CHARLIE CHUCK
Woof bark donkey Dickens O.
Mummy, look at the mad man With a snare drum for a shoe. Chuck was the one-joke- wonder Uncle Peter in The Smell of Reeves and MOrt/mer. His thing is to play (or more likely just be) a twitching mentally ill fool for the entertainment of his audience. The trouble IS, with the exception of beating up a drum kit and shouting. there is not a lot here that is not about pointing the finger at the village retard. Chuck is also directing a play about Dad's Army actor John Laurie at the festival. We can only hope it has been better prepared and
:2} ///l We.
executed than this slack Christmas pud of a show. (Paul Dale)
I Gilded Balloon, 226 2757, until 26 Aug. 77.30pm, 57.50—28.50 $660—$750).
NICOTINE NIGHTS Ciggy stardust I.
Who put the crack into the pipe? Who told yOu to smoke away your life? Three sexy girls. in the shortest gold mini skirts you may have seen in a long time. cavort. sing and scream on the theme of giving up the filthy weed.
This is silly, light- hearted stuff that moves along swiftly enough Without really saying much. Many of the sketches seem barely
26 THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE ‘5—22 Aug 2’722
thOught out and under- rehearsed. but fiuitiity and form may come Yl‘. time to this enthuSiastic troupe. On the plus Side. there is a chance to Win a free Silver Zippo lighter and the whole thing is merCifully short. clocking in at around tit) minutes. iPaul Dale.
I C3, 0870 70/ 570:3. until 25 Aug. 9.20piii. £7.50 lL‘6.:30/.
HAL CRUTTENDON Shallow Hal 0
This guy's a pro — his; performance. timing and manner is perfect. He effortlessly glides through his set. interacting With the audience While maintaining their gaze. Call me mental. though. but in 2002 you want to hear something a bit
You get everything for a pair in this game
fresher than gags about his Wife. kids and up— bringing.
Fair-dos: yesteryear. this may have been the stable talking points of stand-ups. along with the Manning-esgue gag about the mother- in-iaw. But yOLi've heard it all before. Not to fret though, you know this man is oestincd to be a member of a comedy panel on a Channel 5 game show sometime soon. iCarolyn Aiken) I Underbelly, 0870 7/15 3083. until 25 Aug. 70.4(){)i7i, E7—C8 Ciel—5‘7).
DANNY BHOY
Let's hear it for the Bhoy coo
(3o o". call me a Cynic. But it's no accident that {)iiiah
THE NONSENSE Inspired cock and bull spoofs 0000
After winning the Perrier Best Newcomer award in 2001, Garth Cruikshank and Eddie McCabe are back with their alter egos Harry Ainsworth and Dave Strong in this camp cabaret/game show extravaganza. If you're looking for fun and laughter, this duo serve it in spades.
Ainsworth is like Vic Reeves with sexuality issues. Following the classic showbiz tradition of not being quite out of the closet, he continually asks men to penetrate his chocolate pockets in a series of daft games in which audience members are invited on stage to play. Strong, a club bouncer in a tight Madonna t-shirt, is a loveable skin- head, whose image contrasts with his
fairy-like persona.
They share a love/hate relationship, with the start of the show being a pastiche of The Bodyguard, where Strong saves Ainsworth from being raped by the audience. Ainsworth later brings out a series of puppets, which range from Harold Shipman to a mini- Hitler-littler, leaving the audience in stitches. Other characters like Joan Breedie, the Morningside agony aunt, and the hilarious physio Rodger Strokes, show that they aren’t a one trick pony. With games like Cock’n’Bawls and Ring the Sting, this show is packed with original ideas, audience participation and general stupidity. Don’t expect any run-of—the-mill festival pap, these boys are a truly unique double act. (Carolyn
Aiken)
I Honeycomb. 620 2408, until 25 Aug (not
79/. 9.30pm. £9 $7).
Washington's 'Mad About the Boy' is pumping through the sound speakers before a be-dimpled Danny Bhoy appears on stage. With his Gareth Gates hair and Jamie Theakston, naughty but nice persona. it's Bhoy's comedy style that could do with some air-brushing.
His hilarious whisky condom chat. microphone fellatio. Bush-slagging and tentative it September Sprinklings are crowd- pleasing fare. If he feels the audience aren't getting the gag he backtracks faster than a new Labour candidate With an accidentally progresswe policy. But dimples aSide. his set about French classes
is wonh the ticket price alone.
(Anna Millar)
I Pleasance, 556 6550. until 26 Aug. 8pm, EQ—ETO (CB—£9).
ROCK STARS Liam and Noel would be proud 0...
A wise Fringe veteran once said: ‘Never work with children. animals. drunk students Or technological gadgetry. as they‘re all guaranteed to send everything arse over microphone.‘ Boom Chicago. veterans themselves. pay that no mir‘o.
Fusmg their trademark tag-team improv With Video link- ups. spoof news bulletins, impromptu sampling and scuridtracking creates