Blogs and Columns 0

Paul Levy talks to Reuben Hunter about The Hoard “How much stuff is too much stuff? When does saving something for a rainy day become hoarding? Are you keeping hold of things because you’re afraid of letting other things go Part happy, part sad, part silly, but altogether funny, The Hoard is a stand-up comedy […]

Paul Levy talks to Lyralen Kaye from Another Country Productions about Many Trump Refugees in One Body. A panicked run to Canada…  A partner who only wants to keep her job at Harvard.. And a secret you never wanted to tell…  What could possibly go wrong? Many Trump Refugees in One Body is the hilarious […]

                  Paul Levy talks to Tom Corradini about visual comedy and physical theatre show (by Michele Di Dedda and Tom Corradini)  I Fratteli Lehman which plays at the London Clown Festival. “A nouveau clown show about the story of the Fratelli Lehman, a couple of bankers and financiers […]

Paul Levy talks to Gingzilla about Gingzilla: Glamonster Vs The World. “The multi-award winning 7ft GLAMONSTER is on a mission to CONQUER THE WORLD. Set in a 1950’s drive-in movie (Godzilla, Attack of the 50ft Woman, King Kong), experience this behemoth sized Bearded Lady-Man as she tears up the stage, questions your orientation and leaves […]

Paul Levy talks to Nathan Parkinson from The Pretend Men about Police Cops in Space. “Following three sell out runs at Soho Theatre, multi award-winning comedy trio The Pretend Men return with their critically acclaimed EdFringe 2017 sell-out show ‘POLICE COPS IN SPACE’; an ’80s ‘Low-Fi Sci-Fi’ set in the most dangerous place on Earth… […]

        Paul Levy talks to Gregory Gudgeon and Lisa Wolfe about Puppet King RIchard II. Returning to the very tiny subterranean but hugely atmospheric cave at ONCA Gallery after last Festival’s popular run, Pocket Epics’ “impishly creative” (The Stage) production, looks set to entrance audiences once again. Ex-King Richard faces a big […]

Paul Levy talks to Douglas Walker about Of Christmas Past. “Christmas is a time for joy and happiness, but there is a sinister secret at the heart of the stories we tell. Douglas Walker unravels a shocking true story with his ingenious new comic play. In an absurd and incredible one-man epic, he embodies a […]

Paul Levy talks to Sarah Hickingbottom from Brass Tacks Theatre about The Woman Who Conceived the Pill. Sarah talks about how the idea for the play came about, its importance and the process of researching and writing it. “It’s 1918, and a woman who adores men is dreaming of ‘a pill taken like aspirin’ to […]

Paul Levy talks to Paul Zenon about Paul Zenon’s Hellfire Club with the Urban Voodoo Machine. “Step right down for a debauched carnie cabaret within tent, hosted by magic roustabout and snake-oil peddler Paul Zenon, TV trickster and longtime ‘La Clique’ ringmaster. Featuring bourbon-soaked gypsy bop n stroll legends ‘The Urban Voodoo Machine Marching Band’, […]

Paul Levy talks to Claire Alizon Hills and Richard Priestly from Topsy Turvey Theatre about Christopher’s Caterpillars. “Christopher Nibble and his best friend Posie have been busy growing plants and food in their garden whilst taking care of their six hairy pet caterpillars. But when their crawly comrades disappear without a trace, the gardening guinea […]

Paul Levy talks to Joseph J Clark about Drunk with a Pen. “In May 2018, Joseph J Clark makes his debut at Brighton Fringe festival, bringing 13.5 poems about drink and drinking back to their spiritual home of Brighton. “This live show will feature of mixture of poems from the book, as well as new […]

Paul Levy talks to Matthew Callow about Neon Moon. It is Matthew’s debut at Brighton Fringe. He talks about his music, what inspires him and how his latest album and show came into being. “Vocalist and synth-pop artist Matthew Callow presents a galactic exploration of love and affection. Live music accompanied by a projected film […]

