Two Girls From Texas in a Car: MORE ADVENTURES FROM THE FRINGE

Continuing with the reviews of the Fringe and the Festivals in August in Edinburgh. There is a lot of "raw talent". It's obvious that the professionals eclipse the amateurs. However, it's a great venue to "take a chance" on something you believe in.

MOVING ON.............REMEMBER THREE CATEGORIES - WALKED OUT; NEEDS WORK AND READY FOR BROADWAY

AAA STAND UP - Bound and Gagged Comedy. Larry Dean, Scottish Comedian of the Year 2013, James Bran, "edgy entertainment" and Sunna Jarman. These three were entertaining, however Larry Dean was by far the funniest, and had the most clever routine. It also didn't hurt that he looked liked Ryan Gosling. JAMES and SUNNA - NEEDS WORK; LARRY - READY FOR BROADWAY.

147 QUESTIONS ABOUT LOVE - This wins the prize as the worst performance I saw. Yes, it was authentic, but a "real interaction on a human scale" was not even a consideration. Catherine Bennett stamped her feet, and gyrated in different positions while Paul Davies (the Artistic Directer and co-founder of Volcano Theatre) uttered non sensical phrases to try to draw the audience in. Didn't work for me...WALKED OUT

21 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT TORONTO'S CRACK SMOKING MAYOR - One woman's passionate deference of the world's most scandalous politician goes horribly wrong - yes it does- world premiere of biting comedy by award winning Canadian playwright Jason Hall. Boring, overdone, screeching voice - NEEDS WORK

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SCOTLAND - WE DONE LOADS! - Starting with a Scottish Adam and Eve, the history of Scotland is traced in a comic manner - mooning and kilts and all. Maybe when they grow up it NEEDS WORK

ALBA - A NEW SCOTTISH MUSICAL - A heart warming story of self discovery. Roddy swaps his designer suit and expensive shoes for waterproofs and walking boots and takes off on an unexpected and life- changing pilgimage. The young cast is promising. Several good voices. NEEDS WORK

LEODO: PARADISE LOST - Yes, it was lost on me. Korean Performing Arts Group screeching, and banging drums loudly. Costumes were good, but there was no recognition that this could be called music. That the "Culture Trip" named it as one of ten unmissable shows in 2013, I'm not certain what was to be missed? This was my 2nd worst performance. WALKED OUT

ABIGOLIAH SCHAMAUN: IT'S PRONOUNCED ABIGOLIAH SCHAMAUM - New York comic having earned herself a reputation as the "Queen of the Obscene" with her balls - out-talk-about-anything approach to comedy, has decided to cover something truly subversive - her love for her parents. She was really funny, had great audience interaction (with me), READY FOR BROADWAY

13 SUNKEN YEARS - is set in a remote Finnish town and takes place over three decades. The river that runs by her village has played a large part in her childhood. Her grandmother had a child out of wedlock, her mother had a child out of wedlock, and Eva announces in the final scene she is pregnant - is this a repeated pattern? If it hadn't been raining I would have WALKED OUT.

ACCORDING TO HIS NEED - A hapless bachelor joins the Socialist Party with the aim of picking up girls, only to become embroiled in a nightmarish affair - which the audience is embroiled by attending -this is rated the 3rd worst performance. WALKED OUT

ADVENTURES OF THE SINGING ACUPUNCTURIST: BIG O FINDS HER SOUL - What is the soul telling you???? Leave this production immediately, it won't get better. This is tied for the Worst performance with 147 QUESTIONS------WALKED OUT.

UTE LEMPER - WITH THE SCOTTISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA - German chanteuse of world renowned performed Kurt Weill and Marlene Dietrich and explored the sensuous decadence and simmering passions of Weimar Republic. She sang - "Mac the Knife", "Threepenny Opera", and "Caberet" ...Lawrence Foster directed ( formerly our own director of the Houston Symphony).

She was fabulous, and very much a pro......she has been on Broadway, and is READY FOR BROADWAY.

