FESTIVAL COMEDY | Reviews at a Glance
Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 25 Aug (not 19–23), 9.40pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Harriet Dyer ●●●●● Wild-eyed and excitable, Dyer launches herself onstage explaining that she recently had her bag stolen. It sounds like she’s off with a great story but that’s the end of it, and there’s a lot of that sort of thing in this scatty show. With some judicious editing and more focus she could be a much more polished act, but she’s just not that kind of comedian. (Murray Robertson) Laughing Horse @ Bar 50, 524 1989, until 24 Aug, 8.30pm, free. Harvey, Garvey and the Kane ●●●●● In a rapid-fire onslaught of superlative sketch comedy Stephen, Marcus and Gareth breathe life into the genre, possibly by stealing oxygen from the audience they render breathless with their exquisitely executed antics. With barely a pause for respiratory recovery between scenes, the trio effortlessly shrug on characters, transforming completely with posture and facial expressions. (Suzanne Black) Underbelly, Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 24 Aug, 4.55pm, £11–£12 (£9–£10). Hennessy and Friends ●●●●● In all aspects but the energy of its eponymous frontwoman, this is an extremely weak showing from the critically lauded Hennessy (Miranda) and Friends (David Seymour and Steven Shapland). Unrecognisable from their poster quotes and past reviews which praised the volume of ideas and sick edge to the humour in their show, the three have come back with something childish, rough, and repetitive. (Laura Ennor) Cowgatehead, 226 0000, until 25 Aug, 7.30pm, free. Jess Robinson ●●●●● Working the crowd like a seasoned pro, the former drama school pupil works wry comments (‘when I was a kid I was really annoying with my impressions’) between musical numbers. You’ll be able to hear her eardrum-splitting Bjork for weeks, and the white-knuckle roll call of mimicry at the end is impressive, but feels like over- egging what is already a very rich, sugary pudding. (Emma Newlands) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 25 Aug, 9.40pm, £9–£11.50 (£8–£10.50). Jonny Pelham and George Zach ●●●●● It’s a set of two halves, and although they operate with very different styles, Pelham and Zach both work their perspective as outsiders, for differing reasons, in each of their half-hour timeslots. Pelham opts for a line in self- deprecating, existential ponderings, while Zach moves on to the cultural differences he stumbled over coming to the UK. (Emma Newlands) Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 225 2022, until 24 Aug, 5.30pm, free. Joz Norris ●●●●● In garish Hawaiian garb, the overly enthusiastic Norris bends our ears about love with the wisdom of someone who learned all his moves from Notting Hill. Self-dubbed an Awkward Prophet, he’s definitely halfway there, but sticking around to hear this love fool’s misadventures is a painful ordeal. (Brian Donaldson) Underbelly, Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 25 Aug, 4.20pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Julian McCullough ●●●●● This year’s mini-flood of American comics haven’t set much heather alight and the low standard is encompassed in McCullough’s Dream Girls. We speed our way through his terrible love life, ending with a regrettably gleeful reaction to the sad fate of the main female in his story. But while he has clearly had a series of nightmarish relationships, it’s hard not to feel like a therapist who’s actually paid to listen to a whole load of grief. (Brian Donaldson) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 24 Aug, 10.45pm, £10–£14 (£8–£12). Justin Hamilton ●●●●● Words can be used as weapons, skewering society and its ills with strategically chosen phrases for a successfully potent, perhaps 58 THE LIST FESTIVAL 14–25 Aug 2014
even offensive routine. This Australian comic tackles the battleground of the stage in a far less confrontational style, however, rattling at a hearty pace through common or garden observational topics like parents arguing in hushed tones in public. (Emma Newlands) Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 24 Aug, 9.15pm, £9–£10 (£7–£9). Lee Griffiths ●●●●● At one point, Griffiths does an impression of his ‘Nigerian dad’ (actually his father’s boyfriend). It’s an impression of a man we don’t know and who we haven’t heard speak. It’s presented as a highlight yet its inclusion is baffling. Griffiths describes his show as ‘more like therapy than comedy’ which is perhaps a ruse to lower his audience’s expectations. Shorn of his Late Night Gimp Fight buddies, Griffiths is a meek performer lacking the energy to bring his stories to life. (Murray Robertson) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 24 Aug, 7.15pm, £8.50– £10.50 (£7–£9). Le Flop ●●●●● Despite some fun interactions between this five-piece, Le Flop’s first Edinburgh show is hard work. Their silly antics have promise but the set up’s potential is unrealised and unengaging. Billed as clown theatre, the show’s physical moments are its best. A rendition of ‘Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’ in a gobbledegook language gets people playing along; there’s some amusing dancing in a club scene and their exit is well choreographed too. (Yasmin Sulaiman) Underbelly, Cowgate, 0844 545 8252, until 24 Aug, 10.50pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). Lizzie Bates ●●●●● The audience become Bates’ co-stars, foils and props in this solo sketch show from one third of comedy trio, the Boom Jennies. Bates has expertly assembled a small coven of hellish women to bring to Edinburgh; mostly they’re utter nightmares, generally quite posh, usually with a whiff of white wine and desperation about them. Although not all of the sketches work, when they do, Bates channels Alison Steadman’s nasally hostess in Abigail’s Harvey, Garvey and the Kane
