FESTIVAL COMEDY | Reviews at a Glance
GARETH WAUGH: OH BOY . . . ! ●●●●● Morbid or organised? Decide for yourself, but when Gareth Waugh was 14 he wrote himself a bucket list of all the things he wanted to do in his life. They ranged wildly from the philanthropic ‘giving blood’ to the hedonistic ‘drink on all seven continents’. The list, of course, provides a sneaky structure for Waugh’s largely unrelated autobiographical anecdotes: a nifty move for creating a theme for an Edinburgh show. It’s particularly impressive that he’s willing to share some of his wet-behind-the-ears teen endeavours such as some pretty toe-curling love-song lyrics he once penned. The show’s ending is pretty obviously signposted but it’s a fitting and joyous finale to this uplifting hour of apparently effortless, hugely personable comedy. (Marissa Burgess) Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 27 Aug, 3pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). HEIDI REGAN: HEIDI VS SHARKS ●●●●● Heidi Regan is obsessed with shark movies, a hobby she’s long shared with her best friends, Joan and Greg. Throughout Heidi vs Sharks, she
details the ups and downs of this niche (but surprisingly crowded) genre, from Jaws to Shark Attack 3: Megalodon and beyond. Along the way she weaves in little biographical snippets including some rather lovely stories about her winningly supportive father. Having spent the best part of a decade in dead-end and wholly unsatisfying jobs, Heidi Regan has finally broken free and is rapidly making her mark as an intriguing comedian with a unique voice. As a statement of intent, this marks her out as someone to watch. (Murray Robertson) Pleasance Courtyard, until 26 Aug, 7.15pm, £8–£10 (£7–£9). JAMIE MACDONALD: BLINKERED ●●●●● Describing himself as ‘that funny blind guy’, MacDonald explains that this is a set absolutely about his blindness and the funny situations it has put him in. After a slightly unsteady start, the Scot settles in nicely and the crowd responds well to his growing confidence. Gesticulating passionately with his folded white stick, he tells stories from his past, such as when he worked as a banker, surrounded by macho arseholes all
Róisín & Chiara 58 THE LIST FESTIVAL 15–27 Aug 2018
trying to out-arsehole each other while he simply tried (in vain) to get along. He later details the ridiculous process of converting his benefits at the behest of a Tory government still mired in maladministration, although he holds well back from deep political commentary. (Murray Robertson) Assembly Rooms, until 26 Aug, £10.50–£11.50 (£8.50–£9.50).
JOSH GLANC: KARMA KARMA KARMA KARMA KARMA CHAMEDIAN ●●●●● A lawyer until very recently, Australian Josh Glanc moved into the comedy world, where he fluidly morphs from a fetching Tom Selleck in Magnum PI-type snug short-shorts to an American footballer doing cheesy infomercials for natural sports remedies. He’s got a warm, flirty, show-off style from the off; men and women are pulled out the crowd as volunteers for his musical singalong intro, and he whispers and grins at them with a charm that doesn’t ever dip during his show. Elsewhere there is lip-syncing, mime, slapstick and silly deconstruction of certain very familiar comedy set-ups. It’s a good balance of light, daft stuff and cleverly meta bits about what performers usually do. Special mention goes to the sound guy for nailing the many cues, but be warned about the raw fish sections which might give some the dry heave. (Claire Sawers) Underbelly Bristo Square, until 26 Aug, 5.30pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).
LEO KEARSE: RIGHT-WING COMEDIAN ●●●●● While Leo Kearse may dub himself the ‘right- wing comedian’ (last year he insisted that he could make people Tory), his political opinions turn out to be a little more nuanced than your average Conservative. For one thing, while he clearly has no time for Jeremy Corbyn, Kearse is fulsome in his belief that the rail network should be re-nationalised, although this is mainly down to seeking more convenience within his own life than anything amounting to an ethical crusade. Where Kearse’s show works best (and when it flies it really does soar to some great comedic heights), is when he lays down his arms and simply shoots the comedic breeze. (Brian Donaldson) Laughing Horse at Espionage, until 26 Aug, 7.30pm, donations.
PETER BRUSH: CHASING SNAILS ●●●●● Peter Brush isn’t the first to downplay his own material, but he certainly makes an art of it. Chasing Snails starts with a whimper, as Brush essentially apologies to his audience for his show. This goes on for longer than is comfortable and is a bizarre tactic, even for someone advertised as an ‘awkward jokesmith’. It kicks off a low-energy gig that lives up to its name. Brush would do well to quit apologising for being on stage, because he isn’t as bad as he says he is. On a good day his Free Fringe audience will consider that
taking a chance on him was an hour well spent. (Craig Angus) Banshee Labyrinth, until 26 Aug, 12.30pm, donations.
RED RICHARDSON: SEEING RED ●●●●● ‘Red’ is not Richardson’s stage name but the result of his parents watching a particular Clint Eastwood film shortly after his birth. In his debut hour, Richardson weighs up whether being named after a minor character that gets his butt kicked is better than being named after a sex-symbol. Richardson’s laid-back demeanour makes for a convivial atmosphere as he shares stories of social awkwardness and muses on the problems of giving your children aspirational names. Despite some good throwbacks to earlier jokes and a neat story arch, the show doesn’t yet feel like a fully fleshed-out 60 minutes of material. A few gaps need plugged but it’s well on its way to being a terrific show. (Rowena McIntosh) Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 27 Aug, 5.45pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50). ROBIN MORGAN: HONEYMOON ●●●●● In a slim suit and pointy shoes, with a bowtie unfastened, Robin Morgan is fresh from his honeymoon. He got married to his teenage sweetheart a week before his Edinburgh Fringe run started, and feels a bit guilty for leaving her and their son behind. The view from inside his straight, white, well-spoken bubble – where there don’t seem to be any real obstacles or awkward scenarios which make you really want to root for him – doesn’t make for a gripping show. He grins and oozes smug charm, but the smooth confidence acts as more of a barrier than a way into his world. It’s as though he’s showing us the professional photographer version of a perfect wedding, when it would be way more fun to share the behind-the- scenes meltdowns and messiness. (Claire Sawers) Laughing Horse @ The Pear Tree, until 26 Aug, 4pm, donations.
ROISIN & CHIARA: BACK TO BACK ●●●●● The term ‘classic Fringe’ could have been invented for the work of Róisín O’Mahony and Chiara Goldsmith. All seriousness must be left outside the room as this pair go through a series of sketches and audience interactions that forego any meaning and offer nothing more or less than a momentary flash of nonsense in all our terribly sensible lives. You might not learn too much about the pair here, though they insist that they have switched national stereotypes with Irish Catholic Róisín being the passionate one, while Italian Chiara is severely repressed. A mad show full of crazy things, with bemused laughter acting as the perfect soundtrack. (Brian Donaldson) Heroes @ Boteco, until 26 Aug (not 15, 22), 2.40pm, £5 in advance or donations at the venue.