COMEDY REVIEW
Michael Redmond - Granny's On The Roof Rack Again
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Great gran: Michael Redmond
What's a stand-up to do when his entire audience consists of a fat Lancashire Catholic bloke, a chatty fifty-something couple, three escapees from an all girls' primary school, another fat bloke, and a critic? Michael Redmond (a deVIlish laid- back Irish hybrid of Jack Dee and Ken Dodd, With a cauliflower for a tickling stick) makes the best of a very bad JOb, considering the audience is the bulk of his material. By the end of the hour, we eight felt the kinship of having all been SUbJECied to Redmond’s gentle leg-pulling — not so much a tongue- lashing as a gentle tickle. (Gabe Stewart) fl Granny’s On The Roof Rack Again (Fringe) Michael Redmond, Calder’s
53 THE LIST 20-27 Aug i998
theatre ' dance 0 comedy
' Gilded Balloon (Venue 38) 226 2 757,
until 37 Aug (not 20) 9.30pm, £7.50 (£6.50),
THEATRE REVIEW Waking Thoughts
scarier
The understated story of a relationship between two friends and sometime gay lovers during the Napoleonic wars is a courageous production in a festival so fraught With sound and fury. Writer Jonathan Weightman, who plays William Beckford, a wealthy Englishman rejected by his sooety and obsessed With returning to war-torn Portugal, has researched his piece carefully. The play resurrects Beckford’s historically obscure lover Gregorio Franchi, as they iOIn forces to bUIld a church tower, symbolic perhaps of Romantic aestheticism, or even the priapic glories of their youth The erection, though, keeps collapsing — there was no Viagra In those days. (Steve Cramer)
ifi Waking Thoughts (Fringe) Tagus Theatre, Quaker Meeting House (Venue 40) 220 6 709, until 22 Aug, 8.30pm, 2’5 ([350).
THEATRE REVIEW The Turnout k‘#~&
The innovative Northern Irish company, Shibboleth, is only six months old, but is already producmg work of such imaginative delight that great things Will surely follow with expenence. '
The Turnout Is set around political tensions in late 18th century Ireland, a time of secrets and lies, treason and Spies. But this is no worthy but dull historical re-enactment. A green umbrella, a toy cannon and a glass of milk are the simple props Shibboleth use to carve a stirring and occaSIonally frenzied performance, packed with lightning quick physical tricks.
Alternative Ulster: The Turnout
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‘ COMEDY REVIEW The Scared Weird Little Guys *****
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Nerd Kelly: The Scared Weird little Guys
Rusty Berther and John Fleming's musical comedy routines are impossible to improve. Extremely high-quality musicianship accompanies a range of comic turns which move from the topical, such as the safe sex song which exhausts every metaphor known for paddling with your socks on (except that one). to the just plain daft ~ the hilarious and childishly prurient Christmas song. Perhaps the highlight of the evening is the rendition of Prince's Kiss in every known style from lndian musical to rap. The parody folk song, which satirises the obtuseness of so much diddleyodoo music comes close, though, to topping even this. The Australian duo even approach the subject of their country's new republican status with the supremely sarcastic 'We Love The Royals'.
Audience-participatory, these weird little guys are not really scary. but there is some mild badinage. The humour, though, is not really aggressive. relying more on the illusion of the nerdiness of these two shell-suit clad characters than audience attack. But this isn't a case of 'if you see nothing else . . . ‘ You should see other shows. just so you know how much classier the Scaredies are than anything else of their kind on the Fringe. (Steve Cramer)
Q The Scared Wede Little Guys (Fringe) Spiegeltent (Venue 87) 558 80? 0/226
2151, until 31 Aug, 9pm, £8 (£7).
This is a poetic, committed piece and Shibboleth are full of promise. (Peter Ross) e The Turnout (Fringe) Shibboleth, Demarco European Art Foundation (Venue 22) 556 8409, until 23 Aug, 8pm, £5 (£3).
COMEDY REVIEW
Mark Doherty — Fascinating Things
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Doherty is an Irishman with a fractured style of delivery that demands close attention. He‘s a verbal illusionist with a gift for sleight of tongue, often slipping an unexpected word into the middle of a long and winding sentence, changing the meaning entirely. The audience have the rug pulled sharply from beneath their feet and are left laughing on the floor.
If you secretly dread the sight of comics reaching for their guitars, Doherty will stupefy you again - his songs are some of the most original and funniest you will encounter. The element of surprise is obviously important to him — he left the stage fifteen minutes early. Very quirky. (Rory Ford)
a Mark Doherty - Fascinating Things (Fringe) P/easance (Venue 33) 556 6550, until31 Aug, 8. 15pm,
£8. 50/157. 50 (£7. 50/£6.50).
COMEDY REVIEW Full Irish Breakfast
2% 3% re? 7?
It's a good thing this show is breakfast in name only. The thought of facing these two frenetic Irishmen over eggs and bacon makes me want to cry. John Henderson has a pace of speech which suggests a few too many espressos and an accent thicker than the residue left in the bottom of the cup. Dara O'Briain was somewhat easier to understand but, ]USi to make It difficult, delivered a large slice of his set in schoolboy French. Nostalgia was the main Item on the menu tonight; both John and Dara regaled us With stories of startlingly familiar childhood escapades. If you can remember hiding in your neighbour’s airing cupboard at age eleven, then this Is the show for you. Top stuff. (Kirsty Knaggs)
% Fu/l Irish Breakfast (Fringe) john Henderson And Dara O’Briain, Calder’s Gilded Balloon ll (Venue 36) 226 215 7, until 31 Aug (not 25) 9.30pm £7.50 (£6.50).
STAR RATINGS
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