Tag: Entertainment

Lisa Verlo uses things starting with G – from genitals to getting off – to talk about sexuality, especially in an American context. Her parents didn't like nudity, but she discovers masturbation; her first partner isn't really into her; her second (a famous but unnamed director) is, but also likes other things etc.

The main thing I learnt is that sleeping with directors doesn't guarantee a career – looking her up reveals three entries in imdb: 'song performer' in a film described as "unwatchable" at times because of bad sound and vision, a character in a soft porn film (tags 'female nudity' and 'full frontal female nudity') plus the title character in an episode of its TV series spin-off.

The show itself is worthy rather than good. I can't disagree with anything she says (or sings) but it didn't feel like they were the most interesting things she could have been saying.

I am not asking for the director to be named, but there's not much about how she felt during their relationship, until she wonders how many others are seeing the doctor he recommends when he thinks she might have caught gonorrhoea from him. That's not one of the G's and, for someone her age, it's very noticeable that there's nothing on any other STI. Did HIV have no impact on her?

The format of the show, sometimes talking to a recorded voice, doesn't help make it more of a story than a performance either. It has some good moments, but overall, a disappointment. Sorry, Lisa.

2.5/5

This is what I had been on the way to see before being conned into seeing the start of Deep Throat Live!. Fortunately, because it started fifteen minutes later and wasn't very far away down a hill, I only just missed the start of the show.

Danny Chivers was a nice middle-class young man who got involved in protests against climate change. He couldn't do some of the more practical things needed in the various protests, but he could write poetry… The show is the story of his radicalisation in the face of police violence, undercover police undermining their 'friends' and 'partners', and some of the reactions – from Richard Madeley and others – to the protests.

Amongst the politics, there are some particularly amusing moments – when spotted near to a gas-fired power station near Nottingham after the famous attempt to close down the nearby coal-fired power station, the EDF security team assumed the protesters were attempting to do the latter again, leaving their real target unprotected. That action lead to being sued for £5m by EDF for lost – in reality, only delayed – profits, and one of the proudest bits of the show is the way that was EDF shooting itself in the foot. The case was dropped in exchange for a promise not to trespass on EDF property again or to encourage other people to do so, but you can definitely see why someone might want to…

Had I more time and money, I'd also have seen Mark Thomas's show on having a campaign infiltrated by someone working undercover. Although that one has had a lot more coverage and will doubtless get a much bigger audience, it probably isn't much better than this one. Arrest That Poet! is certainly infinitely better than Deep Throat Live! and is definitely recommended.

4/5

On at 6:15pm at The Stafford Centre (venue 175, and with a nice cafe) until the 13th August.

Gráinne Maguire hosts a panel show based on news and what counts as 'news' – three guests each propose one current story as the most important one this week.

So on the one I saw, it had Jay Foreman proposing… erm, I can't remember exactly which political story it was – the independence debate I think, while Luke Benson wanted the Commonwealth Games, and Luke Toulson suggested a proposed football transfer involving Tottenham Hotspur (he's been doomed to be a Spurs fan ever since seeing Chas and Dave on Blue Peter aged five). A show like this depends on the material and I may just have been unlucky here. What makes me think that I wasn't is that the add-ons to this format, like an imaginary letter to an agony aunt from someone in the news, are ok but not particularly special.

It's a great idea, but it's not quite there yet.

2/5

On at 1:15pm at Viva Mexico (venue 274) until the 23rd August.

Aidan Goatley's previous show, 10 Films With My Dad, was about the films his father used to bond with him. This one's about eleven(ish) films that Aidan used to help recover from depression and which have meaning for him through reminding him of various bits of his life.

Sadly, some of the films in the introductory sequence – like the fabulous Kick-Ass – aren't included. We do get The Magnificent Seven (even if the original Seven Samurai is better) and Toy Story 3 (even if the original and Toy Story 2 are better), but there's also CGI-overloaded, dramatic tension-free crap like the 2012 Avengers.

