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A fine venue choice for their debut Fringe show, an expanded line-up which included new drummer Brian and old guitarist Jim Briffet performed an enthralling greatest hits set peppered with tasters from the forthcoming third album. The sound mix was perfect and made Will and Mike’s strings sound more majestic than ever. ‘Boat Song’ was an eyes closed blissful experience and ‘Oliver’ was perfectly executed.

A rapturous plea for an encore was rewarded with the playful, new song ’For Heaven’s Sake’ – the perfect soundtrack to a summer’s day, and a request for old favourite ‘Muswell’. A truly faultless performance.

The Old Courtroom, 21 May
Rating:
Steve Clements

OMG! We all know a Phillipa and Will – one of those couples who carry on their whole relationship through sickly Facebook comments involving snuggles and sexual innuendo, followed by the inevitable massive break up in full view of family and friends. Rather like The Office, Phillipa and Will Are Now in a Relationship was an excruciatingly embarrassing, slightly exaggerated version of real life and it captured perfectly the kinds of conversations teenagers have with each other. This was one of those comedy shows that had to be either brilliant or dreadful and fortunately it turned out to be the former. It was totally cringeworthy, but in a good way. LOL! Like!

Upstairs at Three and Ten, 20 May
Rating:
Jenni Davidson

Playwright Mark Ravenhill delivered a very personal lecture around the theme of accessibility to the arts for those from ‘ordinary’ backgrounds, highlighting the enormous importance of local resources such as libraries, schools, etc. As a child of the seventies growing up in Haywards Heath, Ravenhill benefited from a well funded library system (his castigation of the present government for their brutal cutting of library services drew loud applause) and a granted-aided university education. He bemoaned the fact that today’s young people currently do not enjoy such largess. It was difficult to disagree with Ravenhill’s thesis which was persuasively and passionately argued.

Corn Exchange, Brighton Dome, 21st May
Rating:
Gary Mepsted

What sets The Maydays apart from other comedy improv groups is that you can tell it is completely made up, not over rehearsed sickly slick performances with improv shoe-horned in. ‘Confessions’ are provided by the audience just prior to the start of the show. The troupe then perform the secrets in a make-shift confessional and improvise a couple of scenes, either directly imitating the confession or ripping on a theme. Sure, some fail to get going (by no means all) but at least you know it’s honest and you can see them struggle which is endearing. First class improv-comedy.

Komedia Studio, 21 May
Rating:
Lee Stevens