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
KEN CHENG: TO ALL THE RACISTS I’VE BLOCKED BEFORE ●●●●● Cheng has produced a show on racism, and it’s sad (and shocking for a white person) to learn how much abuse the British-Chinese comedian receives on a regular basis on Twitter. It’s a slick, finely plotted hour registering the differences in racists as well as the differences in racism. Matter of factly throwing out punchlines with dry wit, this is an important show that goes some way to dissecting our relationship with race in this country. (Marissa Burgess) Bedlam Theatre, until 25 Aug (not 14), 6.30pm, £10 (£8).
LADYLIKES: TOP SECRET HOUSE PARTY! ●●●●● Peppy duo Ladylikes open their show by bouncing onto the stage before navigating the realities of life for young women in their late 20s / early 30s through a series of sketches set at different parties (Halloween, school reunion, office Christmas, New Year’s Eve). They’re at their strongest when they stray into more creative territory, as when two former rivals stress about their upcoming school reunion, or when two old friends get ready for a night out in their retirement home. (Lauren McKay) Just the Tonic at Marlin’s Wynd, until 25 Aug, 9.25pm, £8 in advance or donations at the venue.
LOLA AND JO: ESCAPE ●●●●● This acclaimed duo’s 2019 narrative is designed to capitalise on the immersive live experience of the escape room. ‘Leslie’ and ‘Jackie’ guide the audience (who are the escape-room contestants) as they search for the missing Lola and Jo. So far, so meta, and also a lot of fun. However, rather than provide a backdrop for their sketches, the frame overshadows them, rendering them the weakest links in this otherwise hilarious endeavour. (Suzanne Black) Assembly George Square, until 25 Aug (not 14), 4.15pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).
LONDON HUGHES: TO CATCH A DICK ●●●●● Her 16+ rating is not to be taken lightly here. Between the frank discussions of her dating life, a foray into foot fetishism and some highly educational sex tips, the metaphorical dicks fly thick and fast, with the material X-rated in nature and A+ for quality. Hughes repeatedly tells the audience how funny and talented she is. This is not only a good strategy for dealing with the mountain of awfulness that comes her way for being a black woman in the world today, it’s also just true. (Suzanne Black) Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug, 8.15pm, £9–£11 (£7.50–£9.50).
curmudgeonly observations about ‘non robust’ young people nowadays? Actually, despite his brusque style, it’s going somewhere very good, but his intricate storytelling technique is built around a few crucial surprises, so the less said about those, the better. As a stand-up comedian, he’s well placed to understand identity issues, he says, and makes well-informed points about bio-essentialism and homophobia. (Claire Sawers) Assembly George Square Studios, until 25 Aug, 8.15pm, £13–£14 (£12–£13). SUSIE MCCABE: DOMESTIC DISASTER ●●●●● Without much of an overarching thread, McCabe’s material loosely follows her theme of being deficient in the domestic sphere. This leads to an ending in which she shares her thoughts on contemporary feminism. Too many other comedians this Fringe have felt it necessary to comment upon the #MeToo movement without adding anything intelligent or insightful. McCabe provides a sanguine take on fourth wave feminism and concrete examples of how women can work to defeat sexism. And self- scanning machines. (Suzanne Black) Assembly George Square, until 25 Aug, 8pm, £9–£11 (£8–£10).
TIFF STEVENSON: MOTHER ●●●●● The title of the show relates to Stevenson’s own experience as a stepmother to a nine-year-old boy but also to the life that was expected of her as a teenager, when her dreams of becoming an actor or comedian or journalist were shut down for
being unrealistic. Controlling men bear the brunt of her ire, but Mother is also a damning indictment of Britain’s obsession with class. Very funny and righteous to boot. (Craig Angus) Monkey Barrel, until 25 Aug, 9.15pm, £10 in advance or donations at the venue.
VLADIMIR MCTAVISH: 60 MINUTES TO SAVE THE WORLD ●●●●● McTavish (Paul Sneddon) is a mainstay of the Scottish comedy scene where his silver-topped spiky bonce can be seen all year round. His Fringe effort this time is a trawl through current affairs, ostensibly to try and find some solutions to the world’s ills. Climate change, Brexit, Scottish football and politics come under his perceptive but not entirely innovative scrutiny. Politically a left-fielder, he comes across as such a gentle soul, refusing to rely on shock and provocation for laughs. (Suzanne Black) The Stand’s New Town Theatre, until 25 Aug, 6.50pm, £10 (£9).
VOLDEMORT AND THE TEENAGE HOGWARTS MUSICAL PARODY ●●●●● The Potter pound has not yet run dry and anything associated with the boy wizard will draw in the seemingly inexhaustible Potterheads. This production sets the action in 1942 when Tom Riddle is a hormonal teenager who has not yet become Voldemort or lost his nose and is a slick, light-hearted romp. (Suzanne Black) Assembly George Square Studios, until 25 Aug (not 14), 5pm, £13–£15.
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MARK NELSON: BREXIT WOUNDS ●●●●● Now identifying as middle-aged (he’s 38) and middle- class, Nelson continues to rail against the ills of the world, and recent years have gifted him much to bemoan. His skill at killer punchlines is as sharp as ever, focused by the ongoing disastrous Brexit process and the idiots nominally in charge. While he often goes off-topic – including an eye-wateringly candid and uproarious story about rogue sex toys – he always manages to bring things back to bear on his bête noire. (Murray Robertson) Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 25 Aug (not 19), 8pm, £12–£14.50 (£10). SAM RUSSELL: PRIVILEGED TO BE HERE ●●●●● Russell starts the show by contemplating just how good he’s got it; he’s recently married to a corporate lawyer, he gets to do comedy for a living, all is well. But then one day he had a brush with death, and suddenly the title of his planned Fringe performance took on a double meaning for him. Unfortunately, this promised nuance doesn’t quite materialise, which is a shame as Russell is a genuinely funny comic. (Deborah Chu) Just the Tonic at The Mash House, until 25 Aug, 7.45pm, £8 in advance or donations at the venue.
SARA BARRON: ENEMIES CLOSER ●●●●● ‘They hate us’, says Barron to some of her American compatriots in the front row getting straight into transatlantic politics. It sets the tone for the hour. This is a show about judgement, both the loud, tribal kind and the internal monologue kind. Barron doesn’t stay in one place for long, making her point and mining it for laughs before moving swiftly onto a new targets such as reality TV, the ‘sexy baby voice’ and her grandmother. (Craig Angus) Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug, 8.30pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11).
SIMON BRODKIN: 100% SIMON BRODKIN ●●●●● Best known as cheeky / annoying character Lee Nelson and for his headline-grabbing pranks targeting Sepp Blatter, Theresa May and Donald Trump, Brodkin finally steps onto the stage as himself. Well, sort of. While the title suggests that he’s finally shed all traces of personae, it’s quite obvious that this is still an act. And while he talks of his Judaism and past career as a doctor, he’ll gladly throw veracity under the bus for a good joke. (Murray Robertson) Pleasance Courtyard, until 24 Aug, 9.30pm, £12 (£11).
SIMON EVANS: DRESSING FOR DINNER ●●●●● Where’s this loud, posh man going with all his Tiff Stevenson
14–26 Aug 2019 THE LIST FESTIVAL 61