About Benson 8. Hill ooo 'I‘his likeahle dotthle act play tag. so yott get (ieordie comic Martin llill‘s audience- hased improvisations and cleyer wordplay followed hy his Leicestershire counterpart Luke Benson's ohseryations ahottt everyday life laced with sttrreal .stream-of-eonsciousness rants. 'l'heir routines are a nice contrast. as are their stage personas. ganeg Hill awkward and spiky. handsome Benson affahle and chartning. A hit of work on the jokes wouldn't go amiss. howcyet'. (Miles l’ieldert Sti't't'l li’t'inl. ()t ’70 24/ 0/36, until 2.5 Aug. 5./5pnt. [7 [8([6 [7). Achtung Pal 0 Twelve hopefttl students chew. gag and gttrn their way through a harrage of (ierman and ‘Scltottislt' accents in this dreary I‘M}- Ntt/i-occttpied-l)tmdee-sct comedy. Sparky performances frotn the stinky Scottish gypsy prostitttte and an officer’s secretary are datnpened hy a harrage of limp (icrman jokes and clumsy scene changes. A genuinely irritating show. (Rosalie l)ottha|t .S'tt't't't (irussnturkt't. 0870241 0/36. until 24 Aug. Ill/mt. 7.50 (£6.50).
Ali Cook oooo hlades. crushes doses and gets journalists up on stage to help him perform tricks: Ali (‘ook simply has no fear. With a pleasing mix of cheesy/sinister. there is happily little that is A 'litut'li u/‘l't'gus as he demolishes tnohile phones. flirts creepily‘ with the front row and makes tts curl up in agony at his hloody finale. (Brian Donaldson) (ii/(lt'tl Balloon 'li't'iot. 668 I655. until 25 Aug. ‘1. l5/nn. 1.“) [llllt‘8 £9).
. . . And Other Stories o Yet another in a long l‘ringe line of helow - ayerage youth sketch show s hy a group (this titne the Durham Reyuet that w ill no dottht have some talented writers and
lie chews ra/or
actors within its circle httt whose ahilities are sw amped in a sea of mer-enthtIsiastic mugging and flimsy ideas.
(Brian Donaldson) ('ntlt'r/u’lly. 0844 545 8252. until 24 Aug. 2.30pm. 1“) [/0
([8 [9).
Andrew Stanley ooo Being whimsically funny seems to he part of
the Irish hirth right and Stanley is another
example of an act who is adept at managing a crowd and huilding up a sweat as his shaggy hair matches the tales he unfurls. (Brian Donaldson) (ii/tlt'tl Balloon 'It't'iut. 668 I653. until 24 Aug. 7.30pm. £8.50 [(1.50 (£7.50 [8.50).
The Balloon Debate oo of a dehate and more of a meander as
l.css
friends Gary and Dan are thrown together on a hot air halloon trip with a somewhat hapha/ard pilot when (iary ’s girlfriend fails to turn tip. ('ue tnuch fretting ahottt his relationship from (iary. an exasperated t'esponse from Dan and a handful of amusing asides mainly from the pilot. (Marissa Burgess) (iiltlt't/ li’ul/oun 'Ii't'iut. 668 I653. until 25 Aug. 8pm. [8.50 U).5()([7.5l) [8.50). Barbershopera oooo There a couple of pic-requisites for attending Barhershopera: an appreciation of musical cotnedy and a passion for a cappella are essential. A penchant for false facial hair is helpfttl. 'l’hat said. 'l'oni & The (iuys pttt on an almost seamlessly tight show. tnaking the slapstick moments and lyrical huffoonery appear effortless. (Natalie Woolman) I’lt'usunt‘t'
('uttrty'urtl. 556 6550. until 25 Aug. 9.50pm. £8.50 [9.50 l [7 [8). Beautiful People (Don’t Travel Economy) .0. Atty airline comedy with a hitchy hostess at its heltn is always going to draw parallels with Pain Ann. The larger than life (thanks to a fat suit) Alexis Van Ait'hust certainly isn’t as slick and the gags are somewhat familiar hut neyertheless Rohert Yttle's creation is fun. Mixing audience interaction and dislodged wigs with free wine and crisps. you're guaranteed to leay c with a smile on your face. haying huilt an affinity with your fellow ‘passengers.’ (Marissa Burgess) Street 'Ii'riot. 0870 24/ 0/36. until 24 Aug. 8pm. {8 I [7).
