It didn’t take long for the Edinburgh weather to return by force. It was expected to clear in the early morning but that certainly wasn’t the case. There were shows booked in the morning and so a visit to Camera Obscurer was in order. There were plenty of chances to look at different things, a room full of fibre optic lights was particularly fascinating to watch and test out the camera skills.
After that, it was back to the Fringe. The first show of the day was Bottom a piece of queer theatre about whether sexual roles should define who we are. You can read a full review of this here
I don’t quite know how I managed it but I managed to get one of the hottest tickets in town User Not Found. Tucked away in a cafe this is, I’m pretty sure my first viewing of a piece of site-specific theatre and it’s sure to please anyone who watches it.
First of all, the technology side of it, it isn’t a gimmick and really shows what people can do when they start to experiment with technology. Each audience member is given a mobile phone and earphones. That in itself is risky considering the huge debate in the industry at the moment about mobile phones being used in the theatre. The devices really add an extra layer to the story. Almost as if you’re busy looking at your own device while actually watching what goes on around you.
Chris Goode’s script challenges our views on how technology defines us while also and perhaps most importantly how we deal with loss in the age of social media. Terry O’Donovan performs this monologue with passion, fire and likability. He weaves around the tables and truly lays his heart on the line creating some very touching moments.
This piece will live long in the memory of those who do manage to get a ticket. This unique space is the perfect setting for a heartwrenching play of loss, memory and life itself.
To conclude the day, Shitfaced Shakespeare. A title of something that grabbed my attention when I was first looking through the programme. Surely they couldn’t get an actor Shitfaced, it must be an act? It certainly wasn’t.
At the start of the show, we were told how much the actor had to drink before the show. The Actress playing Gertrude consumes two bottles of prosecco and there were a further three chances that she could end up drinking three more drinks during the performance.
While the majority of the text truly is in keeping with the Shakespearean language, with a show like this improvisation is key and that is what ended up making this performance something truly fascinating to watch and enjoy.
One thing is for sure, it’s a mammoth task to keep the plot and show moving and the cast pull it off excellently with fantastic results which lead to plenty of eye wateringly funny moments.
That sums up day two at the Fringe. Three very different shows and each one excellent in their own right.
The Theatre Twittic 
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