{COMEDY} Reviews at a Glance
Alistair Green ●●●●● Outpatient retells Green’s experience of having life- threatening kidney disease diagnosed, and is as hard to stomach as Henoch- Schönlein purpura is to pronounce. Not for the squeamish or hypochondriac, though ‘technically interesting’ with some entertaining riffs, it’s like hospital food: well-meant but unfulfilling. (Peggy Hughes) The Caves, 556 5375, until 28 Aug (not 17, 23), 4.35pm, £7–£8. Amateur Transplants ●●●●● The man who brought the world YouTube hit ‘London Underground’ has cobbled together a show which spreads the joke achingly thin; essentially a series of puns of varying success. Each is set to a re- jigged pop song, but veers between too obvious and uncomfortably risqué, and Adam Kay resorts to a reliance on toilet humour to win over the crowd. (Kirstyn Smith) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug, 7pm, £10–£11.50 (£9–£10.50). Andi Osho ●●●●● Although potentially predictable subject matter to those familiar with her persona, Osho is as affable live as she appears on television. Self-deprecating with a sailor’s mouth, she confidently breezes through an hour of female-focused comedy equally enjoyed by men in the audience. (Lauren Mayberry) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug (not 16), 6.40pm, £12–£14 (£10.50–£12.50). Anil Desai ●●●●● The comedian himself admits that this is a ‘best of’ show to celebrate his tenth Fringe, combining everything he enjoys most: stand-up, character comedy, impressions and music. He has an easy, likeable charm with a fantastic audience rapport, and there’s a steady stream of jokes. It’s just a shame that in seeming so eager to please, he doesn’t try more challenging material. (David Kettle) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 18 Aug, 7.45pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11). Bob Downe ●●●●● Celebrating his 20th Fringe anniversary, Aussie polyester sensation Downe presents his usual shtick of fine-voiced covers of popular song, high camp, face-pulling and silly dancing interspersed with DVD giveaways and quiz questions. It’s a lively hour but one sadly without much substance and with only a handful of gags. For hardcore Downe fans only. (Marissa Burgess) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 29 Aug (not 16, 25), 8pm, £12–£14 (£10.50–£12.50). Brett Goldstein ●●●●● Stand-up Goldstein puts on his raconteur cap to narrate a tender coming-of-age tale. Set in a strip club. Softly spoken and exuding a quiet confidence he articulately and admirably wins over a small crowd. The material, though a little lacklustre, is elevated by his endearing personality and the lively finale is a tantalising glimpse at his potential. (Suzanne Black) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 29 Aug (not 15), 5.30pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50). Bring Me the Head of Adam Riches ●●●●● Riches returns to the Fringe to perform as leading male in his own unique array of comedy skits. Regularly demanding the onstage assistance of uncomfortable audience members the show is not for the faint of 56 THE LIST 11–18 Aug 2011
heart as he visibly thrives on a growing air of anxiousness, derived from his increasingly provocative onstage antics. (Jamie Cameron) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug, 4.45pm, £10–£11 (£8.50–£9.50). Brown and Corley ●●●●● This is like watching a bad school drama production – where if those involved aren’t your offspring, you’re not obliged to laugh. Brown is relentlessly abrasive, which makes Corley’s blandness a comparative blessing. The best thing about it is the soundtrack punctuating the sketches and the fact the show ended 15 minutes before its hour was up. (Rebecca Ross) The Caves, 556 5375, until 28 Aug (not 17), 7.25pm, £7.50 (£5). Catriona Knox ●●●●● The platter of characters here are, at best, well-acted and have the right foundations to be spun into entertaining sketches. However, the dialogue doesn’t pack enough punch and the material quickly grates; that doesn’t deter Knox, who even returns to the same insubstantial characters later on. It seems a waste of the sparkle that this young lady clearly has. (Rebecca Ross) Udderbelly’s Pasture, 0844 545 8252, until 29 Aug (not 15), 1.35pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Clare Plested ●●●●● Ever wondered what Barbara Nice was like at 30? Clad in animal print and great shoes, the glam half of Fringe vets Plested and Brown tells the story of her Vegas wedding, aided by a big box of Pinot. It’s touching, with some nicely observed impressions, and she’s adorable, but the comedy is patchy: unusual from such an experienced performer. (Kirstin Innes) Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, until 28 Aug (not 15), 5.20pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Colin Hoult ●●●●● Somewhere between Angry Boys and The League of Gentlemen lies Colin Hoult. A clearly talented and energetic performer, Hoult’s bag is the grotesquery of the provinces. Crap Welsh poets, crime stoppers from East Midlands, gleeful northern dogs and fantasy enthusiasts people his hyperactive show. It’s silly but not especially funny and the unrelenting use of the audience is exhausting. (Paul Dale) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug (not 16), 7.05pm, £12–£14 (£10.50–£12.50). Colm O’Regan ●●●●● When it comes to Ireland, what O’Regan does not discuss is not worth knowing. His social networking guide to Irish history and economics embraces themes like sandwich culture, national