Festival ComedyReviews at a Glance list.co.uk/festival
Abracadabra: German Humour Goes Global ●●●●● Germany’s best and, by a remarkable coincidence, only international English-language stand-up duo delivers another enjoyable, non- ironically zany knees-up for us Tommies. Henning Wehn is a born comedian even in his second tongue; Otto Kuhnle provides the skilful musical and Berliner Kabarett interludes. Silly, broad, culturally insensitive, kitschy, shambolic Eurotrash. (Sam Healy) Underbelly’s Hullabaloo, 08445 458 252, until 31 Aug, 6.50pm, £6.50–£10.50 (£7.50–£9.50). Actions Speak Louder than Birds ●●●●● Last August ‘motivational speaker’ Marc Hogan bet a colleague £1 that he could perform a successful show at this year’s Fringe. A PowerPoint presentation takes us through his agenda and this slavish adherence to his day job is his undoing. Rather than performing an hour of decent material he spends too much time apologising for his limitations. On the strength of this, he’s lost his bet. (Murray Robertson) Zoo Southside, 662 6892, until 31 Aug (not 24), 7.15pm, £6.50–£8 (£5–£6). Adam Hills ●●●●● Adam Hills does a good line in ranting. From the trials of male ageing, Paralympics in-jokes and offensive sign language to the bonding power of Jon Bon Jovi, his show is an energetic musing on modern life. The only flaw is his audience participation which, aside from the lap dance he gives to an 80-year-old lady, isn’t particularly entertaining. (Kate Gould) Assembly Rooms, 623 3030, until 31 Aug, 8.50pm, £14–£16 (£13–£15). Alex Maple ●●●●● It’s hard to invest hope in a stand-up when he seems to have very little faith in himself. Maple’s skit of having an Irish jig played each time he tells a terrible joke not only gets wearing very quickly, but tells its own rather miserable story. There is also very little pleasure to be had in the ongoing ‘feud’ with his ex-girlfriend; and when she starts to ad lib better lines, the exit doors become an ever appealing prospect. (Brian Donaldson) Underbelly, 08445 458 252, until 30 Aug, 6.25pm, £6.50–£10 (£8–£9). Andrew O’Neill ●●●●● Had Russell Howard spent his upbringing around a ouija board, he may have turned out a lot like Andrew O’Neill. The fast-talking, endlessly informative and inventive Occult Comedian is in fine form delivering reams of spot-on material about his beliefs and encounters on the buses with rude boys, ending with a superb list of misleading magazine titles. (Brian Donaldson) The Tron, 226 0000, until 30 Aug (not 24), 10.20pm, £5. Andrew Watts ●●●●● Taking a rough show chronology from The Kinks’ 1968 single ‘David Watts’, posh butterball and depressed ex-lawyer Andrew Watts takes us on a journey through his arcane obsessions and observations. With his talk of macro- economics and pharmaceutical addiction capitalism, he juggles lateral thinking, shock tactics and intellectual egoism to thought-provoking effect. Unfortunately without any decent jokes his shtick and hot-handed charms only last for about 20 minutes. (Paul Dale) C soco, 0845 260 1234, until 31 Aug, 10pm, £7.50–£9.50 (£6.50–£8.50).
Comedy Bitch ●●●●● Innocent strangers, lost at night, venturing into the company of a possibly psychotic local: it may not be the worst beginning to a Fringe sketch show in living memory, but it can’t be far off. Predictable later skits of an offensive wedding speech conducted in song and dance, and the unread bloke sleazily sidling into a female-led book group don’t lift the bar high enough, despite the fine cast’s noble efforts. (Brian Donaldson) Underbelly, 08445 458 252, until 30 Aug, 5.35pm, £6.50–£10 (£8–£9). Dave Thornton ●●●●● It would be easy to think the ‘Aussie abroad’ shtick has been done exhaustively, from Crocodile Dundee to the many Antipodean stand-ups on the circuit, but Thornton can hold his own with some ‘bonzer’ material. A friendly demeanour, knack for visual and verbal impressions plus a good punchline-count combine to make this nearly as hot as a shrimp on a barbie. (Emma Newlands) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 31 Aug, 9pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). The Divine Comedy Hour ●●●●● The complete opposite of macho shock merchants, Andy Kind and Tony Vino are two stand-ups dripping with niceness. The bluest it gets is Kind apologising for accidentally uttering a ‘sod’. Their right- on credentials, free chocolate, singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to one audience member and entire premise of forcing the audience to ask questions then answering them with banal, conservative clichés bordered on the offensive. (Suzanne Black) C soco, 0845 260 1234, until 31 Aug, 6.45pm, £5. Foil Arms and Hog ●●●●● The sketch form is taken back to its pleasingly gimmick-free basics here by Irish trio Foil Arms and Hog. While some of their routines are based on familiar formats, their best work is deliriously funny and at times unexpectedly dark. If their future shows are as good as the sharpest sketches here, these charming and versatile performers could go far indeed. (Yasmin Sulaiman) The Caves, 208 0882, until 30 Aug, 9.40pm, £8–£9 (£7–£8). Footlights ●●●●● With such an illustrious history to shoulder, it’s perhaps become too much to bear for this latest Cambridge bunch. A lukewarm and predictable set of sketches do little