6pm-8pm
COMEDY REVIEW Fred MacAulay
weae
Fred MacAulay: see him and weep (with laughter)
Fred lxlacAulay has risen to new heights of lame, thanks to his cheery radio show and BBC i 's McCoist 8' MacAu/ay. His roots, however, are firmly in stand up ~ and it shows. On stage, this Fringe veteran genuinely seems to C'l‘Ijt)‘,’ himself,
There’s nothing ieI.IoliitIc.I;aiy about his shov. he's just a damn good comedian who lzas the atirlieric V‘-Ieer,iiiin with lag-(fitter The riiateI‘Ial encoriipasses .i i,:Iss—'.ikiri:) tour of Scotland, takes about his wife and the ineVItable Viagra gag It's a large Venue, but lvlacAulay has a knack of making the titli’fic‘lh fee! like he’s talking to IflCTll personally i This is probath l‘ ‘IacAIi‘ay's last i Fringe show fr‘! .2 I broadcasting ‘Iiu up his st hedti lo Cm
.’l.lli"’.',zl (an (Step‘n .".l I.’.‘ (Iblet . 331:? Fro ’ M) W a" IFriII ne‘- (avian E 61/ ’i ’; :‘I or Ii it (lei-1'3”“IrII‘/eIII/e
2o :2757. 850i£750I
."'.).'II 37 xii/c}, XII/n,
40 "IE [IST 7/ I'Iliti ll) Sen 1998
‘ mew
l Bursting with energy and comic flair: After Dinner
theatre . dance . comedy
THEATRE REVIEW Matchstalk Man we a
Four friends hole themselves up in a warehouse after burning down most of their town and whip themselves into a frenzy of recriminations, drugs and casual violence. Friends this is not.
Billy Woods' new play manages the switch from bleak reality to black comic-book humour well, and its four actors have energy to burn. The weak point is a script which lapses into occasional ramblings, but despite this, Matclista/k Mari succeeds where many new plays fail: by the end you care about what happens to these four people. Gruesome but compelling. (Graham Dickson) 3a Ma tchsta/k Man (Fringe) Tenth Planet Productions, Bed/am Theatre (Venue 49) 225 9893, until 29 Aug, 6.75pm, [6 (f4).
COMEDY REVIEW Viv & Jill
Imagine French and Saunders at a dinner party hosted by Vic and Bob with catering by the Two Fat Ladies. This double-act deals in daft Observations, rude poems and »- erm — beer—soaked breasts; not to mention an alarming couture show Involving lamb chops.
Warm, whirnSIcal and frequently downright peculiar, their humour doesn't always hit the mark, but they retain their off-the-wall charm, and like true Renaissance women, they sing, dance, recite and insult one another With equal aplornb
One Wishes only that a Fringe-Wide blanket ban on Spice Girls Jokes would be Introduced Immediately.
(Hannah MCGIll)
33.5 VIII 8 Jill (Fringe) Calder ’s Gilded Balloon ll (Venue 36) 226 2157, until 37 Aug, 6.30pm, [6 50 ([550)
THEATRE REVIEW figfi:fi.%zf After Dinner
Tucked away in the tiny Holyrood Tavern is an unexpected gem. This new
THEATRE REVIEW Kissing Angels ****
in this devised piece the National Youth Theatre looks at growing up. It’s about making decisions, regret. insecurity and the desire to conform. Groups of actors are cast as each character. giving each of the 24 performers their moment on stage. The results are a testament to what can be achieved when good direction and teaching meet talent, however young. Although the play is unlikely to have a continued existence outwith this group. there are some genuinely moving moments and the choral singing is exquisite. it has the sincere quality of youth theatre at its best. (Stephanie Noblett) I Kissing Angels (Fringe) National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, Chaplaincy Centre (Venue 23), 662 8882, unti'l3l Aug, £6.50 (f5).
97/1: 15,, £51; ”I
,' I 'vfl/J
Growing up gracefully: Kissing Angels
play by the Co-writer of Strict/y Ballroom follows the dubious fortunes Of friends and strangers drowning their sorrows on a Friday night in l985.
