Brighton Fringe people answer the ThreeWeeks Q&A quick quiz. Today, one from the Artists Open Houses programme - hurrah. Though this is actually an open church. Oh yes, one of the artists behind the MASS exhibition, Shardcore, answers the Qs. Plug your show in the eDaily by simply sending in your answers to these five questions (plus a photo and listings info) to quickquiz@threeweeks.co.uk

The latest Brighton Festival and Fringe reviews from Team ThreeWeeks. Look out for more ThreeWeeks reviews here in the eDaily and every morning in The Argus each day in May. Hurrah.

A Guide To ThreeWeeks Ratings:
1/5 - somewhere around about God-darn awful, though possibly it's so bad it's good.
2/5 - just not any good really, sorry.
3/5 - good for what it is - if you like this genre, probably worth a try
4/5 - now, this is what we are talking about, a fine example of this genre
5/5 - oh Lord, so damn good, whatever the genre, go see this show if you can

CHILDREN'S SHOWS

Suitcase Circus
Olypuppet
A load of rubbish was transformed into wacky little puppets that the creepy ringmaster manipulated to dance and sing around the stage. Singing kettles aren't quite my cup of tea, but this was a case of suiting the little people, who by their smiles and high spirits were clearly entertained. Immature attention spans were held with audience interaction – a hypnotist snake tried to hypnotise one little girl – and the kids showed their appreciation by whooping and running amok around the venue. I may not have been won over, but at the end of the show the kids were all still eager for more, crowding on to the stage to meet the ringmaster like the sort of fans most performers would kill for.
Udder Place, 10-11 May, 2:00pm, £10.00 (£7.00), fringe pp29.
tw rating 3/5
[se]

Flamenco Con Fusion
Ricardo Garcia's Flamenco Flow
Very good, or more appropriately, 'muy bueno'! Flamenco Con Fusion succeeded in bringing first-class Flamenco to the Fringe, causing sunny old Brighton to feel thoroughly Spanish. Hugely accomplished, Ricardo Garcia's command of the acoustic guitar was mesmerising, treating us to compositions of great depth that would suddenly speed up or slow down, encouraging the mind to soar. Accompanying Garcia were a traditional Flamenco dancer and a more contemporary Breakdancer, both of whom had fluidity and precision to their movements and whose 'dance-off', where they attempted to prove the superiority of their particular style, was captivating, especially for the younger audience members who flocked to the front of the stage.  Just under an hour, the show was perfectly timed to keep all ages entertained.
Udder Place, 3, 4, 11 May, 4:00pm, £10.00 (£7.00), fringe pp28.
tw rating 4/5
[jh]

COMEDY

Brighton and Sussex Medical School Revue
BSMS Theatre Company
Bringing deadpan and bedpans to the stage, BSMS's show takes the traditional comedy revue and injects it with current and intelligent humour. While the frequent in jokes may please the students in the audience the most, the pacy delivery undercuts any smugness. These docs work hard for their laughs with snappy sketches, video clips and cabaret song numbers taking on the highs, lows and stereotypes of being a medical student. The cast are exceptionally strong and are not afraid of taking on the NHS, the local hospital or even a superbug in their sketches. The Take That surgical finale almost had my sides splitting in laughter - just don't let any of these lot near me to do the stitches.
Sallis Benney Theatre, 13 May, 8:00pm, £6.00 (£5.00), fringe pp16.
tw rating 4/5
[lo]

The Treason Show
This Brighton based foursome are so up to date on current affairs, you wonder if they do anything but read the news and make up jokes. Brilliantly clever sketches on popular and political affairs, each short enough to keep you wanting the next. The show caters to anybody who's opened a newspaper/Heat magazine in the past year. Trigger happy George Bush, alcoholic Amy and bumbling Boris are all strung together with re-invented and well sung satirical pop songs - this show doesn't miss a beat. Amusing, silly and not to be missed, make sure you check out the troupe's June performances.
Komedia, 9-10 May, 8:30 pm, £12.50 (£10.50), Fringe pp21.
tw rating 4/5
[ap]

Natalie Haynes
There are, as Natalie Haynes is quick to point out, not all that many people seated in the big blow-up tent that is the Udder Place, and half of those are her friends. On top of that, the massive air-pump that holds the whole venue in place threatens to drown out most audience responses. Natalie, however, seems happy to use potential drawbacks to her advantage. Within seconds of her appearance she has created a comfortable, interactive atmosphere which is just perfect for her speedy and articulately clever comedy. Her jokes are twisted, cruel and not afraid to offend, yet somehow this results in a distinctly warm, feel-good evening. I suspect that might reveal as much about me as it does about her.
Udder Place, 12 May, 8:15pm, £12.00 (£10.00), fringe pp19.
tw rating 4/5
[jn]

