list.co.uk/festival Reviews at a Glance | F E S T I VA L C O M E DY
R E V I E W S AT A G L A N C E
For full length versions of these reviews, see list.co.uk/festival
ALASDAIR BECKETT-KING: THE INTERDIMENSIONAL ABK ●●●●● The flame haired, wizard-like ABK is here to spread a little positivity, seek out a better world and chuck in jokes about Games Workshop and physics. His voice is undoubtedly original and confident, and he’s taken a lot of care making surreal animated visuals and spoof film posters to project throughout the show. It’s slickly done, and although there are plenty nice points deftly made about capitalism and racism, it does trigger flashbacks to try-hard office joker, Colin Hunt from The Fast Show. (Claire Sawers) Pleasance Dome, until 26 Aug (not 19), 6.50pm, £8.50–£11 (£7.50–£10). ANNA DREZEN: OKAY GET HOME SAFE!! ●●●●● US stand-up and Saturday Night Live writer Drezen opens with some screened footage of serial killer Ted Bundy’s trial, focusing on the women who attended it due to their fear and fascination with the man and his brutal crimes. It sets up an intriguing question but disappointingly concludes on nothing more weighty than it’s ‘fun to be scared’. This would be more forgivable were it surrounded by gags aplenty, but they are in seriously short supply. (Brian Donaldson) Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug (not 14), 4.30pm, £9–£11 (£8–£10).
ARI ELDJÁRN: EAGLE FIRE IRON ●●●●● Eldjárn is from Reykjavik, the city that never sleeps (except on weekdays), where he’s a huge star. An hour of sharp, smart gags in his brand new show hints that he’s well on his way to becoming just as big outside of his home country. There
Eleanor Colville: Google Me
are jokes about the literalness of the Icelandic language, the monopoly certain companies have in such a small economy, and the common status of the country’s president. You might struggle to pronounce it, but Ari Eldjárn is definitely a name to keep in mind. (Lauren McKay) Monkey Barrel, until 25 Aug (not 12), 7.30pm, £8 (£6) in advance or donations at the venue. BABA BRINKMAN’S RAP GUIDE TO CULTURE ●●●●● Starting with the dictionary definition of ‘culture’, Brinkman proceeds to rap and exposit his way through human evolution from its infancy through the spread of agriculture to the invention of hip hop. The show does flag in a section on sexual difference but excels when Brinkman shares his obvious love for the musical artform, whether exploring the rules for white boy rappers or comparing hip hop to Chaucer. (Suzanne Black) Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, until 26 Aug, 4.15pm, £10.50–£11.50 (£9.50–£10.50).
BECKY BRUNNING: BLOOM ●●●●● Sipping on some of Lidl’s finest own-brand Malibu, Brunning presents a feelgood hour about love and family. Much hilarity ensues as she recalls coming out to the extended family through a wedding invitation and documents the couple’s attempts to find a suitable sperm donor. There are laughs and acute observations throughout and Brunning’s an endearing presence who makes sitting in an impossibly hot and crammed box on the Cowgate an enjoyable, wholesome occasion. (Craig Angus) Laughing Horse @ The Lock Up, until 25 Aug (not 19), 3pm, donations. CALLY BEATON: INVISIBLE ●●●●● Over the course of an hour, Beaton riffs on the process of aging
and the menopause, the trials and tribulations of being a single mother in her 50s, and the London dating scene. The show is infused with feminism, including an awesome tirade against the question ‘can women be funny?’ Beaton is good with running gags, and her engaging storytelling style walks a fine line between humour and sadness as she processes what it means to be invisible, and how she overcame that. (Lauren McKay) Assembly George Square Studios, until 26 Aug (not 13), 5.10pm, £9–£11 (£8–£10). DALISO CHAPONDA: BLAH BLAH BLACKLIST ●●●●● Chaponda, a comedian from Malawi, cheerfully bemused by assumptions that his childhood must have been like an Oxfam advert, jokes that, actually, his family owned a Volvo and he learned Latin at private school. After sharing some problematic views (he admits he’s been called ‘Uncle Tom’ by angry, woke black people), there are redeeming moments, like when he drops in a Richard Pryor quote, reminding us that funny moments often come from complex situations. (Claire Sawers) Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 26 Aug (not 14), 6.30pm, £12–£14 (£10–£12).
