Kat Mokrynski - Page 16

Walking into Kate felt like entering a modern art exhibition. Going up the stairs of the Soho Theatre, you are faced with black and white photos of Kate Berlant, the star of the show. Berlant herself is sitting in a chair, on her phone, with a sign around her neck stating, “Ignore me.”

The concept of Salty Brine: Bigmouth Strikes Again – The Smiths Show is quite a fascinating one. The show, created and performed by Salty Brine, merges Mary Shelley’s iconic Frankenstein novel, The Smiths’ The Queen is Dead, and some personal stories. How can something like this possibly work? Luckily, Salty Brine knows exactly what he is doing

From the second she steps on stage, Courtney Pauroso becomes Vanessa 5000, a sex robot here to display her abilities to us at a tech expo. Pauroso is a brilliant physical comedian who has the audience in the palm of her hand to the point she can fall into the audience and they will catch her without question.

Prom 63: The Rite By Heart is a story of two parts, the same structure as The Rite of Spring itself. In Part One, actors and musicians come together to tell the story of how Stravinsky created The Rite of Spring. In Part Two, the Aurora Orchestra performs the Rite of Spring by memory with not a music stand in sight. 

As someone who is a scaredy cat but loves morbid humour and wanted to test my boundaries during the Fringe, I decided to give Dr. Bonk’s Macarbaret a try. The show, hosted by Edinburgh’s only living plague doctor, Dr. Bonk (played by Eliott Simpson), is a cabaret that promises “laughs, scares, and gore galore in this madcap hour of madness.”

Recently, I had the chance to speak with Jak Malone of Operation Mincemeat who plays several characters including Hester Leggett and Bernard Spilsbury. We discussed what it's been like being working with actors he has been a fan of, how he has developed his characters, and even what it has been like to see the #FindHester fan project on Twitter!

After seeing Police Cops: Badass Be Thy Name and loving the group’s sense of humour and fantastic dynamic, I knew that I wanted to see their 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival show, Police Cops: The Musical. Somehow, this show managed to exceed my already high expectations, making for a perfect last show at the Fringe. 

In this new interpretation of the Greek myth, created by Cassie Muise and Tyler Mckinnon, Arachne uses her weaving to follow in her mother’s footsteps and tell the stories of forgotten women, going against the “truths” told by the elders.

In nearly every comedy show I have seen at the Fringe, there have been sexual jokes, with some going as far as having vibrators and dildos on stage. To be honest, as an asexual, I needed a break from all of that, and I knew Eliott Simpson: (A)Sexy and I Know It would be the perfect place to laugh without the fear of another graphic sex story.

Dark Noon’s description states “They say history is told by the victors; this story is told by the vanquished.” The show is a “brutal recreation of the Wild West” of the United States of America. As someone who grew up in the States, I am quite familiar with the glorified tales of the settling of the West.

The concept of CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation is quite simple. A murder has taken place, and it is up to the audience to not only catch the killer but also to create the crime scene themselves, setting the scene for the actors. 

Recently, I had the chance to talk with Moses Storm about what it’s been like bringing Perfect Cult to the Fringe Festival. We discussed the development of the show, some of his favourite moments, and even a sweater made of ropes attached to audience members!

Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Archie Henderson, the creator of Jazz Emu, to talk about his two shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, You Shouldn’t Have and Jazz Emu’s Pleasure Garden. We talked about what it was like to create Jazz Emu, how the Fringe has influenced his work, and how Jazz plays a role in his life outside of shows!

Recently, BroadwayWorld had the chance to sit down and chat with Horatio Gould about his show, Sweet Prince. We discussed how he got into the world of comedy, what it has been like developing the show over the past few years, and advice he has for anyone looking to bring their show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The concept of Jazz Emu’s Pleasure Garden is quite simple. You are invited by Jazz Emu (played by Archie Henderson) and the band The Cosmique Perfectión to their Pleasure Garden, quoted to be “a luscious, verdant Arcadia that veritably throbs with life” (it’s actually in a car park but hey, you take what you can get at the Fringe!).

The second that Zach Zucker steps on stage for his show, Zach Zucker: Spectacular Industry Showcase, he commands the room. He emerges wearing a sparkly and very unbuttoned shirt and you cannot help but fall a little bit in love with his confidence and talent within minutes.

The Mystery of Dyatlov Pass is a reflective tale of the lives of those who were involved in the Dyatlov Pass incident. The ending leaves the mystery open to interpretation but harshly reminds audiences that there are real human lives behind many conspiracy theories like those surrounding the nine hikers.

Mark Twain was once quoted as saying, “Comedy equals tragedy plus time.” Well, Ed Byrne is here to test his equation in Ed Byrne: Tragedy Plus Time. Having only seen clips of Byrne on shows like Mock the Week, I was looking forward to seeing a full hour of his standup.

When I picked up my listening pack for 1000 Miniature Meadows from Pleasance Courtyard, I was a bit confused. I was simply handed a card, which had a sticker on it that said to open it in the Courtyard. Opening the envelope and taking a look at its contents, I found a card with context and instructions for the “performance” along with a packet of seeds.

Lorna Rose Tree: Skin Pigeon is a great way for Treen to show off her talents as a character actor, seamlessly switching between her cast of ridiculous characters. It takes someone special to be able to imitate a dolphin, an aggressive PE teacher, a cowboy with guns for hands, a ghost, and others within an hour, but Treen makes it look effortless.