FESTIVAL REVIEW
FESTIVAL THEATRE
lreshingly depressing and takes his audience on a h t ' u I," w,
l2 l2 CABAR ET '9 . , enoug ma ena o n e ' plays a mean gmtar. but gmded tour at package “a...” m the
D l v E IN Nightly at |2.|2 at the those who have seen him holidays and bodily “gamma” “my
Pleasance there‘s a
belore will recognise some
tunctions. ‘ll you wanted a
Tristan Dawes stands up fiogpgsbiteaiiab:r‘ii;sl;o'w.' tirgp mlatertilal. h suntan you wean to'r a sw'itr'n' wzzcgtgbzflggg:3:3? . . . o e as a e ea ing e s ow ives some in ica ion 0 is
The an‘gc ClUbv tempora'lly “d 0f (appeariiig in theirown however is black comedian gome thoughts lrom L".§l‘:,";'..':1.1'.‘:;:.22‘.';....
mOSt 0f '15 more Usual WhCY'IaCCd and show across town at Theatre Felix. demonstrating the abroad. The etlect is not the animus come,
undergraduated clientele. is currently playing A.c.T). in which they invite kind at professionalism. unlike being driven at m. pulse quickened er
host to resident cabaret duo Benson and Hcglcy. other Edinburgh cabaret timing. ‘character' comedy breakneck speed by a the prospect or a sketch
Its hall-length auditoriums however have been Hemmer“ '0 d0 a 39‘“- 3nd Skill?“ fiat"? thatWi" Wise-Cfacking 003?" “film. about hecklers. surelya
adapted to re-create the Clubland dive. with ("ark Shem”) an?” "'5 F'ISI Y's." '0 Vim “WW Ill“ 5! 'e'WIWhe“ subject the group would be
cafe-sprawled round tables and detachable ' [2"2 cabagg‘fifhe Eg'rl'but'gg? d:"".'":y""°' " S 0V9" " '5 s'adwel' 9°“ tltlite adept at handling it
chairs. ideal for fending off attacks from the P'easance' e o sCoaniichbfi‘s’eaThee I en) and welsnman‘ Who "WY" I390" IOUIIM ""8
aforementioned Benson (one ofthe most dangerously barking lunatics on the fringe).
In such surroundings an audience can take or leave the act as they please (sitting near the exit is
Pleasance (Venue 33). 556 6550. Until 30 Aug. |2.|2am. £2.50 (£2)
Pleasance Bar. 60 The Pleasance (venue 33). Until 30 Aug. 9.45pm. 556 6550.
introduces Sparkes’ best characters. lrom the punch-drunk hard man with a personality crisis (‘I thought I was a village')to
strung-together ragbag at Les Dennis-style material all over the country. The sketch. though. was frighteningly
preferable in the latter). which has the effect of 3 "‘8 gladuate (“the We'Sh underdeveloped, and
making those on stage work harder to keep the {a HEGLEY 39W" 0‘ “WWW!” descended into the peculiar
attention of those who are not. The Gilded “i "'i" we “.mous “Hung 0")"le Syndmme 0'19“
Balloon is another venue in point. Rather than '3 Jon" Hegley has one 0' bmk- “8 'sme Dy'a" cram in as manyrelerences
packing out its floorspace with flip_up Chairs. £8 those hedge-cutter haircuts TWINS WW3 13-30 5“ to High Art and philosophy
they too have 0 ted f )r the intimac of what was ’i "‘3‘ 3'9 “suauy 390"“ by i (Tr's'an names) as we can. so everyone will ~ p ( y ‘ !‘ mentally detective ' JON" 393mm. Assemb'Y know that we're getting a
once called a nightclub. Herein lies another important key to enjoying cabaret. good. bad. or (more often) a mixture of
criminals in hard-luck movies; he has a laceto match. When Andrew
Rooms. 54 George Street (venue 3) 226 2427. Until 22 Aug. 10.00pm. £4.25
good education all the time we're spending being killineg lunny on a stage'.
