Pickups And Hiccups With Benjamin And Meyers Boom Chicago. I’leaxanee. until 27Aug. 11.15pm. Boom Chicago‘s cynical yet oddly charismatic relationship comedy.
Tony Ponzi Presents eee Gilded Balloon at 'Ieri'ot Row House. until 27Aug. 5.45pm. if this show was half as good as its promotional material it would be a corker but it‘s still a pretty funny pastiche of every rags- to-riches-back-to-rags again film you‘ve ever
The Pop-up Guide To Armageddon Aaaarglt.’ l’riuliu'tioiiy. The Garage. until IS Aug. 11.15pm. Post-apocaly'ptic mayhem and tnirth.
The Pork Chop Lounge Variety Show AS220. Iigo and (hit. until 18 Aug. 9pm. Meat is murderously funny in this sketchy show. Priorite A Gauche eeee l’leasani‘e l)oine. until 27Aug. 7.25pm. This lit'ockney duo is back with a new. highly-polished. high- energy routine and as with all good double acts. the dynamics between les dcux. Jean Francois and Didi. really give the show its snap. crackle and pop.
Puppetry Of The Penis eee (ii/(led Balloon at Term! Row House. until 27Aug. times vary: Two problems with Puppet/y: the two Aussie originators of genital origami have trouble keeping interest aroused for a fttll hour. and the initial shock value of seeing their Johnsons blown tip to the si/e of an alligator on a screen erected onstage quickly wears off. That said. the two boys from down under come tip with sortie impressive cock constructions. Top todger trick has to be ‘The llamburger' -- the looping of shaft around testicles pltis painful ()0 degree turn is reminiscent of a kid's magician making balloon animals. And. to be fair. these gents do ring every last drop of humour frotn their dick trickery. l‘inally. ladies be warned: an acrobatic audience participation section involves ga/ing directly into btitt cleavage. t.\1iles l'ielderi
Radio Scotland Festival Cabaret BBC Radio Scotland. The Fittttolty .S'piegeltent. until 24 Aug. /.l."pm. i'cstiyal highlights brought to you by w ec Janice l‘orsyth. Leave your ‘hello mum' placards at home for this
Radio Waves Iii/inbuiin ( 'ollege ot'Ai-i Wee Red Review. Izdinliurglt ('o/lege olAi't. until 15’ Aug. Spin. Goons-inspired student tomjapery'.
Raku-go Storytelling ls'oliai'udanji. Augustine's. I‘I 27Aug. «\‘pm. Sit-down humour with this trip into the l‘ar iiastern mindset.
Rebranding Mr God by Julian Fox l’leasaiu‘e. until 27Aug. midnight. Half an hour of late-night surrealistic dcadpanning. Reflections By The Bishops Of Glastonbury ('liui'i'li ol./ltllli.\ (‘aesaiz Stage Irv Stage Iidtnlnii'gli Academy. until lo’ Aug. 9.15pm. Sex. religion and backstabbing galore. Two stars in The .S'mtsiiian.
Resa Fantastiskt Mystisk Frantic Redhead Productions. ('I'im'ne l’litftt Hotel. until 24 Aug. tinies vary; .‘yltich acclaimed in America. this neglected Swedish play has become a cult hit for its combination of comedy and goose-breeding.
A Rhinoerotic Experience Kilt-thaw Theatre to. Koinedia Sout/iside. until 26 Aug. 2pm. A musical comedy show with rhinos as its theme.
Rich Hall and Dave Fulton Present Terry Dullum Appeal eeee :IHt'lIlllli' Run/tn. until 27Aug. l/.~l."/nii. (her an hoursworth of great gags and all for a terribly good catisc.
Ride To The Pleasance With William McOonagall Asyeiitlilv Roomv 2 27Altg. 2pm.
The Read From Dundee To Tennessee es the Siam! ( 'oittedv
('luli II. until 26 Aug. l.2ll/nii. An obscryational btit w cak whirlwind tour of the l‘nited States of stupidity.
Rubbernecker (ale Rot-at. In 25xlttg. 5.45pm. Ricky (icrvais and chums dart tip for a w cck's sketchy nonsense. Sec preview.
