Edinburgh Festival - Part 1 The Review Show

This programme contains some strong I am merrieda.

And the planet's greatest arts festival. A polish spectacular,

modern Mcdeath haunted by the Middle East. Scandinavian comedians

try the luck on the fringe. And two new plays make light of

contemporary politics. The tribulations of coalition, and the

tragic comic downfall of Tommy Sheridan.

Plus a performance from the musical star of Brave, tonight's panel are

old hands at the faest value. Mark Thomas performed at the Travis,

and has won two awards. And Natelie Hayes has been a survivor of the

fringe. The team are reading your tweets even as I speak.

The Edinburgh film festival went out with bang with the UK premier

Brave, a latest picture from Pixar which on released this week. With a

bust blocking like Toy Story, it has a reputation for smart film.

They turned their way of Scotland, and for heaven's sakes it is a

story about a girl. The stars were out in force for the black tie

premier, like Kelly McDonald, Robbie Coltrane and Kevin McKidd.

Brave is Pixar's first historic epic, set across the Highlands and

islands of medieval Scotland. It boasts their first female lead.

am Merida. Kelly McDonald plays the flame haireded heroine, so Connolly

is her father. His face scared with one dead eye. Tomboy mer mer -

Merida likes nothing more than riding on horseback bare back.

She's determined to maintain her freedom, and seeks a supernatural

solution with catastrophic results. Brave's producetors toped up their

use of real life locations such as Dunnottar Castle. There's even a

bit parked for the almost indesieveable, die elect.

Politicians, and tourism organisations have grabbed this

chance to promote Scotland to a worldwide audience.

Brave was a triumph in the opening weekend in the States, but will it

hit the Bullseye for local audiences. This is let's hear it

for the girls. It is the first time in 201, we've had a female hero, or

her wien. But is there a great surprise? It is kind of a

disappointing surprise, I was dying for this film to be good. I am a

massive pickaxea cry baby, any time when emotional things happen, I

cried so hard when looking Up, I had to have two begins. If I'm not

crying, someone should get fired. Yeah, that's feisty, and yes, she's

got red hair, I was born ready for this film, but she's not very funny.

