I’m not at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, but a few shows have caught my eye, and at least two will be reviewed on here when they hit London later in 2019.
All About Alice
First up, though, is a fascinating-sounding show I will unfortunately miss from a visiting New York company.
Are You Alice: A New Wonderland Tale from the Permafrost Theatre Collective in collaboration with Chameleon Fools Theatre Troupe and C Venues is a multidisciplinary retelling of the classic Lewis Carroll novels – the twist is that every member of the seven person all-female/non-cis cast plays Alice at one point or another. Adding to and repurposing Carroll’s original text, the show utilises music, dance, puppetry and more, presenting a modern Alice for the 21st century audience.
This Alice asks questions of identity, womanhood, and self-acceptance in a world which constantly redraws the lines and rewrites the rules. Iconic images from Carroll’s universe such as the Jabberwock, the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, and the Queen of Hearts come to life in this show which is suitable for all the family to see.
Are You Alice runs at C Venues – Viva Cellar at 2.30pm every day from 14-26 August. It is directed by Permafrost founder Christina Rose Ashby, and the company comprises Marth Brown, Amelia Cain, Jo Cutrona. Shelley Franklin, Kayla Prestel, Samantha E Turlington, and Charlotte Vaughn Raines. The music is composed, arranged and performed by Thomas Burns Scully.
Shows moving into London in 2019
Moving on to shows I will be seeing in London – the first is Tokyo Rose (from Burnt Lemon Theatre / Untapped by Underbelly and New Diorama). Running for just an hour, we’re back in 1949 where five female wartime DJs perform a “rap-packed musical broadcast”. Iva d’Aquino stands accused of treason in one of the most controversial trials in American history. Faced with accusations of peddling Axis propaganda, Iva becomes known as the notorious Tokyo Rose – but was she the villain she was made out to be?
Tokyo Rose is in Edinburgh at Underbelly – Cowgate at 6.55pm from 7-11 August, and 13-25 August. It runs at the New Diorama Theatre in London from 8-12 October.
The second show I will be catching when it comes down to London is Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer. Gadd has previously performed Monkey See, Monkey Do, a dark and powerful comedy piece, but this is his first foray into theatre, again as a solo performer.
This promises to be a chilling story about obsession, delusion and the terrifying ramifications of a fleeting mistake, directed by Olivier Award winner Jon Brittain and produced by 2018’s double Fringe First-winning Francesca Moody Productions.
Baby Reindeer runs in Edinburgh at the Roundabout @ Summerhall from 7-25 August, and runs for 1 hour 5 minutes. It comes into London at the Bush Theatre from 9 October – 9 November.