Edinburgh Fringe 2023 Reviews

Rating	Show Details	Review
★★★★★ Outstanding	The Fish Bowl	The best show I have seen by a long way. Incredible. Set in a dementia care home, with the audience as visitors and residents, this explores both what care means, and what dementia means. The interactions, relationships etc were deeply done. The play is written by a care home nurse, and is based on his experiences. Very raw. Up there amongst the greats of the last 20 years.
★★★★★ Outstanding	Thunderstruck	Okay - I say this in 2022 actually, but it is on again and it was so good I have decided to post this review here. A piper from Fife, devoid of all tartan-tat stereotype, reflects on his own piping education and career, while also reflecting on the life of Gordon Duncan. An amazing mix of storytelling, teaching, personal reflection and music. This play will come with me for the rest of my life.
★★★★★ Excellent	Kids with Nae Hame	I really liked it. The cast was a mix of adults and kids - from in the care system. I thought this was really pretty good for a non-professional show trumped up in a short time. I went for the subject matter and wasn't expecting much. Honestly, I think this show is going to stick in my memory for a long time, which is what I want out of a show.
★★★★★ Excellent	Strategic Love	Brilliant comedic dynamic play about a dating couple, and the play games involved.
★★★★★ Excellent	Reclaim	This is not for everyone, but I liked it. An original physical theatre really enhance by the live folk-opera singer and two cellos backing, and engaging in, the whole performance. The music meant there was no clapping between moves which led to a fairly seamless performance. The overall theme and “story” would be utter nonsense even if I had understood it. Something about the relationship between people and the wild. I have no clue. But it was a show! Beware though. If in the first row, you may be subject to rough physical contact, “interaction” and some mild health and safety concerns which can either add to the tension or ruin the show. There were somewhat violent themes. The originality and singing did it for me, and the way the music added to the tension and otherworldly eeriness.
★★★★☆ Very Good	Ed Byrne: Tragedy Plus Time	Better than your average big-name comedy. The fact that he can do a comedy show about the death of his brother is itself impressive. But it made it more than a pass-by-night bunch of laughs. The funniest funeral you have ever been to.
★★★★☆ Very Good	Matt Forde	Political comedy as it should be. Observant, cutting through the froth and pointing out what should be obvious. It's too easy in the current political scene though. The comedy is already written by the politicians themselves.
★★★★☆ Very Good	Life and Times of Michael K	Excellent puppetry scenery acting etc. A good show, but let down a bit by the actual story itself. Too linear for theatre.
★★★★☆ Very Good	In Loyal Company	very good but left me a bit cold. Too much general description of the misery of war, which is horrific and important, but I know that. Bit deja vu.
★★★★☆ Good	Eric's Tales of the Sea	A submariner's yarn. Typical fringe storytelling. Interesting and amusing. Not outstanding, but solid.
★★★★☆ Good	Rewind	A good, mainly audiovisual show from a larger cast. Excellent clever visuals, potent message, but a little too little variation to sustain the hour. Not as involving for the audience as might be.
★★★★☆ Good	Laser Kiwi	Good fun fringe stuff, surreal and a bit amateur, but worth popping in to.
★★★★☆ Good	Blue	A two person "black lives matter" oriented 2 person play about a police interview. Good tension. Interesting play on professional versus personal. One or two points it loses its way for a minute. But good fringe.
★★★☆☆ Fair	I Love You, Now What	Good early new writing of play for 3 actors. How the death of someone close hits other relationships. A little too much cliche and too little character heart compared to what one would see in more capable or experienced writings. Acting reasonable, but again not at the top of the fringe. That said, I’d would still choose to see it.
★★★☆☆ Fair	Mark Thomas: Gaffa Tapes	Mark Thomas on a meander. He hadn't put quite the work into this one as I have seen him do in the past (he has a best-show-on-the-fringe from me from about a decade ago). But still worth a see.
★★★☆☆ Fair	The Ice Hole: A Cardboard Comedy	Despite good reviews this is an overegging of a single idea that is repeated ad-nauseum. Mildly amusing and a mildly original idea. Just not a very good one.
★★★☆☆ Fair	Myles and Dan Just Might Break a World Record Tonight	Most of the sketches are not that funny. But the show manages to be. The fringe being what the fringe used to be. Go on it's just a fiver... Your beer will cost more than the show.
★★★☆☆ Okay	Waiting for a Train at the Bus Stop	Good acting, but 1 person, a little clichéd.
★★★☆☆ Okay	Beautiful Evil Things	I found it a bit dull really. I find Greek mythology hard to identify with it seems. One fun thing though about Beautiful Evil Things was the brand of microphone stands used: Hercules. But perhaps it is in indicator of how engaged I was that I noticed this.
★★☆☆☆ Poor	Four	Poor acting.
★★☆☆☆ Poor	No One is Coming	No one should have gone.