Brighton Fringe people answer the ThreeWeeks Q&A quick quiz. Today, Gordon Winter, one of the people behind the Official Brighton Fringe Masked Ball, which takes place this Friday (23 May) at the Old Ship Hotel. 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

COMEDY

Yoicks!
Livestock
Delivering the most original and entertaining comedy I have seen so far this festival – The Black Sheep, Wilkie and Walker, Mark Katz and special guests proved a winning combination. There were quite a few comedians represented as different acts performed a series of sketches before an interval when three young award winning comedians performed short stand up sets. I don't like to give away punch-lines so I'll only vaguely allude to some of the sketches; a drunk reviewer (spot on), a country singer with a twist, a glamour model (brilliant), a touching scene between two commuters - I could go on, as there was some really good stuff here. Although some pieces were more successful than others, overall the variety maintained the momentum and the venue was a really good space for this performance.
Hare & Hounds, 17 May, 8:30 pm, £6.00 (£5.00), fringe pp23.
tw rating 4/5
[sla]

Little Howard And The Magic Pencil Of Life And Death
Good Sense of Humour
To someone of my age, parts of the Little Howard experience were not unlike being kidnapped and dropped into the middle of an annoyingly energetic Saturday morning children's TV programme. Nevertheless, this show worked for all ages - Little Howard himself being a cleverly interactive, on-screen computer cartoon, whose relationship with his on-stage creator is humanised, complex and unpredictable. Whilst the show is full of fun and games for the younger spectators - such as the kind of audience participation games which have terrified me ever since I was a kid - there are also plenty of multilayered jokes for the parents and it was often hard to tell who enjoyed themselves the most. In fact, there were several adults present without a child in tow. A charming, clever and innovative hour for all ages.    
Udder Place, 16, 18 May, times vary, £10.00 (£7.00), fringe pp18
tw rating 4/5
[jn] 

Cheeky Devil Late Night Comedy
Cheeky Devil
It seems that the Aussies/Kiwis are better than us Brits at a lot of things: swimming, rugby, cricket, and now, after scrutinizing the Cheeky Devil Late Night Comedy Upstairs At The Three And Ten, it seems they're funnier than us as well. Whilst the British acts attempted to tickle our funny bones with jokes about how drunk they were, and, sadly, child abuse in Jersey, unfortunately they didn't hit the spot. So it was left to the headliner to make the show; the wonderfully witty, yet stone faced Sully O'Sullivan. Commenting on issues ranging from race relations to defecating in ones underwear, Sullivan's material was clever yet childish and she thankfully saved this evening from being a simply dire night of comedy.
Upstairs at Three and Ten, 3, 10, 17, 24 May, 10:30pm, fringe pp16
Tw rating 3/5
[sfw]

Carl Donnelly vs John Robins vs Predator
Brett Vincent for Underbelly Promotions
Two comedians back to back with different approaches to standup entertained us with a mixture of stories, anecdotes, jokes and light banter (Predator being just a mask worn by Donnelly to introduce Robins on stage, and not to be seen again). Robins' set was based around the naivety of sexual relationships when we are young and carried the crowd along with him as he brought characters to life with all their idiosyncrasies. His banter with the audience was lighthearted and he seemed to appeal in particular to younger audience members. Donnelly began with some controversial material, which divided the audience a little. He is very good at picking out the absurd and unusual from everyday situations and also made some really good analogies that I haven't heard before, giving him an original edge. Both comedians know what they are doing and can only keep on improving their material.
Udder Place, 16 May, 8:15pm – 9:15pm, £12.00 (£10.00), fringe pp16.
tw rating 3/5
[sla]

Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre
Socks, good at keeping your feet warm and useful for unplanned onanism, but can they cut it in cut-throat world of comedy? The songs, one sock on a sweet wee guitar, are puerile yet inspired. 'I Am Sock' going through every rhyme for sock was a perfect opener, while their version of 'Happiness' (a-penis) had me in stitches. The speedy delivery and clever wordplay of the sketches is to be admired, but it smacked of a routine that had become too routine, belted out at slightly too fast a pace. The novelty of two singing socks doesn't last forever and with the material starting to wear thin, it may be time for them to return to warming feet and soaking up semen.
The Komedia Studio, 8 May, 9:30pm, £6.00 (£5.00), fringe pp 20.
tw rating 3/5
[se]

Ladma vs The World
Ladma
When you go to a comedy sketch show and you don't laugh, that's not a good sign. In fact not many people laughed at all, apart from two blokes who did seem to find it all very amusing.  For me, Ladma's sense of humour could be summed up as infantile, silly and slightly obscene. On the positive side, the trio worked well together complementing each other's stage personas and the piece was well rehearsed - so it wasn't all bad. The most successful part for me was the song they sang as their finale, and you could see where they were trying to go, but they really need to work on their material to make it stronger. They have created a good brand but just haven't cracked the delivery yet.
Upstairs at Three and Ten, 13, 20 May, 10:00pm, £7.00 (£5.00), Fringe pp18.
tw rating 2/5
[sla]

