rolled clothing that are placed around him on the floor.  He became huge and then stands to dance. The performance is a mix of ballet and contemporary dance with elements of physical theatre. We are offered carrots to eat.  He eventually swathes himself in the golden fabric, stands on the box and becomes a tall goddess fully masked. Lipaux dance style is beautiful, fluid and hypnotic.   “Negare” is Italian for "denial”. This piece speaks to who we are and how we present ourselves to the world. The blurb tells us “Negare” challenges the audience’s preconceptions, provokes thought about the impact of others’ perceptions, and delves deeply into the dynamics of denial and self-acceptance. It’s a thought-provoking work that encourages contemplation about the essence of individual and shared identity, showcased through the absurdity and authenticity of this character.”  Mmm – it’s all beautifully metaphoric and over the 30 minutes duration in the peculiar space of this makeshift theatre it is magic.   Review by Kate Gaul

The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return Summerhall Chalkline Theatre Company present this tight three hander by Sam Edmunds.  It’s noisy, boisterous, political, charming and very human.  Set in the early part of this century this is a coming of age play mainly about two unnamed 16-year-old lads in Luton. It charts the events of preparing for a house party, the purchase of appropriate alcohol, dressing right, the flirtations and the aftermath of a nasty night. Olatunji Ayofe and Elan Butler play the best mates and are joined by Amaia Naima Aguinaga in a range of supporting characters.  They are all excellent actors and have energy to burn. If there is one criticism of the production, it is that it is very shouty and as the words echo off the hard walls of the Demonstration Room it is very hard for the text to be entirely legible. Even harder when audiences are encountering the accent for the first time as well. It takes around 30 minutes to attune the ears and that is a shame because the language is rich and exciting.    The set consists of a couple of boxes that slide around the floor and a larger box that has doors and cupboards from which things appear.  Constantly moving these elements adds to the energy of the piece and the cast are forever popping up and over the levels.  It is all very colourful and has a kind of cartoon choreography.  The directing and movement is super tight and lighting and sound support each choice in order to amplify the action.  But it’s not all one note. It surprises when, at the heart of the party scene, a flirtatious encounter between two characters leads to a first kiss and is represented by the pair touching palms.  It is perfect and a restrained moment of tenderness before the play’s violence erupts.   The play’s political and social commentary is embedded in the dialogue between the boys who make observations about the townsfolk – debt changes the way people carry themselves and how can they ever be free of the just getting by? Life can change on the spin of a dime, and we encounter three tough, vulnerable young people. Our main narrator played by Olatunji Ayofe lives with his single mum, a nurse who works nights, and he has ambitions to go to university and give her a better life. There is no future in Luton.  The odds are stacked against these kids but it is clear the playwright loves his subjects and imbues the play with a heartfelt hope.     Along the way we even learn a little of the history of Luton as a hat making town and the origins of its unique accent. “The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return” is a favourite with younger audiences and those who can identify with the characters and audiences who love crafted language and sassy dialogue in a play that has something to say. A good night in the theatre! Kate Gaul

