TRAVEL COMEDY
Festival take-offs
We’re used to frequent flyers during the Fringe. Less so frequent fliers. But to clock up those comedy air miles, you can see three shows on a travel theme at the Gilded Balloon: two of them are well worth the journey.
It seems tough to be unkind to Holidaze
O. (Gilded Balloon Cowgate, 226 2151, until 26 Aug, 3.45pm). It’s well meaning in its way, but it’s a show that’s wittier than it is funny. It’s a three-man sketch show built around a story of a fatal air journey. It has a number of imaginative ideas, but is let down by loose direction and under-developed character
acflng.
Better to go to the real thing. Rene Foss is just that: a flight attendant with an acting career that never quite took off. Around the
World in a Bad Mood O...
(Gilded Balloon,
226 2151, until 26 Aug (not 12, 19), 7.45pm) is a charming romp through life in the clouds, inanely smiling through a career at the butt end of the service industry. lt’s wrny amusing more than outright funny, but Foss brings a delightful DIY enthusiasm, from her sick bag puppet Macbeth to her ballet of the meal service. Better still is Pam Ann in The Mile High Club
(Gilded Balloon Teviot, 226 2151, until
25 Aug (not 12, 19), 9.30pm), which covers similar territory but with bags of vicious attitude. With her retro-chic uniforms and catty indolence, Pam is as camp as Christmas and ten times as funny. It’s made even better by the lucky presence of real flight attendants among the audience (on my night British Airways, BMi and Virgin Atlantic), producing some splendid inter-airline banter. Go fly with her.
(Mark Fisher)
term for one of those wacky all-round children's entertainers who'd probably chuck in blue language after the watershed.
Fred Anderson — in appearance more Richard Dreyfus than Krusty the Clown — has such an act complete with balloon modelling. card tricks. and a series of virtuoso juggling displays. This stock variety fare is padded Out with gentle banter and incongruously dramatic mu3ic. Anderson's easy rapport with his audience reaching out to everyone from wee ones to oldies. and creating a pleasantly informal atmosphere. (Allan Radcliffe)
I The Stand, 5:38 7272. MW Aug 26 (not 72). 4pm, £‘(5 (ff/1).
MULLETS AND DAUGHTERS Rock star diva destined for great things 00.
Sarah Adams. rock star diva extraordinaire. has a five star show just bursting to come out. Raw. direct and
inspired. she's a versatile performer who incorporates character sketches and song parodies into an act that oozes coineuy potential.
Prepare yourself for her singular blend of candour. crudeness and scathing Australian wit as she shifts effortlessly from one role to the next ‘.'/liil endless tirades on Sonny and Cher. hip replacements. vaginas and dark family secrets.
Fast-paced. extremer
literate and suhlimely on the mark this is one diva who. Willi a touch of comedy polish. is really going places. (Anna Millari
I P/easance Dome. 656 (5:350. until 26 Aug (not 13. 20), ll.2()p/ii. 5T7.:'>‘()—-5‘5) (513.5%) 519/.
BOB DOWNE Back at his bitchy best 0000
It's been four long years since Antipodean funnyman Bob Dona/ire last appeared at the Fringe and there's nothing l'El(Il(l<’l|I\,’ altered about his act. Of course. an hour plus of
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l)(}l'l‘£i l;‘r"-i‘»::<l young things. ‘.'.'i:><las.'1<;'i and of to add a touch of ii‘,l‘v£lflllf;ll‘i to proceedings. ‘.'.'Il|i(l' Ll[)l)ll‘tl the already high cheese factor.
[Allan Radcliffe»
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MAT AND MACKINNON Double act dynamic fails to ignite .0
this (I()lll(:(I\, (fut; go for the predicahl-z: i()ll"{li of oiir:l>t:iiig lt’Ll'Ell‘:-’:lil‘<l. one Leirig «lul;l;.l\~::_ 1‘. a
shot. .'.’I‘lffI‘I .u l;.i";ti:t<i
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.'."th (Elltiltj‘,. h..t lacking in origii‘alily. lfieii'
sketches seem f
too rehearsed.
too long. and lack an;
l)()|f3It(E(I.
sort of ill‘ii)!'()‘.if§(ti on. ll‘ex exert li‘réltf out littf‘.l;)t.f3 rt:-'.ie.'.s thex'xe had Hi the mess. ll‘. a tan j.<>.i .riiag 'ie tl‘at. e“? \.'."e".<:- I;(3{}l‘. slatedf‘ ‘.'.a‘:.. ‘.'.'hi<:“. makes [.ou think: '/\ii\, hiood‘,’ ‘.'.’()l‘.(l€?l". Maybe if they chilled out a hit. calmed doz'xn '\.'.':th the acting. and reduced the” enlij. tee. then they'd he worth going to see. '(Zaiolyri Asken.
“PORNOGRAPHERS, remain pure and uncorrupted - so
avoid TONY BLAIR!”
I /)"(P.’lf;(1.’2(ft?. 35:36 (£550. anti." Po xii/g ”?().' .731. fifi’tirxil 5‘5) .‘V'U
All“? $19,.
BRENDON BURNS
Manic, edgy . . . and predictable 0..
four mouth and right off he may he, hut Australian comic Brendon Barns: does 't in such as ‘.'./a\. as to not offend. It's a good ciox'xd tonight and Burns uses II to his adxantage. He's got the chat and a great rapport ‘.'."’..’l the
Pam Ann: flight of fancy
audience as he has a pop at George W Bush i\.'-.rho wouldn'ti. the Queen Mum. L=\.rerpudlians and the British's claim of inventing irony But halfx'ray through. he seems to loose his thread and a for: too many time checks confirms this. At his best. Burns is manic and edgy. but at his u‘xorst. a little too predictable.
:l lelen Monaghani
I Pr’easa/ice. :'>:'>(>‘ (5:350, uni/i £36 Aug. lip/n. S‘SJ-f‘it) 15‘8- 95);.
'SINGEING THE FRINGE'
LENNY LEOPARD
IS C LEB IN
Venue 75, Old Orleans, 30 Grindlay Street
Four lettered. four wheeled. four eyed. foreskinnedless. His entry alone fills the Ego Ronay
empty-headed but truthfully covet his minimalist brain.
WARNING: Show contains male/female nudity
Info 229 1511
Fringe Box office 0131 226 0000
Guide. Critics call him
Aug 12 ' 26 15:30 (till) £5.00 (£3.50)
'\ . z .‘ THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 31