Review: The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre Goes To Hollywood *****

Kev F Sutherland's left and right hands are an Edinburgh Fringe institution. Using them, a couple of grey socks and some deliberately amateurish props and costumes, he breathes manic life into The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre as only he knows how.

Behind a tartan-draped Punch & Judy style booth, Sutherland crouches, thrusting his comic creations into the limelight with frenetic and hilarious results. The amount of ad-libbing, corpsing and lightning-quick in-jokes make this show a rapid hour of very funny entertainment, making you marvel at his delivery and the speed of his mind as he reacts to unintentional mistakes and audience reaction.

This year, TSFSPT bring us a show subtitled "Goes To Hollywood" and the socks re-enact the entire history of cinema before our eyes, going off on mad tangents at times, such as the hilarious guest appearance of Jeremy Paxman (or at least a laminated cardboard cutout representation thereof...)

It's inspired stuff and last night's show played to a packed house who definitely got where Sutherland's sense of humour was coming from (somewhere between The Beano, for which Sutherland writes & draws comic strips; and the mad falsetto ramblings of a deranged Scottish lunatic).

Very little fails to amuse and delight in this show, and a Festival without the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre just wouldn't feel the same: they are fast becoming a national treasure.

The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre Goes To Hollywood runs until Aug 30th at the Gilded Balloon. £9 (£8 concession)

Highlight #4 - The Man Who Planted Trees

The Man Who Planted Trees is based on the environmental parable of the same name by French author Jean Giono, describing the life's journey of a simple farmer (and his dog) as he embarks upon a personal quest to transform the war-torn countryside in which he lives.

What makes the Puppet State Theatre Company's telling of this tale unique is its execution, bringing it to life with some charmingly believable hand-operated puppets and stagecraft which is utterly spellbinding for children and adults alike.

Two talented and personable puppeteers - Richard Medrington and Rick Conte - weave the tale of Elezard and his canine companion, injecting it with humour, pathos and non-cloying sentiment. Exploiting all five senses of the audience during the course of their polished performance, The Puppet State Theatre Company quickly suspend disbelief with their handmade cloth mannequins and beautiful props & scenery, creating an experience that lingers in the memory and heart long after it is over.

Catch them at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe before they deservedly take their charming and much-loved show to New York later this year.