Show Pony Summerhall We all know what they do with old horses.   Berlin based Still Hungry contemporary circus outfit chose to work with the ever-groundbreaking Bryony Kimmings on “Show Pony”.  As Bryony says, “I make mind-blowing multi-platform art works to provoke social change, babes!!” Still Hungry tells us, “Three mothers Romy, Anke and Lena reunited after long years of friendship to create a piece far from classical circus. Their work is fresh, feministic, and powerful. Strong images and a good sense of humour makes their work truthfully touching and highly amusing.” I just had to be there!   “Show Pony” laser beams into the questions that will come up for everybody working in the arts (particularly onstage) and importantly three female acrobats: what happens when a performer is no longer needed?  Should the women continue their career paths or just give it all up?  This show does not present answers – it’s too clever for that.  But it knows what questions to ask!   The three artists behind Still Hungry, Romy Seibt, Lena Ries and Anke van Engelshoven remain outstanding physical performers despite being well past what is considered in the circus world as their prime time. Romy specialises in daring feats on the vertical rope, Lena is a contortionist, and Anke spins and spins in the straps. They are role models; superheroes and this show is an hour of contemplation and inspiration.   Across the hour we journey back into each performer’s past and discover how they made the choice to join circus, and what their individual aspirations were. When did they feel they “made it”?!  Old photos and flickering videos create a world of wonder. There is something so beautiful about seeing each performer as a child or teen from old photos and film. Every life is a mystery. The invincibility of youth gives way to more sobering realities.   The women describe to us the rules of the circus – defy gravity and look lighter than air, be young, be pretty, wear as little as possible on stage, never be out of breath, never have personal problems, never be injured. Women must be sexy on stage, right?! And what about motherhood, health and well-being?  Safety check everything on stage twice! Rules can be great to live by but where are the new rules when these no longer apply?   Lena, the contortionist regales the sexual connotations surrounding contortionists and the endless male fascination with her hyper flexibility. Nobody asks her long-term clown partner if he is funny in bed!   These women are not one trick ponies. There is plenty of wow factor in “Show Pony” as these women still HAVE IT!  There are many sobering moments, but everything is leavened with lashings of humour along the way.  The final section which is pure clown as each woman presents a different vision of possible future for them.  We never know what our destinies will be, but one thing is sure in the minds of all three - they face the future together.   A beautiful, thought provoking and inspirational hour!    Kate Gaul

Aidan Sadler: Melody Voodoo Room This isn’t a review but more of a thank you note. The Show must go on! I was excited to set out to the gorgeous Voodoo Room in the New Town of Edinburgh to catch “Aidan Sadler: Melody” an original queer cabaret. The blurb tells us that Aidan Sadler will “springboard through the top steps to surviving the apocalypse with 80s-inspired synth-wave melodies. Expect musings on the price of a meal deal, the art of living in the moment and a deliciously scandalous encounter in a shipyard. With electrifying original hits you'll be humming to “Armageddon”, Melody finally answers the highly anticipated question: 'will it ever stop?'” A couple of audience reactions posted online suggested it will be a night of great singing, costumes and choreography with bucket loads of provocative thought. In a large cabaret room, it becomes clear that the audience numbers - there are 9 of us – are possibly a little too small a group to get the vibe happening.  Aiden Sadler takes to the stage for their first number proving they are an entertainment force to be reckoned with. This is a show that delivers queer joy and razor-sharp observational comedy.  They then stop the show and offer us a choice – “Melody” continues as created or we switch things up and have a chat.  The group opts for the chat.  Aiden Sadler then puts the mic away and sits on the edge of the stage.  With charisma to burn and generosity galore they turn the spotlight on the audience. Everyone has a chance to introduce themselves and we get to know a banker from London, an environmentalist from Edinburgh, a pianist/magician and partner from both Poland and Oklahoma, some local burlesque artists and a couple of travellers who are heading to some exotic island for a many-years delayed honey moon.  And of course, an Australian. Ah the fringe – hey?!  Aiden assures us that they are a super successful professional artist with loads of great reviews and that the other show “Big Gay After Party” is going off.  But a combination of venue, timing and all other alchemical things beyond and artists control at Edinburgh Fringe have bought us to this moment.  It’s quite magical.  We get an original song all about non-binary joy to give us more of a taste from the actual show. Aiden Saddler believes in the power of yes.  A big part of his show is a riff on an impending apocalypse, and we all get to decide how the world ends.  I love the way they recalled many of the details we all spoke about and then improvised these details into a finale song – including how we imagined the world to end.  They say people arrive at the theatre as individuals and if the show is great, we leave as a community. Aiden Sadler, thanks for making us all feel welcome and giving us conversations to savour and a night to remember. You had to be there! Kate Gaul