Articles by Marni Appleton

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Family

“He is my father… somehow,” says Ben Norris, cutting to the heart of a feeling many people have at some point in their lives. How can I be who I am when my parents are so different? In this heart-warming one-man show, Norris takes a physical journey through his father’s past in order to discover more about his father – and therefore, himself...

Love in the Time of Gilmore Girls

Sometimes love comes to you and sometimes you have to make it happen. Or so James (Thomas Wingfield) thinks. In this funny and cringeworthy hour, he takes us on a tour of all his romantic failings...

The Jennifer Tremblay Trilogy Part I: The List

Review
★★★★
Edinburgh Fringe
Assembly Roxy
19th Aug, 2015

We all make lists: to do lists, shopping lists, present lists… They are one of the best ways of keeping on top of one’s life and making sure that nothing is forgotten. But the unnamed protagonist in Jennifer Tremblay’s haunting monologue takes this a little too far...

Penny Arcade: Longing Lasts Longer

Review
★★
Edinburgh Fringe
Underbelly, Cowgate
16th Aug, 2015

With her bright red hair and black-lined eyes, Penny Arcade looks like some sort of cartoon superhero – and she has the commanding stage presence you’d expect of one too. Her set is underscored with an excellent soundtrack, mixed live by her long-term collaborator Steve Zehentner, which gives the whole thing a wonderful energy...

Cornermen

Cornermen treads a well-worn narrative path: the tale of a young man, plucked from obscurity to rise to fame and success. However, this is as much the story of our young hero, boxer Sid Sparks (Andrew Livingstone), as his ruthless mentor, Mickey (portrayed excellently by James Barbour)...

Burning Books

Review
★★★★★
Edinburgh Fringe
Chiquito
15th Aug, 2015

Jess Green cares about education. She’s passionate about it (though she’d hate me using that word). It’s written all over her face and in every word of every poem she performs...

John Lennon: In His Own Write

Review
★★★
Edinburgh Fringe
Voodoo Rooms
15th Aug, 2015

John Lennon was not only a Beatle, but also a skilled short fiction writer, poet and doodler. His first book In His Own Write was published in 1964 – a wildly imaginative collection of various writing and drawings...

Miss Sarah

Review
★★★★
Edinburgh Fringe
Zoo
15th Aug, 2015

Someone has gone missing. At first it’s not entirely clear who or why, but we instantly care. A strong sense of menace is established very quickly, through effective use of a simple set and clever sound and lighting design...

Women's Hour

Review
★★★★
Edinburgh Fringe
Summerhall
15th Aug, 2015

“Doesn’t she look lovely?” Louise Mothersole and Rebecca Biscuit coo again and again, spitting irony. With their clownish face paint and matching school uniform outfits, they look a little ridiculous - a word that defines this show, though not in a negative way...

Tony's Last Tape

I remember hearing Tony Benn speak many years ago, when I was still in school. I had heard quite a few politicians speak and whilst I listened to them all with interest and respect, Benn was the first to make a real impression...

Invisible City

Review
★★
Edinburgh Fringe
Venue 13
14th Aug, 2015

Marie moves from a little village to a big city and it isn’t how she expected. She’s a little ridiculous herself: painfully naive and awkward. The first ten minutes of the show are spent on her simply saying the words ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to us in various ways...

If I Were Me

Antler’s If I Were Me is a visual treat. This bright and punchy production documents the story of Philip – an awkward, undervalued office worker who is quite often outright ignored by his colleagues...

Grounded

Review
★
Edinburgh Fringe
Spotlites
14th Aug, 2015

Grounded is written, performed and directed by Linda McDade. Perhaps it is the fact she has taken on all three of the important creative roles that she has lost perspective on this show...

Lifted

If you can find it, there is some brilliant (and also free – bonus!) storytelling nestled beneath a dark, dingy pub at this year’s Fringe.Ikram Gilani is an unassuming man. He sits quietly on a chair as the audience settle down in the tiny mismatched chairs around the room and we make ourselves comfortable...

A Study on the Stillness of Love

Review
★★★★
Edinburgh Fringe
Zoo Southside
13th Aug, 2015

This is a show with an ambitious script, which shows real emotional intelligence. The language is consistently beautiful, rhythmic and sensuous, using the art of spoken word in interesting ways...

Goodbear

Joe Barnes and Henry Perryment deliver solid, expressive performances in their comedy sketch show. The duo work well together, moving expertly from one sketch to another in one very slick hour...

The Maids

Review
★★
Edinburgh Fringe
Surgeons' Hall
12th Aug, 2015

Jean Genet’s classic play, based on the true story of two maids brutally murdering their mistress, is produced by All Bare Theatre in this rarely performed adaptation by Martin Crimp...

Felicity Ward: What If There Is No Toilet?

What if there is no toilet? Well, you needn’t worry. In Felicity Ward’s gregarious and unashamedly honest set, there is one right onstage. And if you need to go, you can just go (though preferably not actually on the stage), just one of the many ways Felicity Ward makes us feel welcome, whether you’re a man, a woman, or just completely batshit crazy...

4x4 Ephemeral Architectures

Ballet and juggling. Yes, it sounds bonkers but within minutes of this show beginning, the similarities between the two are evident. Both are graceful and seem effortless, though require hard work and concentration to pull off successfully...

Counting Stars by Atiha Sen Gupta

“Some people would kill to have what we have,” says Sophie, describing her job as a toilet attendant in a nightclub. This seems to sum her up. Ever the optimist, seeing the good in everyone and treating her clients like ‘stars’, it’s unclear why she is with persistent pessimist, Abiodun, who describes their job as ‘slavery’...

Echoes by Henry Naylor

Two women on a stage: one in a black gown, one in a white gown; a modern day schoolgirl jihadi and a Victorian intellectual. Why have they been put together? At first, it seems arbitrary – but as the story unfolds and the connections between them become clear, I start to think that Henry Naylor might be a bit of a genius...

I Got Dressed in Front of My Nephew Today

Review
★★★
Edinburgh Fringe
Zoo
9th Aug, 2015

Don’t wear make up to this show. Absolutely, definitely not. Not only will you find yourself wondering why you spend so much money on something so pointless, but you will be brought to tears at least once – perhaps twice, if you count tears of laughter too...

We're Not Dogs

What is love? Is it the crazy infatuations of our teenage years, the strength to make a failing marriage work or the instant bond between parent and child? Or is it something else, completely unique and unexplainable? Steakshed Productions attempt to answer this age-old question in We’re Not Dogs...

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