Hobie It Silver eeeee Pleasance, until 27Aug. 9.40pm. What is Noble & Silver? Who are the afore(name)mentioned Kim and Stuart? Why did they win the Perrier newcomer last year? Isn't their show just a loose- limbed bunch of rambling nonsenses with few connections to the recognisable world?
Why did I sit in the front row? Why is that six-foot human bear patting me on the head? is the man on the stool with the microwave on his lap a genuine audience member or a cast stooge? You know. like the anoraked ones bickering on stage as we trooped in? is Russell from London going to explode from having to blow up that dinghy?
What on earth was that man thinking. bringing his wife and two early teen sons to this show? Perhaps he thought they'd be like Cannon & Ball? Didn‘t he know that they‘re actually more Vic & Bob with a purpose? And what was the final straw which led them to walk out after fifteen minutes? Was it the video screen scene of rear-entry heterosexuals? Or Kim and Stuart having a snog? Maybe they just hate ‘Lady In Red"?
is this comedy? Is it art? Noble & Silver pose more questions than there are answers in this overly-simplistic world: don‘t they? (Brian Donaldson)
Jack Russell: l Prefer Dogs eee The Stand ('omedy' ('lult II. until 26 Aug. 4.20pm. Jack Rtissell promised the audience that the show would be ‘a bit shambolic. with me chatting'. and that‘s exactly what they get. The floppy-haired comic has the kind of
w inning grin that is infectious at close quarters. and his confident banter with the audience makes a virtue out of a few technological glitches. ()nce he gets into his stride. targets like Jeffrey Archer. David Icke. ('ountilowii and his own (‘atholic upbringing are dismissed with amiable abandon. But. as these topics suggest. Russell isn't one to venture much beyond generic stand-up territory. and while his routines about dope- smoking accountants are certainly diverting. they ‘re not hugely different from the fare ayailable from almost any festival venue. lixpect to be entertained. but not amazed. iJames Smarti
The Saddam Brothers e (.itt‘lt'o/tltttnlt's l’i'iuliu‘tions. Komedia Soutliside. until 26 Aug. 3.10pm. Two Saddam Hussein lookalikes bounce around a stage. Mark Brailsford and Mark Kat/ are the iraqi ('hucklc Brothers in this unbelievably lame variety show. Jokes that wouldn't pass muster in a Jim Davidson Panto are thrown out into a pitch black silence. Toy guns are tised as is most of .\lorecambe and Wise's worst material; too rude to be an enterprising kiddies show and falling well short of the general remit of satire this must have taken all of five minutes to rehearse. The support acts Kate ‘Slice ()f (‘omedy lieaven‘ Van Dike and ('arol ‘Thc l’eoplc's' Kentish are so fey it's embarrassing. This is a bin job. ti’aul Dalei
Marc Salem’s Mind Games eeee Assent/ilv Roomy. until 27Aug. 10.45pm. .\larc Salem gets the measure of our tiny minds. He knows when we're lying and when we're telling the truth. A beguiling late evening show.
Sam And Cy Unhinged eee I’leasaiu'e. until 27Aug. 5pm. With minimal props and costumes they bustle through scores of characters. and the duo's interplay is enough to keep you wanting more. They fare well when they get a little surreal. but don't tend to stray too far from the beaten track.
Andy Zaltzman
30 THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE ll; 2‘2 Aug 200'.
A bemused Rabbi said to me he'd come to see Jackie Mason and got Heinz Wolf
Sassy Stryker eee (.‘.(‘. Blooms. until l7Aug, 10pm. Plan. presence and an amazing voice in a show which is way too short.
