One final batch of reviews from Team ThreeWeeks for Brighton Festival 2008.

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

Growing Up Games
Jude Simpson
Slightly batty Jude Simpson is like a jolly primary school teacher, always ready with a guitar and ever-cheery smile. It is a very warm performance, as audience suggestions allow for some cheerful banter with the crowd. The poetry is lively and informal, with Jude stopping mid verse to add some extra detail about her material, which ranges from poems poking fun at posh mums to a song including a homage to a fat woman on a bicycle. The songs and poems are lovingly crafted and performed in laidback but still energetic style; it is feel-good if not laugh-out-loud funny. It is difficult not to like Jude, but I did feel a bit like I was back at school being entertained by a teacher who was just a bit too nice.
Komedia Studio, 25 - 26 May, times vary, £7.00 (£5.00), fringe pp17.
tw rating 3/5
[se]

GSOH - Mark Allen
Good Sense of Humour/ Otherplace Productions
If you think Mark Allen's cute, just wait till you see him in his costume at the Fuzzies' convention. Like the work of Mark Thomas, this is comedy on a mission, only more of a pet project than an attempt to bring down the government. Mixing anecdotes of his alarming animal encounters with the even more macabre tale of infiltrating a group whose antics are a hair's breadth away from bestiality, Allen's perspective makes you realise just how bizarre our relationship with animals often is. This young puppy of a show is a little fuzzy around the edges, but beasting ahead of most comics warming up in Brighton for the 'Burgh. Every dog has his day and it looks like it could be Allen's turn.
Upstairs at Three And Ten, 23 May, 10:00pm (11:00pm), £7.00 (£5.00), fringe pp17.
tw rating 4/5
[se]

Jonathan Mayor - Drugs And Bumming
Brett Vincent for Underbelly Promotions
Jonathan Mayor appeared to bum a 'fag gag' from fellow gay stand-up Scott Capurro, although maybe it's just a fantasy of all homosexual comedians to have a clitoris in their ear. The just legal boy in the audience was fortunate to get off with some playful banter from Mayor, it could have got messy had it actually been Capurro. A talented MC who can work an audience well, Mayor struggles with the more ambitious hour-long slot. He needs to take more risks, not just stick to the easy territory of his race and sexuality. This show has a long way to go, but the jolly queen has a charm and great stage presence that should be able to pull it off.
Udder Place, 25 May, 8:15pm (9:15pm), £12.00 (£10.00), fringe pp18.
tw rating 3/5
[se]

The Ornate Johnsons
Strawberry Productions/Show & Tell
Variety was certainly the theme of this sketch show both in the performers' talent and the content and quality of sketch. As with many sketch shows, the best material all came in the opening two minutes and considering that in these two minutes I was only able to manage a smirk, the remaining show left much to be desired in the way of comedy value. There were glimpses of comedy potential in the singer impersonations and the appearance of Tarzan's right testicle, but these glimpses were too few and far between for the show to be consistently funny. It was disappointing that only two out of the five performers displayed any real comedic talent, and as a result the crude attempts to earn a laugh frequently fell on an unimpressed and cringing audience.
Udder Place, 24, 26 May, times vary, £12.00 (£10.00).
tw rating 2/5
[rt]

Greedy
Unrestricted View
Sometimes it is truly mind-boggling how a group of people can clearly put so much time and effort into something (as the cast of 'Greedy' clearly had) and produce such poor quality work. Ranging from simply unfunny sketches about dating and Tyrannosaurus Rexes, to the downright offensive, they managed to offend, yet leave the funny bone totally untouched. The only possible redeeming feature here is that it only lasted forty five minutes, and that we were not subjected to the unfunny comedy for much longer. Definitely a show for those with the more masochistic tendencies.
Udder Place, 24 May, 6:15pm, £12.00 (£10.00) fringe pp17
tw rating 1/5
[sfw]

