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Scotsman
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Fringe theatre reviews: Trouble, Struggle, Bubble And Squeak
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Trouble, Struggle, Bubble And Squeak ★★★★ Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) until 24 August The Edinburgh Fringe is not short of solo artists who, faced with a breakup, go on to make deeply self-absorbed shows about how angry they are about their breakup. The theatre-maker and visual artist Victoria Melody, though, is made of sterner stuff; and after previous shows about the worlds of Northern Soul and British undertakers, among other subjects, she decided to move her life on by joining an English Civil War re-enactment society. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It wasn't entirely plain sailing; for a start, Victoria - who wanted to explore England's buried radical history by joining the Roundheads - accidentally signed up for the wrong side. Trouble, Struggle, Bubble And Squeak | Matt Stronge Her interest in the forces behind the English Revolution remained undimmed, though; and she became fascinated by the story of the Diggers, a radical group who refused to accept the power of landlords to remove them, and their means of food production, from the once common land of England. Melody was artist in residence at a housing estate in Brighton at the time; and with the help of her Civil War chums, she was soon organising the community there to re-enact not so much a battle, as a famous act of resistance by Diggers who refused to be shifted from their land. In Trouble, Struggle, Bubble And Squeak - a one-hour solo show written and performed by Melody, and directed by Mark Thomas - all of this is narrated in fine agitprop style, with Melody's pals and comrades in the community represented by vivid black and white photographs on sticks; she also uses small felt vegetables and similar props to bring the story to life. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And while Melody's show may not be the most polished performance of the Fringe, it is one of the most genuinely purposeful and hopeful; reminding us that once people reclaim the soil beneath their feet, and start using it to grow their own food, they are on their way not only to a radically better diet at prices they can afford, but to a true sense of autonomy and empowerment, long lost to the machine age. Joyce McMillan Lymphomaniac ★★★ Just the Tonic at the Caves (Venue 88) until 24 August In 2014, at the age of 22, life was going well for Megan Timpane. An aspiring young actor living in Hollywood, she worked at upmarket handbag and fashion chain Michael Kors, and was about to audition for a Will Ferrell movie. She also has a great line in impersonations, from Britney Spears to Kourtney Kardashian by way of the cast of babies she voice-acted in an animated series, and all are fortunately brought out to play in her show. Then she was diagnosed with cancer, stage 3 Hodgkin's lymphoma, and during her subsequent treatment and recovery she began to put this real-life, one-woman play together to work through her experiences. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In this she pulls hardly any punches, from detailing the embarrassing effects of chemotherapy upon her digestive system, to an amusing montage of wildly differing reactions from friends when she tells them her bad news. While Timpane's exploration of the psychological effects and long-term implications of her recovery feels novel, it's also somewhat overlong and self-analytic, meaning the back end of the play is less dramatic or revelatory. Yet this is a personal piece with plenty of humour and frankness around what Timpane has been through, and it's hard to see how anyone who shares her experiences won't find it a very moving and identifiable piece of work. David Pollock ROTUS: Receptionist of the United States ★★★ Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose (Venue 24) until 24 August Chastity Quirk is an old-fashioned all-American girl from Idaho, with mandatory bottle-blonde hair and a fake innocent high-pitched squeal of a voice. It's no surprise she was a sorority girl at school, a cheerleader who chanted about being 'saved and spicy' to emphasise both her religion and her hotness. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Now she's made it her mission to get into one of the most exclusive clubs in the world – the office of the President of the United States. Beneath Chastity's cheery, can-do surface she's merciless in pursuing this goal, leaving the woke news media and yuppie Democrats in her wake as she carves out a niche as the Receptionist of the United States of America, the woman with her hands on the diaries of power. But has he gotten herself in too deep, and do the leering, crotch-grabbing men of President Drumf's administration have something special in mind for her? On the surface, Leigh Douglas (who is Irish, but the US accent is excellent) has carved out a satisfying character comedy which gets plenty of laughs as it pokes fun at the seat of American power and some of the personality types which populate it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Yet as it nears its conclusion it takes a turn for the