by joe accaria, drummer with the Smoke & Mirrors band, direct from the Edinburgh Fringe…

After a rollicking party to celebrate week one in the Famous Spiegeltent (and beyond), I'm emerging from a bit of a haze to report on the second week of performances of Smoke & Mirrors here at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The first week saw some very enticing reviews which were enthusiastically mirrored in box office interest with a succession of full houses.

The cast jokingly gathered before a double performance Saturday singing an improvised song "Sold Out" in the imitable style of James Brown. Our own James Brown (This Side Up Acrobatics) led the chorus in a falsetto only an acrobat can attest to!

After a relatively modest opening, Smoke & Mirrors has landed on its wide feet with thunderous style in a festival of 2,453 shows. Several reviews and the show’s obvious brilliance (bias intended!) have made our show a talking point amongst the many festival goers I’ve spoken to (mostly in bars) who have heard of the “must-see-show”.  Regular return visitors include master ventriloquist David Strassman, Jimeoin and the cast of Soap.

After seeing Strassman’s brilliant show Duality we convened at a lovely Italian restaurant near the Lyceum Theatre with his writer Stephen and several blown-away members of our cast. He reminds us that success in this festival hinges on reviews and word of mouth.  A very vocal fan of iOTA and our show, when I saw David in the Spiegel Gardens last night he pulled me across and with a smile uttered the words: “See I told you Joe. You guys are on a roll baby”.

Our most crucial review was in The Guardian which came out on Thursday to a phew of relief from our publicist, Boo Patterson with a most positive 4 stars.

“Smoke and Mirrors gives Edwardian music hall a modern makeover with its 21st-century production values and a dash of existential despair”.

The 5 star review came from Edfest Magazine:

"Immersed in a festival so keen and/or pressured to shock in increasingly far-fetched ways, it is refreshing indeed to come across a show that manages to surprise, amaze and woo its audience by using old-fashioned talent and techniques enhanced with a unique narrative, unrivalled physicality, an impeccable score and exceptional lighting".

"But it is with iOTA and the house band that the show really shines. It would be impossible to overstate just how good the music is – the songs are well written, iOTA has both a fabulous voice and stage presence enough for every performer in the Fringe, and the band are nothing short of awe-inspiring. These songs are not just music, they are theatre of the highest order.

Entering the final week of performances in the Spiegeltent the cast of Smoke & Mirrors is buoyed by the vast interest in the show and how this has reflected in the media and the festival in general.

Photos by Martin Hailey