Pete Firman
Objective Talent Management
Take a hyperactive kid, give him a Paul Daniels magic set and a few litres of Sunny-D, and the result would probably be pretty close to Pete Firman, although probably without quite so much sexual innuendo. With the grin of a madman and the sense of humour of a naughty schoolboy he prances about the stage, though beneath the child there does lurk a surprisingly accomplished magician. The magic act gone wrong is a comic device that may have bored the dinosaurs to extinction, but with childish hyper-energy and adult humour Firman has a good stab at resurrecting it. Many women get invited on stage, however, the inner adolescent foils the adult's attempt to flirt by the use of maggots, masturbation gags and trouser-dropping.
Udder Place, 24 May, 8:15pm, £12.00 (£10.00), fringe pp19.
tw rating 3/5
[se]

Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf
James Seabright
By the end of the show Toby Hadoke had me in tears, I don't know whether it was nostalgia or his touching ending or just the fact this was the end of the Fringe. I must confess to fellow Whovian tendencies - although my knowledge is a mere Kaled to his Dalek army - but you don't have to be a total geek to get the humour, it just helps. The evening's real theme isn't Doctor Who, it's Hadoke, his life and the trials of geekdom. It's a very lovable act, of course, Tardis-full of in-jokes, but what else would you expect from that title? The sweet story on which he finished allowed me to finish my Fringe with a happiness patrol of tears trickling down my face.
Udderbelly, 26 May, 5:00pm, £13.00 (£11.00), fringe pp19.
tw rating 4/5
[se]

DANCE AND PHYSICAL THEATRE

The Diminishing Present
Bgroup
Commendable artistic diversity was covered in this triple-bill of choreographer Ben Wright's work. The opening piece, 'Thought Latching To Thought And Pulling' saw the audience enter the space through a cloud of smoke, and the feeling of enchantment that it provoked continued as the piece was performed flowingly by four dancers to the sounds of flutes. The middle work, 'Passing Strange And Wonderful' was a two-man piece danced in total silence to intimate and powerful effect. After a false start involving a faulty CD, the third act presented something quite different. Consisting of fifteen short numbers - where the breaks were unnecessarily highlighted by the dancers holding up numbered signs - the choreography was more street orientated and came with a sometimes bewildering, humorous twist. All in all, an impressive show.
The Nightingale Theatre, 24 - 26 May, 7:30, £12.00 (£10.00), fringe pp25.
tw rating 4/5
[jn]

How Do You Spell It?
Menage and The Hamilton Yarns
For a show which was only half an hour long, 'How Do You Spell It?' touched upon some weighty issues. Through a mix of physical theatre and dance, dreams and nightmares merged into a fascinating and intense meditation on both physical and linguistic dislocation. A choreography of almost marionette-like movements fitted the slightly uneasy mood perfectly and with the limited dialogue taking place not only in English, but also in French and Portuguese, the audience gained a heightened understanding of the alienation experienced by the characters as they tried to settle into their new surroundings. Accompanied by a live and suitably eerie soundscape by The Hamilton Yarns, this performance was multi-layered, thoughtful and deeply atmospheric. One of the festival's little gems.
West Hill Community Hall, 25 May, times vary, £4.00 (£3.00), fringe pp24.
tw rating 4/5
[jn]

Glow
Chunky Move
A new genre, really, that we will undoubtedly see more of - a female form contorts across a background of lights that follow the rhythms of her shape. The manifestation of this art form which connects movement with light and sound felt like a sci-fi re-birthing experience, which evolved into a horror story where shadows engulfed the human form. Visually it reminded me of a something like a Daft Punk music video, with a musical soundtrack that sounded like industrial techno. There are so many places you can take this dance /sound / light installation, it's ground-breaking stuff and a worthy addition to the Festival.
Fabrica, 25 May, times vary, £14.00, festival pp11.
tw rating 4/5
[sla]

