Fringe day 3

We started the day with a freebie: Cabaret Chordelia: Making a song and dance at Ghille Dhu. It is an amazing new venue, we loved loved loved it and intend to go there for drinks often. Very civilised for a Fringe show too, without all the usual sweating in a packed cave. The show was... dull. Some guy sang along mournfully to a piano whilst girls in burlesque-style dances pranced about a bit. The singing wasn't quite good enough, the outfits weren't quite sexy enough, and the choreography looked like a kid made it up in her bedroom. If it was supposed to be self-deprecating, it wasn't either crap or witty enough. Nah. (2*)

The noise next door: Chaos control were next, an absolutely wonderful improv show which I could not recommend more highly or fault in any way. I'm sure they have a structure and set pieces and songs which they amend to fit the suggestions of the night, but it worked really really well and was a very slick performance that appeared completely spontaneous. They had S up on stage and he really threw himself into it and got some laughs, we were very proud. (5*)

Thirdly, Nina Conti: Talk to the hand (pictured) is an excellent ventriloquist with a filthy mouthed monkey. I cannot describe her in any way to do her justice - it shouldn't work but it really does. I've seen about four of her shows over the year and she's great. (4*)

Barockestra: Rocking the classics finished off the evening, for another free show (to us blaggers). This was some middle aged guys performing rock interpretations of classical music, accompanied by a powerpoint presentation with tongue-in-cheek explanations about the history of the music. Sometimes they threw in 20th century music to clumsily demonstrate the roots and inspiration behind modern music. I expect they were trying to make a point in there somewhere. Mostly we laughed at the front-man's leather trousers, and the way another band member looked just like Lucius Malfoy from Harry Potter. Creepy. I absolutely loved it, but in an ironic way. It was awful. (3*)

After the shows we went across to Tigerlily to meet some guys we know and have a few drinks before we went home.