![](https://www.sardinesmagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/1539_1439503606.jpg)
Show: Love Birds
Society: Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Venue: Pleasance Courtyard
Credits: Robert J. Sherman KPS Productions & MusicWorld (UK) Ltd
Type: Sardines
Author: Chris Abbott
Performance Date: 13/08/2015
Love Birds
Chris Abbott | 13 Aug 2015 18:00pm
Photo: Peter Jones
Production values for many shows on the Fringe are extremely basic, but this was certainly not true of Love Birds. Not only was this a tightly-rehearsed, pacy show with some excellent performances, but it was graced by a very effective set and some of the most impressive costumes to be seen at Edinburgh this year, thanks to designer Gabriella Slade.
Written by Robert J Sherman, the latest in the line of US songsmiths, the show even includes something of a homage to his uncle and father in the form of a number for four penguins, bemoaning the loss of the nanny they all remember. As one of the penguins remarks, of course, this is not in any way to be taken as a reference to Mary Poppins…
Strongly cast, the show features accompaniment from a 3-piece band of keyboards, double bass and drums led by Neil Macdonald. The story is set in the 1920s and features a group of birds: a temperamental operatic macaw, female parrots and male penguins, working in a vaudeville house run by a plesiosaur.
That’s a lot to put over in one sentence, but there, I’ve said it. Once you accept the premise and just enjoy the music, dancing (and costumes – and I loved the feather eyelashes), then you will just sit back and savour some impressive performances.
Sadly, not just the initial premise but the book itself is the weak point of the show – we are never given any rationale for why it’s only parrots and penguins in the vaudeville performance – or why a dinosaur should be running it. Of course, it may be that all the plot exposition, humour and narrative logic had to be cut to fit into the usual Edinburgh one hour running time.
The helpful programme (and please give it out earlier to the queue, not just as the lights go down) gave background for the creative team but not a song list, so it is difficult to comment on individuals, especially where all the character names were similar, but all concerned are to be congratulated on their efforts, as is director and choreographer Stewart Nicholls.
I feel sure there is an expanded and probably more coherent show behind this version (and perhaps with some jokes that don’t need drummer support), and I look forward to seeing it. For now, I recommend it as a highly professional and entertaining beginning to a day’s theatre at Edinburgh – and you get a souvenir badge too.
- : admin
- : 13/08/2015