EXHIBITS

Pin Ups!
Ben R Thomas
Doing for drawing pins what Warhol did for Campbell's soup, Ben R Thomas has successfully employed an everyday object to produce art that is as powerful as it is playful. Seven pieces form this exhibit; some brilliantly colourful, kaleidoscopic patterns and others more subdued, consisting solely of silver and gold pins. It is the metallic latter that captured my heart, the way that Thomas has angled and layered the pins is sublime, crafting landscapes so textured and intricate that an overall feeling of luxury is born. Inspired by Bowie and Numan, this is quirky pop art at its best.
More, 3 - 26 May, times vary, free, fringe pp67.
tw rating 4/5
[jh]

Os Loitadores (The Wrestlers)
Redroaster Coffee Company
Walking into the Redroaster Coffee House might be a little frightening for young children or impressionable adults wanting only hot chocolate or coffee and nothing more - unbeknownst to them, they are walking into an art exhibition. Not to be confused with a stunt to compete with Starbucks, the dozens of masks painted onto coffee sacks hanging from the ceiling are more than just décor - they are the work of Jim Sanders. Powerfully enigmatic, the artwork stares at costumers as they enter the premises, possibly leaving the university student having a coffee with friends or the businessman on his break confused. But only a little. The message of the art is hidden by the fact that it can be overlooked as easily as wallpaper.
Redroaster Coffee House, 9 - 29 May, times vary, free,
tw rating 3/5
[cp]

FILM

Final Cut - Last-night screening party
Final Cut
A selection of short films ranging from one minute to fourteen in length were screened in three sections and proved to be a really interesting evening's entertainment. Shorts are like poetry, because of their very nature - in being short, they are also very rich. The only reason I mention this is because being bombarded by a series of unique stories and styles, it's easy to become overloaded with images and concepts to digest. There were a lot of highlights, but I think my favourite was 'Black or White?', which was cleverly edited and well conceived. The finale was the screening of a short which had been made throughout the evening with members of the audience participating, which was also very good and loads of fun. The Final Cut team run a monthly night at Komedia throughout the year, definitely worth checking out.
City Gate Centre, 23 May 7.30pm, £5.00, fringe pp27
tw rating 4/5
[sla]

LITERARY

Two Cures For Love
Wendy Cope
With literary aplomb and humour, the grande dame of the poetry world Wendy Cope effortlessly commanded the room's attention, beginning with recitation of selected poems that demonstrated her versatility. The audience laughed along with her as she adroitly expressed her irreverent take on a variety of subjects. In 'Two Cures for Love' she offered very sensible advice - 1 Don't see him. Don't phone or write a letter. 2 The easy way: get to know him better. In 'Flowers' she describes a moment so real and so touching, there just aren't words for it here. Cope has a light hearted approach to life that is a joy to listen to, and an exuberance at once infectious and endearing. It was also cheering to see such a cross-section of ages at the event, a testament to her enduring appeal.
Corn Exchange, 24 May, 3:00pm, £7.50, festival pp36.
tw rating 5/5
[sla]

Gore Vidal In Conversation With Andrew Marr
Brighton Festival
Gore Vidal is, physically, a fairly diminutive man who sits, slightly hunched, his fingers resting on the top of his cane; while Andrew Marr's long limbs sprawl elegantly and his hands gesture precisely. Yet both possess a gravitas and charisma of voice, a conviction in their own witticisms and perceptions. Vidal talks largely of his 'barbed' relationship with contemporary American Culture that takes the form of essays, plays, and novels. Yet his reiteration of the condemning content of these is homogenizing to the point of becoming didactic oration, for he embarks upon an unrelenting critique of the culture of commerce exactly as it now is, and yet avoids the proffering of means of change, thus creating a frustrating sense of hopeless stasis and perhaps, complacent self-congratulation.
Brighton Dome Concert Hall, 22 May, 7:30pm, £10, festival pp31.
tw rating 3/5
[kc]

