The Neals' Fringe 2008

Show's publicity

Our review

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change

4TUNE Theatre Company

Love's a delicious and vicious curse, but don't get down-hearted! This musical-comedy journeys through the highs and lows of romance and relationships, accompanied by a live band. Say, are you free Saturday night?

This is one of those shows where you get everything - a great script, super music and fantastic performers. The actors and musicians really do gel, and the range of emotion as one is taken from genesis to the scene at a funeral is terrific. Loads of laughs, but some tear-promoting parts too. The acting and singing are so poiniant and we were constantly glancing at each other and nodding in agreement. There are some lovely "direct to the audience" moments, too, and anyone who can play a fretless bass that well needs a special mention!Great show - thoroughly recommended.

Just a Minute

BBC

Chaired by Nicholas Parsons, witty and loquacious panellists try to speak for 60 seconds without hesitation, repetition or deviation. Find out why this show has been attracting the best comedians for over 35 years.

We love the show, and to see it being recorded was a delight. Audience control was excellent (and it was a big audience), and watching a set of experienced professionals like these perform this was was a joy. A real experience!

( We watched two recordings)

The Golden Age of Magic

Ian Kendall

Ian Kendall returns with a brand-new magic show. Be astonished by classic effects and stories from a time before camera tricks and creative editing took away the wonder. Sell-out show 2006 and 2007.

Once again, Ian brilliantly combines his own brand of understated humour with wonderful magic. We learned about interesting times and people through seeing what they did - all the time being drawn in to a superbly produced show that really does get the audience gasping. Watching good magic done slowly never fails to impress - and Ian does it superlatively well. Better (yet again) than last year!

Harry!

Shrewsbury School

'Wow! What a show! A modern "Hamlet" ... heir to a cardboard box company ... clever, dynamic, professional ... a high-octane ensemble ... unfathomable magic. A riotous, thought-provoking "Side-By-Side-By-Shakespeare". If it's not a smash, I'll eat my codpiece.' (Shropshire Star).

We could begin this review by saying "Given that this was put on by a school...", but such a comment is unnecessary - this is a superb show, brilliantly acted and sung, regardless of the company staging it. This is a very professional performance and there is a lot happening - a proper live orchestra backs the performers, it's properly miked and lit, and has a large cast of very talented people. The venue is well chosen and wisely used. The plot is sort of Hamlet, but has an excellent story and message that stands alone. The central characters are very strong, but they don't overshadow the others, and the chorus also has an important part. It's good to see everyone getting their chance. It's also great to be able to talk to the play's supporting people before and after the show. Overall, if you like musical theatre, this is a must see!

The Last 5 Years

Dicey productions

'Have I mentioned today how lucky I am to be in love with you?' Tender, witty, poignant, brilliant. Jason Robert Brown's award-winning modern classic. There are two sides to every love story.

Every now and again, the Fringe really catches you out. Sometimes this is because something is awful, and sometimes it is because you go into a show not really expecting anything special and see something good. This was one of those shows where the "blurb" didn't say much, but we got to experience something really outstandingly good. The show is well written - it's a good starting point - but the expression in the voices of this two-person show was breathtaking. The three-piece on-stage band was good, too. The plot is complicated - two timelines run in opposite directions concurrently - but the actors got the message across to the audience so well, helped by excellent direction and production. But, really, the show was stolen by "Cathy", whose wonderful acting was matched only by her lovely singing. She caught us, she held us and she enchanted us. She wove the story and told it with real feeling. Glancing round the audience, everyone was with her every word. "Jamie" was good too, but although his vocal range was good, his pitch was off a bit from time to time. And he is a bit moist (especially if you are on the front row). His part matched "Cathy's" for feeling and his story. Overall, this was a really great play - beautifully sung and acted, and very, very well staged.

NB - although we enjoyed the show, there were mixed reviews!

Swing in the City

Hull University Big Band

Hull University's fantastic full big band perform your favourite jazz, Latin, swing and funk. Includes the music of Glen Miller, Count Basie, Van Morrison and more. Features male vocalist and the Suits barbershop quartet.

It's ended its run, now, but if you didn't get to see the show book now for next year. This was some of the best music we've ever heard performed - and we've been around a bit! Something for everyone and performances that really lived. It was SO good, that it flew by and seemed to last about ten minutes, and we had to check our watches that it had really run the time! That, to us, is the mark of real quality music. Great personalities from the band members, too, and the singers. A great end!

Jazz at Lunchtime

Ian Millar & Dominic Spencer

Sell-out show 2007. Saxophone and piano duo playing classic standards and melodic originals with inspiring video backdrop of Scottish scenery, in an intimate jazz club setting. Good food, good music, good atmosphere. Have lunch or just listen!

If you want a lunchtime with a difference this is for you. A splendid opportunity to enjoy a superb jazz duo. The pianist and sax player take you through beautiful Scottish scenes in measured tones and soothing beats. Most enjoyable, and you can buy lunch too.

Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens

Latymer Theatre

It's ironic that a musical about AIDS should be a celebration of life. With its powerful songs and inspiring dialogue 'Elegies' remembers the victims in a touching, dramatic and often funny way.

We heard one of the songs ages ago and were taken by it - and we managed to get hold of the CD, so when we saw an extract on The Mile, we grabbed the chance of seeing the show on stage. We had high expectations, therefore, and we were not disappointed at all - indeed we were blown away! This was a beautifully produced show, with superb singing and acting about a difficult subject. They really pulled off the humour and irony as well as the poinant parts. Talking and singing about horrible deaths is not easy, but that's the point of the show and they really did it well. The entire cast were very strong and, for us, they all stood out. And they brought tears to our eyes in different ways. A fantastic show - only one more left of its run, but we'll be looking for this group next year.