Carl Donnelly 8: John Robins
0. Two chaps with hright futures atnhle along amiath with their separate stand-up sections. linked hy an amusing satisfied drinking sound. fashioning ottt little ttrhan ohseryations and memories of childhood. ('learly. this has no hearing on the star rating. hut Rohins really should check that he has no ‘Brians‘ t ‘a middle- aged name’ i in the audience hefore launching into a tale which slaughtcrs one of thetn. (Brian Donaldson) l'ntlt'rlu'lly. 0844 545 8252. until 24 Aug. 7.20pm.
18 U) ( [7 [8). Chris Cox ooo man. ('oy makes hehay ioural predictions ahottt his attdiencc hy reading their hody language. ttsing neuro-linguistic programming and sometimes just peeking when his eyes are supposed to he closed. l’requent mistakes and had gttesses make this curious rather than jaw -dropping. httt
An amiahle young
there are hemused giggles to he had and the conclusion is gettttinely impressiye. (Jottny linsall) I’lt'usunt't' (‘uurtyunl 556 6550. until 25 Aug. 6.20pm. 1“) [II (£7.50 [9.50).
Craig Campbell 0 A one-man play that deseryes an audience of less. there is prohahly a cleyer. poignant story here. lt'sjttst ycry w ell-hidden hehind the screaming. swearing and unimaginatiy e sexual euphemisms and who can eyer tire of simulated masturlxttion or cra/ed chainsaw -w ielding lunatics running amok. elt'.’ (lintma New lands! l'ntlt'rln'lly; 0844 545 8252. until 24 Aug. 9.50pm.
£9.50 £11.50 (£8.50 t'luflm.
Dan Atkinson 00 whether Atkinson woke up in a had mood that afternoon or whether he'd simply left
Not sure
his mojo elsewhere. httt this hour of tnoaning ahout haying hcen left hchittd hy his friends and w hingeing ahout haying tnoy ed to London kicks off promisineg but all too rapidly motorsdownhill. Still. with (‘I't'tlit ('runt‘lt unt/ ()I/u'r li’ist‘uits. he still claims the unofficial Best Stand-l 'p ’l‘itle of the Year. (Brian Donaldson) l’lt'usunt‘t' ('ourtyttrtl. 556 6550. until 25 Aug. 9.50pm. £8.50 U).5ll([7 [8). Eleanor Tiernan 8: John F O’Donnell C The premise here that hutnhling. shaking 'fiernan can’t cope without her American sidekick unfortunately turns out to he too close to the truth. When ()'l)onne|l is a no-show. 'l‘iernan’s jokes ahottt hay ing crap tnaterial aren't followed with any real gags. leay ing the audience laughing neryously and hiting on lists in etnharrassment. l.et down hy a rushed and oyerly scripted set with cltcltcd jokes. 'l'ommy 's cousin confuses tnore than she amttses. ((‘lairc Sawerst (ii/(lt'tl Bill/min 'Ii't'int. 668 I655. until 25 Aug. 5.30pm. [8.50 L"). 50 I [7. 50 [8. 50).
82 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 2“. Ant; 1'. Set) 7008
Ali Cook
Eric’s Tales of the Sea ooo liric shares his life working on a submarine. from emergency escape training. through emharrassing onanistic initiation to a strong friendship formed with tlte suhmarine prankstcr. Though liric’s storytelling style could do with a little tightening tip. neyertheless this is a moying story giy'ing insight into a world most of its neyer get to see or. thanks to the Official Secrets Act as liric japes. ltear ahottt either. (Marissa Burgess) lluly'mml lim (0 l‘tlllll. 225 9764. until 24 Aug. .i/nn. [.5 ((4).