Rauc0us‘, dirty and Colourful, It follows in the tradition of Muriel’s l’i/erlrling and Its ilk Tl T'e , o Iing Australian cast - mar ycf them veterans of the snaps \'.0 know and love are «:YLItstaIirluig, truth Jennifer Cloliez' iII (articular llf’)\’!ll"} herself to be a I:.ItiiIal (’)lli("(fl(}l‘..’ii’
.t 2...": TN" \I/ft’ (If til“ \f"‘li:’_‘ IS I; ml the ending overly ItIItiiit this phyla: tron Is bursting With enemy .'il‘.’.f (omit llazi iHannal‘. ilciiilli
Alft-I [honor (Fringe) Orr: EiII'o' Protr'uC'tIr‘IEs‘, Holyrood lave/II {VP/iii.“ 72 MIN 3/ Aug, 6 40pm.
iIItIIII".
«(3d,)r )5/ "k, {DILSI
CCI‘ 'IED‘i RE\|’,‘.."
. The Last Big Iguana
Competition
in this show, three :IIeI‘. known deliver a
.'\()\‘\
coilei finely as Chunky Ninit’nt SO-Iitiiui'e humouI i‘. ‘l IV I a i-T‘fli‘titqtf .1 Pythtv‘ The L ?-'..' Incitirlcs funk-con; or)? Ioi.f:.'ii '. about teiepa nauseatIii' dogfoorl and regular hiilietins from the Iguana Disiztf The st not and at ( I.‘-.'l‘.l.‘.)l‘r'y'il‘.(} booklet are l'll/i'li'itl \‘Iitli ingeniously weird Ideas, an.) rle‘ the lvriiiteil skills ,4 the am ate: :I tier’rirmers, ti". lllI( ll:- -it= nt b it! sI lliif‘fy \i -v II. it(‘- T' if ifngn UIIf(,-Itun.itely, after .i few IIiIIiiIies, you realise {,I liuril l.‘.(; LI bi: t I.< \ei fii 'ly 'i‘niil‘t‘t) I»\I‘.:irt‘-\.'.I Burnetl 5‘23 7!.‘2’ first [in] /r,‘:.I.)/..r CfrI'IIrIIfI fro” If_"I’l(}t“ ( Hill/la; I"«."'r;."If, 9".‘.‘.’3‘.it/-’
th-Ii I \it‘itllt‘\‘.
iiiw \fti,'t{f'.'
-."I\., twin: c.:..s :I-tz ii :gitti; s,
{fi.l -,,\.-. ‘l'\-”\
tgrrin‘itutiii F'i‘lii
\FI'I!‘
slums pit 'lli"l :istI
Iii'IesIIIIlHI-ti not
‘Is of gig-terttia i2,
.irr: ,.,.,.., .ri ’ . .'
9] Aug, 6pm, £5 .1};
COMEDY REVIEW Leandre Ribera — Clown? Cabaret? Silent Movie? ...?
'4.- 3).-
Well, there are elements of all three, but Leandre most closely resembles the patron saint of all annoying street iI-:Irfnrniers With his constant gurning and runny-don eyes that beg for laughs, Leandre wouldn’t seem out Of place irritating pedestrians on the Tray il Mile
His inverltInIit (an occasmnally be admirable, but it rarely raises anything more than .3 Sllllfe He also performs a truly bi7arre routine With a giant vagina, as if to prove that he's not a children's entertainer. the a shame tlizs, bet‘ausak Ids would seem the only l.l:'y iiilitIric e for h: s nuerile toilet
lllil; .vvetl‘. Iubbri tiirrls
‘sliil, a ..v IIirI I.br‘i Is fthe audience Iiisisted tIri til‘-.’?ll"i l‘.:riI a standing l -.>v4itinii street theatre artistes thornseli-es, I suspect. IRory Ford) ' 3355 Leandre Ribera - Clown? Cabaret? ;
‘- lower“ 7 (Fringe) Cai’der’s '
b/rr()l7'l
led Ba” IOU. I (Venue 3c“ l226 2757 (WI I’3’ Aug
7.15pm, [7 (£6)
Bathroom eyes: Leandre Ribera I