ALMOST HAUNTED. To 12 August.

Edinburgh 2007 Fringe.

ALMOST HAUNTED
by Lorraine McCann.

Augustine’s, 41 George IV Bridge To 12 August 2007.
Every Day. 7pm.
Runs 50min. No interval.

TICKETS. 08452 26 27 21 or Fringe BO 0131 226 0000.
www.bigvillage.org.uk
Review Thelma Good 8 August 2007.

Funny lines but a bit overloaded.
It’s the festival and 'Almost Haunted', a cheesy TV ghost-seekers’ show, are in a theatre 100 years after a magician’s assistant disappeared while being sawn in half. Reputedly there’s an orangey-beige spirit to try to capture on camera.

Lorraine McCann has stuffed her script with ten characters, some relying heavily on comic stereotypes. There are two bitchboss women, Celia and Madge, who allow Helen Burns and Jaqui McIntosh to over-act the ire. Others are more subtly drawn. The assistant producer Damien is beautifully captured by Ross Hope and Vanashree Thapiyal shows ease in her first role as the rich Ya Chloe.

Written for local amateur company, Big Village Theatre Company, Almost Haunted allows ten actors to have the thrill of appearing on the fringe, but fewer characters could have allowed a less broad-brush, tighter-delivered comedy to emerge. There are some very funny lines but the small time-slot and stage means the story gets a bit over loaded by the large cast.

Mr McSeveney: Charlie Allan.
Ruud Van Der Knap: Andy Farmer.
Muriel Kane: Sara-Jane McGeachy.
Madge McGlinchey: Jacqui McIntosh.
Professor Olivia Dorfmann: Adrienne Steer.
Celia Beyfus: Helen Burns.
Damien D’Espacer: Ross Hope.
Guy Clench: Paul McGuigan.
Ted Wainwright: Ian Morley.
Chloe: Vanashree Thapliyal.

Director : Lorraine McCann.

2007-08-12 23:00:33