Stephen Grant – Second
Tech-savvy stand-up for the twenty-first century, with a computer as one of the two warm-up acts, a nice conceit but I warmed more to the human charms of Mr Fabbri. Though it was Grant we were here to see, of course, a man seemingly used to coming second, the silver lining of which is that it provides plenty of stories for this show, from school days to missing the boat on 'The Office' and 'Top Gear'. The tech-savvy theme continues as the nerd comes out to play, with some sharp PhotoShop and chatting up Ikea's automated Anna. By no means a meek geek, Grant's routine descends into the depths of coming second in love, with great passion in the finally motivating speech about what's wrong with being a winner and perfection. Grant deserves greater recognition, though that would undermine his superb dissection of what it is to be a loser. 
Komedia, 14 May, 8:00pm, £14.00 (£12.00), fringe pp 21.
tw rating 4/5
[se]

DANCE & PHYSICAL THEATRE

HaHa
Laurie Booth
It's official - size does matter. Well, in terms of performance lengths at least, and 'HaHa' lasted far longer than it should; ten minutes may have been powerful, fifty minutes equalled painful. Set to a clichéd soundtrack, all heartbeats and slamming doors, choreographer Laurie Booth moved silently about the space. Interesting moments, like when Booth sort-of climbed the wall, were overshadowed by the overall repetitiveness of the piece which consisted of lots of walking and spinning around, neither of which are specialist skills, and which quickly became tedious. Interruptions caused by Booth adjusting the lights or computer made it even harder to stay absorbed. It wasn't that 'HaHa' was too 'out there', I just felt as if I had seen it all before, causing the repetition and prolonged length to seem self-indulgent.
Brighton Natural Health Centre, 17 May, 9:00pm, £8.00 (£6.00), fringe pp24.
tw rating 2/5
[jh]

MUSIC

The Sputnik II Memorial Session
Spacedog UK
Rich in significance, weirdly other worldly, and inspired by UFOs and space odysseys, Sarah Ingliss, the thereminist (I'll come back to that), performed barefoot, which I'm beginning to think is a signifier for musical brilliance. The band played a mixture of well known songs, like John Barry's 'Diamonds Are Forever' and Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love', and their own compositions to a backdrop of repetitive visual images projected on to a wall. Jenny Ingliss sang to the accompaniment of guitar by Ben Kypreos and Mike Blow and the eerie sounds produced by the aformentioned theremin, which is played without being touched. Two antennas protrude from it controlling pitch and volume, requiring precision and perfect pitch. After the interlude a wired up plastic baby (Clara) on a stand with a wire taped to its arm mechanically played the theremin while Sarah rang hand bells with a guest performer. Sarah is a technical magician and I get the impression the more you dig music the more you'll dig this collective. 
Cella @ Sanctuary Cafe, 14 May, 8:00pm, £6.00 (£5.00), fringe pp39.
tw rating 4/5
[sla]

In Bob We Trust
The band for tonight's celebration of Dylan, a seven piece in total, assume various permutations to suit a collection of his work. The night's successes come with the smaller ensembles, the best rendition is a simple, true version of 'Idiot Wind'. Unfortunately the band come a little unstuck en masse. Some songs, 'Visions Of Johanna' included, are done justice, but great numbers like 'Tom Thumb's Blues' are poorly arranged and left flat. Some, in-between, make off wounded, but others suffer more at the hands of very loose musicianship. Some are murdered, and have their graves stood over to be sure that they're dead (although 'Masters Of War' actually conjures the spirit lacking elsewhere). Fun for the unfamiliar perhaps, but probably a disappointment for fans.
Komedia, 15 May, 8:00pm, £10.00 (£8.00), fringe pp34
tw rating 2/5
[jg]

The Hat
Technically this is The Hat's gig but it turns out to be a double-header, for The Noisettes earn more than a passing mention. They've a pocket dynamo of a frontwoman, a very expressive drummer at the heart of the operation and a bold, totally eclectic brand of art-rock. On to The Hat. These four raconteurs mix storytelling (of the surreal, fairytale variety) with alternative hip-hop. Frontman Dan Clark won't be able to avoid comparisons to DLS & Scroobius Pip, but The Hat can stand apart for producing a unique show closer to the total-art variety, blending comedy, spoken-word, music and more. If what you're missing is a 'sex ballad, in the soul style, about old people', then you should have been here tonight. Great fun.
Komedia, 14 May, 8:00pm, £9.00 (£7.00), fringe pp36
tw rating 4/5
[jg]