darker, leaving the audience in no doubt they've seen an effective political satire as much as an irreverent comedy. David Pollock Body Count ★★★ Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose (Venue 24) until 25 August A roaring rampager of revenge, Lily, the protagonist of Gabrielle Beasley's one-woman show imagines herself as a cross between Harley Quinn and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Initially, however, she's more like the protagonist of Helen Zhavi's novel Dirty Weekend, a woman driven to violence by male aggression. Lily's body count doesn't consist of partners but victims. She feels compelled to kill out of fear of walking the streets alone at night but her deeply sadistic tendencies also suggest a true psychopath. With her black leather biker jacket and short platinum hair, Lily has the iconic female avenger look down but she's also the ultimate unreliable narrator. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Beasley does good work compelling the audience to feel sympathy for Lily — even with her malignant tendencies — but the narrative becomes ever more unbelievable in the aftermath of Lily's murder of a friends abusive partner. This seems intentional as the police officer who turns up at her door is called P.C. Goodhusband (nudge nudge) which signals a sharp turn towards Lily's fantastical view of herself. This certainly doesn't undo all Beasley's good work but it does sit uneasily with the grimy realism of the first half. Rory Ford Baron Vordenburg's Guide to the Paranormal ★ theSpace @ Symposium Hall (Venue 43) until 23 August This sophomoric spectacle initially flatters to deceive, opening with some excellent costumes and the striking presence of Kelly Desiree as The Scarlet Countess. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the show is then surrendered to Baron Vordenburg (Corey Boe) who really lets the side down in his Gap khakis and curious mittel-European accent. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Supposedly a slide-show presentation (albeit without slides) about the undead, the Baron employs two hapless goons to illustrate his vampire hunting techniques. Remarkably, this Dark Pony Radio production comes to us all the way from the U.S.A. yet bears all the hallmarks of a lark dreamed up in the pub at the weekend. Rory Ford Exposure Therapy ★★ Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236) until 23 August In a neat concept for a Fringe show, New York ex-pat Nicole Nadler attempts to conquer her fears – including change, the unexpected and reviews like this – by improvising around post-it notes written by the audience detailing their fears, suggesting truth or dares or directing her to read aloud passages from her teenage diary. 'Push me out of my comfort zone,' she says. The resulting anecdotes from her life are warmly delivered, but a stronger predeveloped framework behind an illusion of improvisation feels like it would benefit someone who is neither a trained actor nor comedian. However, this wouldn't test Nicole in the way she wants to be – and it's a show primarily about her need to do this, rather than the audience's to see something more crafted. Sally Stott Jack Offerman's Big Uncut Flick ★★ Assembly Roxy (Venue 139) until 25 August Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Although considerably slicker and more professionally produced than many Fringe productions, this misfiring parody by New York writer Todd Michael doesn't hit the target. A recreation of a 1970s U.S. TV screening of a less-than classic film noir, Vice Ain't Nice, with some welcome commercial interruptions, the 1930s style movie performances are so broadly overplayed as to be unrecognisable. The script is fatally short of gags and the talented cast have little recourse but to talk faster and act sillier. Kathleen Macari wins a couple of laughs with her portrayals of outdated notions of femininity but — given the obvious effort involved — this really should be much more fun. Rory Ford
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
The battle that reshaped the course of English history
It has been 380 years since the Parliamentarians defeated the Royalists at the Battle of Langport, paving the way for one of the biggest changes in England's Somerset battle effectively ended Royalist control in the West Country, a key strategic region. This boosted Parliamentarian morale and crippled their opponents forces in one morning of believe that the battle of July 1645, fought during the English Civil War, marked a turning point that ultimately led to the execution of King Charles I and the abolition of the Julian Humphrys, of the Battlefields Trust, said: "This battle really was the beginning of the end for the Royalists." Lord Goring led the Royalists for King Charles I, while Sir Thomas Fairfax headed the Parliamentarian's New Model Army, known as the Roundheads, who were a skilled, disciplined Humphrys said the Royalist army was different."They weren't the finest of troops you could say… a bunch of boozers really and their discipline was poor, they didn't have much money."They weren't being payed and they lived by nicking things off the local population who didn't like them in the slightest," he added. Lord Goring was holding an area about one mile east of Langport