We shall remember them

Some acts over the past few years have defined the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for me, and it is with a hint of sadness that I present this short roll-call of absentees from 2009's line up:

• The Terrible Infants - I had high hopes for their return after last year's engaging and imaginative run (and they were on at the Udderbelly in London's South Bank earlier this month). But alas, their Roald Dahl-style morality tales will not be gracing Edinburgh this year. However, their company does appear to have a hand in a production running at the Pleasance - Ernest and the Pale Moon - so fingers crossed that contains a little pinch of Terrible Infant magic.
• Gamarjobat - This one hurts. An Edinburgh Festival Fringe without these two madcap and energetic Japanese mime artists is hard to comprehend. Hopefully they're just taking a year off from Edinburgh and will be back, but the place will be a little less colourful without them. Hopefully Shut Up, Play! will help fill some of the lunatic Asian hole Gamarjobat will leave.
• Drum Cat - say no more

However, don't get me wrong - I'm sure this year will be just as exciting, vibrant and vital as those previous. I'm actually excited to see what 2009's undiscovered delights turn out to be...

Dream of Cat *****

It would be hard not to give Dream of Cat five stars.

• One star for the infectious and ribcage-pounding percussion performed by a seven-strong troupe of all-female South Korean drummers
  
• One for the synchronised hair-flicking.
  
• Another for the matching black velvet catsuits and patent leather boots.
  
• One specifically for the short-haired mistress of high-speed drumming (her skill behind a rock drumkit was a wonder to behold).
  
• And one final star for the fact that Drum Cat, the troupe behind this fast-moving and spectacular show, look simply stunning.
  

I did consider knocking off a star for the fact they played some of the numbers to backing tracks of guitar and rock music, but their full-on percussive assault and synchronised high-speed skills more than made up for that. Plus, they all looked as though they were having as much fun as we were - which, like the Brazilian capioera a couple of nights ago - is an infectious and uplifting thing.

The charming young manageress also let me photograph the show, which was an added bonus.

Six stars then.

And so it (officially) begins...

That's it - I'm on holiday now for 2 weeks...54 shows...late nights...food snatched from vans whenever I can...drinking in the open air (weather permitting)...

...I may not survive.

Last day at work yesterday, and managed to do everything I needed done in the morning. So headed up the High Street again, to take advantage of the dry weather. Treated to performances by Drum Cat and Mudslide who were both very impressive. Then headed to the hotel where the Unreal Edinburgh photo exhibition was launching and had a few wines and a mingle with fellow Flickrites.

Then passed through the High Street once more (witnessing a quite amazing African contortionist en route) then home again via the Grassmarket (which lived up to its usual reputation - i.e. there was a big fight in the street between pissed-up stag-do members - sad).

Today, it's raining again...