Felix Dexter oo Affahle as Dexter seems. his is another show of thwarted amhition. oyer-reliance on funny yoices and an hour show that clocks in at almost 50 mimttes. a somewhat irritating trend that has heen all-too prevalent this year. 'l'here‘s nothing lightweight ahout the trained actor‘s performance. it’s simply a triumph of style oyer content.
(Brian Donaldson) I’lt'ustuu't' ('ourtyurtl. 556 6550. until 25 Aug. 8.20pm. [ll [/2 (£9.50 £40.50).
Funny. Nice. 0.. An inoffensiye show in a hoiling shoehox of a venue. Damion Larkin yerhally fondles loneliness and hoohies. Jimmy .\lc(ihie w axes Londonishly ahottt computer games and holidays. .\lost refreshing when dissecting their own deliycry. l.arkin‘s fans misery and .\lc(ihie‘s twinkly enthusiasm are cotnpletnentary. though not worth a postcard home. (Peggy llughes) (iilt/t'tl littl/tmn Ii’l'ftll. 668 I633. until 25 Aug. ll)..\’()pnt. [8.50 l.").5()({7.50 [8.50). FxP2 in Trouble! oo The thing with last-gasp chances are that you haye got to take thetn. And thankfully this set of young sketch artists pttlls out a ludicrously playful finale (a hoy hand mime) that sayes the day. It's when they are left to their own writing devices that the show goes horrihly wrong.
(Brian Donaldson) (' sum, 0845 260
I234. until 25 Aug. 2.45pm. £7.50 £8.50 (£5.50 [7.50),
Gamarjobat CO. The playful Japanese pair deftly animate all the trappings of a silent Western. complete with a revenge killing and a hig-hearted prostitute. A clever ttse of shiny happy plastic props and stylishly twee sound effects successfully endow the sex and guns with a uniquely wholesome appeal that will surely disarm the strongest of mime-detesters. (Rosalie l)ouhal) (ii/(It'd Balloon li'rint. 668 I633. until 25 Aug. 6pm. till [/3 ([6 [9).
Generation Divide oo the tensions of the generation gap get a going over in this sporadically funny douhle-act show. Richard Rycroft is 48 and looks like a Tory minister; (at Sayille is half his age httt equally posh. as he’s first to admit. 'I'hey ’re hoth genial hosts hut. as a concept. (it'nt'nttion l)iritlt' is half-haked. unenlightening and might henetit from being stretched to an hour.
(Nick Mitchell) (' t‘ulu'tl. 0845 260 I234. until 25 Aug. .t’.l5/nn. [7.50 £8.50 (£6.50 £7.50).
Girl and Dean 00 'I‘ragically‘. the hand-knitted props from last year hayen't returned. and an annoying puppet and some oyer-long sketches have snuck in instead. The quirky duo still deliver occasional gems like their posh thesp stereotypes and weird cake-themed
lingo. music. gadgets
ohsery'ations. l.ess hig laughs than last year. with high points including a \‘lttlctll t‘cy'oltttion organised by the WI. and the housew ife’s guide to spotting a (ierman spy. ((‘laire Sawers) I’lt'usunt't' ('uurtyurtl. 556 6550. until 25 Aug. 3.30pm. [7 [8 (£5.50 [6.50).
Goodbye Goodbye ooo
Strappingly acted. cleyerly written and ittnoy'atiy'cly staged. this intriguing narrative sketch show is let down hy its indecision. At times it‘s content with its many funny lines and characters. at others it seems to lttst y'ainly after an earnest hleakness and a yague political agenda. Ahigail Blackmore‘s script is dark and