DAN FREEDMAN
'l'm not wildly keen to publicise the fact that I'm from Morningside — the lowest street-cred area in the world.‘ says the floppy-fringed (but not Fringe-floppy) comedian Dan Freedman. Too late. sunshine. your secret's out.
Actually it's not much of a secret. after Freedman spent a large part of his act last year. as one third of the Pleasance‘s late-night Comm/i“ Zmic. talking about his spiritual home in one of Edinburgh's snobbiest suburbs.
At least he‘s honest. ‘Comedians are not supposed to be middle class but they all are.‘ he says. ‘There are about two bona fide work‘"lass
comedians on the circuit.‘
After spending his early years in Edinburgh. Freedman‘s class credibility slumped further when he went to live in England. ending up in. horror of horrors. Hampstead.
Now with his years as the posh kid at the
comprehensive safely
behind him. Freedman is
’ enjoying a second
Dan Freedman: straight outta Morningside
adolescence in which he can indulge a passion for Star Trek and get paid for telling the kind of self- consciously cleverjokes that would have earned him a solid kicking at school.
Check out Freedman's first solo show - he‘s surely one of the best spoken stand-ups on the circuit. (Eddie Gibb)
I Dan Freedman (Fringe)
The Pleasance (Venue 33)
556 6550. until 2 Sept. 8.20pm. £7/8 (£6/7).
EDWARD SNAPE
PRESENTS THE
Fred MacAuIay: no Mickey Mouse comic
COMEDY
FRED MADAULAY
Keeping your ear to the ground and your nose in the air to garner material for potential comic exploitation — well. it's hardly a groundbreaking approach. is it‘.’ Nevertheless. it's still probably the most fruitful one. Have [Got News For You manages to be the funniest half-hour on the box with only a few newspapers and some finely-honed improvisational skills as its raw materials. Ex-
t ,l‘l _4
FESTIVA
Funny Farm-hand Fred MacAulay reckons appearing on it was one of his best career moves to date.
MacAulay has since managed to go one better. Rather than passing wry comment on news after it has broken. he managed to anticipate the Hugh Grant fiasco with some well-chosen words in his routine. ‘I was quoted in the paper: “Hugh‘s A Phoney Says Funnyman Fred“.‘
MacAulay hints at some further newsprint-inspired subject matter for his Uiif'ringed show.
‘1 hadn't seen a paper for a few days and then I saw at the Walt Disney organisation has bought ABC for $19 billion. so I‘m going to try to do material on that because 1 just think it‘s absurd that a newscasting organisation should be owned by the satne people that make cartoons.‘
That tnust make them a Mickey Mouse organisation.
‘That's one joke I‘m definitely not going to use.‘ (Fiona Shepherd)
I Fred MacAulay - Untringed (Fringe). The Gilded Balloon (Venue 38) 226 2151.1lAug—2 Sept. 9.15pm. £7(£5).
All Singing, All Dancing, Polyester Sensation
IN TOWN FOR ONLY 14 PERFORMANCES 1 10.15pm (no PERF 20 AUG)
George Square Theatre
Box Office 0131 650 2001 Festival Box Office 01 31 226 51 38
Lam/10PM
N
Resurrection: The patience of Job?
[BEE]- JOB
Resurrection Theatre Company claims to be the only professional company producing drama based on the Bible. This group of Christian professional actors is intent on finding sources of theatrical inspiration that don‘t reflect what they regard as the nihilism of much modern theatre. As they point out. while Shakespeare is regularly revived. the Bible. which has a unique place in western culture. is largely ignored.
‘The story of Job is a poignant allegory in a world where Bosnia is an affront to faith.‘ says director Juliet Muttalib.
l ‘How do you still believe
in Uod when confronted with such human misery? That is what the show is about'
The company uses workshopped improvisations as the actors work out their own interpretations of the Bible. But they won‘t be preaching. Muttalib insists. ‘We’re a theatre company first and telling a good story well is our main priority.‘ she says. If the Mahabharata can be a source of theatrical drama that entertains an audience in a relevant way. then why not the Bible'.’ (Ronan O'Donnell)
I Job (Fringe) Resurrection Theatre Company. Morningside Baptist Church (Venue 138). l4—l8 Aug. 9pm. 19 Aug. 2pm. £3.50 (£2.50).
The List ll-l7 Aug 1995 55 I