The event is called Secret Cinema for a reason. It's a secret people! And the tag line is Tell No One. You'll never guess why... The location isn't revealed until a few days before and no phones are allowed. Annoyingly I did see people sneaking out their mobiles. I guess it's a hard rule to enforce as the staff provide a plastic bag to seal it in that you can easily rip back open.

• Plan your route to the location and arrive early.  There's queues and lots of people. 
• Dress up. Everybody does and you look like a fool if you don't. 
• Wear comfortable shoes. 
• Pack light and warm. 
• Take cash or card. Some experiences cost extra as obviously drinks come at a charge. 
• Explore the whole camp! To quote Aerosmith. You don't wanna miss a thing. 
• Do not use your bluddy phone.  

I can't recommend the event enough. Yes it is damn pricey but sometimes, you know what, you deserve a treat. And it is worth saving up for if you're short on cash. They do a couple a year and don't look like they're slowing down anytime soon.

Have you visited a store and become overwhelmed with the vast amount of products available? Or walked down the street and felt confusion from the array of advertising shouting messages at you? Or sat in the underground where all voices and sounds seem to bounce into a symphony of madness? I guess we've all experienced them on some level or another, but not to the extremity of Christopher.

Image Credit: http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-night-time-at-the-gielgud-theatre

He hates being touched. He loves the colour red. He has never left the end of his street. He distrusts strangers. He loves trains. He never lies and can solve any sum in a matter of seconds. He's a boy with an extraordinary brain.

He chances upon a curious incident; a dead dog speared with a pitch fork. He decides he will solve the mystery, but discovers much more than just the identity of the killer along the way. Through large scale projections and creative physical theatre you begin to unravel the mystery, slightly quicker than Christopher. This is the most heartbreaking thing, as you can see the pain he will ultimately feel. Thankfully the play is bubble-wrapped with many lighthearted and humorous moments, which soften the blow and remind me of that age old saying, 'if you don't laugh, you'll cry'.

This play deals with a difficult, and unfortunately taboo, subject in the most endearing and expressive way. From someone who knows very little on the issue, I left with a new found understanding and appreciation of the difficulties some families face.

Christopher is an incredible boy, the production is a true spectacle and this play is an inspiration.

Book now for performance at Gielgud Theatre, London
http://www.curiousonstage.com/ticket-information/

Once upon a time there was a young girl who was visiting her first ever Edinburgh Fringe. She had her beau by her side and passion in her heart with excitement bubbling under the surface. She simply burst at the seems when gliding down The Royal Mile, letting the sights, smells and street acts envelop her. The sun was shining on her blonde locks, her fingertips entwined delicately with that of her Prince Charming's and the atmosphere was all she wanted it to be and more.

But unknowingly to the loving couple, an evil sight led them astray. They locked eyes with a dark dramatic poster, one that enticed them with familiar words and impressed them with shocking descriptions. It haunted the couple for days, stalked them, and dug deep into their minds. Enough so that they followed the instructions to Fourth Monkey's Grimm Tales: Rapunzel.

A queue fed them with false hopes and the room tricked them with images of a professional production. They endured an hour of amateur performance. They felt hurt, even through moments of clever physical theatre, or hints of witches with some potential, the deception was too strong to overcome.

The girl with blonde hair and Prince Charming with brown locks left the room with a deeper understanding of what it really is to experience the Fringe; the inevitability of selecting the ugly shows. As they ran up the cobbled hill to the Royal Mile of fonder Fringe memories, their naivety shred. They retained their positive outlook and had grown ever so slightly.

Do not be fooled. Do not be tricked. This show you choose will be poor I predict.

9-29 August, theSpace on Niddry St (venue 9) 16.30
Thankfully I got these tickets at the Virgin Media Half Price Hut

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/fourth-monkey-s-grimm-tales-rapunzel

IMAGE CREDIT http://goo.gl/XU74F6

I'm a fringe virgin. And an Edinburgh one. So this festival was a complete leap into the unknown. I'd not been given a talk off my parents, my friends had never done it and google is like that mate who has apparently done everything. So myself, and the man I love just went for it. It was a bit of a muddle, quite overwhelming and electronic devices played a major part but we came out of the other end, exhausted and aching yes but rather exhilarated.

So, to make your first time and my next time a little easier, I've put together some notes on all aspects of the experience...

Travel 
I hate buses but I have to say in Edinburgh they were extremely regular and ran until 4am. If you're lucky enough to stay central, then everything is within walking distance.

• Single Ticket £1.50 
• Unlimited Day Pass £4
• After 6pm get a day and night ticket for £3.50 - last buses around 3am
• Download the Transport for Edinburgh app and buy your tickets online

Food
It's everywhere, all kinds and all prices.