SMALL WAR - A one man show with clever use of virtual actors in the backdrop. The story was about Soldiers' diaries - the difference between the sheer excitement and optimism about entering the war and not much later the total horror of being stuck in the muddy trenches mostly fearing to die. Valentin Dhaenems - Writer and Performer from Antwerp. Very cleverly conceived...with a few tweaks it will be READY FOR BROADWAY

RIVERRUN - Olwen Fouere , one of Ireland's leading theatre-makers performs her acclaimed adaptation of the voice of the river in James Joyce's famous "book of the night" Finnegans Wake. The force of constant renewal, journeying towards the dawn, the river life generates a powerful transformative energy as she dissolves into the great ocean of time. I listened to 15 minutes of the river screeching, and Ms Fouere gyrating and using modified yoga positions....couldn't grasp it so I WALKED OUT

FRANK SKINNER: MAN IN A SUIT - Mr. Skinner is considered the star of stand up at the Fringe. He did not disappoint. Winding the audience into his skillfull routine, and providing a lot of laughter that most can relate - he is READY FOR BROADWAY.

LIPPY - Fourteen years ago four women made an extraordinary decision. They decided to die. A haunting investigation into why we tell stories in the face of tragedy presents a Lip-Reader as the prime character in this theatre piece. It started out so strong - however when a monologue of a woman with only her lips and teeth blownup on the screen- and it went on and on and I ....WALKED OUT

JANIS JOPLIN: FULL TILT - Angela Darcy as Joplin. Brilliant and intense musically, however her narrative of Joplin's life leaves a lot of holes in the story. Her fake Texas accent is ridiculously out of place. Her band is professional, especially the lead guitar. Her singing is fabulous - however there should be more songs, and less narrative - NEEDS WORK

KINGMAKER - A bumbling,charismatic London Mayor challenges his enemies to become PM?Will his past destroy him, or will he brilliantly twist it to make himself more loveable. Outstanding performance by Alan Cox ( he performed this year in Brits off Broadway in NYC) and Joanna Bending is the MP who tries to shape the outcome of the PM election. Nailed the political process....."House of Cards" READY FOR BROADWAY

DONALD ROBERTSON IS NOT A STAND UP COMEDIAN - this is true. Gary McNair does a monologue trying to convince a young boy to become a stand up comedian. It's an interesting scenario, but fails in the humour area....NEEDS WORK.

GUINEA PIGS ON TRIAL - Joyously scrappy caberet and hypodermic-sharp political satire - really a unique concept. Two young girls are trying to sell their bodies to medical science. They've signed up for trials testing swine flu,gastro-enteritis,trials for heroin addiction and botox for your bladder....is this a good cure for an empty bank account? And what happens when profit takes priority in the creation of medicine? Cleverly executed, one of the best studen productions that I viewed. READY FOR BROADWAY

CAMILLE O'SULLIVAN - Camille celebrates 10 years of sell out shows at Edinburgh. Chameleon - like on stage, inhabiting each song which has a different character. A unique performer, Camille is highly regarded for her dramatic intrepretations of the narrative songs of Brel,Cave, Waits, Radiohead...her variety is outstanding. She won the Olivier award for her performance in La Clique.....she has worked in major venues all over the world....of course she is READY FOR BROADWAY

MINETTI - Story of an elderly actor waiting in a hotel lobby in Ostend on New Year's Eve for a director who has promised to orchestrate his comeback in a production of "King Lear". Written by Thomas Bernhard. During his life he attacked the interaction between the cultural and political scenes in Austria. Minetti was a real character. He has been rehearsing "King Lear" for 30 years in front of a mirror in Dinklesbuhl (I have actually spent time in Dinklesbuhl). Minetti goes on and on about how famous he was in "Lear" with a mask that the Belgian painter James Ensor . Bernhard did not permit anyone to play Minetti during the actor's lifetime - Minetti died in 1998 at 95. Of course READY FOR BROADWAY

ABANDOMAN:HOT DESK- An indredilbe journey as Ireland's top comedy hip hop improv team transforms the audiences's likes, loathes and daydreams into a rap or hip/hop song. This was an incredibly clever piece of work ...he interviewed members of the audience, and in one clever bit a young man volunteered he won a contest by turning a potato into an owl....Abandoman made a rap song that was hysterical from this tidbit.....READY FOR BROADWAY.

VIRGIN IS A BIG SPONSOR OF THE FRINGE.

Fiona Carr, the Development Manager for the Fringe and Elizabeth Burchell, Head of Marketing & Sponsorship magnanimously invited me to a venue of the Fringe - The Kingmaker , a "Ready for Broadway "rating by me....They hosted a wonderful party for the "Friends of the Fringe" with top class talent. Very fun evening.