One of the most amusing bits is that it took reaching one of the worst ever examples of casting before he stopped watching In The Name of the King about half an hour in – for everyone else, 'directed by Uwe Boll' on the poster / box is enough!

So the choice of films wouldn't be mine, but it was his and this very personal show is worth seeing.

3/5

On at 9:35pm at the Ciao Rooms (venue 283) until the 23rd August.

Having seen his 'Magic and Tea With an Evil Genius', I obviously wanted to see John Henry Blackwood's Séance.

After a discussion about death, the Victorians, and the previous inhabitants of the building, three volunteers are chosen – one believer, one sceptic, and one unbeliever – and tested. The winner then sits down and discovers that not every one of the previous inhabitants was nice…

It's much more subtle than 'Magic and Tea..' – it's effectively one long magic trick and it's not obviously a great one. But it's much riskier to perform, because so much relies on getting the right volunteer, and that makes it good. Sadly, it's in the wrong space here (the room is too large) and it's also probably too early in the day.

The final comment – that if the dead can contact the living, they're not going to do it via someone charging you money – is spot on.

3/5

It's on at noon at the Voodoo Rooms' Ballroom (venue 68) until the 9th August.

For this show, John Henry Blackwood is a Victorian-style evil genius, complete with a mwah-ha-ha-ha laugh that the audience is taught…

…who happens to know about, and not appreciate, Jack Dee.

So the presentation is fine – lots of performers could learn from his relaxed style – and the actual card tricks are done very well. The misdirection is so good that even knowing what to look for, it was very difficult to spot them being done, and it was only where I was sitting that meant I could see one particular one in progress.

To say much more would risk spoiling several surprises, but the show is definitely recommended, especially in the intimate venue.

4/5

On at 2:45pm at the Street Bar in Picardy Place (venue 239) until the 23rd August.

James Freedman is a pickpocket, and a very good one. The (official) opening of the show sees him almost as a magician, making things disappear from a dummy's pockets and appear in his hands. At one point when I saw it, he didn't quite make one lift of a bell silent, but that was the only fluff – all of the other lifts of it were.

He also has a mission to help people protect their things and gives back or shreds all the stuff he takes or creates without permission. You can get an idea of how much he's up against in terms of the education when, despite telling the audience several times not to put anything of value in a back pocket, and having demonstrated how easy it can be to lift from there, the amazed volunteer 'mark' still puts his wallet back there…

The weakest moment of the show for me was, for once, the most personal bit, where he talks about an experience in his childhood. It might well work as part of a different show, but it's a distraction here. Ultimately, an audience going wow at his skills (and about to be wowed with how easy it is to steal someone's identity) are going to see the origin flashback as a pitstop rather than anything driving the show on.

He's doubtless not, despite what his flyer says, the only pickpocket at the Fringe, but he is the only one you can turn up to see. You could do a lot worse than do so.

3/5

On at 1.15pm at the Voodoo Room's Ballroom (venue 68) until the 24th.

I noticed this being advertised after seeing The Sideshow of Wonders (cv), and was wondering about whether to see it, especially after the huge disappointment of Dial L... I'm glad I did.

First up at this performance was George Parker from Amsterdam doing some close up magic and enjoying the 'wa-huh?!?' looks on the faces of the two volunteers sitting next to him. I was in the front row, almost as close, and his opening cut/rejoined rope work was perfect. I could just spot what was really happening to the 'lucky' card in one card routine in particular, but it was still very good.

The main event is Jay Fortune and his somewhat warped sense of humour. Again, I can see how he does some of it – if you start with five things to choose from and a volunteer to assist, it does not matter who picks two of them for the other to pick which one to take away, you'll always get the final card you want provided you pick on the last round – but not all. (I wonder if he has fifty two old packs of cards under the table for one…) In any case, the presentation is very good if you can take jokes about death and abuse.

An excellent end to a mixed evening.

4/5