both. Both the Fringe Club and the Gilded Bailey. also knownto “53-25)- . Asuccesstul careerln BBC Balloon are wet. the latter in particular running a i Saturday Lille IONOWBTS 38 ’ Ullm Eflleflainmem ‘3 very pleasant bar (as Norman Lovett will testify). I F'ede'm‘ Bensoni "Wiles ,T '“medi "10W" "own" Forindiffcrcm performch (and they aboundo’n I you to “look closelyinto the ME, I M ONLY watching. (Mab) h,f. , ,l h I, - , . . ‘ 2 eyesotamaniac‘.youdo. THE oBackwardslntoThe :1 L Ting.” d CO‘ 9 1‘s a ‘6'”! ‘."$’Cd‘c"" N.Ot only and they are. Two DON’T THEY?’ Limelight. Cambridge ocs 't‘ m mOduf‘tc .qu‘mtmc‘.‘ (you won tcvcr : AND KRAY comedians could not be so - Footlights. Assembly catCh Norman df‘nl‘mg anything mofc than eltectively opposite. or so An inspired review. which 300m. 800798 3m". 225 halves before tripping the. and not tripping over. unattractiver appealing. I opens. appropriately. with 2427/3- UN" “'9 29 in"t the light fantastic) loosen the tongue of a nervous Denise Black and the may Hegley is mannered and Chapter One or Genesis; the Suns). Midnight (1.15am) performer and lubricate if suffifiently to Sisters. the lineup (“which more. reciting Jokes by ' creation of the ruling £4.25 (£3.50). negotiate miles of tortuous one-liners; it also has changed since last “Wine” "0'" 3" magma” 0'35598. Shfleking and makes. and in some cases is the only thing that Veal. have abandoned "'08I b°°k °_' poems' which guna‘f’ing Ihei'way ""0 makes. the audience laugh. Ofcourse. the best ouhei'sopms'i‘a‘ed fheek'tl¥hapgeaf m gamed :e'f‘m'gpmf’fi“ A “any . . . . . . . . . harmonies and stylish 0"“ a e 00'?n ewav ac neye porn .you‘re performers should be able to make you fall off songs in “you”! a harder. out (My Bmthepmiaw and fight. but on; cam imgm
your seat unaided by a heavy investment in 8()/-. but you try taking in an hour and a halfofGerry Sadovitz without a drink.
Incidentally. the Comic Boom — in which you will find the amiable Glaswegian yobbo — is for my money one ofthe best venues of the Fringe. best encapsulating the cellar/bar sleaze that makes you feel as though you‘re living at least as dangerously as the performers would have you believe they are. In fact. it is a cellar/bar. like so many Fringe venues it has become the Comic Boom by virtue of a perilously-slung banner draped over the front of the Name of Pub. Packed in shoulder to shoulder. it is almost considered good manners to spill your drink over
louder rock sound. I preterred them belore; butl don't doubt that this will be a more commercial torrnula (at least lrom the point ot view ol recording contracts). It won't be long. I imagine. belore they're trontlng Top of the Pops. rather than a tringe musical cabaret; see them it you want to say you saw them here first. but it'll set you backa liver. too. (Mark Shenton)
0 Denise Black and the Kray
OtherAnimals. price £1.50). Occasionally raising the monotone with some linger-plucking mandolin playing. lines of hilarious banality are liltered through his twitching nose.
Where Hegley brushes oil hecklers with disdainlul casual asides. Frederick Benson physically assaults them. Throwing himsell aroundthe stage. the suspicionthat the chaosis real and not contrived wins
to the edge. Possessed not only ol greatdexterity. timing and acrobatic ability. the cast at tour(two men. two women) also have rubbertaces nearly as expressive and grotesque as Phil Cool's. Whenthey puton the Sloane Hanger act. I started wondering it this was whata post-holocaust upperclass would actually mutate into. (Mab)
0 Don‘t Shoot Me. I'm Only
The Horses. Don'tThey?
