All the King’s Men is an a cappella group which consists of about eight objectively charming men from the heart of London, who have unarguably been one of the must-see a cappella groups at the Edinburgh Fringe for eight years now. This year, their show is once again fresh and unique.
As All the King’s Men step on stage, they tell the audience to ‘sit back and relax and enjoy the ride’. The whole show feels like a journey through time and space and leaves the audience breathless. The setlist is so well-planned that it can make a wide range of audiences happy with its diversity: their cover of Jordin Sparks’ ‘Battlefield’ captivates everyone, and their rendition of ‘Bless the Broken Road’ gives the audience goosebumps. One of the absolute highlights of the show is their rendition of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’, as Peter Adamson manages to hypnotise everyone in the audience with his powerful yet serene voice.
The choreography, especially accompanying their faster numbers, is smooth and slick and the lighting complements every other part of the show perfectly. In spite of their fast movements and complex set, the group sustain remarkable tuning, diction, and vocal control. Soloists unveil their exceptional talents one-by-one with every song. The ease with which most of the members take to the stage, extraordinarily comfortable in the spotlight is extremely impressive, and only a few moments could use some fine-tuning.
Nonetheless, the show is near-perfect, and every man in the group has a unique voice and a great deal of charm. The result is a polished and distinctly professional performance by a talented and well-rehearsed a cappella group.
All the King’s Men once again does not disappoint the audience and gives them an hour to definitely remember long after Fringe is over.
All the King’s Men is on at Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Big Yin (Venue 24)
Until 17th August
Buy tickets here
Image: Chiara Margiotta