Paul Levy talks to Simon Plotkin about Do The Thing The Two Man Made-Up Musical. “From the minds behind Brighton improv titans Off the Cuff and Blanket Fort comes a full-throttle fully-improvised musical performed in full by only two men (plus one on guitar). The plots, the tunes, the dance routines; all spontaneous every time! […]

Paul Levy talks to writer Tim Coakley about new comedy What’s Wrong With Monotony? “This brand new comedy will offer laughter! Passion! Fun! Action! Fascinating characters! A love story! A villain! Songs! A play-within-a-play! … But only if its couch-potato hero can get off the sofa and write it. Will he write it in time? Will […]

Paul Levy talks to director Jack Christiansen from Bootcamp Productions about Spin City by Karen Bartholomew. “Monday afternoon. Not much going on besides a robbery and chores at Spin City launderette. Margaret has health issues that could be better addressed; Jud hates his job and his dad; Teddy just lost his, and maybe his wife; […]

Paul Levy talks to Tristan Wolfe from Most Curious Productions about Finding Yourself Offside. “Finding Yourself Offside is a play tackling the issues of coming out as gay from two different perspectives. There are two guys in seperate therapy, they do not know each other but both have very different issues with being open about […]

Paul Levy talks to Peter Gardiner about Two Bit Productions‘ version of his play Bully Beef. “From the makers of the horror/sci-fi podcast ‘Whisper Through the Static’ comes a new play inspired by true events. September 1916, the Somme, a British tank breaks down during an advance and now the crew, fresh from training, must […]

Paul Levy talks to Alison Williams-Bailey from Root and Branch Theatre about Creation Song Norse Myths Storytelling. “Stories from the Norse myths and legends with ballad song, galdr chant and ancient Eddic poetry. This performance tells the story of the Vanir tribe of Norse deities and their influence on creation. It includes a ritual or […]

  Paul Levy talks to Andrew Allen from Cast Iron Theatre about One Woman Alien and Year Without Summer. One Woman Alien – “In theatre, no one can hear you scream: one hour, one woman, one cult movie!  Returning from the success of her award-nominated Edinburgh Fringe show, ‘Cacophony’, the “impossible to forget” (The List) Heather-Rose […]

Paul Levy talks to Frode Gjerløw from Superbolt Theatre about The Jurassic Parks. “Superbolt present their sell-out, multi award-winning, laugh-out-loud spin on Spielberg’s classic. Welcome to the unlikely setting of Lyme Regis Community Centre, where the Park family embark on a journey to a misty past. Where, when things go wrong, family feuds are faced […]

Paul Levy talks to Stephanie Palacino about The Impossible, Improbable & Unlikely Adventure Of… “Take a journey, following the impossible steps of an eccentric explorer, through improbable terrains to unlikely encounters, in this walk-through immersive theatre experience through a 150-year-old guest house. Groups of six max per adventure, running every 15 mins from the start […]

Paul Levy talks to Roy Hutcins and Sue Bradley from Brainfruit about Bear North. “A comic combo including a dancing bear – yep, probably the only show in the Fringe to have one. Created by multi-award-winning comedian and director Roy Hutchins – recent winner of the ‘Best ensemble production’ at the Wellington Fringe for ‘Fiery […]

          Paul Levy talks to Michael James Parker about Peripheral Visionaries, a new poetry and spoken word festival in Brighton, Hammer and Tongue Brighton, and another looming battle between Poets and MCs – and possibly stand-up comedians, and considers that poetry unites them, and us all. Paul Levy talks to Michael James […]

          Paul Levy talks to Miranda Porter about S/he/it Happens, a piece of physical theatre comedy exploring dysphoria and identity. “Gender exploration, physical exasperation, breast manipulation. Stuck between the gender binary and armed with only a pair of boxers and a photo of a male model, one individual sets out on […]