Cultish tascination tor the tackiest of Hollywood tat continues to llourish with this original blend of celluloid bleuaargh and live theatre. Legendary 1967 horror superturkey ‘The Astro Zombies' is screened with the sound down so that the healthily deranged Double Take Team trom Sydney can supply their own riotoust silly lip-synched dialogue and locations
the huddled figures that block your way to the Sim" “‘3 Gm“ 33"00" over an audience that is 3'1"“? {infirm GTOUD. 3‘ toilets. and it is quite possible to determine the ggeg‘zrg’zfsfiwgzm 938:? leased. bum“ and 3‘ one a" s a ' precise diet of the punter sitting next to you by 9 30pm. £5 “3) 9' 3:93:8- Isgggzogf en turning your neck by a fraction of an inch and ' tang miss?” (Visa: breathing in deeply (but subtly. this one may Davies) ' offend) through your nose. Unevemy hilarious. some o John Hegley and Andrew LIMELIGHT
Th6 Zap Club in The Pub on ROSC SITCCI. ABUSE is a "iple bi". BaiIey (aka Frederick " springs m m‘nd mum. g is also spiritually sound. Not only does it qualify i compered by Ivor Dembina. Bensonh Hinge c'm’i Cambridge Footllghts are 95 for its positioning in the throbbing bowels ofone 5 and leaturing impressionist Brim 3‘1"?” (venue 2) 567 trying to cover uptheir 4 of the city‘s traditionally rough spots (just check 5 Pl!“ comwe” (Gilbenihe 2091' Um” 23 Aug' gradual “CHM VII") 3 “'00 out the penguins that lurk in the doorways of this ' are"? ""65 'GE‘ FhIBSh'hd 9309'" 23'5" (in budget. Hot contentwlth " less than fragrant street. the look as thou h w" ea 3“ ° eni 3" "WWW 3 Nam“. "'0' "WW they‘ve all failed a full-dressiauditon for thge Hull 23%? 1::lgunm' Stand'up 0" 3‘“ 0m“? WWW.“ Truck Theatre Company). it is also open till 4am Cmfiwe” s'ets a manic There are a numberol i an”? at?" "ml" ("Man by which time it has transformed from variety pace. my so much slipping reasons why you shouldn't g mgr“: “anxegfl " club (usually excellent acts. with the exception of as jotting into charcter— 5" i" "‘8 "0'" '0‘" at podium with a trapdoorln the spectacularly awful 1. Smith. The Vagabond lrom denture-clicking Harry caba'e‘s' and "‘05‘ 0mm" (he (on 'whgch “3 and King) to disco (with the club‘s own fresh-faced Carpenter '0 30b Galdot. 3'8 Jon" sparkes' me me once oitwice to little effect. ploughboy D] from Brighton). With a dearth of ‘amiou's "0' '0 59°” "‘9 momem hegurczgsgpmrgh and spent the [at 0| the late. late night spots at an hour when the "am". ouhe.eve"'"9' N0 'fizyculgggsfialggg :8"; Show Slafldlflfl 8389mm involuntary and spasmodic jerkings of the body filigumgte :Tp'es.s':fps gangrson Ice“ rows A (0 c monumentto the money the are in need of musical accompaniment, the Zap assassinazfoéseglily'figge know they‘ve made a big ' “WWI” 38" Pump ""0 Club is also a good place to star spot. characyem (cm'g Richard mistake. "'“Id’nmnnfl'y “9"
Space does not permit a comprehensive listing Robin Day) apparent” (0'0 Frank "MS. a Spaflles' : gunning "Fallon" “a” of the fringiest of venues. but the general rule is heinous to deserve more "lane F'ankensm" mm 3 lggnht‘ a, TIT'tiflpgucy‘ simple . . . you can never rely on the act. so you than a few seconds. 5"Ckedjbac" '33" an,“ “a "on "a con mi h ' ' ' ~ " egg-stained kippertie. ' '0 ‘0'” “P "ml 0005
g tas well be happy With your surroundings. l cone“ manages“! be l - The Vlclous Boys
10 The List 21 Aug— 3 Sept