DARREN HARRIOTT: GOOD HEART YUTE ●●●●● Harriott is ready to shake things up a bit this Fringe, if his comparison of Instagram influencers with Jesus Christ is anything to go by. Good Heart Yute has plenty of leftfield parables like this, each more comical than the one before it. He even manages to pick up on topics that can easily be a comedic minefield, such as the recent accusations against musician R Kelly, and weaves together a series of jokes that cause explosions of laughter. (Sofia Matias) Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug (not 14), 8.15pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). DREAMGUN: FILM READS ●●●●● Each night, Dreamgun rewrite the script of a classic blockbuster, tackling a different film with every show. What transpires is a version of a cinematic favourite that amps up the jokes, gags and clichés to the max. With tonight’s version of GoldenEye, James Bond becomes an insufferable lad backed by a crew of madcap villains and exaggerated versions of M, Moneypenny and Q, not to mention those stereotypical Bond girl moments and hackneyed catchphrases. Its energy and reliable wackiness is what ultimately makes this a consistently fun show to catch. (Arusa Qureshi) Underbelly Bristo Square, until 25 Aug (not 13), 10.15pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).
ELEANOR COLVILLE: GOOGLE ME ●●●●● Colville’s character comedy promises an exploration of social media use, digital culture and her personal journey navigating the online and offline worlds of relationships. She has clearly put a lot of effort into this show with homemade props, musical numbers and a high concept, as well as several well-defined characters. By trying to incorporate too many elements, the quality inevitably suffers but it is overall an enjoyable digital diversion. (Suzanne Black) Just the Tonic at The Caves, until 25 Aug (not 12), 4.40pm, £6.50 (£5.50) in advance or donations at the venue. ELEANOR MORTON: POST- MORTON ●●●●● Morton’s stand- up focuses on the trials of being a twentysomething millennial, stuck between the freedom of childhood and the daunting responsibilities of adulthood. Her accurate descriptions of the cringe-worthiness of hen parties, the difficulties of being close to someone with depression, and the Babe film franchise ring true, although the injection of some artistic license to add oomph to more of her punchlines would not go amiss. (Suzanne Black) The Stand 4, until 25 Aug (not 12, 19), 12.05pm, £10 (£9).
EMMY BLOTNICK: PARTY NIGHTS ●●●●● US comedian Blotnick discusses the many ways she’s attempted to improve her life and mental health, from seeking out the right vitamin to cure her depression, to reading self-help books written by angry CrossFit instructors. Nothing has quite worked thus far, but her experiences have at least resulted in this supremely self-deprecating, yet still warm and cheerful show, and perhaps the greatest complaint email to Dyson’s customer service team ever written. (Deborah Chu) Underbelly Bristo Square, until 26 Aug (not 13), 7.55pm, £10.50–£11.50 (£9.50–£10.50).
GARETH WAUGH: JUST ME . . . ?! ●●●●● A few minutes in, Edinburgh comedian Waugh admits that he finds it harder to write these days; not great news for the crowd who have dropped in for an hour with him. It feels like he’s padding out a lot of stories or repeating the same observations, and his revelation that men get erections on bumpy buses doesn’t get the shock response he seems to expect. His clever wordplay and rhyming work much better. (Claire Sawers) Underbelly Bristo Square, until 26 Aug, 2.45pm, £10–£12.50 (£9–£10).
GEORGE EGG: MOVABLE FEAST ●●●●● During the course of an hour, Egg cooks three different dishes on stage and even finds time to fit some 7–14 Aug 2019 THE LIST FESTIVAL 63