Tim Winton & Julie Myerson
Brighton Festival
Being a novelist is a lot like being a surfer, or so says award-winning Aussie Tim Winton - you have to paddle about a lot before a big wave hits you, and it can be from a direction you weren't expecting. Winton and Myerson are both currently riding on the crests of the waves caused by their latest works, both dark explorations of childhood. Myerson's 'Out Of Breath' is narrated by a 13-year-old girl and her reading captivatingly brought this to life. Winton, meanwhile, not only discusses novel-writing through some spot-on metaphors and the odd rude word, he also delves into the awkwardness of adolescence and how these issues can return to haunt people in middle-age. Some great insights into the mind of the novelist, a stimulating surf that never bored.
The Old Court House, 24 May, 5:00pm, £7.50, festival pp38
tw rating 4/5
[se]

Andrew O'Hagan and Matt Frei
Brighton Festival
The novelist and the BBC correspondent proved a sleek, compatible double act in this debate about the state of America and her arguably waning power. With both panelists being writers with inquisitive minds, the discussion quickly turned to the role of the journalist, and O'Hagan, after telling us a story of how he had an interview cut short for asking his interviewee the "wrong" questions about their attitude to Iraqis, reflected that America certainly is a "strange country in which to speak your mind". Unusually, it was not Iraq which dominated their judgement on the failure of the Bush administration, instead they both recalled the horrific scenes of incompetence during Hurricane Katrina. Good-humoured and anecdotal, this was a pleasant evening, although it failed to dig beneath the surface.
The Old Court House, 23 May, 7:30pm, £7.50, festival pp36.
tw rating 3/5
[jn]

MUSIC

Philharmonia Orchestra
Brighton Festival
Jonathan Harvey's 'Tranquil Abiding' enthrallingly evokes its title. Recreating a meditative state, the Philharmonia adeptly sound out the sustained ebb and flow of reflections, with a growing traumatic dissonance from the strings that is calmed and answered by mellow toned wind. Yet this tempered sense of terror and discovery is quite miniscule in relation to Mahler's Symphony No. 2, 'Resurrection', an eloquent epic delivered with great anguish of feeling. Mahler's second movement might dip to a seemingly genteel dance, playful and rich, yet from it something larger comes - he return of his anguish. These dualistic modes are bound to each other within the composition, and thus life railing against death abides, never taking flight from its fear. The Philharmonia summon sound on a sublime scale, creating a riveting, vertiginous recital.
Brighton Dome Concert Hall, 25 May, 7:30pm, £30 (£10), festival pp21.
tw rating: 5/5
[kc]

Ising On The Cake
Performed by Sharon Elizabeth
Bonkers! And absolutely fabulous. Sharon Elizabeth, a pretty little lady, arrives dressed as a 1950s starlet at the entrance to the hall singing 'I Could Have Danced All Night' from 'My Fair Lady'. Whilst delivering some informal patter, Sharon begins to bake a cake on stage and to sing a unique collection of brand new and classic songs with the most beautiful singing voice, inviting the audience's involvement throughout. The first half ends with a rendition of 'Nessun Dorma' that made the gentleman in front of us stand to applaud, and another lady cry. During the interval we were invited to partake in a big wedge of chocolate cake and a cup of tea which was included in the price of the ticket. The second half saw Sharon reappear in a dazzling red evening dress and sing another eclectic collection of songs interspersed with more delightful banter. A crazy, unique experience like this is what the Fringe is all about.
Friends' Meeting House, 22, 24 May, 7:30 pm - 9.30pm, £12.00 (£10.00), Fringe pp34.
tw rating 5/5
[sla]

Afterspark
Opening the evening was an acoustic set by Dave Stenhouse of Brighton based The Big Hairy Band. Stenhouse's tales of Brightonian life and nights out definitively set the bar for the headliners, and Afterspark entered the stage looking slightly shifty and ill at ease with the limelight. However, all this was forgotten when lead singer Cate began to sing. Sounding like Joni Mitchell, with - dare I say it? - more depth, her voice, set over the relaxed guitar strumming was almost trance inducing. The extent of Cate's vocal talents is such that the rest of the band seems to fade into the background somewhat. 'Afterspark' are a band with highly original material and being home to such a distinctive voice means they should be destined for great things.
Komedia Studio, 24 May, 8:20pm, £5.00 (£3.00) fringe pp32
tw rating 4/5
[sfw]

