Festival COMEDY
DOC BROWN The former rapper turned stand-up proves how not Unfamous he now is
E agle-eyed followers of this page might be beginning to spot a pattern. Last issue, we featured clowning maestro Doctor Brown right here and this time around, it’s his very-near namesake, Mr Doc Brown. There are some who still want to view him as ‘the brother of Zadie Smith’, but we wouldn’t be so lazy as to continue to peddle that easy media label.
Instead, we’d rather point to his own impressive achievements, such as making it to the So You Think You’re Funny? final in 2008 having only made a handful of stand-up appearances; or the one-off performance of his solo show Unfamous at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011; or the spoof reggae tune he performed with David Brent / Ricky Gervais for Comic
Relief which became a number one download on iTunes.
Born Ben Bailey Smith, Doc Brown may describe himself as ‘an accidental comedian’, but his short run in a big old room at the Pleasance proves that he’s now firmly in place among the higher echelons of the Fringe community. Next issue, we put the spotlight on Doktor Brovn, the Ukrainian character mime act who is doing a couple of very secret dates right at the end of the festival. A most unlikely hat trick there. (Brian Donaldson)
Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 19–25 Aug, 10.30pm, £10.50–£14 (£9–£13).
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HITLIST THE BEST COMEDY EVENTS
✽ Nick Helm The blistering show we always knew this One Man Mega Myth was
capable of. Are you watching, judges? See review, page 38. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 26 Aug, 4pm, £11–£14 (£9–£12).
✽ Bo Burnham After storming the city as a teenager in 2010, big Bo is back with What. See review, page 48. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 19 Aug, 11.15pm, £12–£13.50 (£11–£12.50).
✽ Pajama Men With Just the Two of Each of Us, the New Mexico duo deliver another
intoxicatingly brilliant masterwork of physical fun. Assembly Roxy, 623 3030, until 26 Aug (not 19), 9pm, £13–£15 (£12–£14).
✽ Bridget Christie Feminism has never been so funny as it is in the very capable
hands of this assured comic. See review, page 39. The Stand, 558 7272, until 25 Aug, 11.10am, £10 (£9).
✽ The Pin Could the sketch show finally be saved? Looks like it as the Pin boys totally nail the form. See review, page 41. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 25 Aug,
6.15pm, £9–£11 (£8–£10).
✽ John Lloyd The comedy supremo steps
into the limelight with a wonderfully witty anecdote- heavy show. See review, page 40. Underbelly, Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 24 Aug, 4.40pm, £11–£13 (£10–£12).
✽ The Dark Room Eccentric chap John Robertson leads you into an adventure
like no other. See review, page 45. Underbelly, Cowgate, 0844 545 8252, until 25 Aug, 8.40pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9).
15–26 Aug 2013 THE LIST FESTIVAL 37