Forbidden Love – A Curious Tale
Sytse Buwalda + Pablo Escande
Most immediately apparent when entering the Unitarian church is the contrast between the carnivalesque atmosphere of the Fringe outside, and the calm serenity within, pierced by Sytse Buwalda's ethereal countertenor pierces. He effortlessly carries the audience through a myriad of emotions, powerfully presenting the diverse nature of love, from the heady joys through forbidden passion to solemn regrets. Escande's musical arrangement beautifully augments the haunting experience, particularly on their performance of Caccini, an obvious highlight for much of the audience. Buwalda's voice occasionally gives a slight impression of falsetto, yet it is no major drawback, ultimately making 'Forbidden Love' an atypical festival experience; but one that should be experienced at least once.
Brighton Unitarian Church, 13 May 9pm, 15 May 1pm, £10.00 (£8.00), fringe pp34.
tw rating 4/5
[sb]

Ida Maria
The Great Escape
'Oh my God! I think I'm in control!' screamed Ida Maria as she left the stage. I don't know about that, but she does give an amazing, if slightly insane, live performance. Although Ida confessed that the months of touring had taken its toll, the fusion of grungy Carl Barat style riffs and a siren-like voice, coupled with infectious melodies and catchy hooks made for a winning formula. Ida is a true 'frontperson', commanding a stage presence that seems a rarity in a music industry now dominated by bright colours and the 'next big thing'. From Thursday's performance, it would be safe to assume that Ida Maria definitely have a triumphant 2008 ahead of them.
Audio (Downstairs), 15 May, 7:30pm
tw rating  4/5
[sfw]

Laura Marling
The Great Escape
Too shy for the expectant crowd, Laura Marling takes to the stage and, with the briefest of introductions, begins 'Shine'. Total silence descends over the Sallis Benney Theatre, broken only by her tremendous voice. Diminutive and beautiful, she is a captivating performer. Her band provides a rich texture and demonstrates a command of traditional folk arrangements beyond its members' years. Special mention must be made of the ever present Marcus Mumford for economical and totally complementary percussion. The most impressive dynamics come from tonight's crowd though; hushed awe gives way to raucous, resounding approval as final cadences are sensed. However embarrassed she is at the prospect, the crowd clamour for an encore and traditional folk ballad 'Alas I Cannot Swim' closes the show perfectly.
Sallis Benney, 10:15pm (10:45pm), The Great Escape pp. 42
Tw rating 4/5
[jg]

Nathan 'Flutebox' Lee and Friends
The Great Escape
If there's a market for beatboxers, and there's a market for flautists, then there will certainly be a market for up-and-coming beatboxing flautist and internet sensation, Nathan 'Flutebox' Lee.
It may seem like a gimmick to some, perhaps akin to other YouTube musical oddities, but the show Lee put on Thursday night at Pressure Point did not bore. Playing what seemed to be turntables thrown into the middle of an Arabic or Saharan desert jam, or at other times a somehow quasi-medieval hip-hop tromp, Lee showed off his talents. His guests included a fellow beatboxing prodigy, an Indian percussionist, a classical guitarist and a freestyle rapper, all of whom gave Lee's music very unique twists. Gimmick or no gimmick, it works.
Pressure Point, 15 May, 12:45am (1:30am)
tw rating 4/5
[cp]

THEATRE & MUSICALS

007 – My Other Life
Second Impression Theatre Co.
Ever wondered what the movie 'Carry On...James Bond!' would look like? No? Neither had I, but this lot have. David Weedall's production portrays the fantasies of “below average Jim” Jimmy Rond, whose belief that he is a secret MI6 agent leads him into a world of women, weapons, and bald-headed enemies. The acting talents of the cast are a little lost on the sexual innuendos and obvious jokes, and with the opportunity for young, pretty girls to strip down to bikinis not being missed, the show is more holiday camp humour than 'Dr. No', however it still makes harmless and silly viewing pleasure.
Friends' Meeting House, 13 – 16 May, 9:00 pm, £7.00 (£6.00) fringe pp40.
tw rating 3/5
[ap]

Life and Death of Van Gogh
Cracked Actor Productions
Against a background of video projection and sound effects, Marcus Dilly constructs a sort of lifetime monologue, attempting to tell the tragic story of Dutch painter Van Gogh. Van Gogh's life was, according to the play's blurb, an incessant struggle. Unfortunately for Dilly his play has something of the incessant struggle about it too. He makes the most of the confined space, and in places the video helps to overcome some of the limited setting options, but the sound effects are largely ill-conceived and clumsily intrude on the performance. Whilst it offers some limited insight into the artist's struggle to hone his style, overall, the theatrical elements of this work come to feel very superfluous. It would make more sense as a lecture.
Upstairs at the Three and Ten, 15-17 May, 6:45pm, £8.00 (£6.00), fringe pp42
tw rating 2/5
[jg]

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].

ThreeWeeks is the flagship media at the Edinburgh and Brighton Festivals. Its mission is to provide as comprehensive coverage as is humanly possible of both these festivals, in particular reviewing those shows not getting media coverage elsewhere.

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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