for the troupe’s reputation, with little sign of a new Stephen Fry or Mark Watson lurking within the cast. Not for no good reason is this latest Fringe affair called Wishful Thinking. (Brian Donaldson) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 31 Aug, 4pm, £7–£8 (£5.50–£6.50). The Gadabouts ●●●●● A man down on last year’s praised line-up, The Gadabouts’ Matt and Joe are clearly talented performers but their general affability is wasted on this largely disappointing show. There are a handful of highlights hidden in the duo’s haphazard hour of costume-laden, brazenly impolite scenes but they need more than this to build on the promise of 2008. (Yasmin Sulaiman) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 31 Aug (not 25), 11pm, £7–£9 (£5–£7). Geraldine Quinn ●●●●● Suffering from the unholy trinity of being ginger, old and childless, Quinn believes she’s being hunted down as a witch. Singing
Barry & Stuart The Aspidistras ●●●●● The unusually named Aspidistras are a musical duo who are all about the performance. Maria Hodson is particularly entertaining as a freakish Tim Burton or strutting around as Dan Brown, but overall the show has no cohesion. Too many separate monologues and an unfunny song or two means that the laughs are spread a little too thinly. (Emma Lennox) The Caves, 208 0882, until 30 Aug, 7pm, £7 (£6). Ava Vidal ●●●●● Having made brief forays onto the goggle box, it is a surprise to find Vidal tucked away in front of a modest audience. Race and gender material delivered in a refreshingly laidback, conversational style makes for a cosy but hardly memorable set and would perhaps benefit from a little more presence or conviction. (Mark Edmundson) The Stand III & IV, 558 7272, until 30 Aug, 3.45pm, £7 (£6). Axis of Awesome ●●●●● Rock comedy, spoof songs and inter-band bickering aplenty here from this Aussie trio. Some of it is dumb fun and some is pretty sharp, particularly their destruction of the four chords that make up so many pop songs. Unfortunately, their music itself isn’t as good as Tenacious D, who they so obviously wish they were. (Henry Northmore) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 31 Aug (not 26), 9.15pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Barry & Stuart ●●●●● This Scottish duo combine illusion with the gleefully grotesque in a Penn & Teller stylee. Their mischievous manner and playful banter – with each other and the audience – serves to amuse while their tricks amaze (and in some cases disgust). There’s a strong opening but a lack of originality in the illusions of the second half stop this from being a must-see. (Gordon Eldrett) Underbelly, 08445 458 252, until 30 Aug, 10.15pm, £9.50–£12 (£8.50-£10.50). The Bodega Brothers ●●●●● Comparisons with a certain Kiwi folk- parody duo are inevitable. Rob Castell and Tom Sadler play acoustic guitars and sing comedy songs. They do so very well. Their stage banter is laconic, self- deprecating and funny. Bret and Jemaine might not be ‘shutting themselves’ with
fear, but it’s hard to find significant flaws in the Bodega Brothers’ gently rambunctious performance. (Sam Healy) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 31 Aug (not 24), 3.15pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Brian Gittins ●●●●● It’s easy to see why Ricky Gervais is quoted lauding this roadside café owner character: look beyond the scratchy beard, ill-kempt locks, thick glasses and Union Jack bow- tie and you can just about spy David Brent. There are touches of Shuttleworth and Partridge too as the show develops into a largely satisfying romp through a deliberately bad comic’s turn. (Brian Donaldson) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 31 Aug, 4.45pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7–£8). Carl Donnelly ●●●●● Donnelly hates being labelled ‘laidback’ and on this evidence he’s right to quibble. Responding with aplomb to a delightfully feisty audience, he tells his ‘little true stories’ with a very likeable charm. Some of the best moments happen when he gamely engages his crowd, employing a natural gift for spontaneity which he confidently segues into the scripted bits. (Murray Robertson) Underbelly, 08445 458 252, until 30 Aug, 9.05pm, £6.50–£10.50 (£8–£9.50). Chris Cox ●●●●● Leaving aside the numerous puns he makes on his surname, this is one of the Fringe’s more mentally challenging shows. Cox has impressive abilities in the Derren Brown school of perception and persuasion, as well as a natural charm and wit. Perhaps he’s not yet confident enough to be the showman his material deserves, but it surely won’t be long. (Thomas Meek) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 31 Aug, 8.30pm, £9.50-£12.50 (£8-£11). Clever Peter ●●●●● The cosy effect is deceptive. Although presented by three fellas in children’s TV-style primary- colour jumpers, Clever Peter ventures (quite literally) below the belt. At first the skits appear patchy, but it quickly becomes apparent that, unlike many sketch shows, there’s a loose narrative forming and it all comes together to great effect at the end. (Marissa Burgess) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 30 Aug, 8.10pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7–£8).
34 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 20–27 Aug 2009