Counter Culture

This show is a delight. At the core is a great idea: to look at what Love is and how it affects us through love songs. It’s a simple set. When you go in, there is a desk with papers on it, some plastic ducks, a record player and a stack of records (not vinyl!). Then the writer/performer tells you a story about his personal experiences of love in a reflective, humourous and poignant way. His story is complemented by records from Frankie, Blondie, The Beatles, Soft Cell, Ian Drury and others. This works on several levels because whilst experiences are personal there is a commonality too and hearing a story based on truth makes us feel connected. It’s a show that gets under your skin and makes you think about your own life: your first kiss, losing loved ones, break-ups. The whole gamut of Love. I found parts of this show moving.

It saddened me to hear of a racist incident directed at the writer/performer during a love affair. But it made me laugh to hear John Cooper Clarke and his (I Married A) Monster From Outer Space. At one point, I cried a little as I heard about the death of his Father and the song sung by his Mother in commemoration – Moon River. Heart wrenching.

It’s a coincidence (or providential) that this show jumped out at me. A good friend has just written a self-help book using lyrics as a starting point: Lyrics to Live By. I have, therefore, been thinking a lot about lyrics and how they bring back memories of certain points in our life and provide us with tools to understand it all! There are songs that are just too painful for me to hear. I try to avoid them. Others uplift me and take me to happy memories. They have a great power. This show helped me to understand another part of the puzzle. It’s great that this show is part of the Free Festival and that the writer/performer is doing it for love not money!

Reviewed by Pat Harrington

#EdFringe2018  #EdFringe #IntoTheUnknown