Seems that today has been a bit of an up and down down for both Laura and myself.

Trench by Les Infants Terribles

For an award-winning show, I genuinely don't understand what the fuss is about. Trench is all style and little substance. 

The show takes the story of a miner trapped in a tunnel during WW1, emerging into a strange sinister world beneath the soil which acts as an obvious parallel to the gruesomeness of the war itself. Mixing projection, puppetry, storytelling and live music, the production is an interesting visually, but is ultimately rather glossy at a cost to the core of the story itself.

The narrative is told in a story-telling style, which results in large chunks of exposition, so that there is little chance for the audience to be affected by any of the acting itself, as nothing is left for ourselves to discover. The puppetry is a little shaky at times, and the story told through the puppets as the protagonist undertakes three tasks in order to win his freedom is only of relative interest: whilst it is obviously linked to the War, the darkness it attempts to communicate is an understatement of the actual darkness contained by the horrors of War. Indeed, the puppetry and mythologising of the war do more to distance and nullify the  bleakness than bring out the brutality that War requires. 

On the other hand, Alexander Wolfe's soundtrack is stunning, and whilst the contemporary tone is partly at odds with the mood of the play at times, it does much to bring out the epic atmosphere of the show.

Trench spends far too much time indulging in its technology and its form seems to be more for the use of puppetry, projection, etc, than because that is the best way for this story to be told. Shows at the Fringe, particularly the Free Fringe demonstrate that props and set are always secondary to good storytelling and performance; if a show in a room above a pub is more gripping than a fully fledged production on stage then you are doing something wrong.

Trench is at the Pleasance Courtyard until the 26th August, at 14:45.

Speaking of, Bette Davis Ain't For Sissies at PBH's Free Fringe is a real treat. Jessica Sherr captures Davis' debonair and rebellious essence, and tells a story of ambition, isolation, acceptance and the search for beauty. 

Having won two oscars, not one but two, and she repeatedly reminds us, Davis contemplates the world of 1930's and 40's Hollywood. With calls from her mother, arguments with heads of the big production companies, her history is a rich one, full of determination and integrity to her own beliefs. Although Davis is rather an abrasive character in many ways, Sherr makes her compelling for her audience, and her performance is near-flawless.

Bette Davis Ain't for Sissies is a bit of slow-burner, but once Sherr has engaged you in the gloss and dirt of Hollywood, you'll soon be asking for more. 

Watch Bette Davis at 12:45 at Fiddler's Elbow as part of PBH's Free Fringe, until the 24th August.

This Was Your Life Quiet Nice Theatre

What I loved about this show was that it did what it did really well. It may not have been an life-changing piece of work but it was a lot of fun, and a joy to watch. 

This Was Your Life is an original comedy-musical where the audience decide the protagonist's fate, whilst his life is reviewed through a gameshow version of purgatory of sorts. Whilst the concept is perhaps a little rough in places, the audience easily suspend their disbelief, with the energy and warmth of the actors' performances winning them over. 

The script is well written, and the humour misses the usual pit-falls many early writers fall in to, such as when we meet Mimi, played by the actor Sam Harding, which could have easily been a target for cheap drag jokes, but is instead an compelling and hilarious character in herself. 

The songs are a little low in production value, but the tone and lyrics hit the spot, pushing the story onwards and maintaining the great atmosphere of the piece. The performances are pretty sharp as well, with the three cast members taking upon a large array of roles which they sing and dance through with great ability.

Another example of what is good about the Fringe, where a low-budget show can triumph over others because the core of the show is thought out and executed well. It may not be Shakespeare, but This Was Your Life is a certainly a ruddy good show. 

This Was Your Life is at Just the Tonic at the Caves, 21:00 until the 25th August.

Crying Out Loud presents La Poeme. I really loved this piece, but it is one of those exceptional pieces of performance that are near impossible to put into words. Jeanne Modoj is a rather unique performer, and her show is a embodiment of her regards towards femininity, in theory. Though I would struggle to say what these views are, her performance is stunning, at times absurd and at times beautiful. A real personal piece of theatre, you have to suspend your comprehension in many ways to enjoy this piece; La Poeme is not a piece to be rationalised and put into compartments but one to enjoy the experience of whatever it means for you personally, even if it is just an appreciation of its surreal nature. 

Again, another example of the Fringe at its best, where an alternative idea of what performance and theatre is can be more readily accepted. If you looking for something a bit different, or fancy expanding your horizons a little, La Poeme is well worth a watch.

Crying Out Loud presents La Poeme is at the Summerhall, 19:45 until the 25th August.