The thing that's joyous about their pictures is they have great

friendships, because this is like an old Disney movie, a depairy

story, rather than a new story, it is new but feels old, she doesn't

have anyone to kick against. Even an old wet nurse. It wasn't like

let give her a mate reyark to fight against, they gave her a mum and

dad? I took my daughter to see this, and she loved it, relationship

between the daughter and mum, and loched that, there are funny bits,

where the mum gets transformed and tries to pretend everything is

normal and lay out the breakfast table. I think the problem is with

Pixar, you come to accept you can go and see it withen adult with

children. And if you look at Toy Story, there's amazing subplots

with children moving home and moving on, and there's gags about

pop culture within it, and none of that here. There's none at all. It

kind of does for Scotland what that one did for China. I'm putting that

up there, it is not as good as Mulan. What did you think of it

was weak, but I didn't mind it. I haven't seen a Pixar movie, I was

taken away by the brilliance of technology T advanced so much. It

was breath-taking, the hyper realism. When she gets on the horse

and rides across the countryside, I was swept away, absolutely swept

away. I was between 4-14 youngsters, who were griped. The animation, and

the conversation itself, animatetors were saying how did

they do some of that stuff, the hair and bear's fur The hair was a

character in its own right. Her hair was amazing, the layers, that

got in it. That's wrong, if the hair is stealing the scene. People

like Billy Connolly, there were fantastic lines. At the top of the

castle, and he said "you can see my house from here". Like the 157

chicken skp run, delivering funny lines. In terms of being anything

fresh and different, maybe it doesn't need to be, for 4-14-year-

olds? I agree, with Mark, the wit is gone, the brilliant one-liners,

we get, but the kids don't miss them. They were taken in the heart

of the legend. They're not going, how long is it going to be a story,

when a girl is a heroine?. Let hope we don't have to wait that long. In

a way, what's strange is it feels very much suspiciously so it is two

stories that have been welded together. We start out Watt fairy

story, so it feels Shren territory, and of course, she's basically, the

one who controlled the bow, and shoot, and you think I'm ready for

this, OK, a bear, and it feels. has through the mangle for seven

years, and of course, animation itself has changed. They've a few

writers on it. They have they loads of writers. The funniest things for

me was Kevin McKidd speaking in a die elect, because people won't get

that and nobody will try, nobody in Scotland will get that That's brave

of Pixar. It is but, when you have people who have done smart things,

doing Scots stuff, it feels like me old-fashioned and a bit visit

Scotland. It's a big training and bonding Monday at that stage,

baseed in Scotland, something, I cannot hear Queen, I have tuned in,

expecting to hear Queen, what has happened here. Conor Mccloud of the

Clan Mccloud. Brave is out now. One of the smallest festivals, The

Festival of Politics has started. Bun shenanigans is not confined to

Holyrood, it is a death meting show, slap stick show, with an election

campaign and two comedies which set the downfall of high flying

politicians. Coalition set in 2014 as the current term of Parliament

draws to a close, sat tierising the fictional of a leader and advice

leader, played by Thorn Tuck. As the next election looms, Cooper's

vaelgsship with the Conservativepm has broken down. Despite threats of

multiple defection ass poor rateings, he is determined to hang

on to power, and to excertificate an iron grip on his party. Power is

all you care about? For Christ sake Jeffrey, if power is all I care

about, why on earth would I become a Liberal Democrat? There's cast of

comedians with Tuck joined on stage by Jo Caulfield who plays his party

Chief Whip. And Jupitus as the Tory maker in two-tone shoes. And we can

rely on the colleagues, before squaring behind Matt too. You can

always trust the Tories. Another show, finds tragic comic potential

in the spectacular downfall of a real life politician. Eye Tommy,

traces Tommy Sheridan's career, from his early campaigns to the

courtroom and celebrity Big Brother with comedian, Des maclain himself.

Freedom. The script where Rab C Nesbitt creates Ricardo Patino

takes aim of the self-regard and his gift for overbleen rhetoric.

Solidarity has stood a resounding zero seats. Which means, I myself

have failed to be reelected. Which is an even greater result than I

could possibly have hoped for. Both productions highlight the

dangers of hueb rus and rebel in the aubsurdies of political life.

Do they do their colleagues justice. What do you do when you're in a

hole? Bring on the industrial digers and level the entire area.

Mark, just dealing with Coalition first, putting comedians in place,

does that take money out of actors mouths or does it give us something

difference? It is different skills. And I feel reticent when comedians

do films, they hold attention, but do they have the ability to act. By

and large, coalition does, there are great performances from Jupitus

who is really good. As the oily, Chief Whip, he is really good.

Caulfield is really good. There's great performances from Thorn Tuck

and Alistair Barrie, that bit is OK. That's good. The play itself, as I

was leaving, people were saying it is like Yes Minister, it was a

little bit like that, it wasn't as good, good lines, but certainly

didn't, it really, it didn't have the skill to hold the entire play

together. In fact, with the Coalition in turmoil, did you think

it was tough enough Not sharp enough. It was political satire

without the bite. It was enjoyable, it was funny, I zpblt see it live,

it was on the same time as my show, but the audience were thoroughly

enjoying themselves. It is a funny piece, but my problem is Thorn Tuck

makes the Clegg figure out like John Cleese and I think we lost the

lot there. He was a figure of fun right from the start. I agree, some

of the best performances were from the comieedian, Jo Caulfield and

Phill Jupitus the one that steals the show is Jessic why as the PR.

She plays it straight and that's clever. And it works.

The worst is there weren't hit, the audience laughed, it could have

confirmed people's view, that people go to the festival have a

dig at the Tories, there was no sharp turns in it? No there weren't.

