Coffee-Table Notes

Spiegeltent, Edinburgh Three stars The economy size Christmas tree perched on the tiny stage at the end of the Spiegeltent catwalk lends a deceptively cosy air to the start of La Clique’s latest cabaret compendium for this year’s Underbelly-run Edinburgh’s Christmas. The tree doesn’t last long, however, and is quite rightly jettisoned from view by teutonic diva and MC extraordinaire Bernie Dieter. It’s still November, after all, and as Dieter points out, “this isn’t a fucking panto.” Under the guidance of director David Bates, Dieter hosts a showcase of some of the most wilfully individual talents around in a night that would probably work much the same without the occasional festive reference shoehorned in. This makes for a greatest hits set of bite-size routines that never outstay their welcome, be it the return of Heather Holliday’s sparkly and suggestive take on sword-swallowing and fire eating, or gentleman juggler Florian Brooks. There is old-school comedy magic from P

Perth Theatre Four stars Charlie Chaplin was a godsend for some of the wounded during the First World War, which opened hostilities the same year Chaplin first appeared onscreen. Such serendipity is brought beguilingly home in this fifteen-minute dramatic installation presented by the Sound and Fury company, which tours to Perth this week to coincide with the National Theatre of Scotland and Perth Theatre’s First World War inspired production of The 306: Dusk. Both are commissioned by 14-18 Now, the body set up to enable living memorials to the war through various artworks. With theatre producers Fuel also on board for Sound and Fury’s contribution, Charlie Ward plays to audiences of ten, who embody different versions of Harry, a patient in a wartime hospital ward. Watching and listening astride a bed, we bear witness to snatches of one of Chaplin’s early films, set on a beach and beamed here onto the ceiling. As the makeshift screen fades and Harry falls into a delirious drea

University of Edinburgh Old College Quad, Edinburgh Four stars A horned creature is projected in mid-leap across the full back wall of The Robert Adam designed Old Quad at the opening of this Friday night multi-media spectacular, which set live paintings by Russian artist Maria Rud against a psychedelic soundtrack by a Scots-American supergroup. Created by Rud and Rezillos singer Fay Fife under the banner of The AniMotion Show, the night is ushered in by the tribal rhythms of DJ Dolphin Boy. Rud stands to one side leaning busily over her instant creations, wiping away the image of the beast as she conjures a gothic looking backdrop into being. Her hand and head bob into view on the wall as if she’s manipulating the creepiest of doll’s houses. Into the darkness below steps majestic-looking former Rock Follies star Rula Lenska, who lends her fruity cut-glass tones to a reading of Edgar Allan Poe’s epic poem, The Raven.  As she departs, extravagantly caped former Cramp and Bad