Comedy
Fat Fat Pope o l’lcaxancc. until 3" Atig. lll 50pm l.ct‘x make this clear Irom the xtart fat fat l’opc Ix a truly dreadlul xhow ('oming acioxx like a hideouny prctcntioux xtudcnt tc\ tic. the tour young ladx who make tip the group would clearly like to think of thcinxclscx ax \lonty l’ython vs Ith philosophical undertoncx. but are actually juxt wank}. xcll—Iriipor'tant liratx A number ol xurrcal xkctchcx and dialogucx are linked together through xomc \aguc "project by an unseen clIataclcr "\licliacl'. but III reality the only thing that lIIIkx tlIcIiI Ix an o\crall air of xpcctacularly cringcvsoithy xcll—indulgcncc. Put It [his \l..i_\. lllc nlg'lll \\ c \s ct’c lllt'l'c (i\ er hall the audience walked otit. and thoxc enduring xoulx let! .it the end could scarcely IIItIxtci a inIglc clap lictvsccn thctn. tl)oug .lohIIxtoIIci
The Fat Lady Sings Kit and the Widow. Stage hy Stage lidiiihurgh Academy. until l‘) Atig. ". illpm. Kit and the Walrus xcalc the heights of comic opera accompanch by IiIc//o-xopraiio Melanie .\larxhal|.
Festival Revue Ross Theatre and Princes Street (iardciix. until 25 Aug. noon. \Vatch thc world'x largest II\ c artx hroadcaxt. Showing hundrcdx ol lI\C lt‘sll\.’tl pcrlormanccx. w llll \ ltlco [ll'cxt'nlttllonx ol every conceivable art form from music and colllctl} to theatre and tlanct'.
Fiona 8. Her Sister (And Some Guy) (irldcd liallooii 'l'hcatrc. until 37 Atig. 9pm. .\luin ol lI\c l'iona Is already a big star III her native Alicc Spi‘Iing. but wants to conquer lzdinhurgh. And she's brought I'cIiIlorchiIciItx.
Fish Supper The Stand (‘omcdy ('luh ll. until Io Aug. 3.35pm. The ever popular xkctch show take their custoIIIary xIdc-xvsipc at Scotttxh culturc.
Fit To Burst - It’s All Happening! .0. l’lcaxaiicc. [Nil 37 Atig. 5.l5pm. Three men dressed in straw hats and how tch storm the xtagc and xtart xiiIgIIIg. You may think you are in hell but It Ix they \\ ho are III a purgatorial hinterland waiting for judgement on their dccrcprt ll\L‘\. A comic. a \cIItrIququt and a inIgcr/songssritcr trawl their way through comedy sketches and xurrcal digrcxxionx.
It‘s all \L‘t‘} clever and cartoon) aiiimatronicx mcctx The league ()f (icIItlciiIcn it does how ever take at least the first half to find its feet and a rhy thm. When they do though they are very funny with their South Bank Show skit or the iIIccxtuous Northern family sketch. This could quite easily ha\e been renamed Waiting l‘or (iobshitcs at The Henley l’as ilioii. tl’aul l)ttlt'l The Fleetwood Coup-De-Ville Chat Show O Direct from the Donkey Show. l’lcaxance Dome. tiiitil 27 Atig. 7.45pm. .SCL' rev it“.
Charles Fleischer oooo (lilac-d Balloon til AI‘L‘\ iot Ross llouxc. tlnlll lll :\tlg. 7.l5pin; ll 33 Atig. Il..i(lpiii. I usually hate stand ups rely mg on audience participation. I paid money; you entertain me. So when ('harlcx l'lc‘iu‘hc'i' works his way along the front row w ith "what do you do' questions. I think: ‘Should I tell him I'm a critic.
rcs icw iiig his first show 1’ lx that IiIe;III'."