towards the village of Huish Royalists wanted to buy time so their army could pull back to Bridgwater. They planted musket troops along the hedges, with a few guns to protect the ford was then that the Parliamentarians came in with "a bold attack", said Mr cleared the hedges of Royalists at what is now Picts Hill by sending musketeers meant their cavalry could "splash across the crossing and drive the Royalists back".The Royalist troops did not put up much of a fight after the Roundheads crossed the water and were driven back quickly, he Humphrys added that metal detectors are stilling unearthing musket balls and pistol shots from the action. Some local people who were being affected by the war armed themselves and were known as "clubmen".They would defend their area from the army pillaging their homes using things like cudgels and pitchforks."The reality for the people of the time was disrupted trade, the armies were never very healthy so they spread disease, they damaged buildings, they took people's 1645, the people of Somerset were "very fed up of the war", Mr Humphrys added. Oliver Cromwell Mr Humphrys said Oliver Cromwell, the most famous Roundhead, detailed that he was actually there at the time, but "he was more of a second-in-command"."He was a fairly minor east Anglian MP, but it was these victories which got him promoted gradually over time."This led to him eventually commanding the whole of Parliament's army," Mr Humphrys added. When it comes to commemorating the Civil War, Mr Humphrys said "we need to remember these people were our ancestors"."Many of the ordinary soldiers had very little say of whether they fought or not and the cost of a civil war is a huge tragedy wherever it happens.""A greater percentage of the population died from this civil war than in World War One," he said.
Daily Mirror
11-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
'I passed the UK Citizenship Test but not everyone would'
Do you know your Cavaliers from your Roundheads? Or which British PM created the NHS? I passed the 'Life in the UK' test on my first attempt but it's fair to say it was not easy. As someone who always tries to do better than average at anything I set my mind to, I know for a fact that I didn't exactly ace the exam. The Life in the UK assessment is an integral part of becoming a citizen of the United Kingdom and consists of 24 multiple choice questions to be completed within 45 minutes. A mark of 75 percent is needed to pass the exam and get a foreigner further along the way to British citizenship. Upon arriving at the test centre I was searched. I had to spread my fingers apart and roll up my sleeves to show that I had no writing on my skin. I was a bit surpised by how thorough the anti-cheating checks went but I followed directions as they asked me to lift my long hair. Then it was into the exam where I hoped the hours of study I had put into trying to pass would pay off as I stared into the computer trying to rack my brain. The Government has a number of guides available to help you prepare for the endeavour and I had opted for the three pack option. This pack consisted of the 'Official Study Guide', the 'Offical Guide For New Residents' and the official 'Practive Questions and Answers' books for the total of £27.99. After studying, I booked my exam, which has to be scheduled online at least three days in advance and costs £50. The scores were not revealed and the Scotsman who informed me I had passed wouldn't tell me what mark I achieved - only going so far to say I had passed with a sly smile. But he did confirm that I had not hit 100% when I asked him as a follow-up question. Still, I was grateful that he had told me at the centre as I had an hour-and-a-half journey back to my house and I wanted to be put out of my misery so I could hit the books again if required. Thankfully, this was not needed and the news was positive across the board as my family members who had sit the test also managed to pass first go - to everybody's relief. The tricky thing about the test is the wide variety of topics that it covers and because of this, I would be very surprised if anyone passed it first go without studying. And if they did, they should look at perhaps applying to be on a TV game show to put their knowledge to good use. I had questions about the ice age, historic migration to the UK, Olympic champions, the civil war, past royalty, Crystal Palace and the structures attributed to Isambard Kingdom Brunel. I don't remember all of the inquiries but I do remember thinking that I would have struggled to pass if I hadn't have studied. I've always prided myself on the fact that my general knowledge is decent. I am well read, regularly watch the news and have a decent array of podcasts that I listen to semi-regularly. The main observation I came away from the exercise of passing my Life in the UK test was wondering how people who have English as a second language managed to pass when I struggled - I'm Australian. It was difficult enough for me as a native English speaker to get across the line and I think it would add another dimension to the challenge. I think many British born people would struggle with the test if they had to do it right now because a lot of the knowledge is not commonplace, nor is it all from one area of subjects.
