Street Theatre Reviews
SHAKESPEARE JUKEBOX - Buxton Drama League
Opera House Forecourt
14th July 2010
You might be able to store 100s of Shakespearean quotes on your MP3 player. But can that really beat having a dozen live scenes available at the insertion of a peg?
Yes, Shakespeare Jukebox is back again this summer by popular demand enlivening the pre-Opera scene on the Opera House Forecourt. An energetic trio from Buxton Drama League, move fluidly from "All the world's a stage" to "Lay on Macduff" to "Put out the light, and then put out the light" with scarcely a word awry and only one or two prop and costume malfunctions. It's great fun and the actors don't take themselves too seriously: it is rather difficult to present the full grim cut and thrust of Macbeth and Macduff's duel when your trousers are falling down and your deadly plastic sword breaks in half!
We say every year that it would be great to have more street theatre on the Fringe. So hats off to Buxton Drama League for bringing back their entertaining show.
Barbara Wilson
FRINGE SUNDAY - Buxton Festival Fringe
Fringe Sunday, like the Fringe, goes from strength to strength. Each year it is bigger and better.
This year on a sunny afternoon the audience averaged about 800 people for two and a half hours to watch shows on the bandstand, in front of the bandstand and on the promenade. Jesters, jugglers, actors, dancers, musicians wandered at random and there was so much orange Dutch football fans thought they were back home. I tried to claim we had the colour first but they weren't having it.
We have so many people to thank but first shout must go to Keith Savage who with insouciant ease pulls things together without ever showing signs of stress. Johnny McGrother assisted by Eric Butterley and Stuart Kelly ran excellent sound and once again Dan Large and Lucy Jones were our compêres. Karen, Kim amd Kim ran the children's tent and the face painting had queues all afternoon.
The Fringe is of course always indebted to its entrants and Fringe Sunday is indebted to all those who turn up to do a turn, hand round fliers and create the wonderful buzz that surrounded us this year.
Officially in the programme were:
Tongue in Chic, Spiral, First Movement Performance Company ,Tideswell Male Voice Choir , J & C , The Ring of Stones , Laughs from Leicestershire, Al Howell , Jester of Buckingham, Belly Dance Flames ,The Bright and Shiny Radio Show , Hayden Cohen , High Jinx , Elvis - Dolls House Productions . The Great Dome Art fair were there, as was Kooky Babooshka.
Milk and School Ties also appeared and many others joined in anyway.
Hendrick's Gin Train was available for a quick cool nip and "A delightfully peculiar peek and speak".
Heartiest thanks to you all.
John Wilson