• Lunch at Noodle'N'Ice on South Bridge was a highlight
• We had posh afternoon tea at The Dome - beautiful and tasty but prepare for the steep bill
• There's tonnes of street vans for a bite whilst changing venues
• Find lots of cheeky discount vouchers on available discount apps

Well, that's everything I can think of. I have finally broken my Fringe virginity after 25 years and can't wait to do it again - next time I might try it with someone new or even involve a few people ;) Either way I'll be better at it next time and will no doubt learn some new tricks.

This is the crazy yet genius combination of theatre in the cinema. It's been all the rage for a while now and I finally got my first taste of it, and with an award winning production like War Horse, I was pretty excited.

Image Credit: www.orchardtheatre.co.uk

Does your partners out of tune humming piss you off? Or their inhumanly loud chewing? Maybe the constant snoring is unbearable? Well forget couples counselling, what you need is to commit the perfect murder!

I actually won tickets to see this play in a Twitter competition! So firstly, thank you to Victoria Theatre, Halifax for picking me.

Pleasantries over, lets get on to a quick review of Teechers by John Godber.



Firstly, yes it is called 'Teechers' with a double 'e'. My spelling and grammar might not be perfect but that is definitely a word I've used enough to spell correctly.

Carrying on...

John Godber is a Yorkshire playwright. Big up to the North! He has written many masterpieces, one of the most famous is probably 'Bouncers'. A play that looks at contemporary and realistic issues. And 'Teechers' is no different.

This play really brought home how much teachers can impact, whether negatively or positively, on their students lives, especially in deprived schools. Coming from such a background myself, it hit the first emotional note but, carrying on...

Basically, three school children use the medium of drama to describe their final year of high school, particularly their relationship with their new drama teacher who believes in treating all children equally and igniting passion in learning. Again, as my job is as a member of a learning team, this hit the second emotional note....

And why not a hat trick as I also related to the students endearing and mostly childish friendships. High school is a jungle. A pretty terrifying one. Anything can go wrong, and to be honest it probably will but you have to fight through it (not physically, unless you come from a particularly rough school) But you WILL come out the other end. Maybe not in the best shape but alive never the less. It's the next steps in life that I think start to define you. Woah, sorry about that life rant!!

Anyway, a quick note on the actors themselves. There are only three. They play about five million parts each which is impressive. They all seamlessly melted into every character and it really showed the scope of their abilities as performers. From a sensible teacher, grumpy caretaker to mouthy teenager and many many more.

A fun show to watch, which everyone can relate to whether that's a character, some of the teachers or even the surroundings; those grubby lockers, drowning parka jackets or the 80s soundtrack to the show.

A nice nostalgic night out with strong performances from young upcoming actors.

I paid £5 for my ticket. Yes, it was a bargain. I got it on the cheap because I quoted 247Fest. So thank you 24:7 Festival! They definitely encouraged me to attend the theatre, thanks to the kind discount.

This project is a collaboration between Manchester School of Theatre's graduate class of 2011, and the Royal Exchange. It is a first for both parties. The Exchange have initiated this project, as a way to keep on developing UK drama school talent. Therefore, giving the new graduates a chance to gain invaluable experience working on a professional and renowned stage! What better platform. Thumbs up to The Royal Exchange!

Lets get on with the review of Single Sex by Rory Mullarkey. This was the first of the double bill, and by far my favourite! A story that follows Greg, a first class student of an All Boys Grammar School. You can predict his typical life; ludicrous Latin lessons, boisterous bullies, drooling over damsels and protective parents. But, trust me, there are deeper issues slowly taking control in this play.

So, the lights went down and we witnessed smart young boys reciting Latin. There is a short monologue by an obviously upper class student, explaining their routine life at school. Until you are hit smack bang in the face with another students vulgar description of sex! It comes out of nowhere, and sets the tone for the rest of the play. There is tonnes of crude language to work alongside the cleverly structured and fast paced dialogue. Laughter filled the Studio, ricocheted off the walls and the actors bounced off this with more comedy timing.

I would like to commend Kevin Lennon (The Father - Philip) on his brilliant portrayal of a pushy parent. He paired down to earth fathering, with that sense of awkwardness with your son. The script obviously plays a major part in the humour, but the acting is what really sells the 'funny'. And I bought thousands of pounds worth of 'funny' off him, especially in the uncomfortable father/son 'sex talk' scene. Lennox has a powerful stage presence with the talent to match.

However, as I mentioned before, there is a dark seed planted in this play. A seed that starts off very innocent, but slowly grows into a monster. And I feel that dark seed is a poem by Ovid (Roman Poet) that they mention. It plays a subtle but integral part in the movement of the story.