Portico Quartet
Brighton Festival
Aside from the four lively young musicians, the main star of the show was an instrument that looked like it came from the stars, the flying-saucer shaped steel drum or hang. Discovered whilst busking, the quartet retain much of their cool, just-off-the-street vibe. They may look disheveled and sound a little inarticulate, but the concert is a polished jazz and classical fusion. There are several of the aforementioned hangs in action, with more than one skilled flying-saucer pilot creating a magical echoing sound that's ever so slightly creepy. Alongside the main hang-ist, the quartet also involves a dexterous double-bassist, exuberant drummer and weedy-looking yet powerful soprano saxophonist. Many of the pieces are dazzlingly energetic, the real gem though, for me, was the sweet little number 'Pompidou' on which they ended.
Pavilion Theatre, 24 May, 1:00pm, £7.50, festival pp30.
tw rating 4/5
[se]

Adem
Whether it's customary at Adem gigs, or a happy accident, I'm not sure, but everybody was sitting around on the floor upstairs at Komedia when I arrived. Either way it seemed suited to the performance, although the masses who could not hold their water, nor wait for their drinks, became painfully obvious. The stage looked fantastic, boasting an array of dramatic and personalised instruments. With some parts sheer talent, and some childish adventurousness, the band extorted a real variety of sounds from their tools, most notably the beautiful effect of chimes played with a bow. Adem's unique sound is certainly not for all, but he and his band can not be faulted on their musicianship, and their skill and inventiveness is partnered by modesty and charm.
Komedia, 24 May, 8:30pm (11:00pm), £10.00, fringe pp. 32
tw rating 3/5
[jg]

Classical Guitar Recital
Spyros Dendrinos
Spyros Dendrinos uses Brighton Unitarian Church as a base for travels across Europe as he presents favourite classical guitar pieces encountered along the way. Dendrinos plays with the precision and accuracy that would be expected from a lecturer in mathematics, but this by no means implies his work is emotionless - having learnt from John Williams' teacher, Dendrinos effortlessly conveys his passion and a range of emotions, and all without uttering a single word. Particularly impressive was his technical ability on Tarrega's 'Recuerdos de la Alhambra', a piece involving the complex use of tremolo that often fools listeners into assuming it's a duet. A lack of communication failed to hinder the audience's enjoyment, and for one night only, Greece came to Brighton.
Brighton Unitarian Church, 24 May 7:30pm, £8.00 (£6.00), fringe pp14.
tw rating 3/5
[sb]

Medeski, Martin, Wood
Brighton Festival
John Medeski, Billy Martin and Chris Wood have several things. They have grace, unbelievable creativity, and the capacity to groove beyond all expectation - the trio from New York City very much own their genre of percussive, improvised jazz jamming. Accompanied by Brazilian percussion legend Airto Moreira, the group stunned Friday night's crowd at the Brighton Dome with enough musical precision to make a person's hair stand on end. A mesmerising journey into the true enclaves of groovy improvisational jazz, the show was nothing short of hypnotic. Granted, though the genre is an acquired taste, most fans of jazz, or even progressive rock in the likes of King Crimson would have found the performance spellbinding. A rare gift for aficionados.
Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, 24 May, 8:00pm (10:30pm), £15.00 (£10.00), festival pp16.
tw rating 4/5
[cp]

'Meeting of Ways'; Poetry With Music
Brighton Buddhist Centre
Entering the top floor of the Brighton Buddhist Centre was a spiritual experience in itself - candles, mats and myriad instruments decorated the spacious room. As we waited on cushions, a gentle sense of serenity seemed to pervade the room, until the performers introduced themselves and their instruments, of which there was an impressive collection. The performance, a spellbinding poetry jam based on the verses of Rumi and Elliot, was so hypnotic it took concentration NOT to fall into trance - there was a mystic power to the repetitive sounds and verses. Time, language and sound became lost in a self-aware bubble of consciousness (and non-consciousness, as a Buddhist would point out). Short of a spiritual odyssey, the performance did allow the mind to wander.
Brighton Buddhist Centre, 23 May, 8:00pm, £10.00 (£8.00), festival pp35.
tw rating 4/5
[cp]

