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The Fringe Festival.......and a book
Summer again....the time of year when I have to write reviews of films I see and books I read.

First.....The Fringe Festival!
(Sorry about this if it's too long but I forgot how to do cuttags, it's been a while)

Here are reviews of all the Fringe shows I saw last week

Confessions of a Class Clown
Another play by Monster Theatre the company that last year did the hilarious production called "Fringe Show: A Love Story". The play was in monolouge form which was a good choice for the play. The play was the story of the life of Ryan Gladstone up to the point where he begins to enjoy life again after the events of his childhood. In school Ryan was a Class Clown who always misbehaved. He was fueled by the laughter of others. After an expulsion he decided to become a real clown in an attempt to fight a system he had been fighting all his life (The govermental school system).

But when he saw his old schoolfriend, the same age as him, but married with kids he stopped his job as a clown and submitted up to the system.

The acting in the play is good, Ryan Gladstone is good at being funny and that is the role required.

The United States of America Doesn't Exist
In one word: Surreal. This play was put on by a bunch of college students who wanted nothing but to run around the stage making silly jokes and obscure sexual innuendo. There was a Giant Fudgesicle, lots of French people, and a strange guy called President Vlad. You'd have to see it to believe it.

Ariadne's Thread
Probably the best Fringe Show I saw this year was this play. It was set starting in a fishing boat just off the coast of Alaska and then set under the water (literally under the water). A man lives on the fishing ship but can't take it anymore so he jumps off only to wake up under the water. He makes new friends and has lots of fun. Great acting too.

Stand-Up Comedy act
Just a normal stand up comedy act focusing on the comedians journeys to different parts of the world.

Juliet and Romeo
This was another in the line of strange shakespeare adaptations. A version of Romeo and Juliet where the gender roles are reversed. Only 2 actors star in this play, a man playing Juliet and a woman playing Romeo. They play all the other roles as well.

Good use of ladders.

That's it for the Fringe this year. Now onto a novel....

Novel: The Chrysalids by John Wyndham

The chrysalids is a great post-apocalyptic novel set in Labrador, one of the places least affected by the strange mutations that plants, animals and people are having all over the world. The characters develope, the plot is exciting and engaging, there are lots of great little details. This is a great, well written novel but I wouldn't want to spoil
it for people who haven't read it.