Gregg is teased about sex, as many teenage lads are. His mate encourages him to watch porn, but Gregg sees it as lifeless. He wants love, and he finds this in one of Ovids poems. But Ovid is famous for writing about sex and violence. A bad combination in most peoples eyes. He starts over analysing Ovid's poetry, and over thinking the idea of sex. Suddenly he takes an interest in 'borderline rape' videos. He becomes obsessed with his idea of what sex 'should' be. He recites, 'she thought she didn't want it but she does.' The innocent inclusion of poetry in education, results into corrupting a boys mind. Art isn't life, but you can't tell that to a confused boy engrossed in such poetry.
I warn you, some of these scenes are disturbing and I found them hard to watch.
Which isn't a criticism, more a compliment as it shows the strength of the script and actors!

The minimal style stage, helped us focus in on the acting. Sarah Frankcom (Director) really played around with the empty space, and kept the energy up through dismissing scene changes. The actors smoothly ran into each scene by performing their line immediately, keeping the plays movement fluid; a perfect marriage with the quick paced dialogue.

Sam Lupton (Gregg) was a stand out. His slow character transformation was excellently performed, etching his obsessive nature up a notch each scene. He portrayed both the childhood innocence and manhood obsessiveness with passion. His eyes told the story, as much as his voice and physicality. Keep an eye out for that one!

So, on the surface a witty, laugh out loud play about teenage life. Underneath lies a truly disturbing and twisted tale of obsession. If you dare to watch this play, get ready for an emotional ride! Go on, buy a ticket and strap yourself in tightly!

The week has come to an end, and the final play I had the pleasure of watching was, 'The Crimson Retribution'. As a volunteer at this festival, and because I'm such a rebel, I liked to simply shorten it to, 'Crimson'. Or maybe I'm just lazy... Or maybe I struggled to pronounce the last word... I'll leave you to decide which.


So, 'The Crimson Retribution' (said in a superhero strong manly voice) follows the story of a superhero freeloading in another woman's house, with retribution to seek. However, I would say there wasn't much dramatic story to follow. You kind of just sat and watched them 'be'. But before you judge this play, you need to understand there are other things that make it a 'must see'.

Before I let you in on the gossip, I should let you know what I endured, just so I could get to see it and review it for you lovely readers. (if there are any) I firstly pretty much pleaded to sit in. One volunteer front of house always has to sit in. But as you are probably aware, this show was a constant sell out! So my chances were slim. But not slim enough, as I was granted entry in to this prestigious event!
...
BUT. And it's a big but. I had to hold the door closed. It was faulty. This big, heavy, squeaky door was faulty. So within 5 minutes of lights down, my arms were aching. I had to constantly shift to relieve them of the pressure. My muslces were bulging after 60 minutes. My weight training for the decade that was!
...
Oh, you think it stops there? No, no, no, no. There was a huge pillar structure standing right in view of the stage. The most inappropriate block of bricks I have ever come across. I had to duck, dive and lunge every different direction to simply watch the action! But I went through it for you lovely reader(s)...

Back to the review. The first thing I noticed was the excellent use of projection, something I criticised 'Rainbow Connection' for. They maybe should have took notes from 'Crimson' as it really added to the play. It helped show change of scene, venue and time. It was cleverly drawn in comic book style too! The bonus of a comic strip without the bore of reading it. Watching the action on stage was much more fun!

Something else that made it special was the variety of locations we were taken to in just one environment. We were not limited to the living room of the house. The characters performed outside, in cars and in pubs through using the space on stage. I liked being transported over to the door step of an old woman, were Kyle and Sean were successfully scamming her. Wait, that sounded wrong. I don't agree with the scamming, I agree with the inventive scene structure. I particularly liked the sofa which transformed into a car.

Another cleverly written (Steve Pearce) and directed (Clare Howdon) aspect of this play, were the time passing scenes. Imagine a montage in a film, well this is the same but on stage. The actors mimed specifically choreographed actions, interacted with each other and successfully portrayed weeks passing. I felt like the writer and director really played around with the possibilities of theatre. Straight drama plays are great, but this show was as varied as a drunkenly mixed cocktail at your work leaving do! And we cannot deny enjoying treats like that every now and again.

Regarding the characters, two stood out for me. The superhero Crimson (Paul Sockett) gave the play most of the witty humour. I would describe him as Mary Poppin's stronger, cooler brother. He regularly cleaned the house, made tea and settled arguments gracefully. He also wouldn't leave until his job was done. Is that how you imagined a superhero? Me neither. He's practically perfect in every single way. (Marys Poppin's reference if you didn't 'get it') The actor, Paul Sockett was brilliantly versatile, evolving into many different characters and performing them with confidence.

Kyle (David Degiorgio) played the typical villain. He was most definitely the 'baddie' of the play. I would like to commend Degiorgio on his appropriate physicality. He had an exaggerated walk, claw like finger extensions and smug look on his face. He played this character with focus on the body and facial expression. Great actor. Very well performed!

Overall an inventive and inspiring idea, with modern twists on how to bring scripts to life on stage! Entertaining, current and unique! I think it's a great first timer show for theatre virgins too!! Give it a go and you'll be hooked!