Julie Roberts and Leonie Mansell
Performance poet Leonie Mansell and musician Julie Walters divide their show into three distinct thematic sections: relationships, war and time. The first and last of these sections bookend the show with whimsical, very literal accounts, mostly of familial interaction. The poems are a little dull and rely on wistful, light-hearted humour for effect. The music, largely covers, comes over better, having the added character of Roberts's smoky voice and a good grasp of jazz bass from Gary Holder. The clear winner tonight is war, during which both Roberts and Mansell are more adventurous, taking on wider, more serious themes. They've called tonight's show 'Airs and Disgraces'. There are really no airs in sight, it's a modest and welcoming evening, and no disgraces either, it is a show carried off with the best intentions and with a good degree of charm.
Brighton Media Centre, 23 May, 8:00pm, £6.00 (£5.00), fringe pp34
tw rating 3/5
[jg]

Andrew Kennedy & Julius Drake
Combining the musical talents of pianist Julius Drake, the mesmerising voice of tenor Andrew Kennedy and the stone-faced poetry reading of Kate Kennedy was always going to be a pleasant affair but uplifting, challenging or different? I think not. When each poem/song was finished, the audience seemed so subdued they didn't even applaud. It was only at the end, when one brave soul decided to throw their inhibitions to the wind that any sign of audience appreciation could be noted. It could rightfully be assumed that powerful First World War poetry and songs should be wrought with emotion and feeling. Maybe it was the lunch time slot or the unreceptive audience but these acts failed to deliver.
Pavilion Theatre, May 23, 1:00pm, £7.50, festival pp30
tw rating 1/5
[sfw]

Festival Africa : Yiri Baa
West African High-Life Band live
Low lighting in a warm purple bubble was the setting for Yiri Baa, the West African High-Life band's live set. A deceptively mellow back beat did not last long before the band turned it up as loud and as fast as it could go. People left their seats in a hurry, not to leave the show, but to join their mates dancing wherever they could find space. The band on stage encouraged the frenzy and clapping with broad smiles as the African beats rocked the room. For me, this was a worthy end to a fun-filled and diverse festival that brings an enormous range of musical styles and influences together.
Udder Place, 26 May, 4:00pm, £10.00 (£8.00), fringe pp34.
tw rating 4/5
[sla]

THEATRE AND MUSICALS

Intimate Encounters
New Venture Theatre
I could not call this a performance, there is no audience and there is no dividing fourth wall; in its place is a profound intimacy in which the 'spectator' no longer watches but is guided into the dark and drawn physically to the very centre of the piece. The blindfolded participant is caressed, whispered to in foreign tongues, lulled to sleep with lullabies, and talked to like a lover and an old friend with the result that they are rendered incredibly vulnerable as piece progresses. I believe it is this disarmament that allowed this individual, when subjected to this primal, penetrating experience, to both come close to tears and erupt in joyous giggles. Wonderfully transporting and quite unique: Expect to be left feeling raw and touched, if you ever have the chance to experience this.
New Venture Theatre, 20 - 25 May, times vary, £7.50 (£6.50), fringe pp41.
tw rating 5/5
[kc]

