The quote comes from a play I saw today called 'Bummer & Lazarus'. It just stuck me as quite profound. A bit existential but everyone needs an existential moment or six.
Today so far (it's currently 6pm and I am going out in about thirty minutes or so), I have seen three productions. I have also seen a lot of statue stroking. Poor Greyfriars Bobby with his unnecessarily shiny nose. I think he is stroked in the same way that an ornamental Buddha's belly is rubbed for good luck.
Anyhow, I woke up this morning, went downstairs, helped myself to the breakfast buffet which included a strange brown square thing that turned out to be a beef patty or something like that. After eating breakfast and returning with a cup of tea, I was shocked to discover the waiter cleaning my table. It just made me internally chuckle but I think that the waiter was embarrassed as he later apologised, stating that I hadn't left any indication I was coming back (he was right). So tomorrow, I am going to leave a full sized inflatable shark on the table.
First port of call today was a venue near to a bridge (Paradise in Augustines - Sanctuary) to see 'That Bastard Brecht' (Nuworks Theatre). Depending on how you viewed it, it's either a musical play or a musical. It cleverly gave an overview of Brecht's life and collaborations, portraying him as less than perfect. The women who he exploited, seemingly for the mutual benefit of all parties, except when it came to providing the proper authorial credits where they were due, were exceptionally well developed by this production. The songs too were catchy and not dissimilar to Brecht's output. Certainly, the largest cast I have encountered in a Fringe show so far. Also the audience was impressively large for a 10.45 am start time. The show started a little late, which may have been due to the musicians having troubles getting to the venue, as I saw them arrive. I have never seen a drum kit pushed through a door before by one person. It's an impressive sight.
I left the venue and continued to walk around. I walked into Forbidden Planet and they didn't have the comic I was looking for. Then I pretty much just continued wandering around to kill some time, prior to the second show.
'Bummer & Lazarus' (Big Egg Theatre) is a play performed by two actors that finished today at the Greenside @ Infirmary Street - Olive Studio (basically, a venue located within the same site I attended last night). Once again, I enjoyed (endured) the experience of pointlessly queueing (as a rule of thumb arrive just before the performance starts to avoid long queueing times unless you are hoping for a particular seat. Bummer and Lazarus are dogs who are trapped in a strange environment, which doesn't appear to have an exit. In the meantime, whilst they try to find a way out, Bummer explains a myriad of things such as time, causality and the concept of the mind to Lazarus, who has a tendency to forget. As a theatre production, I wasn't really sure who it's aimed at. It's supposed to be for eight year olds up but the philosophical concepts and the nature of the concepts being addressed would be confusing for some children. It's a very wordy piece, with intermittent physical bits that would attract children. Having said that, it continues to resonate with me, so it definitely ticks the boxes for adults. The notion of 'Now being my fault' is a wonderfully succinct lesson that things change from one second to the next.
The third performance of the day was back at the Pleasance Courtyard (Pleasance Beyond this time) for 'The Red Shoes' (Young Pleasance). Now this performance was heaving, a clever update of the Hans Christian Andersen tale tying it in with the rise of Nazism and the 'Final Solution'. Also felt a lot like versions of 'Faust'. Possibly, the most powerful scene of all is the final one depicting a pile of shoes, upon which someone places the eponymous red shoes of the title. The play also made good use of music. I recognised the odd bit of Brecht thrown in for good measure and clocking in at about an hour, it succinctly told the story. I am off to see some comedy tonight.
I had an Indian meal tonight, prior to heading off for the evening festivities. You can always tell when you have eaten in a good restaurant as the menu is lovingly stained.
'Angela Barnes: Rose-Tinted' at the Pleasance Courtyard - Beside (this time in a marquee style venue) was astounding. Angela Barnes' routine offered a partial overview of her life and the changes that she has undergone, performed with a confidence and self-belief that was empowering for everyone. Her resolutely powerful personality shows someone who can see through the crap and dissect what remains. Her joke about the disappearance of the middle classes and how in Guildford there is apparently only six middle class couples left had the audience roaring. Also the temperature in the venue was so hot that she joked that this was a little special something she was giving the audience, a sauna. Her set was definitely one of the best things I have seen on the Fringe so far.
Then later this evening, I saw 'Onstage Dating' at the Underbelly, Cowgate - White Belly (the venue was apparently an archive. Really weird building resembling a castle with odd spiral staircases. The little venues within the main site were equally strange environments. The White Belly was like an air raid shelter) with friends. Two lucky or unlucky people depending upon your perspective ended up on stage with the performer, Bron Batten who initially appeared on stage wearing crazy glasses and a weird hat consisting of lots of lights, as she mimicked a Peacock's fertility dance. All of the male audience members were provided with questionnaires (I am not sure whether any female members of the audience were given questionnaires) and the questions including favourite wine, film and your likelihood to jump off a cliff if she asked you to were apparently based on a psychological study of human coupling.
During the course of this show, not only did I learn that male bees lose their sting and part of their lower abdomen during intercourse but also that the performer definitely has a winning formula for this show but only if the audience members she invites on stage are prepared to engage. I would have probably clammed up like a shell unless encouraged. The guy stripping down to his underwear to match the performer may have been reacting to peer pressure and/or a deep seated need to perform. But the clever thing about this show is the fact that it shows up that dating is a performance art. The best actors are more likely to achieve the best results (whatever they may be).
I really did not like the Underbelly, Cowgate venue. Too many people in random queues and guess what? I am there nearly all day on Monday. Ouch! I just hope the performers are worth it, but I am sure they will be.
Barry Watt - 18th August 2018.
Afterword.
Existentialism is a rather lovely philosophical approach that believes that the individual is responsible for everything that happens to them. Basically, it places the onus of responsibility back on the individual, away from the existence of deities and other cosmic forces. Jean-Paul Sartre is a major name associated with this philosophic approach to life.
Greyfriars Bobby is perhaps the most iconic dog in history. Even after his owner's death, he apparently laid beside his grave.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyfriars_Bobby
Forbidden Planet is a chain of comic shops that also sell lots of other film and TV related merchandise. Regularly disappointing but at least, they exist.
https://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/
Faust is the protagonist of German fable that continues to permeate throughout pretty much every medium that you can think of. Allegedly based on the life of Johan Georg Faust (well, a little bit). Faust makes a deal with the Devil and needless to say, things don't go well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faust
Brecht was mentioned yesterday, so please check the afterword there if you are interested.
Buddha was a sage who has inspired the teachings of Buddhism. There still seems to be a bizarre ritual involving rubbing the belly of ornamental representations of Buddha to encourage good luck.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha
Oh yes, 'Now is my fault' is a line from 'Bummer & Lazarus' so is copyright to the theatre company (Big Egg Theatre) and/or writer(s) that created it
BW.
Photos.
He does you know, but I never met him.
A sense of history.
Weird building.
Church where I saw 'That Bastard Brecht'.
My proverb except I am invariably lost.
The entrance to the Pleasance Courtyard.
I have no idea what the Thermos Museum was. It always made me laugh though.
Apparently, you can 'learn nothing on the Thermos Museum tour', which was apparently a quid, although I never saw the Guide. I was tempted to adopt the mantle of the Thermos Museum Guide.
Poor Greyfriars Bobby with his much abused nose.
BW
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