list.co.uk/festival Reviews | F E S T I VA L C O M E DY
COURTNEY PAUROSO: GUTTERPLUM A jarring and difficult hour of top clowning ●●●●●
Not sure what they’re putting in the water over in America (though no doubt their president would have some wild theories), but the alt-clowning industry is positively thriving. When Doctor Brown found major critical and box-office success (and an Edinburgh Comedy Award) on the Fringe, it suggested that sketch and stand-up might be pushed all the way in the search for the number one Fringe comedy form. Natalie Palamides followed in his bendy footsteps, and now Courtney Pauroso is in town to inflict more nightmares on the unsuspecting Edinburgh public. And in particular on the one person who is roped into a long-running plot device which brings a whole new meaning to audience participation. Starting off on a large ergonomic balance ball, Pauroso takes
on the character of an awkward youth who is in hot pursuit of a new pal. From out of the darkness, she plucks Dan, a guy whose vague reluctance to get involved threatens to derail the gig, but he pulls it together in time to make some valuable contributions. A game of leapfrog is followed by a slice of intense piggyback action. From there we enter darker territory as Pauroso disappears behind the curtain and returns in the guise of a far more predatory character. What she has in mind becomes quickly clear while Dan has further skin in the game with their ‘relationship’ being taken to the next level.
Without giving too much away, the pair are on a journey through life with Pauroso not afraid to expose herself to the world (physically and otherwise) and her gifted performance and subtle improvised skills keeping proceedings on track. The ending is a moving farewell, with the familiar TV theme-tune end-music a deliberately jarring choice which heightens the sense of conflict and contradiction that we have just witnessed. (Brian Donaldson) n Underbelly Cowgate, until 25 Aug, 9.40pm, £11–£12 (£10–£11).
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TOM ROSENTHAL: MANHOOD A hilarious hour that might leave you cross- legged ●●●●●
The high-energy introduction to Tom Rosenthal’s latest Fringe offering suggests a man pulsating with confidence and radiating an unassailable sureness. Not so, insists the comedian and star of sitcoms Plebs and Friday Night Dinner, he’s actually a nervous wreck who can barely get himself on stage to face us. But by confronting his fears, Rosenthal brings out the best in himself and delivers a thoughtful and often hilarious take on a disturbing subject. At a very early age he was circumcised by his parents, despite not actually being Jewish. His joviality actually masks a lifelong trauma about this event and he’s sought solace in the words of everyone from a clever professor to a manic scientist. The result is a tech-heavy show (highlights include graphics of many blue penises and footage of him on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle as he tries to take on both Chris Ramsey and his own OCD) with many great lines and self-deprecation on a biblical scale.
Tom Rosenthal has conducted an impressive amount of research for this show, but the many facts and figures are thankfully heightened by a man whose funny bones are perfectly intact. (Brian Donaldson) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug, 6.30pm, £11.50– £14 (£10.50–£13).
STAND UP WITH JANINE HAROUNI: (PLEASE REMAIN SEATED) Accomplished and funny show about tolerance and acceptance ●●●●●
On one of the wettest days of the Fringe (a hotly contested title admittedly), Janine Harouni shows true grace in welcoming a continual stream of latecomers out of the rain, even when some trudge in after ten minutes of the show. That a number of the tardy folk happen to come from her New York hometown only adds to the general bonhomie she engenders. Clearly, it will take a lot to fluster Harouni (making her Fringe solo debut after previously appearing in sketch trio Muriel) which can possibly be attributed to the fact that she has come face to face with her own mortality. That story forms a large chunk of this excellent hour in which she paints extremely vivid pictures of her friends and family (even if her dad is a Trump supporter, he shows much more compassion towards the weak and vulnerable than the guy he voted for ever would), while confessing that she has a dark past as a member of the Young Republicans before college turned her all liberal.
This very accomplished hour zips by and marks Janine Harouni out as a stand-up storyteller with the talent to go very far. (Brian Donaldson) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug, 5.45pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11).
TOM WALKER: VERY VERY Unreal props but solid mime laughs ●●●●●
Dubbed ‘the unloved child of theatre and dance’, Tom Walker acknowledges that mime gets a bad rap. But that’s not going to stop him from dedicating his latest Fringe hour to this most reviled of artforms. However, Very Very is nothing like the mime show you think you know: there are no glass boxes involved, but there is an extremely graphic sex scene between Walker and a coat. It’s effectively the natural next step in mime art’s evolution, and he spins it off into some very absurd, very dark and very, very funny places.
The sketches are all well-paced, and Walker’s physical dedication to each bit is truly a sight to behold: by the end of the show his t-shirt is entirely soaked through. Despite Very Very’s already tricky premise, he also takes the risk of pulling audience members up on stage with him, and manages each rogue element with aplomb. There’s talking involved too, thankfully, and Walker is an incredibly amiable presence, laughing bashfully after each sketch as if he, too, cannot believe he just mimed an extendable penis in front of a room of strangers. It’s safe to say that Tom Walker has broken through the glass box and expanded the art of mime to some new and extremely funny places. (Deborah Chu) n Assembly Roxy, until 25 Aug (not 14), 9.30pm, £9–£11 (£8–£10).
14–26 Aug 2019 THE LIST FESTIVAL 51