LUCY PORTER
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ANDRE VINCENT Magnetic and hilarious road to recovery
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32 THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE “
PAUL ZENON
Just an illusion
Paul Zenon is magic at tricks. There is little doubt that his status as the country’s foremost illusionist (the self-titled ‘King of Con’ and ‘Sultan of Swindle’) has been developed and cemented with some tremendous Channel 4 one-offs and a relentless taste for touring the world (Bosnia, Belize and the Falkland Islands having been just three of his adventurous outposts). However, there will be plenty fans feeling as shortchanged as some of his previous victims with Off the Street, on the Road, his first long-distance Fringe run since 1997. That year, the Brighton-based trickster mesmerised audiences with one act of ‘deceit’ roughly every couple of minutes.
This year, he’s opted for weighing the act more heavily towards stand-up as he retells his story from scouring the side-shows of Blackpool as an awe- struck child to entertaining the heavily-tooled troops in the former Yugoslavia.
Unfortunately, upsettingly, it hasn’t quite worked.
While not quite the music hall naff that some of his less kind critics would have you believe, the banter simply doesn’t befit his stupendous ability as a magician (he hates being called that, but there are only so many words in the dictionary to describe his profession). The things he can do with bowling balls, a flipchart, foreign currency and a couple of shy local
lassies . . . and his piece de resistance with a pint of bitter, dog
leash and snooker triangle (fast becoming his My Way signature
tune) should have Paul Daniels handing in his notice to the
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Humour amid floundenngideas
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Magic Circle. More con, less corn, please. (Brian Donaldson) we 2.12%. min 26 Aug, 10.30pm.
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." '* 7;“ w V5) MICKEY D Cosy yet amusing fare OD.
Ari, /\.itii'(lil{lll stand up .') l iii'ilni‘riih is i)()ll'l(i -'. .i f;‘i,lllt)rliil(:il(3
The king of cone
crowd. so Mi D can't really go wrong tonight. Unfortunately. he .iiiiiiediately falls into a cliche "My passion .s traveling -- ‘.‘./ill(iil infoiriis most of the show.
He does. .'l fact. have some liigliix, amusing tales of aunts in Aiiiei‘ica il)£ll'll(ltliéil'iy a l)i'il;iant slur over different meanings of the word 'cookie'i but. as the crowd eggs him on. 't beco'nes all too easy for him to slip into Australian takes on Australia and cosy down into standard pub humor." on things like stupid sayings. With some crude philosophy tacked on either end, this is one foi homesick Aiitipodeans only. clanl /eschkyi
I Gi/ded Ba/loon, 226 2 1:3 I, until 26 Aug.
1 I. l:3pm, $750—$850 (1‘64")0-1‘760).
ALAN FRANCIS Sharp, dark tickle sticks 00..
Alan Francis. one of the writers behind A/ista/r ivchowa/i 's Big Impress/on, delivers half a dozen acutely observed character monologues in C/Obbered. The show is directed by Anthony Nielson (his perturbing play Stitching is showing at the Traverse) so you get more Visually than with your average stand-up.
Hailing from Edinburgh originally, Francis ft)g]tlf()li£ll(3(i zi tig)lit- arsed Scottish pensioner precisely, which had everyone chortling appreciatively. Sharp. dark tickle sticks Within perfectly executed scripts. kept grins glued on the faces of the audience. sometimes uneasily. Sardonic Wit at its best. Go see. iCaroline Mason)
I Gilded Balloon. 226 21:3 7. until 26 Aug (not 12). 8.4:'>p/Ii, $38—$29 it‘d—1‘7).
ROB ROUSE
Bursting with originality 00000
A wrnner of 'So You Think You're Funny!'. Rob Rouse is a delirious but liilai'ious man. This hour-IOng show of observational comedy will make you cry wrth laughter from start to finish. His comments on Alain Baxter and his speed allegations are outrageous. never mind his love song about the Elephant Man, fanny farts and Stephen Hawking performing sex-acts.
Bursting with originality. energy and enthusiasm, he interacts with the audience and Jumps about the stage like a hyperactive kid who has downed a gallon of Sunny Delight. He even does a strip. which is dedicated to Sidney, one of the letley tea men. and offers the
PUNTER'S CHOICE
Fiona Macdonald, an administrator from Edinburgh.
I plan to set,- Hie Pig in the Snake by Will Durst (Traverse. until 10 Aug) which features a political comedian. because it sounds interesting. I find that when Aiiieiican comedians are good. they are very slick.