I agree, I have to admit and I hope she won't mind me saying this, Jo

Caulfield knows me for a long time, and I didn't think she could

possibly, she's a good standup, but that's means self-conscious, with a

good actor, means you have to slip it out of her skin. She inhabits a

good character, it is a 90 minute running time and has, maybe 40-45

minute of worth of story. They miss out on the key things, if you have

to do a satire, you have to mention the economy at some point. That get

skiped over and magically cured, that's not the case. There are cuts

in the next Parliament so that's not the case. There no, sir real

ability to find Labour in there, there's the odd mention, but what

we do, is Tories, hapless and venal Lib Dems, but then there's a

missing chunk. You go, this feels really, immature as a piece of

writing. It was longer than 90 minutes. The other production, I

Tommy, 90 minces, David, you have presumably, have to put your hand

up and say you were offered this? As a director and actor. The play

is very well written. I do think it is a good piece of political satire

and production lacks imagination, it is pedantic and does not have

that, and relatively play is not given justice. It is lift today

another level, with that production, it did not do it favours. Des,

nailed part of Tommy Sheridan but he is such a fine writer, but Tommy

Sheridan is actually, for a start, he is actually, I remember him as a

menacing character, very dark. I don't get that. There are times we

would support Scotland Socialist Party and do benefits, the play did

not have the charisma, Sheridan is car r charismatic, but he was

incredibly shrewd and sharp operator, and that bit is missing.

Des does a great performance but the writing misses that bit of

Tommy's character. What you don't get is the damage Sheridan did to

other people's lives. I actually think, too many of the characters

were charactertures. If you have your stl - central character as the

baffoon the rest of the characters have to play it straight. Gail came

on a character suture, Alistair was a caricature, and other characters

as well. I exempt ma creedy as Alan, he played, he could have played it

straighter, but it would be interesting, to start them off

straight and become more caricatureed the more he loses the

plot. From your point of view, looking in

the Scottish politics. I have to admit, I thought it was not

particularly brilliantly written. I found to flawed because if you're

going to make a central character a baffoon, 90 minutes is a long time

to watch that, you have to give somebody more dimension, you never

get an idea why anybody fell for him or voted for him. And it is so

frustrating, because the room is not exotic it is a fringe venue,

but it feels very much like it could be a political rally could be

held. You can't, can we do for something with a potential, you

have microphones. I talked to the actors, ass it was the recognise

qisity of the management. They must wear microphones, why. Do you think.

It puts a barrier between the actors and audience. Do you think

it is better suited for telly. writing wasn't up to scratch. You

have the story of betrayal, and from all angles the whole load of

people invested in Tommy, and his idea from comrades, party, all

falling apart and world of possibilities shattering, and

that's fantastically rich material, and it is treat to a panto

treatment. Sthiefplt well coalition is on until 26th of August, and I

Tommy until the 27th. Eye Tommy will be touring Scotland in October.

400 years ago, Tommy Sheridan haes story could have plottor

Shakespeare himself. But the Scottish play that Shakespeare did

write is hard to miss with the festival with 13 different versions

on show. MacBeth, set to music, set on an island, in Scots, and even on

stilts. There's a version of the Scottish play to suit all tasteness

Edinburgh this year. In the International Festival, 2008,

MacBeth comes from the polish company, set in a Middle East earn

conflict as MacBeth cast as a military commander set in the

The split level set incorporates multi-media skhreens, projections,

pyre tech nix and multi-laired sound scape to bring it to life.

With campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan still fresh in our

minds and Syria in turmoil, does this visceral version of MacBeth

tell us something fresh about politics and ambition, or does it

David, did you feel that the essence of MacBeth was here, that

they striped the story right back? I felt it was there. I felt it was

a extraordinary theatrical event inspired by spaix spear MacBeth.

Surely we can miss some of the sole skwees, but the director took us on

the journey through a night mare to the heart of darkness which I loved.

