The Phantom of the Fringe @ The Merchants' Hall

"You are blind" the Phantom booms. And I am a little, after having a torchlight shone into my eyes during a little-too-drawn-out introduction.

As slow beginnings sometimes have their way of giving birth to beautiful things, The Phantom of the Fringe – a heartwarming exploration of a life of love of theatre, romance and heartbreak – comes into its own after a time, brought to life by costumes that dazzle, stories that move and amuse, and monologues that pull tenderly upon the heart strings. There is a beautiful emotionality to the reminiscences of the phantom of an old theatre-maker. Somewhere between the highs, and the lows, "the drug of applause," and the emptiness that follows in its withdrawl, Carmen Lorca enquires of us, "are we looking for the truth?"

Such audience interaction is always welcome. At one point she pulls a hapless fellow onto the stage to dance with her and enjoy some witty repartee as she shows off her improvisational acumen, retaining her character through unexpected ad libs which build rapport with her audience. The show includes some lofty cultural references, to the work of Stanislavsky and Chekhov, which may have been better understood by the audience if they were complemented by some contextual explanation in the script.