Like Caged Birds
Wired Theatre
The hasty scurry of footfalls, soft and nervous giggles, and the slamming of doors create the commencing din of 'Like Caged Birds'. The sparse audience stands scattered through a long corridor amidst the dust and dark of this regency townhouse basement, sunken in that particular kind of cold and silhouetted blackness that one finds in the eeriest of buildings. Sadly, the echoing relays and seemingly source-less cries are all that is thrilling about this overstated dramatic installation, as it floridly gesticulates and yells towards an attempted moving portrayal of the horrors of Victorian servitude, grabbing at caricatures and clichés wherever possible - rather than reaching a climactic, murderous finale, the gothic scenes play out to a bathetic end. The underground setting is enthralling, but sadly is not matched by the accompanying drama.
The Regency Townhouse Basement Annexe, 16 - 26 May, 7:00pm (8:00pm) & 9:00pm (10:00pm), £8 (£6.50), fringe pp42.
tw rating 2/5
[kc]

The Taming Of The Shrew
The Pantaloons
Sunlit beneath the leafy bows of Preston Park, bright splurges of colour dance and caper. These are the rainbow costumed Pantaloons, serenading jesters teasing and enticing the captivated audience closer across the grass that forms the stage. The eruptions of laughter applaud the animated, accessible spectacle of Shakespeare's controversial play, delivered in both colloquial dialogue and the original iambic pentameter, and conjured into a manic commedia dell'arte extravaganza. Amidst the striking flurry of song, motion, and japes, the barbed and ironic tones of the play are not lost, nor are the playwright's abounding dirty puns. A true treat of a show in which is found all the sweet froth of the clown's custard pies alongside the essential bite of the serious savoury biscuit base!
Preston Park (outside clock tower), 24 - 26 May, 2:30pm, free, fringe pp45.
tw rating 4/5
[kc]

Brain Drain!!
Pure Vintage Theatre
Set in 1950s New York, 'Brain Drain' tells the story of brothers Jack and Bobby Benolli's quest to save their ailing business. However, whereas most would attempt to innovate or speculate, the brothers opt for an altogether less savoury method - controlling the minds of their employees. Although the play is Sally McIlhone's directorial debut, by drawing on the film noir and anti/pro-communist undertones that typified 1950s Hollywood, she has created a highly original play. Although the accents were a little shaky at times, and despite having suffered its fair share of pre-show setbacks (ill cast members, last minute script amendments), 'Brain Drain' is actually an excellent play and a real testament to the 1950s Hollywood that so many of us enjoy today.
Cella @ Sanctuary Café, 22-24 May, 7:30pm, £5.00, fringe pp40
tw rating 4/5
[sfw]

An Evening With The Vogueabonds
Brighton Bandstand Performance Group
Unlike so many Fringe shows whose ambience is wonderful, but whose content is lacking, 'An
Evening With the Vogueabonds' was the opposite. In a somewhat uncomfortable theatre with a rather unpleasant audience, the talent of the performers shone wonderfully. Singing a series of songs strung together with the theme of aging relationships and disillusionment, the trio of women that make up the Vogueabonds showcased their humorous verses with crisp timing. Unfortunately, after the tenth tune based on disenchantment with the opposite sex, the seat became a little uncomfortable. Despite this, there was a certain energy to the performance which would have made the experience worthwhile, had only the performers added some dimension to the subject matter.
Marlborough Theatre, 25 - 26 May, 8:00pm, £10.00 (£8.00), festival pp40.
tw rating 3/5
[cp]

Witness
Behind Closed Doors
Painful narratives of horror and war are relayed through the slightly distancing layer of a translator in this play about bearing witness. "Being an interpreter", we are told, "is a kind of punishment" and the dialogue does a good job of exploring the unbridgeable gap between incomprehensibility and experience, language and reality. The "punishment" is the knowledge that no sentence recreated can fully represent the truth behind the words. We never hear directly from the victims, but the shell-shocked state of the interpreter clashes with the clinical approach of the therapist to whom she tells the patients' stories. As their memories become both too real and too unreal for her to detach herself from, professional obligations melt into personal relationships in a powerful performance.
All Saints Centre, 26 May, 7:30pm, £6.00 (£3.00), fringe pp46.
tw rating 4/5
[jn]