It was captivateing, and visceral, it was tangible, I was completely

blown away by it. There was a thousand people in the venue, I put

money on the fact that two hours and ten minutes, not a member of

the audience took a breath or moved. They were enrapted in it. There was

in polish with subtitles. I wasn't looking for lines with MacBeth. It

didn't matter. It was incredible, spectacle and brilliant to see

Shakespeare done as a huge spectacle. It was I love people

abseiling through the floors, I adored how dramatic and brutal and

bloody it was. And how stunning it was, a blockbuster version, that

bit, to see Shakespeare when it is done in a style that is absolutely

thrilling, in its, the scale and its epic vision is great. Lady

MacBeth is played, she's a vamp, highly sexualised? In my notes, it

Hayes Polish Amy wine house MacBeth. She's amazing, one amazing scene,

where they turned the lower part in the launderette, industrial

machines with the blood pouring out of it. She is a character obsessed

by dirt, and stains and guilt. And you go, elect cuteed by a washing

machine, yes, elect cuteed by a washing machine is good for me.

looking at the whole Middle East start and it starts in the mosque,

and you know, it does the terribly brutal murder this the mosque of

beheading and so forth. That seems to be the hoop to get you there,

but there was no idea how it was developed. You got little hints of

the abbuetkpwraib kind of, what went on, the aipbl rape. During the

soldier's party. You but it didn't play a big part for me. I do, I

think they were transfixed by the idea of behead be, which is

necessarily, associated by us, with the Middle East. And they have T

begins with the beheading and it ends with, that but: It was a

creation that had its own rules. There was the emphasis on the cast

on the compound which is the tale of the soldiers trapped in the

emerald city. The building itself was very much led to you believe

this could be anywhere in Iraq, it could be of course, in Sira, Libya,

Tunisia. The other thing was use of cameras, and the effect that had,

when you see an actress at one part of the stage, doing a sole qee to

the ceiling, and then, the projection of the 0 foot high on

the wall was astounding. designer was fantastic. You have

the thing of perspective, and this intimate portrait in front of you.

The reason I mentioned Lady MacBeth, she stood out an extraordinary

character. The rest was ensemble. You didn't see whether MacBeth was

playing brilliantly. But that was good. You didn't get a sense,

perhaps MacBeth himself? I had who MacBeth was, Duncan,. They were all

incredibly even? They were, but she was just as much a part of the

ensemble as the others, the dresses, she was the only female. That's

another thing where I would say the Middle East setting let them down,

if everyone is dressed the same and we're away from it, because it is a

massive space, it makes it hard tore differentiate between men

wearing uniforms. The plainest, the speeches and the tomorrow and

tomorrow, you miss those. internal dilemma, to kill or not to

kill. That is removed from him. So that's, there's a sense.

completely. When you look at it, he is portrayed as the man of action,

soldier, a man who does these bloody act and there's at sense

subtletys of the doubt is removed. But, then in the end. Also the man

who looked in the beginning there, you go, what did he Stort off, the

vein of corder. When you got the story of

# Duf, where it brought you back to the Middle East, where they wanted

to slaughter the women, children and servants, wiping out swathes of

people. That in a sense was incredible done, and done on a

television screen. It was mesmerising. But this is where the

Middle East falls down, and when you talked about a moving forest,

maybe if you done this where there was nor trees. But you still get

the Shakespeare which is thrilling. I loved it. What it proves is the

power of Shakespeare after 400 years, douck whatever the hell you

want the essence will still work and grip an audience. There is just

one more performance, of what is called 2008 MacBeth tomorrow night.

If you can't make it to Edinburgh, watch a recording of the show on

the Guardian website on second of September. With what Wallander, and

two in the killing T would seem appropriate piety for Nordic

insatiable. But on the fringe this year, there's at chance to see

another, perhaps unexpected side to the Scandinavian psyche. Magnus

Betner made his debut in Scotland two years ago in four star reviews.

If a killer you are a murderer, and if you dismember the body, you are

a stick murderer, use that, I'm giving it to you, why the fuck

would you take the other words, you don't need those, you need stick

mode. The first thing I did in English was 98, in a small rookie

club somewhere in London, and it was horrible. I was so nervous, coy

barely walk to the gig andel gig was horrible. Like seven people in,

every comic on the bill was horrible and I was horrible too.

Carl-Einar Haeckner is Sweden's answer to Tommy Cooper, with an

interest in the furniture, Mcyidge tricks and comic songs.

I just want to say thank you to internet.