Scared Weird Little Guys see
The Famous .S'piegeltent. until 26 Aug. 9.30pm. The Scared Weird Little (iuys don't seem scared or weird at all and only one of them's little. But they are very funny. musically talented and guaranteed to raise a smile. Maybe it'sjust the laid-back Australian charm. but there's a feeling that John and Rusty‘s childhood report cards might've read ‘could do better‘. L'sing a variety of instruments and songs. their comfortable banter covers the history of Edinburgh. music and features an astonishing mastery of \Vhistle-pops. not to mention a rendition of ‘Duelling Banjos'. But at times laid-back feels :1 hit too close to lazy -- if the material was sharper and more varied this show would be a real winner. If the Scared Weird Little (iuys were a pair of shoes. they'd be your comfy old slippers — reassuring but missing the excitement of high heels and the bounce of trainers. (Louisa Pearson i
Sean Hard Versus Craft Woman ('oinedy' I )aiijv. Komeilia .S'outliside. until [8 Aug. 5.40pm. ()1. fun continues to rttle with this mixed bag of emotions.
See How Beautiful I Am (‘razy- Ladies. I’leas‘aiu‘e Dome. until [6 Aug. 4.45pm. (‘omic deathbed encounter with Jacqueline Sttsann. the queen of ()()s‘ camp. The Semiskimmed Comedy Dairy Komedia .S'ouths’ide. until 26 Aug. [0.25pm. Komedia‘s oddball collective milk the Southside crowd with sketches and stand- up.
Sex, Death And Aerobics (‘ali/‘oriii’a Travel Troupe (Moan Fram'isi‘o. Roe/tel (a‘ South Bridge. until [8 Aug. noon. ()nc-acts analysing the American psyche. Humorous and humble.
Sexual Relations With The Klnf’kln Hillbillies ’I'i'avis' 'lI Merle. ("ale Royal Fringe Theatre. until 26 Aug. 9.40pm. (‘omc and lap tip some sexy. inbred. musical fun with Travis T. .‘ylerlc. A
rapturous reception in ‘98 sees them galloping back with whoops and hollers. Shakespeare A La Carte HS Drama ( Hazardous Productions ). Augustine '5. 21-25 Aug. 1.20pm. Side-splitting Shakespeare.
The Sitcom Trials Gilded Balloon at Pepper/mitt Lounge. until 27 Aug. 4.30pm. The Sitcom Trials gives you the first half of three new sitcoms before you vote for your favourite.
Skin Pickings By" Royal Disappoinlinent. C o2. until 26 Aug. 10pm. A sextet of coarse fun. Slaughterhouse Lounge Komedia .S'outhside. until 26 Aug. 9.10pm. Cabaret for sophisticats with senses of humour. Small And Large Boont Boom at The Tron. until 2 7 Aug. 6pm. Supply teacher Rick Smallwood proves that size is everything.
Gordon Southern Pleasanee Dome. until 27Aug. [0.05pm. Star of radio and television delivers an hour of sharp shootin' stand-up.
Spasm (iilded Balloon. until 27 Aug. 6.15pm. The foot and mouth of sketch shows. Whatever that means.
The Stand The Stand Comedy Club I. until I .S'ep. 11.30pm. Late night big value comedy cabaret hosted by Joon Broon. Acts already booked to appear include Johnny Vegas. Ross Noble and Andrew Maxwell.
Stand up Scotland The Stand Comedy ('lub II. until 26 Aug. 5.50pm. Bruce Devlin introduces the future of Caledonian comedy.
The Stand Up Show Gilded Balloon. until 26 Aug. 9.15pm. Four comics for the price of less than one. Brian Damage. Barry ilall. Humphry Douglas and Randy Wilson are yourjapesters.
Star Wars Trilogy In 30 Minutes Festival Theatre (ISC‘ — USA. Drummond
( ‘oniinunity' Theatre. until 25 Aug. times vary: It ain't broke so Festival Theatre USC have no intention of fixing it.
Stonewall Benefit Edinburgh Play/tome. 22 Aug. 8pm Names confirmed for this benefit for Stonewall Scotland include Julian Clary. Rich Hall. Phill Jupitus. .‘viike Wilmot. Adam Hills. Johnny Vegas and (‘y‘derdelie That's a lot ofjokes. Supergiriy: No Faced eeee (ii/ded Balloon II — Teviot. until 19 Aug. 8.45pm. (‘ould they be the best in the field at what they do? Which is that all-singing (other people‘s songs). all-dancing. all- bitching Atissie thing.