a hit like
'.\Ian III the trout rots tIc'l'\ouxl_\ picking the cnatncl on hix teeth. and you do " ‘l'm a crItIc.‘ (iotcha'. audience participation
l-lcixchcr. however. Ix unla/cd \lorcov cr. hIx routine gctx lunnicr and lunmcr. ax hc pIckx out l-imgc pcrlorIncrx an Intcrnational aid policy tnakcr and a member ol l’arhamcnt whoxc third is ifc xitx nest to him rillx on their ll\c\ like .i performance poct arid clc\crl_\ t‘clalcx one person to another And the audience lo\ c It. exert the uncnsialilc third \sIlc t.\lilcx l'lt‘ltlt‘l'l Four On The Floor(' o3. I: It» Aug. "Sllpm. lmprov ixcd play x xcrv cd tip to order lt'ottl SaI‘. l-I‘ancixcan irottpc. Free And Easy The Stand ('oIIchy (‘luh l. uIItII Io Aug. lpm. Stuart and Paul xcrv c tip an eclectic IIIcIIu ol Inuxic. poetry. xkctchcx and Improvisation o\ct‘ lunch, Fringe Sunday On The Meadows l-rmgc Sunday. l2 Atig. llam. The cvct'- popular lamily day out movcx to the Meadow x. \\ Ith o\ ci 3le l'riIIgc actx performing snippeton iiiuxic. comedy. theatre and a whole lot more Aaaaah Dominic Frisby ooo l’lcasancc l)omc. until I" Atig. ".55pm. A charming. my ciItI\ c and \cry tunin man. .\lr l-rixhy has unlortunatcly lct himxclf down by producing precious little new material for thix year's xhovs. If you managed to catch him last year. don‘t bother again. unlcxx you lov cd It so much you want to xcc It twice.
If you haven't seen him helorc. tthI hc'x definitely worth the effort. Ax well as hix ow II lo\cl) pcrxona. he hax xc\cral comic creations. all of whom are c\ccptionally silly. and as he xay x. hot man ironic way llix cheeky dcmcanour and lrcxh-laccd looks make him ideally suited ax a kidx' T\' prcxcntcr. and if you go prepared for that In cl of huIIIour. you'll enjoy yourself iIIImeIIscly. .lust don't c\pccl any cutting- edge comedy. tKll'xl) Kilttggsl Front ROW BBC Radio 4. l’lcaxancc. ‘) Aug. ll,.ill;irii; 2“ Aug. 3pm. lave recording ol Radio 4‘s arts and cnts xlltm. dishing illt‘ dirt on the l‘ringc'x hitx. mixsex. scandals and Intrigucx. The Fruit And Veg Roadshow The Stand ('omcdy ('lub ll. until lo Aug. lllllpm. ()rgamcally produced gagx from Stand regulars Reg .-\IIdcrxotI. Allan Miller. Steven Dick and John Sinclair. Gasping Hurrah Productions. (‘rownc l’la/a llotcl. until ll Aug. b’pm. Ben lilton'x popular ecological comedy returns for a second year. The Giant Pineapple Boys present Hollywoodn’t (iildcd Balloon 'l‘heatrc. until 27 Aug. ll.45pm. Boyishly irreverent chaps who invite you to the premiere of Holly wood‘s first IiIaiIIxtrcam porn mos ie. The Kevin Gildea’s Stand-up Set To MUSIC (iildctl Balloon til 'lcviol Row llotIxL‘. until 27 Aug. ltlpm. The musically and huIIIorouxly blexxcd Kev in (iildea is a comedian. guitarist and drummer; play that funky iiiuxic funin boy. Tom Gleeson’s Pirate Copy (iildcd Balloon 'l‘hcatre. until 27 Atig. HHSpm. l’r'omixing young 0/ stand-up with iIIultiIichia extravagan/a. Last year's So You
The Fleetwood Coup-Do-Vlllo Chat Show O Pleasance. until 27 Aug. 6.20pm. The premise of the show is a poor one. The audience is supposed be pan of a live recording of the ultimate TV chat show. hosted by style guru and agony aunt. Fleetwood. In the course of the evening. he dishes out advice to the audience and interviews Fringe personalities who are given the opportunity to plug their wares.
Fleetwood was the hip doomian from last year's Fringe hit The Donkey Show but unfortunately this year sees him floundering around without any material. Why do stand- up comedians put themselves and the audience through the torture of no material? And why does a show rely on spontaneity and the ability to interact with guests when you are awkward and at a loss for words? Fleetwood is a likeable personality. but the attitude and cutting edge which was promised. isn‘t delivered. In support he has a harassed floor-manager and an inaudible ‘sister' who recently arrived from New Jersey. Fleetwood‘s guests. who happened to be The Cabaret Whores the night I attended. were on securer ground material-wise than their host.
As Fleetwood awaits the arrival of his star guest. a celebrity diva. it soon becomes clear. she's not going to materialise. Naturally our host Fleetwood dons fetching drag and lip- synchs to Tina Turner. He looks amazing in bathing costume and heels. but you can't help feeling if he had only sung himself. it might have been a real-live performance.
The show ends embarrassingly. It needs to improve greatly. (John Binnie)
Have we found the new Friends? the new Frasier? the new Fawlty Towers?
Only YOU can decide
THE Street
28 THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 23-15.
EveningStandard
'1‘!“ AL S
GIIIIHI BIllOIIII 0131 228 2151 0 AUG 3-10. 18-21 0 4.30
Add 4c.»
