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COMEDY REVIEW The Cream 0f Scottish 1% are:

Effective triple bills need nuance and variety which is where The Cream Of Scottish suffers. The modus operandi here, see, is observation - the comedy of consensual recognition. So cosy and familiar and by now, well overplayed. Not that tonight's threesome of Jimmy Mooney, Marion Kilpatrick and Gordon Brunton don’t win through, as verily they do. It's just with each, we've all been here before. With a bit more for surety. Thus we get gags on Viagra, ginger pubic hair, childbirth and alkys. All fine and even genuinely funny, just far too reliant on pre-set formula to really truly shine. No great suprises, but a night of top drawer giggles nonetheless. (Barry Mcpherson) e The Cream Of Scottish (Fringe) Calder’s Gilded Balloon 7/ (Venue 36) 226 2757, until 37 Aug, 70.45pm, £7.50 (£6.50).

COMEDY REVIEW

Johnny Vegas: Selling Out first if er

Either, right, Johnny Vegas is prone to the odd disaster or his show is a highly

stylised and closely choreographed piece of theatre. Whatever could have gone wrong, apparently did - his slide- show operator screwed up (or did he?) and his carefully constructed dining- table collapsed, virtually causing death by candle-fire to his front row.

Selling Out actually lies somewhere between straight stand-up comedy and tragi-cabaret 'I’m not a comedian, I'm an entertainer,’ he frequently slurred, in between berating the critics, the promoters and anyone else who dared get in his bulky way. Uncompromising, uncomfortable and largely unmissable. (Brian Donaldson) a Johnny Vegas: Selling Out (Fringe) Johnny Vegas, Calder’s Gilded Balloon (Venue 38) 226 275 7, until 37 Aug (not Tue) 70.45pm, £8 (f 7).

COMEDY REVIEW

DaveJohns

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Dave Johns is a man on a mission. He is also here to ensure that both himself and his audience enjoy themselves. This genial Geordie will not be satisfied until he has made eye contact, found out your occupation and creased the rest of the room up in the process. Johns doesn’t just sell you a gag, he

THEATRE PREVIEW

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theatre ° dance - comedy

tucks it securely in one of your pockets

to ensure your full apprecuation. Bouncing off the audience with all

the force of a rubber bullet, his good-

natured demeanour ensures that no-

one shrinks, terrified of his advances. ’Energetic' doesn't do him justice. Look

are

10pm—Late

Johnny Vegas: non-stop tragi-cabaret

very closely and you'll see the man generate sparks of brilliance. (Rory Ford)

2% Dave Johns (Fringe) P/r_~asarice (Venue 33) 556 6550, until 37 Aug (not 78) 70 70pm, [8 50/17 50 ([7 50/[6 50)

REVEL IN THIS SPECTACLE OF MORAL CORRUPTION IN A COMEDY THAT ENCOURAGES THE ADOPTION OF A MORE GRACEFUL STYLE THAN WHICH

AT PRESENT PREVAILS

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INDIFFERENGE

A SERIOUS COMEDY FOR TRIVIAL PEOPLE

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Hill Street Theatre

Venue 41, 19 Hill Street, Edinburgh Wk Admission to the performance £7.00 (£5.00)

’»().\ ()l“|"l(ll-‘.: (“3] 2.2.6 6522 |‘|{|.\‘(il". ()l"l"l(l|".: ("3] 226 5138

13—20 Aug 1998 THE usr as