Edinburgh Fringe: the musical ones

Islander

This enchanting new musical paints a rich picture of a Scottish island divided by an economic crisis, merging the mundane everyday with mythical Orkney folklore. 

Resident Eilidh (Bethany Tennick) finds a lost girl, Arran (Kirsty Findlay) – based on the Orkney Finfolk – on the beach. She claims to be from the seaborne island of Set Asea, which was once part of Eilidh’s island, and she carries a secret shame. While Eilidh at first refuses to believe her, thinking Set Asea is just a fable, the pair eventually form a tender friendship, and Arran is introduced to the island’s traditions – including an amusingly embarrassing dance event.

Stewart Melton’s book has political echoes: the residents are planning for a referendum on whether to leave the island and let it grow wild, because they haven’t the resources to stay (they have been drained by the mainland); and at the heated ‘sprachans’ – town hall meetings – one won’t stop complaining about their missing gnome, accusing the "foreigner" Arran of taking it.

At the heart of the piece is a bid to overcome this struggle to belong. Both Eilidh and Arran are torn between two places – Eilidh’s mother has moved to the mainland to find work, leaving her daughter to do distance learning on the island and live with her practical joker grandmother; while Arran’s own island is irrevocably linked to Eilidh’s, but has seemingly abandoned her. 

This divide is highlighted in Eilidh’s struggles to use the island dialect, and the resentment in the heartbreakingly sung calls between mother and daughter, heightened by poor signal. Tennick and Findlay skilfully play these multiple characters, embodying them with just a movement, glance or subtle change in voice.

They present Finn Anderson’s stunning folk songs with their gorgeous tones and the most impressive, precise loop pedalling I’ve ever seen, which works perfectly in the round. They also use sound to breathe life into the island and its surroundings – the breath of the whale that washes up on shore; a phone ringtone; the cross-purposes discussion at the ‘sprachan’; even the radio station's jingle.

This soothing tale of friendship and community is just what we need in these turbulent times, and I sorely hope it has a life after Edinburgh.

Tokyo Rose

This highly promising show from Burnt Lemon Theatre, the follow up from last year’s hit The Half Moon Shania, explores the 1949 trial of Iva Toguri, accused of broadcasting Axis propaganda to Allied troops as ‘Tokyo Rose’, a Japanese wartime DJ. 

Of course, for this fast-paced, rap-imbued show, which won the New Diorama Untapped award, comparisons with Hamilton are inevitable – and in the era of historical musicals, following the Edinburgh origin story of Broadway-bound Six, hopes are perhaps unhelpfully high.

Writers Cara Baldwin and Maryhee Yoon present an emotive tale of women caught between two countries at war, with family ties stretched to the limit, but the show would benefit from being longer than its classic one-hour ‘Edinburgh slot' runtime. There are plenty of plot gaps to fill in, further human stories to expand on, and more elucidation of the links between the tale’s strands is needed – as well as time for the audience to process the dense historical information it’s receiving. A few too many words got lost in the ensemble songs, too.

However, the ambitious performances from Yuki Sutton, Lucy Park, Cara Baldwin, and director Hannah Benson, feel sincere; Maya Britto, who plays Iva, has a mindblowing vocal range; Luke Robson’s retro set is beautifully minimal; and William Patrick’s score is a riot. This fascinating piece of gig theatre has plenty of potential, and I’m excited to see what the company does with it before it opens at New Diorama in October. 

October 8-12, New Diorama

Electrolyte

Watching the multi-instrumentalist cast of Wildcard’s Fringe 2018 hit setting up – involving the audience in their process from the get-go, unlike any gig theatre I’ve seen – you can tell they have bucketloads of fun: essential when you’re telling a story with this much gravitas and emotional depth. And this will be a shared ride.

The heartfelt tale, written by James Meteyard (who ‘triples up’ as actor-musician to play love interest Jim), focuses on Leeds party girl Jessie, played thrillingly by Olivia Sweeney, after the death of her father. It traces her journey to a London warehouse after receiving a letter from her estranged mother, as she follows her new friend/obsession, musician Allie Touch. Composer Maimuna Memon, who stars as Allie, carries the musical aspect of the show: her lungs will take your breath away.

Jessie is in the relatable, awkward early-20s phase of life, as childhood friends get engaged or move away. She seemingly wishes to move on from them, but her anguish is palpable as she rattles through powerful spoken word poetry in the manner of Kate Tempest, coming out into the audience to break the fourth wall further still.

The storytelling leaves you discombobulated and wondering what is real and what is not, as it highlights the importance of community in ensuring vulnerable people are looked out for – hence the overriding sense of togetherness. The overwhelming ending, affirming that 'we are all stardust and dreams', had me in tears. I defy you to watch it with dry eyes.

Pleasance Courtyard, until August 26