list.co.uk/festival Reviews at a Glance | FESTIVAL COMEDY
REVIEWS AT A GLANCE
For full length versions of these reviews, see list.co.uk/festival
ACCIDENTS HAPPEN TO SASHA ELLEN ●●●●● This autobiographical tale by Sasha Ellen is a whimsical journey through her 27 years on Earth and deals most significantly with her mother’s teenage pregnancy, her own unplanned pregnancy, and the significant consequences of those two events. Although it’s by no means a complex story, the haphazard structure sometimes makes it difficult to know where all the pieces fit into place. (Murray Robertson) Just the Tonic at The Mash House, until 27 Aug (not 14), 8pm, £5 (£3) or Pay What You Want. ADAM LARTER: L’ART NOUVEAU ●●●●● This man clearly began making his props back in about February: there are hundreds of them. A homemade plastic saxophone, a Sonic the Hedgehog cardboard helmet, masks of the moustachioed Pringles mascot man, a baby doll painted with Kiss make-up. Obviously a very dedicated oddball, Larter has created a giddy, bizarre whirlwind of a show. (Claire Sawers) Heroes @ The Hive, until 26 Aug (not 12), 1pm, £5 (£4) or Pay What You Want.
ALEX KEALY: THE ART OF THE KEAL ●●●●● Alex Kealy describes his show as ‘low on laughs but high on interesting facts’, which is a typically self-deprecating comment from the comedian who ‘turned socialist after being bullied at private school’. It’s also completely untrue as the gag-per-minute ratio for this show is impressive, even if you forgive some low hanging fruit. (Craig Angus) Just the Tonic at The Caves, until 27 Aug (not 14), 4.20pm, £5 or Pay What You Want.
ALICE MARSHALL: BLOOD ●●●●● The hour is split into five sections each showcasing a different character. Inevitably it’s a mixed bag. The most successful are a bolshie Latina flight attendant savaging the Brits’ love of the holiday hellhole that is Magaluf and an awkward singleton where Marshall finally dares to drag the audience into ugly and uncomfortable territory. (Henry Northmore) Just the Tonic at The Caves, until 26 Aug (not 14), 5.20pm, £5 or Pay What You Want.
ANGELA BARNES: FORTITUDE ●●●●● Barnes loves a secret bunker and it’s from within one (on a special birthday) that she reasserts many of her life beliefs: not to have children and never to start a bucket list. It also so happened to be the day Trump was elected. Solid stand-up from one of the circuit’s most reliable comics. (Brian Donaldson) Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 Aug (not 14), 7.15pm, £7.50–£10 (£6.50–£9). ARI ELDJÁRN: PARDON MY ICELANDIC ●●●●● With a name that translates pretty spectacularly as ‘Eagle Fire Iron’, this ex-flight attendant has swooped in from his homeland of Iceland to deliver some Scandi humour. Once he’s got past the introductions, and is trading less on his Icelandic- ness, it seems there could be more interesting stuff going on beneath the surface. (Claire Sawers) Heroes @ Monkey Barrel, until 27 Aug (not 23), 1.40pm, £5 (£3) or Pay What You Want.
BEAK SPEAKS ●●●●● Step into the world of Gillian Beak, a Fringe veteran and old school ‘ac-TOR’ as she imparts her wisdom in this theatre masterclass. Sarah Thom, the woman behind the Beak, knows that the real secret to good character comedy is to never overstep the mark: Beak is blinkered, pompous and ridiculous but ultimately
Becky Lucas
61 THE LIST FESTIVAL 10–17 Aug 2017
sympathetic. (Henry Northmore) Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug (not 14, 21), 4pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50).
BECKY LUCAS: LITTLE BITCH ●●●●● It’s a highly relatable comedy show that Becky Lucas delivers, judging by the constant stream of laughter throughout and the groups of friends turning to each other to nod their heads in unspoken understanding as Lucas tells of her misadventures. Little Bitch is a solid, and occasionally brilliant step towards greatness. (Craig Angus) Assembly George Square Theatre, until 27 Aug (not 14, 21), 7pm, £10–£12. BERNIE KEITH: LIFE WITHOUT SAT NAV ●●●●● At 54 and a single, gay man, Keith is feeling left behind and out of sync with the world; dating is bemusing, his passwords are predictable and his testicles disappoint. Though the show could do with a bit of pruning in places, there are some lovely gags to be found here, such as his sending of the Communards’ Richard Coles to the priesthood and a great Sooty analogy. (Marissa Burgess) Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 27 Aug (not 16), 8.45pm, £11–£12 (£9–£10).
