Yesterday, I spent the day at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and, in spite of the constant rain, had a cracking day. It helped that the 3 shows that I saw weren’t too shabby either!  Please note that I do not want to give anything away in these reviews that may give away parts of these shows. I just want to give you my thoughts on what I saw.

James Freedman: Man Of Steal
The Voodoo Rooms, 13:15pm (50mins)
James Freedman is regarded as one of the world’s greatest pickpockets. But James is a nice guy and gives you everything back after he’s taken it. This show demonstrates his phenomenal skills in this field as wallets, keys, watches and more were taken from audience members. James had the audience on his side very quickly, which was to his advantage when he had a couple of technical teething problems. These were ignored by everyone as it was his first show of the run and I’m sure that they will be sorted out very quickly. I will be honest, I wondered how this show would finish but how James finished this show was nothing short of brilliant as he stole… Well, that would be telling, wouldn’t it?!  I guess you’re just going to have to go and see his show for yourselves to see what is taken. Don’t miss it!

John Henry Blackwood: Magic And Tea With An Evil Genius
The Street, 14:45pm (1hr)
John Henry Blackwood presented a show that was more than an hour of card tricks; it was also a lesson on how to become an evil genius, hence the title. Although the room wasn’t exactly perfect for performing close up magic in, John Henry made very good use of his surroundings and his “Minion” helper who greeted the audience as they arrived was very funny. Very good card magic that was presented excellently and included a few moments that, as a magician, caught me pretty badly. If you enjoy either magic and storytelling, you’re going to enjoy this show.

The Umbilical Brothers: KiDSHoW (not for kids)
Guilded Balloon, 19:30 (1hr)
I’d seen The Umbilical Brothers performing on TV a number of times before but had never had the chance to see them live. Until now. And it was well worth the wait. The premise is that the boys are presenting a show for kids. Only this is definitely NOT for kids! They present comedy in a way that only they can – physical comedy, mime, sound effects and funny noises done so well that I cannot think of anyone who can come close. I’m thinking of going to see them again! That’s how good I think these guys are. Favourite bits were plentiful with a singing of “Feeling Good” amongst the best of them all. They are only performing in Edinburgh until the 16th, so make sure you see them before it’s too late!

I’m back through in just over a week and I’ll try to post more reviews while there.

Speak soon.

The Cardman 🙂

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