TG AT THE EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL
'Aireborne Theatre'
LITTLE RED
Little Red is the story of an aging and semi-oblivious couple and their daughter set in a fairy-tale cottage in the middle of a desolate forest. Between them, the characters lay out the enchanted history of the house; its loves, tragedies and mysteries unfold to create a bleakly beautiful landscape. But as the stories conclude the magical façade of this fantasy world is exposed, revealing horrible family truths, heart-wrenching love affairs and the biting realities of mental degeneration.
JUMPING AND OTHER THOUGHTS
A lyrical journey through life its moments and its mishaps. This exciting collaboration of poetry, music and theatre explores the moments in life which make us believe that anything is possible.
You jump and you might not land, and some other thoughts too.
REVIEWS
JUMPING AND OTHER THOUGHTS:
Hairline.co.uk
The little events of our lives and what they become when they’ve passed, the technical process of film development, the sensation of jumping and landing, digital culture and its supplanting of the analogue.
Jumping And Other Thoughts seeks parallels and overlaps in a manner that rests somewhere between theatre and poetry. In fact analogue is precisely the word: Annie loves nothing so much as cameras that go click rather than beep, Summer, a synaesthesiac engrossed literally in the subtle flavor of perception, seeking solidarity in a dead homeless man’s graffiti, and a darkroom technician drawing analogies through it all to the dying art of the photographic process and the development of memory. Everything here means something else, the script skillfully finds the similarities of form within the varying substances of mundane life.
But ultimately, and unfortunately, it’s the mundane which spoils the effect. For all this the actual events of the play seem to have been specifically chosen for their meaninglessness. The homeless guy’s cryptic scrawling are not code or syndrome, but essentially nothing at all, and so the characters’ almost desperate attempts to find something within them come away as pointless. And for all its poetry and cohesion, nothing here really leads to anything. And perhaps that’s the entire point; that life as a series of moments receding into an unreachable past have only the meaning derived from an arbitrary point of view, but it still leaves one thinking, well, so what then?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Scotsman
Published Date: 20 August 2008
By David Pollock ****
A play with an excess of gentleness and low-key charm, Aireborne Theatre's Jumping and Other Thoughts is one of those Fringe shows which slips under the radar and then comes right into its own as a speculative ticket purchase. It's better than just a little gem to be stumbled across; it deserves an audience who have eagerly sought it out.
Amid a shining ensemble cast and a clearly talented behind-the-scenes crew, it's the direction of Fringe newcomer Becky Martin that deserves the most praise. Although the script by Rich Thornton, Jess Heywood and Al Cummins is lightly pleasing rather than hugely insightful, Martin coaxes every inch of potential from it. At just 21, she hopefully has a long and bright career waiting for her.
A photographic darkroom assistant delivers a lecture-like monologue on processing photographs – ie, rolls of film. His passion for this dying technique emphasises the retro, homespun nature of the play. Ways of seeing occupy the four female characters too. Photographer Annie obsesses over her craft to the exclusion of her friendship with the lonely Katie, while Summer, who has synaesthesia, teams up with journalist Fran to discover whether a dead homeless man was affected by the same condition.
The aesthetic of quality indie cinema looms large here. Art Pedro's guitar soundtrack is minimal but evocative, and at certain points characters freeze-frame in the midst of a scene.
And touchingly, cards are pulled from the washing line strung up around the stage and read out, having been used beforehand to collect the audience's thoughts on the last time they felt alive. These are affecting moments in a quite gorgeous play.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Three Weeks
4/5
If this show was a colour, what would it be? It would have to be something soft like a pillow, warm like a cup of tea, and sweet like candy floss: yes, definitely light pink. It was just so nice, to be taken for a mind wander, invited to ponder on matters of sensuality, friendship, life and photography. It made me feel so happy that I just wanted to cuddle the whole show. There were a few laughs, a couple of tears and lots of smiles. The story was gently unfolded like fresh linen, occasionally a crease would appear, only to be ironed smooth in the end. It left me in a positive mood for the rest of the day.
LITTLE RED
Dan Rayner - EdFringe.com ****
‘Little Red’ is an intellectual take on the traditional fairy tale format, exploring issues of how and why we tell stories. The play was strongly acted by all and entertaining to watch, though the subject matter probably isn’t to everyone’s taste. However, the cast cope with both sadness and comedy with aplomb, the production was charming and tight, and everyone will take something from it (even if it is a catchphrase - RENEYYYYY!!!) If you’re a fan of Angela Carter, you will probably enjoy this.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
One4Review ****
This is a beautifully written piece of theatre, with as many twists and turns as one might face lost deep in a forest ... The five performers are all excellent in their respective roles but the most emotional is Amy Marchant who plays Ruby. What was totally unexpected was the final revelation of the play. A very clever production.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Some woman called Jo Richards from Scotland!
My pick of the Fringe. The most I've paid for a Fringe ticket this year, and worth every penny. Brilliantly written and brilliantly performed, especially Ruby ("the narrator"), who was superb and moved me to tears. A deep and thought-provoking piece of adult theatre, dealing with the realities of life, and haunting in its effect. Congratulations to all on an excellent production.