BOYS & GIRLS ●●●●● Boys & Girls isn’t the crass write-off the first minute suggests it could be. If anything, it’s a sensitive and occasionally perceptive show – as perceptive an hour where the parameters are ‘the war of the sexes’ will allow, anyway. Exploring the male vs female relationship through the eyes of royalty, fumbling teenagers and siblings, a lot of what’s said rings true. (Craig Angus) Laughing Horse @ The Mockingbird, until 27 Aug (not 14), 10.15pm, free.
BRONSTON JONES: GOD BLESS ‘MERICA (3) ●●●●● This is the third of US comedian Jones’ shows where he ‘takes a look at the state of the nation’, and boy has he got plenty to chew on this year. Jones is one of the shockingly small number of Americans with passports, but venturing away from his country gives him the perspective to stand back and ask ‘what the hell’? (Marissa Burgess) Laughing Horse @ Espionage, until 27 Aug, 6.15pm, free. CAROLINE MABEY: QUETZALS ●●●●● Caroline Mabey’s fifth full- length Fringe show focuses on memory. She utilises a variety of methods to remember audience names and builds to her reciting all 103 of the two- letter words acceptable in Scrabble, except she forgets a few. Mabey is captivating to watch in a light-hearted and whimsical hour. (Rowena McIntosh)
Just the Tonic at The Caves, until 27 Aug (not 14), 7.40pm, £5 or Pay What You Want. ED NIGHT: ANTHEM FOR DOOMED YOUTH ●●●●● Night has some cracking stories up his sleeve and he sells them effortlessly with a confident and verbose delivery. When he dips into political territory the jokes sometimes take a back seat, but this is a tremendously assured hour with lots to think about and much to laugh at. Night has a very exciting future ahead of him. (Murray Robertson) Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 Aug (not 14), 8.30pm, £7.50–£9.50 (£6.50–£8.50).
ESHAAN AKBAR: NOT FOR PROPHET ●●●●● There’s a confident swagger to Akbar which initially puts you at ease, but soon it’s clear that his puffery is less than justified by the material: the end message is a very vanilla ‘hey, just enjoy your life’, which actually manages to be counter-productive in its dispiriting emptiness. (Brian Donaldson) Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 27 Aug (not 15), 2.45pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). FRANCESCO DE CARLO: COMFORT ZONE ●●●●● As De Carlo points out at the top of the show, within a short amount of time of him moving to the UK to follow his dream, the UK voted to leave the EU and shuts down its borders. Was it something he said? Aside from the musings on Brexit, there are other, more familiar, cultural difference observations as well as some playful and teasing silliness. (Marissa Burgess) Underbelly George Square, until 28 Aug (not 14), 9.20pm, £9–£11 (£8–£10).
GEOFF NORCOTT: RIGHT-LEANING BUT WELL-MEANING ●●●●● Even keeping the most open of minds, it’s tough to warm to this comedian who admits at the start that he’s ‘shamelessly mined a niche angle’. Outing himself as a right-leaning, Leave-voting member of the Tory party in the largely leftie comedy world means work on telly and in newspapers has come rolling in. While some salute his entrepreneurial, opportunistic spirit, others wet-boak in their mouths at the cynical desperation of it all. (Claire Sawers) Underbelly George Square, until 27 Aug (not 14), 6.40pm, £10.50–£11.50 (£9.50–£10.50).
THE HARRY AND CHRIS SHOW 2 ●●●●● Last year’s debut, The Harry and Chris Show mark one, went down so well they’re back with a follow-up and, having been told that they’re funny too, they took the plunge to list this year’s show in the comedy section rather than spoken word. It’s true, they are funny, and a thoroughly amiable and 10–17 Aug 2017 THE LIST FESTIVAL 61