It was our annual trip to the fringe on Saturday and we had a good time.
First up was the play Levelland written by Rich Hall. I enjoyed the play and it does make you think about how things might be when the oil starts to dissappear. Rich Hall plays a talk show host who works from, and lives in, his studio - which is really a big shed.
It's described in the Assembly rooms site as follows
"The world is on the brink of oil scarce economic meltdown. Contentious radio talkshow host, Wayman Tisdale, is violently interrupted by a young drifter claiming to be a Messiah on the run in a disturbing, darkly comic, caustic, mystery thriller. A dissection of modern US morals and values; religion, paranoia, twisted politics and faith. When America sneezes, the world catches cold, so wrap up warm, buckle up and brace yourselves!"
Which I guess sums it up reasonably well. Concentration is required to pick up all the neances of the accents but sitting only a couple of rows back hearing was not a problem and what did I think of it....Well it rolls along at a good rate, the cast ( and there are only four) make the tale believable and build the story really well keeping the tension going right to the end. In all I would say its well worth the money and the cast Rich Hall, Mike Wilmot, Rory Keenan and David Calvitto do a damn fine job.
After the play we wandered down to the National Gallery, got a cup of tea and then made our way up to the highstreet, passing some nice paintings although artistic licence had run riot both in the subjects (I never saw Orange, Red and Yellow cottages on the edge of a sandy beach on Iona)and the prices...
As we walked down the High street there were fire eaters, a really angst ridden singer who I couldn't understand, a bunch of people wearing Top hats and tails talking to each other using Kazoos and various other performers - none of them were really outstanding.
Off for something to eat and then back to the assembly rooms for 10:30 for an hours stand-up from Rich Hall. Rich was going well untill about five minutes in he made a comment about testing on animals, which for comedic value I guess?, he said he didn't have a problem with. Now anybody who goes to stand-up has to be ready for something to be said that upsets them or urinates on some topic they take seriously and you just accept that not everybody has the same beliefs, criteria for living or whatever you want to call it that you do and move on but oh no not this guy sitting right behind me - his first comment was F you - now because there was no reaction he repeated it louder so it could then be heard by the audience and Rich who then tried to enter into a debate and explain his point of view but the guy was having non of it - it was his view or nobodies - and turned to his partner and said something along the lines of "Give us the keys this guys a Wker" and she duly obliged. Now because Rich politely asked him to discuss it as he was walking past the stage the guy stopped and started to talk to Rich about the scientists saying no benefit ever came from testing on animals etc etc. Now the general comments from the audience were of the politely asking him to leave or shut up so everybody else could enjoy the show kind. At this point his partner got up out of embarassment I guess - if he had just walked out I suspect she would have stayed - and walked out followed by either his or her mother about 10 seconds later. As his partner walked past he did a quick double take ( I suspect she said something) but when the matriarch of the party went past he decided to go.
There is no real right or wrong in this but it just goes to show how a little tolerence of opinions other than your own can sometimes be the right way to go.
