It was a strange ensemble that made up the ‘Josh Neicho and Friends’ show on this day, but not an bad one. Hosting some of the more unusual acts of the Fringe we were treated to excerpts from Daniel Cainer, Sophie Ramsey and of course Josh Neicho himself in a performance suited to hardcore theatrical viewers.
As the first of the guest artists, Daniel Cainer lightened the mood with some humorous songs on the piano. The audience warmed to his rendition of ‘A Bad Rabbi’ with its clever lyrics and theatre-hall style. He may have taken his soulfulness a little too seriously and played up his Jewish roots too much but his energy and lively songs gave a welcome lift to what could have been a very intense show.
The second of the two guest acts left much to be desired. Opening her repertoire with an unaccompanied Gallic song, Sophie Ramsey didn’t do justice to the lilting and whimsical melody. She had a nice voice, but its weakness was exposed in her following songs, never able to reach the height of emotion they required. Her childlike voice wasn’t unpleasant, however, while her skills on the piano as she accompanied her beautiful lyrics made up for anything lacking vocally. Doing nothing to improve the range and strength of her voice, the addition of a guitar for her last song embellished it with the passionate ambience that was absent from the singing.
Linking his two guest acts together was Josh Neicho himself and his eccentric renditions of poetry. He is a proficient performer and his monologues were very enjoyable, if a little rushed at times. He effortlessly shifted through a variety of themes and it was great to hear a performer championing the power of poetry and speech, especially one who was as accomplished as Josh. However, this show is not for the faint hearted; only the seriously theatrical should attend.