            Paul Levy talks to J D Henshaw from Sweet Venues. J D reflects on what makes Sweet Venues unique, its “cultural family” ethos. He describes how Sweet finds and creates performance spaces and shares some personal reflections on why it is important to keep venues on a human scale. […]

Paul Levy talks to Witt’n Camp about Witt ‘n Camp SWAG. This is not comedy yet it makes people laugh, a lot of people, and a lot. Comedy or theatre? Comedy from theare? Paul Levy tries to understand and enjoys the attempt… “Following their hit, sell-out shows in Brighton and Soho, this outrageous double-act present […]

Paul Levy talks to Luke Rollason about Luke Rollason’s Planet Earth (Is a Work in Progress) – clown comedy without a red nose in sight. “A low-budget, one-man nature documentary set in a future where our worst predictions came true. Following ecological collapse, thousands of endangered species are extinct, including the BBC. But one plucky (and […]

          Paul Levy talks to John Hinton about Ensongclopedia of Animals. “26 animal songs, one for each letter of the alphabet. Learn fascinating facts about extraordinary echinoderms, distressed damselflies, crazy corals, batty beetles and amazing archispirostreptuses. Expect the unexpected and expect it to rhyme. The brand-new show from John Hinton, multi-award-winning […]

Welcome the the reviewer briefing (Updated 2019)) for Reviewers for FringeReview. This is an important summary of our standards, how to review for us and our review ratings. Reviewer Briefing 2018 x

Paul Levy talks to Yvette May from Happenings Theatre Company about 10 Steps to Happiness. “We’re born, we go to nursery, school, college and sometimes university. We’re taught to work, not how to be happy. A better job? A boyfriend? A holiday? Failing that I decided to search the internet: How to be happy? Easy! […]

Paul Levy talks to Gary Sefton about BRICTT Presents UNEXPECTED ITEM IN THE BAGGING AREA. “200 years after Mary Shelley created Frankenstein, the race to replicate humanity still fascinates us. In this era of single-use everything, can we trust ourselves to not to abandon our own creations?  Directed by critically acclaimed Gary Sefton (NT, RSC) […]

Paul Levy talks to Jessica Cheetham about The Spark Factory. “Spun Glass Theatre present ‘The Spark Factory’: a powerhouse of new, bold and daring performance ideas. The curated programme this year includes spoken word, puppetry, dance, music and new writing. Seven different artists perform on seven different nights. See our website for the full programme.” […]

Paul Levy talks to Adrian Jameson about Mr D’s Tales of Myth and Legend by The Other Realm Theatre Company. “Come on a journey back in time as Mr D regales you with fabulous tales of ghosts, monsters, the Devil, and more. Storytelling and theatre combine to bring these myths and legends to life in […]

Paul Levy talks to Emily Carding from Brite Theatre about Hamlet (An Experience). “After breaking new ground and touring the world with their multi award-winning ‘Richard III (A One Woman Show)’, Brite Theater are making Shakespeare even more immersive with this new production of ‘Hamlet’ directed by Kolbrun Bjort Sigfusdottir. Emily Carding plays Hamlet and […]

Paul Levy talks to Chelsea Newton Mountney about Blue Sky Thinking. “Spreadsheets, filing cabinets, and photocopiers. Penny has traded a life of creativity for a world of water coolers, cubicles, and plastic plants. ‘Blue Sky Thinking’ is the story of a woman seduced by the fluorescent strip lights of the corporate machine, opting into a world […]

          Paul Levy talks to James Weisz about The Adventures of Robin Hood. James brings musical theatre to the stage with success, heart and by combining adult and youth actors to create classic, ensemble work. In this interview he tells us about The Adventures of Robin Hood and the joy of staging […]

                Paul Levy talks to James Weisz, producer, about This Boy Tom by Natalie Sexton, as the 2016 Brighton Fringe hit returns. “A life-affirming story of acceptance, courage and friendship. Tom starts at a new school and is met with bullying, but, with new girl Flora’s arrival is […]

