‘You can't take BAFTAs down the bank‘
ETCHYSKETCHY
A meandering trip down memory lane
The etch—a-sketch, that bastron of 1970s rnagnetrc krds' art. rs dead. It has gone to the great brg toy box rn the sky. But before you throw yourself on a Kerplunk strck rn desparr. help rs at hand at thrs year's Fr‘rnge. erl Andrews. Garth Crurekshank. Ext/an John. and Karr McKenna are revrvrng etch-a-sketch wrth therr comedy sketch show at Edrnburgh College of Art.
Etc/rySketC/ry frxates on what students do best — nostalgra for therr not-too-drstant chrldhood. Therr set of 14 sketches. several short frlms. and fOur stand-up spots rs performed wrthrn a grant etch-a-sketch, whrch shakes when each sectron rs frnrshed.
The entrre revue rs strung together along the thread of 1970s toys. Old faVOurrtes OperatrOn and Mousetrap get a look rn. and there's a sardonrc look at more mature entertarnment optrons
Wheel deal
Game show host turned actor BRADLEY WALSH turns his hand to stand-up. 5:: Brian Donaldson
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And from there. t was a 'elatruel', short ear) to openrnr for lrttle Leo Sayer and tounng with \.'.’elsh ‘.-.'arblers Shrrley Bassey and Tom Jones If there's (lti‘.'tl‘rrng that you sense may be one of hrs few rrxy‘ets. it‘s that he farled to make :t as a professional footballer. ‘l played about :30 games rn the reserves at Brentford but I was Just too easrly rnjury prone. ankles marnly. found that had a brt of a ruthless streak and tended to rust go flyrng rn.'
Ruthless. Flyrng ‘r‘. wrthout thrnkrng. Are these trarts he takes to the stage? 'l'm not sure rf tr‘y comedy ~s really lrke that. It's more hrt rn hope and keep rt on the farrways. maybe Srnkrng a putt.‘ A game show host talkrng rn golfing metaphors? That's dangerous t\.'_r)<,><;astrng talk.
I Assembly Rooms. 220 2428. 1 1—25 Aug. 8pm 5310—53124539—5710; Queen's Hall, (368 2019. 22 (K 23 Aug. 1030er. 371215710.
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Now rn therr thrrd year together. the four nuembers of the college of art revue are successful rr‘ therr own comedrc rrgl‘t, Andrews can be seen prowlrng the stage at the Snatch Club and rs a [)ar/j,’ Record Comedy Search frnalrst; McKenna rs a regular on the stand-up orrcurt; John wrrtes comedy for BBC Scotland; and Crurckshank won the Perrrer Best Newcomer award rn 2001.
Now. as anyone .vho has attempted used the etch-a-sketch to draw a face wrll realrse. the to; rs all abotrt strargltt lrnes. So rs the revue gOrng to be the comedy egurvalt—znt? ln other words. a brt srmple'? ‘Nc way. Thrs show meanders.' says John. ‘Sorne sketches have no punchlrnes. some have really ob‘xrous punchlrnes. The vrSual stuff rs certarnly not strarghtforxrard. Oberusly people come for laughs but rt they take somethrng else away to thrnk ab0ut that wOuld be great.‘ 'Edd McCrackenr I Edrnburgh Cor/ege ofArt, 227 6020. 8—23 Aug, 7pm, £5 /£‘3/.
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BARRY CRYER AND RONNIE GOLDEN
A rock'n'droll duo for any generation
The old ones are the best. as the sayrng goes And there's no Fmge act wrth a "ore llustrious {)edrgree than the narrrnt; of Barry Cryer and Rornre Golden
Cr‘,er's gags wrll be famrllar to anyone wrt.“ a telewsron set. "The king of the one lrner' has penned rnatenal for the lrkes of Morecambe and \.“.‘"rse. l‘ornrny Cooper and Bob Hope.
A regular on radro shows such as I'm Sorry / Haven't Got a Clue. Cryer‘ has met hrs performrng match wrth the egually seasoned Bonnre Golden. Once known as ‘the Swrss Army knrfe of entertarnment'. Golden rs a Zelrg- figure of the musrc world. popprng up at the brrth of every popular genre.
Together at last. and allegedly thanks to the repossessron of Ronnre's amplrfrer, thrs dynarnrc duo wrll be appearrng strrpped to the bare essentrals rn an acoustrc show. COme along and see how rt's meant to be done.
(Allan Radclrffe)
I Gr/ded 8a//oon Tevrot. 226 275 7,
7 7—24 Aug, 7.450m. £70 (£9).