Aug 16-28 | 6.30pm | theSpaceUK@Symposium Hall | Get Tickets

 

I know I’ve said this about improv but you also can’t do the Edinburgh Fringe properly without seeing a bit of A Cappella. Usually, you can do this by swanning up the royal mile and checking out the mobile stages but alas this year it’s a little more difficult to come by. That’s why I was so delighted to see fringe regulars Semi-Toned back on the bill at theSpaceUK this year!

As ever they intertwine witty banter and panto style comedy with flawless A Cappella arrangements of classic and modern hits in a choreographed performance in which you can’t help but smile all the way through.

The standout song for me was a medley of James Bond songs, and performers worth a special mention include incredible beatboxer Max, who is so good he gets his own percussion solo and Jacob who is wonderfully consistent and engaging from beginning to end.

What makes this show even more amazing than usual is that, due to covid restrictions, the lads only had a week to rehearse in real life. I mean, damn! That is incredibly impressive! If they’re that good after a week I can only imagine how fantastic it’ll be next year!

 

The Arts Business Top Tips:

• Semi-Toned used to be just another one of these university A Cappella groups and (although admittedly on the upper end of the quality scale) used to blend in with the rest of the unaccompanied music scene. That was until they got involved in some Reality-TV shows, winning BBC2’s The Choir in 2016 and becoming finalists on Sky One’s Sing in 2017. I’m not saying it’s easy to do Reality-TV but it has created an amazing platform for this group to perform shows year on year with massive audiences. So never disregard platforms that could act as launch pads.