Party or Sybil Fawlty. (Claire Sawers) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 25 Aug, 3pm, £7.50–£10 (£6.50–£9). Lucy Beaumont ●●●●● Some people you really want to like and Hull lass Lucy Beaumont is most definitely one of them; she walks onstage and immediately catches you with her bright-eyed look and distinctly accented tones. Beaumont has won a number of newcomer awards in recent years and this shows in the confidence and timing she exhibits, but as genuinely engaging as she is, there is nothing new to the north / south divide on offer. (Gordon Eldrett) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 24 Aug, 5.45pm, £8.50–£10 (£7–£9). Marcel Lucont ●●●●● Marcel Lucont is better than you, effortlessly so and over the course of the show through his musings, poetry and song, this French bon vivant and raconteur explains why, mostly by highlighting the shortcomings of everybody who is not French. The alter ego of Alexis Dubus, this is what character comedy should be, the jokes all work on their own and Lucont is used to enhance them rather than paper over thin ideas. (Gordon Eldrett) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 25 Aug, 10pm, £11–£12 (£10–£11). The Marijana Method ●●●●● As the crowd trickles in, Marijana looks up from her meditation, looking serene in a peach silk kaftan, dousing the crowd with splashes of some kind of healing water. Marijana is, she announces with eyes- closed smugness, ‘health and happiness guru to the stars’. The self-help message is oozed soothingly via calming, Croatian vowels and inaccurate use of English. Gabby Best is a nauseating treat as the cooing, cosseting Marijana, occasionally letting a quick flash of desperate, abandoned, husband-repelling wife slip in. (Claire Sawers) Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 25 Aug, 2.45pm, £9–£10. Mark Cooper-Jones ●●●●● Cooper-Jones would like you to know that, actually, he chose to perform in the tiny Globe pub because its name
encompasses the theme of his show. A former supply teacher, he’s here to share his contagious enthusiasm for geography. Full of actual interesting facts as well as gags, the show revels in knowledge and the fun of learning. It’s a minor joy. (Paul Whitelaw) Globe Bar, 226 0000, until 24 Aug (not 18), 3pm, free. Marlon Davis ●●●●● Stitching together material about his son and his own childhood, Davis’ energetic personality covers some of the cracks in the foundations of a wobbly set, including a Karate Kid skit that isn’t as funny as he thinks it is. Scattered throughout are engagements with race and his take on pragmatic racism provides some of the best laughs. Ending with more old material, Davis’ loveable rogue comes across as a chancer. Audiences deserve more. (Suzanne Black) Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 24 Aug, 7.50pm, £9–£10 (£7–£9). Massive Dad ●●●●● Without some kind of unifying thread, theme or structure, an hour-long sketch show can seem a little unruly. But sometimes, as is the case here, the theme itself is the part that’s a bit confusing. There’s no apparent reason for the ladies of Massive Dad to pretend to be an Eastern European sketch troupe on their world tour. Of course the randomness of this fact has the potential to be a great gag but the actual result is a little disjointed. (Marissa Burgess) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 25 Aug, 6pm, £7.50–£9.50 (£6.50–£8.50). Michael Downey ●●●●● Mental health has received greater focus recently with various advertising campaigns but it is still a taboo subject for many. This is a searingly honest and eye-opening account of depression and the final section on suicide is utterly heartbreaking. It is in this veracity where it finds its value, but if you are looking for ‘comedy’ then this isn’t for you. (Gordon Eldrett) Underbelly, Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 24 Aug, 9.30pm, £11–£12 (£9–£10). Neel Kolhatkar ●●●●● On the back of modest YouTube success with observational videos about his life in contemporary Australia, Kolhatkar makes a disappointing Fringe debut. Drawing on similar content to that of his videos, he offers a mix of personal anecdotes and comparisons of various racial stereotypes. Most of the punchlines fail to garner an iota of the response he expects, leading to an increasingly uncomfortable 40 minutes as he tries to raise the room. (Suzanne Black) Assembly Hall, 623 3030, until 25 Aug, 8.15pm, £9–£10. Nev ●●●●● There’s a semblance of a surreal tale here, a journey to France by coach, a caravan with a library of crap books – most of which he reads from. But surreal isn’t as easy to pull off as it might look and much of the show doesn’t work. (Marissa Burgess) Laughing Horse & The Wee Pub, 220 1246, until 24 Aug, 10pm, free. Nicky Wilkinson ●●●●● An oddly structured ragbag, Wilkinson’s show is an awkward compromise between two distinct modes of comedy. It begins as a conventional stand-up performance, with Wilkinson promising to introduce some friends (ie characters) later on. The disjointedness is compounded by the jarring introduction of another comic to the stage. Russ Peers’ brief, mildly amusing set feels like a favour to a friend who obviously hasn’t got enough material to fill 60 minutes on her own. (Paul Whitelaw) St John’s, 226 0000, until 25 Aug, 1.15pm, free. The Nualas ●●●●● Back in Edinburgh after a merciful 13-year break, this musical trio embody the bland, pedestrian, cuddly comedy that’s only enjoyed by easily amused audiences on Radio 4. Three middle-aged women in black-framed glasses and matching sequinned dresses, they’re supposedly from an Irish village where every female is called Nuala. Sharing a name is one thing, but for a comedy team to share the same daffy personality is disastrous.