PEA GREEN BOAT
Mince or quince?
An owl wakes adrift at sea in a curiously- coloured boat accompanied by a cat. its natural predator. There‘s some cash lying around in the hull as well as a small guitar and. rather disturbingly. some honey. And you may ask yourself: ‘Well . . . how did I get here?‘
At least. that’s what Stewart Lee would do. Having temporarily lost his Herring. he's obviously had time on his hands to watch a lot of TV (collaborating on Jerry Springer: the Opera). write a novel (The Perfect Fool) and. perhaps most importantly of all. ponder Edward Lear's classic nonsense rhyme ‘The Owl and the Pussycat' and taken it on a journey of its own.
Using the multimedia approach (slides. music and. er. some water). Lee has been commissioned by his Springer collaborators. the Battersea Art Centre. to ask all the important questions: was this just an exercise in meaningless poetic whimsy or something more sinister than that (strange naval experiments are darkly hinted at)? And just what is a ‘runcible spoon"? Find out now. (Richard Rees)
I Traverse, 228 1404, 20—24 Aug. 70,4.6nm. FM APO».
Words: Maureen Ellis
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watching Ab Fab with the s0und off. Still. they were infinitely more enjoyable than Fanny and Madge O (Gilded Balloon. 226 2151. until 26 Aug. 2.16pm). Dubbed as the ‘student Bridget Jones'. which should be reason enough to steer clear. their flatshare 'comedy' involved much screeching. swearing and general fannying around. Possibly the longest hour you could endure at the Fringe. Avoid. It the old folks are in town. take them along to see Live! Gir/s.’ .00
was Chambers 8 Nett/eton .00
family. Star Wars and pulling.
Chambers and Nettleton: little
originality but large on laughs
delight. (Maureen Ellisl
FRANCESCA MARTINEZ Seldom sentimental, simply very funny .00.
Challenging audience perceptions of stand-up from the start. 2000's Open Mic winner Martinez walks on stage wrth the aid of her co-star and performs her act steadied against a chair. Born with cerebral palsy. the initial impression she gives is one of politically correct uncertainty — there will be. y0u correctly assume. no hecklers in tonight. It's almost a shame though. because if she can take the piss out of others as she can herself. then the ex-Grange Hill actress is certainly destined for bigger things.
Focusing mainly on her condition. Martinez's set might have to be broadened in the future. but her sense of mischief and self- deprecation is infectious. and her message ab0ut acknowledging peoples' differences seldom sentimental and simply very. very funny. The restaurant farce is slick comedy courage in the face of adversity. the Terminator drinks dispenser truly Surreal. and I implore y0u to see the thOught-provoking. hairdressing finale. (Jay Richardson)
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Two’s company
It takes two to tango, but when it comes to female double acts, who is lord of the dance?
hen Mary Shields reopened the can of worms surrounding the w dearth of female comedians on the Fringe. she stated that
female stand-ups form double acts to boost their confidence. Interesting. So. in the fickle world of comedy. are two heads really better
(Pleasance. 656 6550. until 26 Aug. 4.45pm) probably aren't the best advert for female duos. As performers they're flawless. ruthlessly sending up a motley bunch of oddball characters in an airport. Let down by dubious material. the sisters are likeable.
Hang around the Cellar a little longer and you'll be forced to suffer (Pleasance. 556 6650. until 26 Aug. 6pm). Their office 'lt' girl wannabe sketch started promisingly. but film clips are the only lift in a comedy that's about as funny as
(Pleasance. 556 6560. until 26 Aug. 3.36pm). Most of the sketches appeal to an older generation. and if dwarf wifey character Ennie Thompson doesn't have her own sitcom soon. then there's no justice in this world. Perhaps the only conventional double act. and conventional in the sense that it didn't border on theatre.
(Gilded Balloon. 226
2151. until 25 Aug. 7.16pm). Chambers' sharp. tall figure to Nettleton‘s small. goofy appeal was a nice dynamic.
Their cabaret style delivery was entertaining. but much of the material banal in the extreme — think the royal
Thank goodness for Susan and Janice .000 (Pleasance. 556 6560. until 26 Aug. 7.25pm). This comedy experiment was in danger of backtiring until the likeable duo went Out of Our Heads in a Scooby Doo-esgue camp romp through a haunted house. Both fantastic performers. the jokes are sharp. the narrative original and Susan's cabaret singer character Sue Sheru epitomised the talent and diversity of the two. A double