Fringe guides are fantastic at releasing reviews at the end of festival runs, and here are two more examples of it. However, some very much appreciated 4 star reviews of the play. Well done to all of the team.
EDINBURGH FESTIVALS MAGAZINE
****
An (oddly) handsome Oscar Wilde and a girl-crazy, self-quoting Lord
Byron sip wine and behave like busy-bodied mortals inside Poets’
Corner of Westminster Abbey, discussing other dead colleagues and
their possible appearance at the anticipated annual party held at the
Abbey.
Past parties apparently have resulted in Keats’ embarrassing champagne
incident, Shakespeare is repeatedly declared a twat and Wordsworth,
too, is shunned. Tonight, Blake arrives frustrated at his choice in
apparel, Chaucer pops out for a fag and Dickens laments over his
post-mortal influence in the literary world. A surprise guest, Jane
Gathering, arrives confused and her reasons for being there (is she
dead or alive? is she an important writer?) are explored, as is the
notion of being remembered via an inscription in Poets’ Corner or else
being completely forgotten. A creepy professor reminds that creative
writing courses are bollocks, for neither creativity nor writing can
be taught or learned, and Jane struggles to accept this for herself.
Although the dark underlying issue of death is always at hand, James
Huntrods’ Poets’ Corner is nonetheless full of wit and charm and is an
endearing, convincing and engaging production, especially for anyone
whose passions lie in writing or literature. Particularly worth it if
you fancy yourself a dead war poet or a Brontë in attendance, this is
a humorous and intelligent way to spend a swiftly passing hour.
THREE WEEKS
****
‘Poets’ Corner’ was an amusing yet touching play reflecting upon the
art of writing, it being innate and largely unappreciated in its own
time. The play interestingly combined hilarious and witty dialogues
between infamous poets buried in Westminster Abbey with an emotive
contemporary plot, but the latter sadly lacked the strength of the
former. The characterisation was excellent, playing on biographical
detail: Byron bitched about Wordsworth and Shakespeare was banned from
attendance. Costume was consciously used to reflect the different time
periods the poets lived in, but some biographical knowledge would be
required to fully appreciate the jokes. Overall, the play had a good
balance of humour and sadness, provoking reflection on what it means
to be a literary genius.