The Maids
Caro Brown Productions
Jean Genet's gender-bender is no work of genius. 'The Maids' was milked for all it was worth, with fine costumes and lively performances, but the old cow stubbornly delivered little sustenance. The fresh-faced boys portrayed the women in a way that was both mocking yet subtle - far cleverer than mere drag - unlike the script, which dragged along to its pathetic conclusion. Visually, the production is a success, the actors prance through the sophisticated set with haughty elegance, dressed up in a selection of chic little numbers. A set of delightful portraits, but two-dimensional like portraits, as Genet gives the actors nothing to work with, emotionally or poetically. Dress it up how you like it's still a lifeless corpse of a play.
Komedia Studio, 21-22 May, 6:00pm, £8.00, fringe pp45.
tw rating 3/5
[se]

Connected (as we are)
SUDS Theatre Company
From chat rooms to social networking, most people in the 21st century have their internet routines - 'Connected' explores the nature of these sites and their effects. The contemporary piece depicts various internet phenomena, but without any particular context or purpose the individual extracts grow tedious quickly, whilst cheap attempts to win favour with the audience by over referencing Facebook, plus the unnecessarily pretentious readings of sex blogs means it gets a little tiresome before long. The whole thing climaxed with some rather out of place contemporary movement which, I think, was designed to show the internet's negative effect on face-to-face communication. The individual performances here are good, but the lack of any original point means the experience is somewhat unfulfilling.
Brighthelm Church and Community Centre, 21 - 24 May, 8:00pm, £7.00 (£5.00), fringe pp41.
tw rating 2/5
[rt]

Infanta: User's Guide
Erika Blaxland-de-Lange
This is intended to be challenging theatre - a one woman performance that made a strong impact and aimed to unsettle the audience. Although it was successful in this respect, and the performance had depth and credibility, her story did not feel like a complete journey. We witness a woman unraveling before us, which is stressed by the fact that the actress undresses as the performance progresses. We learn what unbalanced her, and understand the realms of the fantasy life she has created as a coping mechanism, but that is where the journey ends. For me, it required something extra to complete it, not necessarily resolution, but a stronger ending perhaps.
Komedia Studio, 24, 25, 26 May, 'times vary', £7.00 (£5.00), Fringe pp41.
tw rating 2/5
[sla]

WORKSHOPS

Lively And Effective Communication
Positive Comedy Learning
Sporting a goatee and a colourful waistcoat, stand-up Gerry Thompson is every inch the comedy guru, guiding us carefully through his course on communication. It starts very simply, but we are soon opening up and performing group exercises that elicit a surprising amount of laughter. As a small group he is able to look at each of our individual communication issues, delving often quite deep and then exploring possible solutions through role play. Taking our particular issue and placing it in an absurd situation, provides valuable lessons and as well as hilarity. While I had great fun in some of improv games, what I gained more from were some of the more serious discussions this wise comedian drew the group into.
Community Base Conference Room, 22 May, 10:00am - 4:30pm, £65.00 (£55.00 multiple bookings), fringe pp58.
tw rating 3/5
[se]

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.

Since 2006 we have applied the same ethos in our coverage of the Brighton Festival. This year we will have over 25 student reviewers seeing shows. You can read their reviews via this eDaily, our website and through a daily column in The Argus. We also offer a bucket load of previews and interviews on and with some of our favourite shows and performers, on our website, and via our free ThreeWeeks Guide to the Brighton Festival, available all over Brighton from 6 May.

ThreeWeeks is owned, published and loved by UnLimited Media, a Shoreditch based media and marketing company. It is edited by Chris Cooke and Caro Moses, who also run UnLimited Media. UnLimited doesn't make much money out of the ThreeWeeks enterprise, we do it because we get a buzz in discovering and championing cultural innovation, and the best places we've found to do that are Edinburgh in August and Brighton in May.

If you want more information on ThreeWeeks, or you want to get involved or support the project in some way, or you are a journalist looking for info or comment on any aspect of the Brighton or Edinburgh festivals (we know it all!) email chris@unlimitedmedia.co.uk