Latest news with #TenThousandHours
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Ten Thousand Hours review – this superhuman squad have put in the time to stun you
This may be the ideal festival show – it has supreme levels of skill but also humour and audience participation. There are gasps and laughs and even a gymnastic game of Pictionary. Australian circus company Gravity and Other Myths have already picked up multiple plaudits for Ten Thousand Hours, originally premiered in 2024 and still packing them in. There's no shortage of Australian circus acts at the fringe, but this is one of the best. Contemporary circus isn't just about the 'ta-da!' moment: it likes to show its workings. It doesn't present tricks as magic but as hard-won rewards for the effort involved. This show is an ode to the countless hours spent building the muscle, the reflexes and the precision skills that allow you to make your living flying through the air. It's also a portrait of a group of friends having a good time. The camaraderie of the crew bounces off the stage as they set themselves challenges and games, starting fairly simply and quickly building difficulty. They do it with a light touch – there's a good bit with a trick shot of throwing a water bottle and getting it to land upright. Then, of course, the troupe casually do the same thing with people, with the same bursting sense of delight. Bodies fly from one human tower to another, spring directly from the floor up on to someone's shoulders, or jump into handstands (backwards, forwards, over the width of six people lying on the floor, balanced on someone else's hands). There's some serious gymnastics going on here; they're flipping all over the flipping place. By showing the audience different versions and slowly ramping up the difficulty, we start to notice the details – whether the acrobats in a three-man tower are holding on to each other or not, for example – things that might otherwise pass by in a blur. Complicated set pieces are deftly choreographed with impeccable timing. But there's also plenty of quirky personality, such as in a scene where they miaow like cats, or when performer Shani Stephens takes amusing suggestions from the audience in an improv bit, inventing an impromptu floor routine in the style of both a dinosaur and a drunk festivalgoer. The team's achievements might seem superhuman but this is a show full of down-to-earth charm. At Assembly Hall, Edinburgh, until 24 August All our Edinburgh festival reviews
Scotsman
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh festivals diary: The X-rated Underbelly press launch and close-to-home Jason Byrne encounter
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... The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has officially kicked off. But for me, it already feels like the city has been in full-on Fringe mode for a lot longer than that. The best of what is on offer at the major venues has been showcased in press galas this week, with everything from the renowned it-shouldn't-work-but-somehow-it-does Garry Starr show - where the comedian is naked from the waist down while performing all Penguin literary classics - to an impressive acrobatic circus such as Ten Thousand Hours, shown in short snippets. Underbelly goes X-rated Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Underbelly decided to take full advantage of the fact that Starr's let-it-all-hang-out appearance meant it had had to slap a 16+ rating on the event. The venue operator also opted to include a steamy performance from jaw-droppingly impressive and scantily-clad contortionist Soliana Ersie of Bernie Dieter' Club Kabarett, as well as live podcast show Brown Girls Do It Too, which saw hosts Poppy and Rubina discuss - and indeed sing about - their no-holds-barred attitudes to sex. The overall vibe was something of a contrast to the welcome address from Underbelly directors Charlie Wood and Ed Bartlam, who took the opportunity to read out their address books in what was presumably a work in progress for a surrealist piece of performance theatre I could see doing well next year. Poppy Jay and Rubina Pabani, hosts of Brown Girls Do it Too podcast and stage version Brown Girls Do It Too: Mama Told Me Not to Come. | Tilted Jason Byrne encounter hit close to home At Assembly, comedian and MC Jason Byrne targeted one woman in the audience who he spotted had left the show to take a phone call. He demanded her companion call her, took the phone from him - and a very public chat ensued, where the woman, Claire, explained in huge detail, with much hilarity from Byrne, the problems her friend was having in arriving in Edinburgh by train. I did think the woman's voice sounded vaguely familiar, but I didn't realise why, until at the Gilded Balloon gala two days later, I ran into Scotsman arts reviewer and my long-time colleague Claire Smith, who sheepishly admitted she had been the mysterious voice on the other end of the phone. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mother-and-daughter team Karen and Katy Koren had an emotional moment at the Gilded Balloon launch, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. A performance by Darby James included a song specially written as an ode to Gilded and the Fringe more generally. 'Get your hankies out,' Karen told the audience, after daughter Katy had already had a bit of a blub, talking about her childhood being 'brought up in Gilded'. Real life Louis One artist has recently had good news after a much-loved TV star agreed to lend his voice to a scene for her Fringe theatre show. Writer and performer Gaia Mondadori's Centre of the Universe at Summerhall includes a scene where the lead character, Mary, imagines being interviewed by documentary journalist Louis Theroux for a series called Driven Women. After reaching out to the broadcaster, he agreed to record the scene so that his actual voice is heard. The comedian is bringing his new show '1994' to the Darwen Library Theatre on February 8 | Show poster Sold out run for Connor Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And finally, three cheers for local boy comedian Connor Burns, who sold out his entire month-long Gallus Fringe run days before the Fringe even began, joining stablemate (they share a producer) Daniel Sloss.