                  Paul Levy talks to Sam Rush from the Brighton Spiegeltent. Sam tells Paul Levy about the two unique, beautiful venues – The Spiegeltent and the Bosco, both home to a wide variety of shows at this year’s Brighton Fringe. “Our Spiegeltent was built around 1920 and […]

              Paul Levy talks to Jonathan Brown about Paul Levy talks to Jonathan Brown about You Can’t Watch This Play (Again). “Multi-award-winner, Jonathan Brown, takes you on a wildly subversive, newly-discovered-each-performance journey, with live musical score (David Molz) and in-the-moment plunges into worlds you’ve been told ‘do not exist!’ (and to shut […]

              Paul Levy talks to James Mannion about The Manifestation of Trim Tab Jim. What is a Trim Tab? What is our world is a computer simulation? And why is James back at the Fringe with a follow up to The Reincarnation of Trim Tab Jim? Ah! That’s because […]

              Paul Levy talks to Brian Mitchell about Whaddya Know – We’re in Love! The Foundry Group are back at the Fringe with a brand new musical. Brian talks about how the show came into being and the notion of nostalgic theatre. “All aboard! Full steam ahead on SS […]

            Paul Levy talks to Daisy Jordan and Ulysses Black from Barely Human Puppets about The Sorrowful Tale of Sleeping Sidney. “A grotesque, darkly comic Victorian story of obsessive love, murder, and confectionery. Seven lavish glove-puppets and one narrator-puppeteer bring you this tale inspired by the real Brighton Chocolate Cream […]

          Paul Levy talks to Jolie Booth from Kriya Arts about Sisterhood and Museum of Ordinary People. Sisterhood: “Scratch performance: Three women, aged 20, 40 and 60 (but not a virgin, mother or hag in sight), set about unpicking the fine weave of our existence, re-examining with fresh and furious eyes […]

          Paul Levy talks to Lisa Douglas about Mr Frank’s Cotton Club, a brand new immersive theatre piece, featuring some of Brighton’s finest theatre and musical talent. “The famous Mister Frank presents a debauched prohibition themed night of live music, Charleston lessons, dancing and plenty of drinking! Meet at the Warren […]

              Paul Levy talks to writer Bill Knowleden about a new full-length play, Neverwant,  from Bite-Size Plays. How do you turn a successful ten-minute play into a successful full=length one? “Created from the brilliant pens of our own Bill Knowleden and Thomas Willshire we’ll perform this exciting new work […]

We are privileged to welcome Brian Mitchell, Jerry Rulf, Amy Sutton, Glen Richardson and David Mounfield from The Foundry Group for a joint (and hopefully joined up) Guest Blog to accompany their new show, Whaddya Know – We’re in Love! at the Rialto Theatre, Brighton. “All aboard! Full steam ahead on SS Freedonia for the craziest […]

FringeReview welcomes Karen Baker and Lisa Douglas as guest bloggers for their Brighton Fringe show, Mr Frank’s Cotton Club. “The famous Mister Frank presents a debauched prohibition themed night of live music, Charleston lessons, dancing and plenty of drinking! Meet at the Warren Box Office for your passage to the most talked about secret location at […]

  SETTING THE STAGE Initial thoughts following the realisation that the puppet show The Sorrowful Tale of Sleeping Sidney, being a tale of Victorian Brighton, might be best served by puppets that carry a ‘Punch n Judy’ seaside feel, artist and creator Daisy Jordan considered whether the show might actually be performed within the recognizable […]

We are delighted to welcome James Mannion, writer, actor and singer in The Manifestation of Trim Tab Jim, as a guest blogger for FringeReview. Here, James shares the one-page manifesto that sits at the heart of this mind-bending political sci-fi musical theatre show. The Manifestation of Trim Tab Jim plays throughout May/June in the Brighton Fringe […]

  “Not Talking” by Mike Bartlett Arcola Theatre April 25th – June 2nd 2018 Not Talking is a Co Production between The Arcola and Defibrillator Theatre Simon Slater – Composer & Sound Designer May 23rd 2018 James Hillier the director of Not Talking and I had worked together a couple of times in the theatre-writing […]