And to Skype and to Facebook and to thanks to the murderer. Daniel

Simonsen winner of So You Think You're Funny Award, exploits his

awkwardness for comic effect. you see somebody far away,

sometimes they get nervous because I say hello too early. 300 minutes

before we get. It gets sucked in your voice, because where are you

supposed to look when you get close enough. This is why it is auck ward,

you have to talk to each other and nod, 600 yards. Is the novelty of a

comedian performing in another language enough to sustain an hour-

long show for audience. Reviewers and jourp lists might have an

interest, the fact it is my second language, the audience want a good

show, so they don't care. # Darling why don't you make a face

operation # A trip to Switzerland fix it all

# It would be nice consolation # And then we could put the mirror

on the wall # You are not yourself any more

# I'm sure, not after our last visit to the circus #

So then we've had the Scandinavian writers and then we have the wave,

the Vikings have arrived. But you know, there's nothing particularly

Scandinavian about them, because they've the second language, it is

not Tommy Cooper, and Billy Connolly, there's no Swedish humour

is there? Melen cholic streak. Laura Bechtolsheimer has a very,

bleak side to him which I like. That's what I was always trying to

dox when I walked in, and saw this man, who was so wilfully taking

liberal audience who share his views, and just disquieting them,

which is out of malice, it made me go, the Fringe is Safe.

Be back there in Sweden, facing charges? I thought he was thrilling,

I wouldn't recommend him to everybody, because he would be an

aqaird taste or specific taste, but he was my favourite. I thought he

was wonderful. What did you make of him? Beck Magnus Betner I liked, I

couldn't, Carl-Einar Haeckner the magician. He comes across as a

personable young man, but it was confusing, he was confused, where

he a fool, a standup. A magician. But it was far too adolescent for

me. I came out screaming, thinking someone has stolen an hour of my

life and I want it back. He is sweet but I want to see him perform.

He is good at tricks. He is very clearly a clown, and he's great, I

really enjoyed it. He plays with the audience, he has a sense of

vulnerability and fun, and he comes, when he does the mouth organ in his

mouth, and gets a member of the audience, not only does he play,

but gets a member to remove it with a spat Tula, that's clowning,

toured all over the world, he is not a random favourite, he is

proper good. The thing about there, the Scandinavian invasion is

happening, is a PR thing. They're a load of people from Noriega way and

Sweden, and then it ties in. Magnus shows the globalised comic, he

works in New York, he works in America, and travels around. He is

topical. But he tells the story of travelling and being in Japan. If

you look, you can do festivals in Melbourne and go to Montreal and

America, and Europe. So, really, he is an example of globalised comic,

than actually a Swedish come I can. What about the young boy then?

Jiefplt there are moments which are interesting when he was auck yard

and sweet as outsider. I think, that he's probably got some good

material that's about 20 minutes long and it is an hour-long set and

it is a little thing. He started the set from behind the curtain,

for three or four minutes, which was very, very funny the way he

handled it. He is classic Tommy Cooper. I liked him, I found him

personable and I found some material was brilliant. I lieblgd

the fact he is neurotic, he has the evil voice that talks to him. He

has maybe 0 minutes, widely, given the room is a pit, it is so

incredibly hot, he ran it short. Because people were probably going

to pass out otherwise. He may have run it short for two reasons, if

you live with girls and they didn't clean the toilet - that won't do.

He is self-effaceing and self- confessed geeck. He comes over with

the shyness. Don't you have to work harder. You have to have your

material in good shape. In the old days of the Fringe, come up with 20

minutes with the start and you then have a hour, the particular Celts

are expense I have and you have to have it ready. There are incredible,

and amazing too comics, David Trent, and Ellis James, amazing good

comics. You say they're not particularly Swedish, but we had

the Tetra pack guy, the Ikea stuff as well? To be fair, no-one can

deny his props. I don't go for prop comedy, because it makes me tense,

that everything will be cleared up. He has the best collapsing props

I've ever seen. The geetar, falls apart, and administerable prop work.

He said of wards, there's a follow spot, so the whole stage. I think

maybe I would be calmer then. three comedians are on for ten days.