MUSIC

Pet Sounds V Sgt Pepper
Brighton Beach Boys/Psychedelic Love Orchestra
The award winning Brighton Beach Boys return to perform two of the finer albums of the sixties, no mean feat considering the Beatles didn't even attempt it themselves! 'Pet Sounds' is their first target, and they play it well, augmented fantastically by the psychedelic orchestration. However it is obvious from the audience reaction that they are here to see 'Sgt Peppers' performed live and, despite minor feedback issues, they get what they want. With an excellent McCartney sound-a-like, and eccentric percussionist Theseus keeping everyone entertained with his antics, all eyes are on the stage. With twice the songs, half the price, and with almost as many original band members as the touring Beach Boys, any fan of sixties pop would be foolish to miss them, if they have the opportunity!
St George's Church, 9, 10 May 8:00pm, £15 (£12), fringe pp36.
tw rating 4/5
[sb]

Los Albertos
Hungry for a party? Look no further than the scrumptious Los Albertos, a six-piece ska sensation who will more than satisfy your appetite with foot-stomping, feel-good sounds; think Madness, the Clash and Santana. Two saxophones, a trumpet, guitar, drums, bass, cheeky lyrics and more energy than an Olympic sprint team kept the jam-packed Spiegeltent crowd dancing. Sprightly beat-tastic songs, sung by the entire band, told hilarious tales of festival fields, drunken adventures and affairs of the heart; Los Albertos have a wicked sense of fun and can be very tongue-in-cheek. Perfectly suited to the quirky venue, this was a superb show by a local band that effortlessly represent this city's bohemian vibe; why the sizzling hot Los Albertos are currently so in demand was crystal clear.
The Parlure Spiegeltent, 11 May, 10:00pm, £8.00 (£6.00), fringe pp35.
tw rating 5/5
[jh]

Talkestra Plays New Music Brighton
New Music Brighton
Doubly different from the usual music concert, not only do the musicians discuss the pieces before playing them, but the composers are sat in the audience – alive, without the need for exhumation. Clarinetist Steve Dummer gives a down-to-earth analysis of each piece complete with short snippets that give you an understanding and a taste for what is to come. It's very welcome, as knowing the inspirations and devices of these imaginative modern composers adds immensely to the appreciation of their music. It begins with the beating pulse of the beginning of time and ends with a piano quintet involving wind instruments playing into the piano and a new fourth movement that moves all along the keyboard. Five musicians, five composers, fantastic musical diversity and innovation.
Friends' Meeting House, 12 May, 8:00pm, £9.00 (£5.00), fringe pp36.
tw rating 4/5
[se]

Naked Voices Go West
Naked Voices
Certainly not the youngest or most modern of shows at this year's Fringe, 'Naked Voices Go
West', one must be advised, is for a niche a-cappella audience. Two sets of classic English pieces and hits from the sixties and seventies might not please everyone, but I can see that for an audience already receptive to these styles, Naked Voices probably provide a charming and delightful evening. The show was not enormously creative, and no one performer could be called an extraordinary talent, but the performance was, nevertheless, intimate and friendly. The westward-themed musical voyage sang its way across the ocean, but personally I'd have preferred it if they'd sung across a few more octaves too. But if you take The Naked Voices for what they are, and like what they are, you should enjoy.
The Brunswick, 12 May, 8:00pm, £7.00 (£5.00), festival pp35.
tw rating 3/5
[cp]

PHYSICAL THEATRE

Field Work
Katie Ethridge
This must be clear: 'Field Work' was a walking tour, and a walking tour of an area not larger than a handful of streets – the North Laine. Perhaps, if the audience were willing to pay over a fiver for the show, they knew what they were in for. But perhaps not - sipping shots of cider in someone's yard or holding a polaroid of a chicken against the backdrop of local graffiti wasn't quite what I thought I was in for. Nevertheless, while one might have to be extremely bored to truly desire this adventure, it is difficult not to smile once you're on it. Katie Ethridge, the tour guide, is really the 'show', and her charmingly quirky personality turns pleasant an otherwise pointless walk.
Meet: Outside the Theatre Royal, 11 - 13 May, times vary, £6.00, festival pp24.
tw rating 3/5
[cp]

Bacchic
Actors of Dionysus
With the help of only a rope and some serious talent, Tamsin Shasha, the show's solo performer, makes an old Euripides classic seem like a very modern tale. The play takes the themes of 'The Bacchae' and catapults them into the world of today's mass-media and celebrity culture, as a self-help type guru claims to be the son of Dionysus and meets the criticism of a respected academic with violent consequences. Despite an interesting update, however, it is the physical performance which is the most mesmerising. As Shasha effortlessly and convincingly changes between characters, the rope - on which most of the action is performed - also transforms itself into various props. Her skilful and impressive climbing manoeuvres kept me intrigued.
Komedia, 11 May, 8:00pm, £10.00 (£8.00), fringe pp24.
tw rating 4/5
[jn] 

