HOWARD READ
Cartoons and comedy collide in the shape of ickle Howard
‘My dog has no nose,’ announces a clearly proud Little Howard as I sit, mouse in hand, waiting for the decrepit punchline to arrive. It doesn’t. Instead, as the purple-haired, nasally-challenged canine bounds up and down and chases his tail, his bleary-eyed cartoon master simply states: ‘His name is Puddle.’
This introduction to Howard Head’s vast and wonderfully entertaining website is typical of the comedian/animator’s unexpected, understated humour. Despite his recurring nightmare of a technological meltdown mid- show, the multi-talented Read has developed a live set in which he and the audience interact with his animated alter-ego, Little Howard, an extension of the comedian’s own offbeat stage persona.
Having previously worked as a sketch writer for the likes of Smack The Pony, Read is well-versed in the business of writing for others, a habit he couldn’t quite break when developing his own stand-up. ‘I didn’t intentionally
set out to do character comedy, though on stage I do present a slightly dopier version of myself,’ he says. ‘My stuff’s quite odd, and the adder I act on stage, the more people seem to respond to it. And Little Howard’s like a little version
of me, controlled by keyboard.’ Unlike Victor Frankenstein and his forsaken monster, Read reacts towards his creation in the manner of a proud, indulgent father. ‘Technical difficulties aside, I’d love to tour Little Howard on his own and make him the first live, interactive animated stand-up with his own show,’ admits the comedian. Cartoons doing stand-up! Whatever next! The first fully animated pop group?
Oh . . . (Allan Radcliffe)
I Pleasance. 556 6550, until 26 Aug (not 6, 20). 70. 05pm, £5-L‘9.50.
SANDY NELSON Boy next door surfs the wave of local celebrity
Sandy Nelson has a cracking CV. A successful actor and musician before he turned his hand to comedy. highlights of a bonkers career include playing Mel Gibson's brother in Braveheart. being guitarist for Mila Jovovich and
performing ‘Auld Lang Syne' with Belle and Sebastian in Swedish. ‘Yeah. I've been around.‘ he says. ‘l‘m a local celeb but nobody knows who the fuck I am.’
Drawing on personal experience. Nelson's show. Bedroom Popstar, is based on the trials and tribulations of the music biz. 'The pop industry is
28 TH! LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 1—8 Aug 2002
hypocrisy and bullshit and people are falling for it.‘ he says. ‘l'm trying to help people — they don't have to put up with this shit.‘ Featuring random guest appearances from members of Snow Patrol. Belle and Sebastian and. erm. Hue and Cry. as well as something called ‘jazz bingo'. Bedroom Popstar must be one of
the odder shows kicking around this year. (Doug Johnstone)
I The Stand, 558 7272, 7 Aug, 8pm; 2-26 Aug (not 72). 9.20pm, 84—86.
THE NONSENSE Can Garth and Eddie revive their sparkling gibberish?
About halfway through every Festival Fringe. the whispers start. But last year. no one seemed to think that Harry Ainsw0rth and Dave Strong. real names Garth Cruikshank and Eddie McCabe. were even in the running for Perrier Best Newcomer — until their show Let’s Have a Shambles romped home with the prize. ‘l was knocked over.‘ says Cruikshank. “Baffled. Yes. baffled's a good word for it. We had an early slot and small audiences. but SOmeone must have liked something we did and we were delighted to win.‘
This year‘s show has
a similar mix of oddball characters. wilfully bad gags and brutal audience participation. and sees the return of sex therapist Jean Brodie and the arrival of a scone maker. ‘We're not sure whether to keep making sure that the audience are with us or to just batter them into submission with our nonsense.‘ says Cruikshank. “Expect to be scared.‘ (James Macklin) I Honeycomb, 620 2408, 6-25 Aug (not 72, 79), 9.30pm, £9 (£7).
ONE MAN’S BUSINESS Comedy for a theatre audience Comedy at the Traverse? Who thought we'd ever see that during a Fringe? But this year the Traverse‘s artistic director Philip Howard has relaxed his rule against stand-up. A u-turn? Well. not exactly. Anglo-Australian performer Clare Bartholomew's one- woman show with live music IS a case in point. ‘lt is a comedy. and it's played as one. but
there's also a lot of tragedy and pathos to the life of this one man.‘ More narrational than the usual comedy fare. Bartholomew's piece tells the stOry of an ageing male clown in an othen/vise all female troupe. 'I based the character on my grandfather, who was kind of a loner. There isn‘t a lot of dialogue. and a lot of the humour is physical. He's less aggressive than the usual clown; more like one of Shakespeare's fools.' she says. Very theatrical. then. (Steve Cramer)
I Traverse. 228 7404, until 77 Aug (not 5). 70.30pm, 2750-270 (24-2750).
RIA LINA Stand-up, song and a whole lot of attitude 'You can't be a stand- up without problems. You have to have issues in order to be one.‘ Ria Lina may have issues. but she's got no fear: 'This isn't a job about safety in numbers.‘ she says. Half-Philippine.
Lina, meaner comedy machine
half-German, born in Britain. but brought up in Holland and America. Lina has faced new crowds all her life. Her act is a combination of stand-up and song. but pretty early on reveals her cultural roots.
“One of the songs is about how my Mom's a mail-order bride.‘ says Lina. Refusing to be pigeon-holed. she is determined to be known simply as being funny. 'The thing about stand-up comedy.‘ she says. 'is people look at you and go: "Ooh. but you‘re a woman. Ooh. but you're ethnic. Ooh. but you've got an American accent." It’s just about being funny.‘ Hot from winning the Wilkinson Sword Comedy heat in London. Ms Lina is here to show us exactly what she's made of. (Ruth Hedges)
I Ria Lina is part of a revolving line-up at Amused Moose Comedy '3 Hot Starlets. Underbelly, 0870 745 3083. 7-25 Aug. 3.25pm. 23—28.