Think You're Funny winner Drew Rokos also puts in an appearance.
The Goddess Perlrnan The tinderbelly. i)» 26 Aug. l(l.3()pm. Bolshy. energetic. all- singing. all-dancing comedy diva distinguished by her oversized bush (yes. reallle takes a pop at music's prima donnas. Goodbye Mister Bitch (iilded Balloon Theatre. until 27 Aug. 7.30pm. Surreal story from the crew responsible for Life. (let It Up \fii based on a besequinned rock 'n‘ roll police force charged with saving the audience from terrorists.
Boothby Grafloe - Midnight Assembly Rooms. until 27 Aug. midnight. Would-be smooth crooner plays it for laughs performing all nine songs in his back catalogue. with accompaniment from linger- picking genius Antonio Forcione.
Hackney Empire New Act Of The Year (iilded Balloon at Teviot Row HoUse. until 27 Atig. lt). l5pm. Alan Davies. Rob Newman and Ardal ()‘Hanlan jumped on this comedy springboard and went stratospheric. lnder Manocha. Harriet Bowden. Randy Wilson. and Franky Johnston hope it will do the same for them.
The Happy Sideshow Assembly Rooms. until 27 Atig. ltlpm. We off-loaded our crims. they give us their freaks. Bizarre Australian freakshow cabaret set to an infectious dance beat designed for voyeurs everywhere. Harmful Effects Of Tobacco British Russian Theatre Project. Rocket «1 Kirk 0' Field. until ll Aug. 4.45pm; l2~|8 Aug. 9pm. ()ne-man anti-smoking campaign. agony uncle and classical mUsic expert. There may be some jokes squeezed in there
Kevin Hayes: The Devil’s Drop The Stand (‘omedy (‘lub ll. until 26 Aug. 7. l5pm. Acclaimed Irish mirth master Kayes takes an alternative look at our nation's obsession with alcohol.
Richard Herring: Christ On A Bike! Pleasance Dome. until 27 Aug. 9. Itlpm. This religioUs themed show froin seasoned pro Richard Herring should be a safe bet.
Craig Hill’s Win To 02 Gilded Balloon Theatre. until 27 Aug. 8pm. Scotland‘s camp singing sensation follows his yellow brick road and takes you on a journey from the monochrome world of East Kilbride to the technicoloured fantasy of Sydney.
For hour by hour daily listings see
Listings Supplement.
Adam Hills - Go You Big Red Fire Engine .0. Pleasance. until 27 Aug. 9.25pm. It has got to be a sign from the frontier of comedy when a comedian as likeable but essentially bland as Adam Hills cart pack out the ('abaret Bar and more interesting coriiics can‘t even get arrested. We run the Usual gamut of cultural differences; Jerry Springer is enacted on stage and the audience is gently massaged for material.
It's all great back-slapping ftin with lots of vote-winning references to 70s kiddies shows and Day stereotypes. but there is so much thick-skinned bonhornie it's like being stuck in a (‘astleinaine advert. Hills certainly has an effortless charm but his material could do with an overhaul. With the exception of the live signer on stage. with Hills this is about as safe as things get. (Paul Dale)
Hollow Men: A Tribute Pleasance. until 27 Aug. 5.55pm. Returning for their third year at the Fringe. those Hollow Men promise to deliver ‘a diverse show of mime. songs and surrealism'.
How To Lose Friends And Irritate People (iilded Balloon Theatre. until 27 Aug. 7.l5pm. Jonathoan Donahoe's no frills character comedy created by two playwrights attempting to overcome writers block.
In Bed With Robin Hood ooo
(iilded Balloon Theatre. until 18 Aug. 3.45pm. Was Robin Hood a good guy or a bad guy? ()r. as Kesselofski & Fiske suggest. an in-between kinda guy sitting groaning in a modern day hospital bed'.’ Hood's convalescent life is shattered when his old adversary the Sheriff of Nottingham emerges frotn a cupboard to take him back to Sherwood Forest. There he deconstructs ‘the original middle-class leftie' as a misguided. amoral coward catapulted into a life of crime after shooting a medieval copper in the back. Cue lots of arrows. a great deal of grief for soundman Sven. some entertaining songs and industrial quantities of backchat. it makes for an entertaining afternoon. marred only by an unnecessary and heavy-handed trudge into political territory and a bewildering conclusion. (James Smart)
In The Psychiatrist's Wheelchair Barrie Hall. . . Dr Basil Hallmead. Pleasance Dome. until 27 Aug. 6.50pm. Hallmead began his medical career on E4‘s Show Me The Funny. where he put minor celebrities through a barrage of psychological tests. ()ne star in The Scotsman.