The fact performers come from owl ever on the world would suggest the

Edinburgh Fringe has unique to offer. But this year, more loudly

than before, the cry has gone up that things ain't what they used to

be. The 66th Edinburgh Fringe is the biggest yet with 2,695 shows

and 279 venues, delivered by 0,000 performers. As usual as it mix,

everything from a theatre company of injured soldiers to Brazilian

drans troops and on the surface the Fringe appears to be riding high.

But this year the clash with the Olympics hit take nnks the first

week and the strive tarnished the image. Veteran owners has been

fighting over the name, the Assembly Rooms which are now under

new management. Comedians, Stuart Lee, claimed the alliance of the

four biggest rein news, led to increased commercialisation and

betrayal of the experimental ethos that originally defined the Fringe.

The Big Four hit back, highlighting their track record and finding and

promoting new talent. But there's a threat from outside

too, with fringe festivals popping up in Brighton, Bath, Buxton and

elsewhere, that doesn't begin with a B. Is Edinburgh's preEminence

under threat or the mother of all fringes, fit and flexible enough to

see of challengers? I feel it is right to come to you, because

you've been at the Fringe in one capacity for more than 30 years?

Good Lord no, where did you get that information. It is time passes

so quickly. So, do you think the whole thing, now the fringe

programme is like a telephone directory? It is but I believe you

will still always get something very special and something unusual

and exciting every Fringe. But it is getting difficult because of the

costs involved. If you take the venue, I'm performing in the

Assembly Rooms, including publicity to book that for three weeks, is

�26,000. I was asked to appear there, the management are paying

that money, but I had to sign a contract if I drop out of this, I

would have to pay them �6,000. That's a hell of price. Would that

scare the life out of performers would, but there are venues, you

could pay less for thax you get enormous young comics that come up,

that's probably where part of the idea that there's an idea that the

fringe is losing the edge. I don't think that's true. There's amazing

venues, their programmeer is inventive and exciting. When you

take the Stuart Lee argument that The Big Four conglomerate is trying

to control everything and that the true festival is on the old

Assembly Rooms, do you hold with that? I revere Stuart everything,

and everything he says to get more tickets for his show I agree,

because that's more people will enjoy the spirit of Stuart Lee. I

agree with him. The co- operationisation of the comedy bit

particular shri not very beautiful. Now the good thing is as that's

progressed of the last few years, things like the Free Fringe have

sprung up. So the fringe has its own fringe. And you could do a week,

you don't have to sign for three- and-a-half weeks of the Free Fringe

shows hand around a bucket and they're getting �50 a show, that's

not too bad. They're paying more than that on accommodation, because

it is not cheap to live. With you you could do it for less, than

�6,000 but there's no doubt, when I was doing solo shows, if I

helicopter had a sponsor, I wouldn't have afforded to do them.

There's a tendency for new comics to come up, management company to

put the show on, and then they're endentureed for the rest of the

year. It was two years ago, Bridges played massively, he went from to

zero quickly. They're looking to launch young comics career careers

and not so much as getting the money but changing the positioning

where comics are in regards with their pierce and within the

industry. That's what they're looking for. His career was built

by doing TV, not the Fringe, whereas there are comics, Richard

Harg, who comes up every year, he does a show here, and absolutely,

his career is kemented. I know he did do television, but he cemented

a live show every year, for how many decades it is now.

economy's tough. The first week was down because of the Olympics, when

things cost more than they used to, relatively, you can't take a punt

all the time. You have to have guise. It is funny, it is big money

for tickets, you're talking �15-20 for tickets The stand does �7-8.

The stand has a brilliant set of clubs, with great performers on,

relatively cheap ticket prices. I argue against that. Something for

everybody and it is in rude health, no matter mow haen have around the

country. I make a plea, don't buy all the tickets, because you've

bought tickets you've heard of. Go to the someone you don't know.

Others will tell you what to see, it is word of mouth. That's about

all we've time for, thanks to Dave, mark and Natelie. You will find out

about all the shows we've discussed on our website. Toinjoin us for a

next week, I will be talking about Ian quenquen, we end with music

from one of the stars of Brave, admittedly, you won't see animation