Monday 29 June 2015

Preview | MATA HARI THE MUSICAL (Edinburgh Fringe Festival)


They’ve done it again! The champions of the parody musical genre are back!

Punchline Theatre, the company behind Guido!: The Gunpowder Treason Plot and Jack & I: The Jack the Ripper Musical return to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe at the beautiful Merchants Hall. Their latest show Mata Hari: The Musical explores and reimagines the life of the infamous wartime courtesan, femme fatale, and alleged spy Mata Hari in an explosion of colour, sound, and comedy!

“No, you don’t have to have seen our other shows, or even be aware of who Mata Hari was”, writer Daniel Henry Kaes informs me. “We are making are the same points as we have always done, but it’s a genre that naturally leaves itself open to parody. It is perfectly possible in my eyes to have a fantastically funny show, with catchy songs and crazy characters, that at the same time is informative, revealing, and up-lifting. The starting point for these musicals was the idea that history is written by the winners, so trying to reimagine these “anti-heroes” in this offbeat, individualist manner is very liberating.”

The real legend of Mata Hari has triggered much debate amongst historians, and it is her fantastic story of seduction and alleged espionage in that makes her such a perfect choice for a musical. Punchline Theatre are fast growing in their popularity for their cult musicals and they are joined this year by award-winning comedian and director Will Seaward. Their anarchic spirit has been compared to The Comic Strip Presents, Python, Jerry Springer: The Opera, and Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, and once again Punchline Theatre is sure to provide a breath of fresh air at this year’s Edinburgh Festival.

Mata Hari: the Musical runs for three weeks from 6th - 27th August, 8:45pm (50 mins) at Spotlites @ Merchants Hall at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015.

Click here to book tickets. 

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