FESTIVAL COMEDY | Reviews at a Glance
Luke Courtier ●●●●● Courtier’s Lunch takes audiences on a meander through a series of vignettes under a loose theme, interwoven with musical comedy. There are times when the show deviates from the theme in a way that doesn’t make a huge amount of sense. It’s also clear that the constant mention of high-end brands and expensive foodstuffs are occasionally lost on the crowd. (Arusa Qureshi) Underbelly Cowgate, 0844 545 8252, until 28 Aug, 6.20pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). Marcel Lucont ●●●●● Debonair, aloof and elegantly poised like a French supermodel with a glass of Beaujolais forever in his hand, Lucont is a striking sight on stage. When he turns on a group of men for talking during the show, his withering put-down takes i rm control of the miscreants while simultaneously bringing down the house. (Murray Robertson) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 28 Aug (not 15), 9.30pm, £9–£12 (£8–£11). Mark Nelson ●●●●● Welcomed into the room by the upbeat lyrics of Katrina and the Waves, Nelson states that he wants to talk about depression. First diagnosed himself as a teenager he handles the subject delicately, segueing into the annoyances of modern life. His delivery is relaxed and unhurried, becoming more animated as he touches on topics that particularly irritate him. (Rowena McIntosh) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 28 Aug (not 15), 8.45pm, £10–£12.50 (£7.50–£10). Mark Steel ●●●●● In the wake of June’s referendum many stand- ups at the Fringe will make at least a l eeting reference to Brexit. Known for his left-wing politics, English comedian Steel tackles the topic from the off, sympathising with the Scottish perspective. He lampoons Farage and football hooligans, not just with hilarious impressions but by celebrating the exact opposite of what they stand for, diversity, inclusivity and fun. (Rowena McIntosh) Assembly Hall, 623 3030, until 28 Aug (not 15), 9.30pm, £13–£14 (£12–£13). Mat Ewins ●●●●● His show takes the format of a seminar teaching the lucky audience members how to make it in the movies with the aid of a plethora of video clips. His somewhat confrontational style of delivery goads the audience for not appreciating him while at the same time he constantly denounces his own comedic talent. (Suzanne Black) Heroes at the Hive, 226 0000, until 28 Aug, 9pm, £5 or Pay What You Want. Mid-Brow ●●●●● There are some decent sketch ideas here (the sequence where our live actors discuss the Euros of 1314 with a i lmed William Wallace is neatly pulled off) but too many bits i zzle out unsatisfyingly, and the friends talking like newsreaders routine would surely have been culled had they superior options to hand. (Brian Donaldson) Gilded Balloon at the Counting House, 622 6552, until 29 Aug, 7.30pm, £5 or Pay What You Want. Minky ●●●●● Setting sail on the unforgiving waters of sketch comedy is not for the faint-hearted, but this hour sees the Minky trio of Cambridge comics navigate an assured path. After what proves an uncharacteristically choppy i rst few minutes, they soon reach a respectable hit rate, covering media satire, slapstick, punnery and plenty more besides, to a decent-sized audience despite the tough pre-midday timeslot. (Emma Newlands) Just the Tonic at the Caves, 0330 220 1212, until 20 Aug (not 15), 11.20am, £5 or Pay What You Want. Naz Osmanoglu ●●●●● Osmanoglu’s new show takes a close look at a day in the life of Naz, exploring the manic effects of a bad break-up, living with his constantly racist and boorish father and the dating adventures of ‘Captain Fun Beard’. His 58 THE LIST FESTIVAL 11–18 Aug 2016
story is not presented in a linear manner, but his tendency to go off course is quickly corrected by a punchy delivery and careful planning. (Louise Stoddart) Just the Tonic at the Mash House, 226 0000, until 28 Aug (not 15), 9pm, £5 or Pay What You Want. Olaf Falafel ●●●●● A relative newcomer to the scene, this Swedish comic takes on the Herculean, 21st- century comedy task of trying to convert online success into a viable live format. Having accrued a vast number of views (as well as the obligatory haters) on Vine, he utilises a video screen to present some of them during a show, the theme of which he describes as being the big questions in life. (Suzanne Black) Laughing Horse at City Cafe, 220 0125, until 28 Aug (not 16), 4.15pm, free. Omar & Lee ●●●●● Ibrahim and Drage certainly put a lot of energy into the opening of their show; dressed as i tness instructors greeting all who enter the room and then readying us with a comedy chuckle warm-up. What follows is certainly very well performed but some – particularly the early parts – of the show look like a showcase of that acting skill. (Marissa Burgess) Just the Tonic at the Mash House, 226 0000, until 28 Aug (not 15), 10.40pm, £5 or Pay What You Want. Pete Firman ●●●●● For his tenth Edinburgh Fringe, Firman has assembled a cracking set of magic tricks. They’re not all entirely original but even the more familiar routines have been embellished and improved, every last one carried off with ingenuity and wit. Peppering his rapid-i re delivery with gags, bon mots and a shameless sprinkling of double entendres, Firman has more comedy material than many dedicated Fringe comedians. (Murray Rachel Parris
