Festival Previews Video Blog

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Now known as Absolut Fringe, the Dublin Fringe kicked off with great raz!  On from the 5th to 20th September check out some of the artists performing at this year’s ABSOLUT FRINGE!

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Round oval multi-coloured luminous eggs themed the launch of the 63rd Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme.  This exciting out of the box visual viral symbolizes anticipation of the Fringe - engage that imagination to find out what’s inside the egg!

Perhaps it also heralds an interesting observation - a beginning possibly; the most promising being, Kath M Mainland as the new Chief Executive of the Fringe Society.   Taking the reins after last year’s unfortunate events, there was considerably less raz at this year’s launch held at the EICC compared to last year.   We should be gratefull however, that with a recession in full swing, the Fringe’s programme stats are up!  A promising light at the end of the tunnel perhaps?   So sit back and watch the video, there’s great information to be gleaned and so much more interesting than a long read.  Eggs-actly!

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It’s such a refreshing change to celebrate Burns by exploring one of the more fundamental influences of his life - his family.  After all, if it weren’t for family, what are we?  As part of the Homecoming Scotland 2009 festivities, members of The Grants Braes Burns Club of East Lothian have uniquely championed the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns with an inspiring  tribute to “The Mother of All Burns”.

Written and directed by the acclaimed BAFTA award winning playwright, Andrew Dallmeyer, this superb  dramatic programme of song, music and verse celebrates the intriguing family connection of Robert Burns with the county of East Lothian.   As early as last year, this strong historical theme was also present in another of Andrew Dallmeyer’s much acclaimed works, The Battle of Pots ‘n’ Pans which premiered in Prestonpans and also at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

As The Mother of All Burns, Juliet Cadzow of Balamory fame superbly captures the spirit of Agnes Broun as she scales the depths of this character and resurrects those sunken sensations of a distant past.  She skilfully reveals to the audience a most fascinating individual, highly intelligent, albeit sadly illiterate who passed on to Burns the traditional songs and ballads that made her son the much loved and celebrated poet he is today.

As they say, no great story should be without great music and Coreen Scott’s beautiful voice, utterly joyful, fills the grand vaulted ceiling of The Great Hall at Lennoxlove, (the estate which Burns’ brother Gilbert was employed as Factor).  Coreen is a member of the lively folk trio, Laverock which I was lucky enough to see at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2007… and bought the CD too ~ just superb!!

The simple humanity of The Mother of All Burns is a superbly crafted piece of work.  Bob Mitchell & David Murray from The Grants Braes Burns Club are top-notch in their supporting roles which local audiences thoroughly enjoyed.  Hopefully this most refreshing of dramatic works will be seen again and again…

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Check out David Devant and His Spirit Wife who are previewed here with their haunting music.  They were on for one night only at Fletch @ St. Andrews at the beginning of the Brighton Fringe.  This Brighton based glam-pop band take their name from the famous British Victorian magician David Devant.  To find out where they will be performing next, check out their MySpace web pages and website.

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Check out some raw stompin’ mountain music with The Curst Sons performing at  Brighton’s Fringe City.  Based in Brighton these rootin tootin sons are Willie Kerr (vocals and percussion);  Tim Dunkerley (mandolin, side guitar and vocals); and Dave Simner on Lead Guitar and vocals.  For more information about The Curst Sons do check out their website.