Bloomberg
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Labour Should Stop Fighting Itself and Get Back to Its Roots
Britain's ruling Labour Party was born 125 years ago this month, a marriage between largely middle-class socialist societies and the working-class trade union movement. This created a tension that's existed ever since, with Roundheads who see their party as a vehicle to help the working man (and eventually working women too) lining up against Cavaliers championing lofty ideals about human rights and justice for all.
Observer
10-02-2025
- Business
- Observer
AI's civil war will force investors to pick sides
In their satirical history of the United Kingdom, '1066 And All That', the authors W C Sellar and R J Yeatman cast the English civil war of the 17th century as a conflict between the 'Wrong but Romantic' Cavaliers and the 'Right but Revolting' Roundheads. The aftermath of the release last month of Chinese startup DeepSeek's R1 artificial intelligence model, which matches or outperforms existing offerings from US technology titans at a fraction of the cost, has exposed a similar divide among the world's leading innovators in the field of machine learning. On one side are those who strive for artificial general intelligence (AGI), the point where machines match or surpass human capabilities. Let's call them AI Cavaliers. Facing them are AI Roundheads who are focused on the more mundane goal of solving specific problems as efficiently as possible. Deciding which side to back in this AI civil war will be a defining decision for investors in the world's hottest technology. The AI revolution that has gripped global stock markets for the past two years is driven by three epochal trends. The first is the generation of vast volumes of machine-readable data by the digitisation of almost every aspect of daily life. The second is the collapse in cost of computing power prompted by ever more efficient chips. The third is a dramatic improvement in machine learning algorithms — the software that computers use to extract the signal from the noise in data sets. Together these developments have sparked a step-change in the accuracy of predictive modelling. Every technologist agrees that this revolution is a momentous shift for the world. Where they diverge is on the question of where it can be most valuably applied. DeepSeek's dramatic intervention has thrown the differences between two visions for AI into stark relief. The AI Cavaliers have a romantic vision of what the new machine learning algorithms can achieve. They see it as the royal road to the creation of thinking machines empowered with AGI. Their champions are well-known chatbots such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude. Their weapon of choice is the large language model (LLM), which uses AI's prodigious powers of pattern recognition to predict the next word in a string of text, with mind-bogglingly coherent results. The data they aspire to crunch is no less than the totality of human knowledge — or at least, everything that can be scraped from the internet. Their appetite for computing power is therefore similarly vast. Indeed, in principle, it's limitless. This intoxicating vision is the stuff of science fiction. So it's no surprise that the launch of ChatGPT's original iteration in November 2022 seized the public imagination and ignited a stock market boom. Yet it is haunted by three big questions. The first is the fiercely disputed technical conundrum of whether LLMs can achieve AGI. The second is the commercial dilemma over whether the models have any enduring competitive advantage. Finally, there is the great financial unknown of how much capital spending these ventures will require in the form of semiconductors, data centres and energy. The release of DeepSeek's model amplified all these doubts. Shares in Nvidia, the leading AI chip producer, dropped 17% in a day, wiping out a record of $600 billion of market value. Energy companies whose stocks had risen on forecasts of galloping electricity demand for AI training also took a hit. In the fortnight since, shares in both Microsoft and Google owner Alphabet sank following trading updates which cast doubt on their vast investments in computing capex. Put bluntly, DeepSeek has cast doubt on the return on investment in AGI. — Reuters