The Idiot Colony
RedCape
The mind is revealed through the body in this real life account of events in a mental asylum told through a physical performance. Three women in white expose the dark world of twentieth century hospitals that were used to confine women who were considered an embarrassment to their families. The performances are beautiful and touching, subtle against the stark set and shocking events that are played out on the black and white stage. One woman's relationship with a black GI is recounted, through playfulness at the picture house to a sensual dance. She is subsequently committed, and the scene of her 'treatment' at the end of the play is not for the faint-hearted. Mind-blowing theatre that tackles the appalling nature of long-buried events.
Komedia, 11 May, 5:30pm, £10.00 (£8.00), fringe pp25.
tw rating 5/5
[se]

The Cows Come Home
Zeb Fontain
Where is it written that physical theatre must start at a snail's pace? This performance takes 20 minutes before it is dragged kicking and screaming – quite literally given its themes of birth and death – into life. Once there, this depiction of a crippled farmer in the American deep south reminiscing about his failure herding diseased livestock is highly engaging. The cast's enactment of the herd is affecting and disturbing in equal measure, stirring memories of recent agricultural disasters such as the UK's foot and mouth crisis. The agonising life cycle of the livestock is portrayed with a simultaneous fluidity that is mesmerising and climaxes in an extreme death dance between animals both human and bovine that is well worth your patience.
Udder Place, 12,13 May, 6:15pm, £12.00 (£10.00), festival pp25.
tw rating 3/5
[lo]

THEATRE & MUSICALS

My Brother's Keeper
Apikoros
Outside the bombs are falling, but indoors the last two Jews of Afghanistan are fighting a different kind of battle. The play, based on a true story, bizarrely, follows two brothers - one of whom is the self proclaimed rabbi of the country's last standing synagogue, and the other, an independent carpet salesman obsessed with the virtues of industry - on their mutually intolerant path to self-destruction. Full of hatred for each other, the characters' irrational behaviour ensures that it is not the Taliban, but themselves who are their own worst enemies. Gently humorous yet darkly disturbing, this play stands as a rather surreal testament to how personal differences and long held grudges can overshadow even the most monumental global conflict.
Upstairs at Three and Ten, 13 – 17 May, 8:30pm, £8.00 (£6.00), fringe pp42.
tw rating 3/5
[jn] 

Catchy! The Great Plague Musical
Total Beast Theatre Company
Swiftly allaying any fears that the only notable thing about this production would be its moniker, 'Catchy!' kicked off to a strong start with a surprisingly rousing number about death. Set in Plague-ridden London, this well-paced musical tells the story of Tom and Beth, madly in love but facing challenges due to opposing backgrounds, he a lowly body collector and she the Mayor's daughter. Star-crossed lovers form the basis of many a show but thankfully a laugh-a-minute script, chockablock with innuendo and unforgettable song lyrics - including "Don't be sad, necrophilia's not so bad" - as well as a solid cast, particularly Graham Morris-Almond, wonderful as the ridiculous Samuel Pepys, work to steer this one away from monotony.  Ensure that you 'catchy' (sorry, couldn't resist) this gem of a performance if you can!
Brighthelm Church and Community Centre, 13 – 17 May, 7:30pm, £8.00 (£6.00), fringe pp40.
tw rating 4/5
[jh]

ThreeWeeks Reviewers Guide...
Sarah Agnew [sla], Steve Bromley [sb], Kate Charles [kc], Seth Ewin [se], Sean Farrance-White [sfw], Joel Gunter [jg], Jess Hookway [jh], Jessica Nero [jn], Laura Oliver [lo], Clearhos Papanicolaou [cp], Anna Pearce [ap], Richard Tatnall [rt].

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We launched ThreeWeeks in Edinburgh in 1996 because at that time the Edinburgh Festival was growingly hugely each year, but at the same time media coverage was, if anything, decreasing. That meant that many strands at the Festival - and especially the new, alternative and grassroots performers and companies which, as far as we could see, were what made the Edinburgh Festival so exciting in the first place - were not getting the coverage they deserved. From year one ThreeWeeks aimed to cover as many aspects of the Festival as possible, from the big names at the big venues through to the real grass roots shows not covered elsewhere. Over a decade later we continue to operate to that ethos, getting even closer to achieving it by reviewing over 1500 shows each Edinburgh Festival - nearly all of them - and hundreds more than our closest competitors.

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