Scotsman
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Ten Thousand Hours – The Fringe's fittest return with guts, glory, and gravity
Eight acrobats. Sixty minutes. Ten thousand hours. One unforgettable Fringe experience. Australia's top acrobats are back with another jaw-dropping hit that celebrates the sweat behind the spectacle Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, 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... Jumping, flipping and flying back to the Edinburgh Fringe this August is Ten Thousand Hours, brought from Australia by Gravity and Other Myths. Fresh from its 2025 Adelaide Critics Circle Award win, eight performers come together in a show that is as emotionally resonant as it is visually stunning. Blending raw humanity with impossible skill, the Australian troupe take audiences behind the curtain revealing the gruelling training and years of camaraderie that defines their journey. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Director Lachlan Binns says: "Ten Thousand Hours is about the excitement of learning something new. Our artists have spent their lives in the pursuit of mastering their craft, whether that be acrobatics, gymnastics, music, or dance and their journeys share remarkable similarities." This isn't just a circus show, it's a tribute to the bodies we rely on and the time we never get back. Ten Thousand Hours Gravity and Other Myths Venue: Assembly Hall Dates: 31st Jul - 24th Aug Time: 6pm Tickets: from £10 Run Time: 60 Mins Age Guidance: 5+
Scotsman
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
House of Oz returns to Edinburgh Fringe with a dazzling line-up
Australian excellence is once again set to take centre stage at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, as House of Oz makes a triumphant return with a vibrant 2025 season showcasing eight dynamic, genre-defying productions. This award-winning philanthropic powerhouse is back to celebrate the ingenuity, humour and boldness of Australian performance, bringing both returning favourites and fresh new voices to the world's largest arts festival. 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... From awe-inspiring circus and sharp political satire to laugh-out-loud family theatre and darkly comic drama, the 2025 programme is a kaleidoscopic celebration of what makes Australian art unmissable. As Georgie Black, Founder and Creative Director, puts it: 'What links all of these amazing shows, apart from being Australian? They all have ground-breaking, genre-busting, ceiling-smashing spirit.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Among this year's highlights, Gravity & Other Myths return to Assembly Hall with Ten Thousand Hours—a high-octane, acrobatic masterclass from the creators of A Simple Space and Backbone. A visceral tribute to the thousands of hours of effort behind excellence, this pulse-racing show is set to sell out fast. Ten Thousand Hours In a major coup, long-time Fringe darlings Circa ascend to the Edinburgh International Festival with Orpheus and Eurydice, their breathtaking collaboration with Opera Australia and Opera Queensland. Fusing operatic passion with physical theatre and aerial choreography, this European premiere features the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Scottish Opera Chorus in a visually stunning retelling of Gluck's classic opera. Comedy lovers and families are in for a treat as The Listies, masters of kidult chaos, return with Make Some Noise at Assembly George Square Studios. Hysterically funny and endlessly inventive, this riotous romp is suitable for humans aged 4 to 400. On the musical theatre front, Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence brings feminist fire and electropop energy to the Fringe. Set in the cut-throat world of competitive school netball, this fierce and funny show explores ambition, loyalty and identity through a uniquely Australian lens—and has already been dubbed the "ultimate Fringe show". Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Back by popular demand, acclaimed choreographer Lewis Major brings TRIPTYCH Redux to Zoo Southside. Following a completely sold-out run in 2024, this emotionally stirring triple bill now features a newly choreographed opening, making it entirely Major's own. This is the last chance to catch it before he takes his work to the International Festival. The Listies Fresh talent is also in the spotlight. FLICK, from Mad Nun Productions, is a powerful one-woman tragicomedy about love, death and questionable choices in a palliative care ward. Written and performed by award-winning Madelaine Nunn, it was shortlisted for the 2022 Rodney Seaborn Playwrights Award and promises to be one of the most gripping new works at Summerhall. Fringe newcomers Crash Theatre Co., winners of the House of Oz Purse Prize, arrive following a stellar run at Adelaide Fringe with their electrifying new musical. They join a line-up that balances seasoned stars with exciting new voices. At Pleasance Courtyard, the innovative You're An Instrument invites families to experience sound in a whole new way. This interactive musical science show turns bodies into instruments and explores the history of music through playful experimentation—complete with relaxed performances every Monday to ensure inclusivity for all. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Rounding out the season is Skinny at Underbelly, where award-winning cabaret artist Michelle Pearson delivers an empowering exploration of body image, diet culture, and self-worth. With soaring vocals, raw storytelling and documentary interviews, this heartfelt show is a celebration of beauty in all its forms. House of Oz But House of Oz is more than a presenter—it's a lifeline for Australian artists at the Fringe. Offering vital support in production, marketing, travel and accommodation, the organisation enables creatives from the other side of the globe to present their work with impact, receive international touring offers, and gain global recognition. With over 1,000 performances under its belt and a legacy of fostering cultural exchange, House of Oz continues to elevate Australia's artistic voice on the international stage. Georgie Black sums it up best: 'From the LOLs of The Listies to the sheer beauty of TRIPTYCH Redux, from the intensity of FLICK to the majesty of Orpheus and Eurydice, this year's programme is packed with unforgettable experiences. These artists are cultural pioneers—resilient, bold, and bursting with talent.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The House of Oz Edinburgh 2025 season includes You're An Instrument from The Sonicrats, The Listies Make Some Noise from The Listies, Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence by Crash Theatre Company, FLICK from Mad Nun Productions, Ten Thousand Hours from Gravity & Other Myths, TRIPTYCH Redux by Lewis Major Projects, Orpheus and Eurydice by Circa (at the Edinburgh International Festival) and Skinny by Michelle Pearson.
