Ivory Cutlery
★★★☆☆ Pleasing
Blackwood Bar at Deaf Action (Venue 498): Fri 8 – Sun 17 Aug 2025
Review by Hugh Simpson
Ivory Cutlery by Evie Waddell, at Deaf Action on the Fringe’s second and third weekends, with a visit to Summerhall on Saturday 9, is a pleasing musical excursion into the works of Ivor Cutler, in English and BSL.
Scottish musician and writer Cutler, famous for appearing on Radios 1, 2, 3 and 4 may be having something of a moment this year, with Hamish Hawk also providing his own take on Cutler’s work at the Book Festival.
Amy Cheskin and Evie Waddell in Ivory Cutlery at the 2025 Edinburgh Deaf Festival. Pic: Colin Hattersley.
Hard of Hearing musician Waddell usually sings in both Gaelic and Scots. This production blends music, theatre, stepdancing and body percussion, with BSL an integral part of the performance.
Just as Vanishing Point’s production of the last decade, The Beautiful Cosmos of Ivor Cutler, brought out the African and other ‘world music’ influences of much of Cutler’s music, the performances here reinforce its Scottish roots; Baby Sits and I Worn My Elbows come across almost like ancient laments or pipe tunes.
Waddell’s voice and musicality are impressive. She is very strong on the clear-eyed, childlike wonder of Cutler’s work, with such as Barabadabada, or A Hole In My Toe being great fun.
The combination of unaccompanied singing (with occasional use of effects or pre-recording) dance and movement is effective, with the second performer, BSL interpreter Amy Cheskin, being very well integrated into the production, while Waddell often sings and signs together. There is also some gently inclusive audience participation.
work in progress
However, there is a feeling that the show is still something of work in progress, with a definite air of unfinishedness at times. It also presents a rather one-sided view of Cutler.
While there is undoubtedly fun and playfulness in his work, it is always reductive to hear him described as ‘eccentric’ (much as the label ‘surrealist’ is inadequate). He certainly had fun in him, but his persona was much more aloof and forbidding than such a label suggests.
Amy Cheskin and Evie Waddell in Ivory Cutlery at the 2025 Edinburgh Deaf Festival. Pic: Colin Hattersley.
For example, I’m Walking To A Farm is presented here as if it was a jolly children’s song. Its slice of Glasgow Zen is in reality something much deeper and (like much of Cutler) much more potentially disturbing.
Shorn of its ending, meanwhile, A Doughnut In My Hand loses its impact.
That his songs can have more than one interpretation is a sign of their strength; as is the fact that while many of his most familiar ones are present, there are several that you would expect to hear that are absent.
There is clearly a deep love for Cutler here (even extending to the performers starting off by handing out some of his legendary ‘stickies’) and the result is certainly pleasing.
Running time: 55 minutes (no interval).
Blackwood Bar at Edinburgh Deaf Festival, Deaf Action, 49 Albany Street, EH1 3QY. (Venue 498).
Friday 8 August, Friday 15th – Sunday 17 August 2025.
Fri 8: 6.30pm; Fri 15/Sat 16/Sun 17: 4.30pm.
Also at Summerhall (Dissection Room), 1 Summerhall, EH9 1PL. (Venue 26).
Saturday 9 August: 5.30 pm.
Tickets and details: Book here on EdFringe.com.
Evie Waddell website: https://www.eviewaddell.co.uk/
Edinburgh Deaf Festival website: https://edinburghdeaffestival.com
ENDS