Robertson) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 28 Aug, 8pm, £11.50–£15 (£10–£13.50). Rachel Parris ●●●●● Parris’ hour concerns how life has a habit of veering from your chosen path. In this case, how a rather conventional ambition of marriage, house, children and car loosened from her grip. The show is a joyous story of how she found her feet again. (Marissa Burgess) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 28 Aug, 6.50pm, £8.50–£11 (£7.50–£10.50). Richard Todd ●●●●● The onstage, somewhat despondent Todd ‘persona’ claims to have ditched the novel he’s been trying to write in favour of vacuuming the dusty nooks of his l at. But the real life Todd has channelled his love of words to create a lyrical tale of his heartbreak played out over traditional Greek dishes and his competitive, shelf-loving twin brother David. (Marissa Burgess) Laughing Horse at the Cellar Monkey, 221 9759, until 28 Aug (not 15), 3.45pm, free. Ryan Cull ●●●●● Undergoing childhood adversity is a gift for comedians and Cull is not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, turning the two years he spent wearing leg braces as a child into the framework for his Fringe hour. While some stand-ups stray far and wide from their ostensible theme, Cull takes care to weave a consistent narrative and is most successful when presenting his considered, personal tale. (Suzanne Black) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 28 Aug (not 15), 2pm, £9–£10. Shane Todd ●●●●● Unstarry but also brazenly fame hungry, this down- to-earth Northern Irish stand-up became i xated on the fact he’d never once been asked to turn on the Christmas lights in his home town of Holyrood. He’s
pally and clearly comfortable behind the mic, and his i sh out of water anecdotes work well, as do his tales about teenage dabblings in smoking salvia and tripping balls in front of his dad. (Claire Sawers) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 28 Aug (not 15), 10.15pm, £8–£9.50 (£7–£8.50). Simon Evans ●●●●● Money is on Evans’ mind and the imparting of i nancial wisdom is the token theme for his solo show. It takes a while to get to the money stuff as he i rst takes a trip through some observational and topical material. What is appreciated from a comedian hailing from south of the border is his inclusion of Scotland and Edinburgh-specii c material rather than the London-centric material that some lazier comics feel they can get away with. (Suzanne Black) Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 28 Aug (not 15), 7pm, £13–£14 (£12–£13). Stuart Goldsmith ●●●●● With little preamble, the assured comic launches straight into a show about being less self-involved, where the main subject is himself. He’s a coni dent commander of the stage, his open face and cheeky grin coaxing you very much onto his side in this animated take on Goldsmith vs the world. (Rowena McIntosh) Liquid Room Annexe, 226 0000, until 28 Aug (not 15), 3.45pm, free. Stuart Laws ●●●●● Surrealism in comedy isn’t as easy as it looks. Though Laws’ show has its moments, it teeters on the brink frequently. There is some structure in stories of his i rst job in a pufi n sanctuary, his home town and a paper round. He creates a delightfully oddball world but ultimately the payoff for it just seems to wander off. (Marissa Burgess) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 28 Aug, 6pm, £7.50–£10 (£6.50–£9). Sunil Patel ●●●●● Although he claims he’s suffering from comedy fatigue after i ve years of doing stand- up, over-analysing gags until he no longer knows what’s funny, and feeling like a porn addict craving newer, weirder kicks, his set seems fresh and free of kinks. If he’s jaded, he hides it well beneath silly, self-effacing stories about managing to mispronounce his own name or being worryingly good at lying. (Claire Sawers) Laughing Horse at the Cellar Monkey, 221 9759, until 28 Aug (not 15), 2.30pm, free. Tom Allen ●●●●● After nearly a decade of tinkering, Allen has polished his act to near prime-time telly perfection. Seeming to pitch this slick show squarely at his mother’s friends – all desperate to seem ‘down with the poofs’ and pair him up with the one other gay person they’ve met – Allen knows how to expertly plough that palatable furrow of mainstream gay, competently camping it up in the style of Graham Norton, Julian Clary and Kenneth Williams. (Claire Sawers) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 28 Aug (not 15), 8.15pm, £8.50–£11 (£7.50–£10). Tom Neenan ●●●●● The one-man narrative juggernaut that is Neenan aims his multi-character focus onto stories from within the theatrical realm. As ever, he brings his mercurial acting abilities to the fore as he becomes a ventriloquist’s dummy, a i rebrand knife-thrower, a vicious theatre critic and even a Shakespearean cat. (Brian Donaldson) Underbelly Med Quad, 0844 545 8252, until 28 Aug, 4.15pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). Tom Ward ●●●●● Ward has a habit of wandering off in unexpected yet inspired whimsy and you can never be too sure what’s coming next. Plus, so mellow is his approach that it ambushes you, with laughter arising from the spontaneity almost as much as the gag. There are so many subtle diversions into oddball territory in this quietly assured debut. (Marissa Burgess) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 28 Aug (not 15), 9.45pm, £8–£9.50 (£7–£8.50).
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