Thursday 31 July 2014

And It Rises from the Depths...

...and I am just walkin' around the city, enjoy the great freedom of the early Fringe. Bump into a few old pals, check out the places there the internet is free and the coffee is strong... pick up the vibes of the underground, ponder the musicality of political protests...

Welcome to the Vile Blog Fringe Report. Anyone who wants to catch my proper reviews ought to head over the The List. This blog will be full of gossip and nonsense, and pretentious meditations on my star rating strategies.

I am feeling lonely: the rest of The Justice League of Criticism (Lorna Irvine, Elliot Roberts and even cheeky Eric off The Skinny) are still in Glasgow, while I make an early start to prove that I still got the stamina. I popped in to The Traverse, Zoo, Assembly, Underbelly... wearing my hat so that they'll remember me.

I also have heat stroke. The Sawbones said I ought to wear less black and let my bald patch feel the breeze.

The first day is going to spent checking out which comedian has the most smackable face on his poster. It's the most hard fought competition in the Fringe: it is easy to get five stars, as each show is judged on its merit. But the comedians are all in the running for this one, and divide into three approaches: the unbearably smug, the macho arrogant and the pleading wimp. It might be worth dividing this into categories and having a public vote.

Gotta go, gotta show. In the meantime, enjoy today's pick of the Press Releases. I giggled for twenty minutes at this one, until I was asked to leave the office...

HARD TRAVELIN’ WITH WOODY, the critically acclaimed multimedia solo show with the music and
artworks of Woody Guthrie, written and performed by Randy Noojin, plays the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, part of PBH’s Free Fringe at CC Blooms, 23-24 Greenside Lane, Old Town, free everyday Aug. 2-24, 13:45-14:45.  For video, audio, reviews and more, please visit www.HardTravelinShow.com

HARD TRAVELIN’ WITH WOODY began its international tour soon after its critical and box office success at its premiere at FringeNYC.  Randy Noojin channels folk singer, activist Woody Guthrie, as he plays for a union meeting of striking mine workers.  The show is packed with Woody’s wit and humor, over a dozen of his greatest songs, and projections of his astonishing and rarely seen artworks.

Reviews:
“By equating the conditions of Depression-era America with those of today, writer-performer Randy Noojin invests…his one man show about Woody Guthrie, with topicality and urgency, rescuing it from mere homage and transforming it into a call for united action against greed…Blows the dust off such Guthrie standards as ‘Bound for Glory’ and ‘This Land is Your Land,’ restoring their intended sting and deepening their soulfulness.” BACKSTAGE.COM
“Noojin delivers one of the delights of the fest…captures the spirit of Woody…solid, entertaining work that should travel far and wide in these hard times, just like Guthrie himself.”  HUFFINGTON POST
“A constant delight…jokes and verbal plays make the spoken sections a pleasure to listen to but what is more of a pleasure is getting to hear Woody’s songs.  This is a great show for Guthrie fans and for those hearing these songs and stories for the first time.”  NYTHEATRE.COM




Hard and woody in the same title. Genius.

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