We are delighted to welcome our final week Guest Blogger at the Edinburgh Fringe. Gavin will be continuing his thoughts and reflections back in Australia. Gavin’s Fringe comedy show is called Mediocre as F*ck “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most mediocre of all? In his 2016 debut show, Gavin shared the story […]

We are privileged to welcome Walter DeForest as a guest blogger for FringeReview. Walter’s show, Van Gogh Find Yourself #VGFY, is part of PBH’s Free Fringe. “Based upon the letters of Vincent and Theo and the Memoirs of Vincent’s stay in Auvers-sur-Oise by Adeline Ravoux, DeForest sets the record straight on a true artist’s personal struggle […]

(Back to our main Blogs page) We are delighted to welcome back Gavin Robertson, whose new show, Slooshy Wordshow comes to the Fringe. You can follow me on Twitter – where I’ll be posting throughout –https://twitter.com/comgavrob Or (this year) in my Poet persona of ‘Greg Byron‘ on https://twitter.com/gregbyronwords web:  https://www.gavinrobertson.com/   OR/AND  http://www.gregbyron.co.uk/ Greetings All, Just a […]

We are delighted to welcome Nigel Osner as a guest blogger at Buxton Festival Fringe. Nigels’ show, Angel to Vampire runs at Underground Venues 10th & 12th July (10pm-10.50pm). Read our Endinburgh Fringe 2016 review here. Visit our main Buxton Fringe page here 18th July 2017 -So I am now back from the Buxton Fringe. Unlike […]

We occasionally cover Fringe in Canada though we are not based there. We covered Hamilton Fringe in 2016. We hope to cover more Fringe in Canada in the future. Contact us if you are a theatre maker and are interested in reviewing voluntarily for us. This was our 2016 coverage. 2017 coverage coming soon. Welcome […]

  THE COLUMN Reflections on Fringe from FringeReview founder, Paul Levy Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in this blog are not necessarily the views held by FringeReview. Please address any complaints concerning anything offensive or inaccurate in these blogs to our editors at gubbins@fringereview.co.uk August 29th 2018 – The EdFringe Ticking Bomb Have a […]

  Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed in this blog are not necessarily the views held by FringeReview. Please address any complaints concerning anything offensive or inaccurate in these blogs to our editors at gubbins@fringereview.co.uk The Archive for 2014 is here The Archive for 2013 is here The Archive for 2012 is here. The Archive for […]

A Guest Blog for 2016 by Zelah Senior at Brighton Fringe. Watch this space for a new blog for 2017   About Zelah Zelah has many years’ experience in the arts, not only in the UK, but also in South Africa, Sri Lanka and the Balkans. She initially studied English literature, has spent much of her […]

Welcome to our coverage of Hollywood Fringe which is now over for 2019. The Fringe has a rich and exciting programme across all of the genres. Essential Links Visit the Hollywood Fringe web site Read our 2018 reviews Find a show Find a venue Join them on Facebook Follow them on Twitter View them on Instagram […]

Thanks for accessing my blog! Over the last few years I have been visiting theatres in Scotland representing Fringe Review and building up our profile in Scotland before the annual jamboree that is Edinburgh! I shall be recounting tales, telling stories and reflecting upon all things fringe theatre that comes my way through this blog. […]

13th May 2015 FringeReview, The Theater Maker I’m using this column entry to remind myself (and you reading) that FringeReview is a publication written by people working in theatre – people writing, directing, researching, supporting and, most of all, making theatre. We’re not journallists. As founder of this thing, that also includes me. I make […]

Follow the exploits of our trusty FringeReview columnist, FringeReview founder Paul Levy.

An archive for 2012 from our columnist Paul Levy

Archive for 2011

 The archive from 2010 of the thoughts of FringeReview founder – Paul Levy

The 2009 Archive