ED FRINGE 2023 REVIEW | Bill’s 44th
★ ★ ★ ★
Reviewer - Eliott
*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
There’s always been a beauty to puppetry which has sparked my imagination for a long time; War Horse was the first proper experience of this in the West End back in 2011, and I’ve always made it my mission to see puppetry wherever I go, and if given the chance. Dorothy James and Andy Manjuck have brought up to Edinburgh what can only be described as a masterpiece in puppetry and mime, which go hand in hand. There are elements of surprise in this show, and not just with the coincide of the setting in question, centering around a Birthday party in a flat, but more so in the way that puppetry is used to peak our minds and never feel like time is slowing down.
As a character, Bill is a loveable rogue, who eagerly awaits his friend’s arrival to celebrate another year of his existence, at the top of the show. Still, as time goes on, he starts to doubt the idea of a fun night with friends, he starts to find enjoyment in his own company, something of which we all must be able to relate to considering the last few years. Drawing faces on carrots and balloons, characters come to life in the most extraordinary way, and the poignancy only increases when a present left on his doorstep opens his memories up to birthdays past, and you can’t help but feel like you know the person who you are watching on stage; even if he has no vocals, you can relate to the history of his life, and how the excitement for getting older has dwindled in the years since, and set against a remarkable sound design, you may even find yourself with a tear in your eye following on from it’s heartwarming climax.
