This show marks the 164th anniversary of the visit Chopin made, beleaguered by illness, to Edinburgh in 1848. Not much of an anniversary you might think? Well, you’d be right. However, this is what the show is built on - a passion for Chopin and a drive to bring that as well as some of the pair’s disparate talents to the Edinburgh stage.
The concert-hall performance that has been created here is a lovely and endearing show that you should certainly go and see if you want geographically and locally conscious humour and satire, framed by some exquisite renditions of Chopin’s finest as well as some beautiful singing. It is by turns informative, heartwarming and hilarious.
Each musical interlude is preceded by a short section of informative speech-making, which, while very interesting and presented effectively, does tend to rob some of the power from the lyrics, as they invariably discuss what has just been described.
The Fabulous Chopin Boys are clearly just two men who love their subject and have made a show concerning it, bolstered by mouth organs, guitars, a kazoo and some friends. It takes place in the incredible setting of St. Cecilia’s Hall and is certainly worth making a special trip.
