Points of view: theatre, comedy and news
It’s not 100% clear how or why Alexandra Haddow defines Third Party the way that she does, but the way that she does it is quite reductive to a point. This show covers two different parts of comedy - political and personal - where one topic is exponentially and noticeably better than the other.
In Pierre Novellie’s Must We? we are once more treated to an acerbic dissection of societal phenomena, which is then mixed in with the odd deprecating observation. Novellie has a way of raising flags about things in a way that makes us consider them from a new angle that means we will never look at that object or consider something the same way again.
As far as comedy sets go, Harry Stachini’s new hour Grenade, will tick just about every box for a die-hard comedy fan; a central narrative with meticulously detailed segues that build up this world within the routine to the point where the laughter (and even occasional ‘oof’) becomes involuntary as we hang on to Stachini’s every word.
On the heels of their Edinburgh Fringe debut, Founder of a troupe of ‘LA’s very best improvisers,’ Casey Feigh sits down with Pepper&Salt to discuss how recent events have intertwined with Holy Shit Improv’s history, the nature of improv comedy and the most important partisan issue in America; Twizzlers or Red Vines (there is a right answer to this question).
Not finished raising a little hell, Bonnie and Clyde is back once again with a live concert version filmed at the Royal Theatre Drury Lane in January 2022. Directed by Nick Winston with music by Frank Wildhorn, book by Ivan Menchell and lyrics by Don Black, this live concert version of Bonnie and Clyde is a simply brilliant example and celebration - not only of this musical and the genre - but for the accessibility and love for theater.
Steve Bugeja’s Self Doubt (I Think) is a perfect piece of character comedy which uses an anecdotal structure to bookend a filling of observationist humor, creating multiple layers and sources of humor and general comedic possibility.
Every so often a show comes along that changes the face of musical theater. Jorge Rivera-Herrans’ Epic is such a musical. There are so many praises to sing, and even though only Act 1 has been released, it’s abundantly clear that this musical is very special. Act 1 of Epic is absolutely perfect, and Rivera-Herrans has woven together a really compelling re-telling of this myth. There’s just something about these songs that triggers some kind of dopamine receptor or rush that makes them absolutely intoxicating to listen to.
It’s always curious to see how universal themes are analysed, translated and reimagined in a modern context, especially the medium of political satire; how a story becomes relevant to each new generation regardless of time period. The Edinburgh University Savoy Group’s take on Biolanthe - Fraser Grant and Rosalyn Harper’s adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe - is a funny if somewhat uneven performance. With updated lyrics by Lewis Eggeling, this show has moments of genuine hilarity that are funny for the sake of being funny rather than humour that occurs because of a sense of existentialism or brush with reality.
Staging a classic is not an easy task. It comes with the expectation of novelty, of bringing to light another angle, to be edgy, to say something new about the themes or the issues. The Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group’s Little Shop of Horrors takes Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s musical is an incredible show on its own merits, but we can't help feel that there are some missed opportunities here. Tom Beazley and Amy Stinton have created a very gritty show that is fully focused on its critique of the American Dream, but we are really left to make our own connections to how these ideas manifest in the present day ourselves.
We'd expect Alexander Bennett’s I Can’t Stand The Man, Myself to be an extremely deprecatory set, like the title would suggest. In fact, it’s a very honest critique, not only about himself, but about wider issues that whittles down into an exploration about the complexity and nuance that accompanies life instead of the good vs bad polarity that permeates most narratives.
Pepper & Salt 