🎭 The Scene – From Bagpipes to Bon Jovi
The Edinburgh Fringe is like Disneyland for weirdos – every alleyway hides a new surprise, from a bloke playing Sweet Child O’ Mine on bagpipes to a group of clowns juggling chainsaws while shouting Shakespeare. But down at Paradise in Augustines (Sanctuary), Venue 152, something heavier was brewing.
Word on the cobbled streets? Bare Productions had brought Rock of Ages to the Fringe. A full-scale glam rock musical shoved into a church hall. Madness, right? Wrong – it was glorious. The show ran 1st–9th August, and by the time we rocked up, tickets were harder to score than a pint at Download’s bar at 11pm.
Queues? Mental. Punters lined up 30 minutes before doors like it was a Guns N’ Roses reunion. One bloke in a Poison t-shirt yelled “Oi, who’s got the hairspray?” while his mate tried (and failed) to tease his mullet. Fringe chaos at its finest.
🎶 Act One – Sunset Strip Dreams
The curtain (okay, it was more like a makeshift Fringe drape) rose and boom – we were on the Sunset Strip, circa 1987. Denim, neon, dry ice… all that was missing was the stench of Jack Daniels and regret.
🎵 “Nothin’ But a Good Time” – Opening Chaos
Straight out the gate, the cast hit us with Poison’s “Nothin’ But a Good Time.” And tidy, it was like someone fired confetti cannons of pure joy into the crowd. Georgia Brennan (Sherrie) and Joshua Scott (Drew) looked like they’d just walked out of a Whitesnake video, while Sam Eastop (Lonny, the narrator) strutted around like the lovechild of Jack Black and Brian Blessed.
The audience? Already clapping, whooping, and trying to sing along. One poor mam in the front row shouted “TURN IT DOWN” but Lonny clocked her instantly:
“Sorry love, this is the quiet version.”
Cue absolute howls.
🎵 “Just Like Paradise” / “Nothin’ But a Good Time” Mashup
Ryan Livingstone entered as Stacee Jaxx – all eyeliner, bare chest, and enough swagger to power half of Leith. Within seconds, the bloke sitting next to me muttered, “He thinks he’s Jon Bon bloody Jovi.” But when Ryan let rip on the vocals? Pure banshee brilliance. Half the crowd swooned, half laughed – the perfect Stacee balance.
🍺 Backstage Banter – The Bourbon Room at the Fringe
The Bourbon Room is the iconic LA club that holds the heart of the story, but here it felt like your dodgy local rock pub after six pints – sticky floors, dodgy deals, but absolute community vibes.
During the interval, I overheard one techie say:
“We had to borrow extra smoke machines from another show – apparently the Shakespeare troupe are fuming.”
Classic Fringe energy – Othello cast coughing backstage because Rock of Ages needed more fog.
🎶 Act Two – Love, Loss, and Loud Guitars
🎵 “Wanted Dead or Alive” – The Fringe Turns Stadium
Livingstone’s Stacee ripped into Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive.” Imagine a church in Edinburgh transformed into Madison Square Garden for five minutes. The bloke hit notes so high I swear dogs in Glasgow started howling.
Audience reaction? People stood up mid-song, arms in the air, belting “I’M A COWBOY” like they’d just saddled up outside. Fringe ushers tried to shush them, gave up, and joined in.
🎵 “I Wanna Know What Love Is” – Fringe Couples Melting
Georgia Brennan’s Sherrie absolutely owned Foreigner’s classic. She delivered it like she’d been scorned by every man in Leith, and the crowd lapped it up. One lad proposed to his girlfriend mid-song – she said yes, and Lonny immediately shouted:
“Oi, save it for Mamma Mia down the road!”
The place erupted.
🎵 “Don’t Stop Believin’” – The Fringe Loses Its Voice
Finale time. The cast hit Journey’s monster anthem, and Edinburgh lost its collective marbles. The crowd sang louder than the PA system, pint glasses raised, strangers hugging. One bloke tried to crowdsurf down the pews – almost broke his ankle, but what a send-off.
👀 Audience Reactions – Pure Fringe Gold
- A stag party in full leather trousers screamed every lyric like it was their final night on Earth.
- A granny in row three flipped the horns during “Cum On Feel The Noize” – absolute legend.
- A little kid shouted “MAM, THIS IS LOUDER THAN SLIPKNOT!” and got a free high-five from Lonny mid-show.
That’s Fringe, mun – no rules, just riffs.
⭐ Performances That Melted Our Faces
- Georgia Brennan (Sherrie): Pipes so strong she could shatter pint glasses.
- Joshua Scott (Drew): Perfect balance of hopeful rocker and awkward dreamer.
- Ryan Livingstone (Stacee Jaxx): Ego the size of Arthur’s Seat, voice to match.
- Sam Eastop (Lonny): Absolute star of the show – roasting the audience, breaking the fourth wall, and nearly starting a Fringe riot.
🎤 Behind the Curtain – Fringe Gossip
- Rumour has it the cast rehearsed in a literal car park before moving into the venue. Rock ’n’ roll at its finest.
- The wigs? Apparently insured for more than the drum kit. No shock – each one had its own personality.
- One cast member apparently lost their mic pack mid-song. Solution? They grabbed a pint glass and shouted into it. Fringe improvisation at its peak.
🍻 The Riff Report Verdict
Rock of Ages at the Fringe wasn’t just a show – it was a full-scale rock revival. Bare Productions turned a church into the Sunset Strip, and for two hours every night, Edinburgh became LA circa 1987.
The set? Basic. The energy? Nuclear. The crowd? Wild.
This wasn’t West End polished perfection – it was louder, scrappier, sweatier, and dare I say… better.
⚡ Final Breakdown: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
- The Good: Vocals that melted faces, comedy sharper than a Flying V, and pure Fringe chaos.
- The Bad: Queueing in Scottish drizzle while listening to a street busker massacre Sweet Child O’ Mine.
- The Ugly: One poor lad’s mullet wig falling off mid-headbang. RIP, brother.
🎸 Closing Riff – Should You See It?
If you were at the Fringe and skipped this, what were you doing? Watching a mime eat cheese for an hour? Nah, mun – Rock of Ages was the headliner of the Fringe mosh pit.
It was sweaty, silly, and unapologetically over the top. The kind of show that sends you stumbling out into the cobbled streets humming Journey while looking for the nearest kebab.
Proper job. 🤘🔥