identity, Mills and Boon, skyscraper sexuality, Rapunzel’s weight and legal concepts of comedy. It’s funny, informative and resourceful. (Nicola Meighan) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 29 Aug (not 16), 4pm, £8.50–£10 (£7.50–£8.50). David Morgan ●●●●● Subverting a popular football reference (‘Running, Passing, Kicking’) for the amateur dramatic variant (‘Actor, Singer, Dancer’), Morgan goes heavy on musical theatre and high-camp tropes, which juxtapose with his accounts of childhood bullying and homophobia. The relentless jazz hands get a bit tiresome, but if Les Mis in-jokes float your boat then Triple Threat is worth a look. (Nicola Meighan) The Tron, 556 5375, until 28 Aug (not 16), 2.20pm, £6 (£5). Des Bishop ●●●●● An ode to Bishop’s late father, Mike, this should leave the most emotional tough-nut shaken and stirred, as Des tells the story of his dad’s life, from stage actor, Ford model and ‘almost Bond’ to regular ‘Queens, New York’ dad. Walking the line between pathos and pity, this is largely funny, tender and acutely observed. (Anna Millar) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 14 Aug, 9.10pm, £14 (£12.50). Des Clarke ●●●●● With jokes coming fast and a wit as sharp as a knife, Clarke will leave you in a good place. Illustrating the difference between Scots and the rest of the world, Clarke tirelessly delivers memorable zingers while keeping up a stream of hilarious patter, seemingly completely off the cuff. Locals and out-of-towners alike will love him. (Carmody Wilson) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 29 Aug (not 17), 8.15pm, £12–£13 (£11–£12). Dregs ●●●●● Max Dickins and Mark Smith present an hour which thrives on its unpredictability, offering character- based sketches while maintaining a constant audience engagement. The show takes slightly too long to gather momentum after an awkward start, and would benefit from less shouting on occasion. However, the pair emerge as endearing and self-aware with a good deal of promising material. (Rebecca Ross) Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, until 28 Aug (not 15), 9.30pm, £9–£10.50 (£8–£9.50). Fear of a Brown Planet ●●●●● Aamer Rahman and Nazeem Hussain both studied law back home in Australia but from what they say on stage, their parents are probably not best pleased with their ultimate career choice. They needn’t worry though, as this pair are surely going places with their audience- friendly jovial banter about Islam, Michael Jackson and Barack Obama. (Brian Donaldson) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 29 Aug (not 15, 22), 7.15pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50). Fred MacAulay ●●●●● With his particularly Scottish brand of stand-up, MacAulay returns for his 23rd Festival. By his own admission the majority of the audience was of a certain age, but all were charmed by tales of ‘predominantly orange’ airlines, a glance through Scottish papers and some cheeky audience banter. For some straightforward traditional stand-up, MacAulay’s your man. (Suzanne Neilson) The Stand III & IV, 558 7272, until 17 Aug, 7.50pm, £10. Guilt and Shame ●●●●● After a hedonistic night, Robbie and Gabe just want to perform their Fringe show, but previous excesses keep showing up at the most inopportune moments. A moralistic drug dealer clamours to impart her addled wisdom over sketches which get increasingly filthier and funnier until the only logical conclusion is either pornographic mime to Justin Bieber or a spot of murder. (Kirstyn Smith) The Caves, 556 5375, until 28 Aug (not 17), 10.15pm, £7–£8 (£6–£7).
L A V I T S E F
SEE EDFRINGE.COM FOR MORE INFO
Hal Sparks ●●●●●
Humankind’s ongoing evolution from apes is the buff American stand-up’s central thesis. En route to his conclusion that only the reintroduction of dinosaurs into the food chain will save us, Sparks blasts the crowd with a string of more commonplace observations. The material is occasionally a touch routine, but the delivery is impressively high velocity. (Miles Fielder) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 28 Aug (not 15), 10.45pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Indoor Fox Hunting ●●●●● There are some lovely ideas to be found here, with several leaps of the imagination and a nicely absurd viewpoint. But stretched out across 50 minutes, the material wears very thin and a tightening up of both content and delivery is required. You suspect it’s an overambitious venture at this point in Joe Munrow’s promising career. (Marissa Burgess) C aquila, 0845 260 1234, until 29 Aug, 7.30pm, £7.50–£9.50 (£6.50–£8.50). Jason Cook ●●●●● Cook’s latest frenzy of silliness is an exploration of happiness (as defined by Wikipedia), researched thoroughly by the comic and his dear old mum. The problem with a show that openly aims not to please everyone is that there’s no challenge to the material; an hour spent in Cook’s pleasant company offers little with any friction to make it memorable. (Niki Boyle) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 29 Aug (not 17), 5.30pm, £12–£13 (£10.50–£12). Jeff Leach ●●●●● After a promisingly energetic opening, Leach lost momentum due to drunken heckling and had trouble getting the audience onside. His material, dealing mostly with emergent sexuality and humiliating experiences, is divisive and makes for uncomfortable tittering, rather than belly laughs. And he totally lost his crowd in a gross-out finale. (Carmody Wilson) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug (not 19–21), 11pm, £8–£9.50 (£7–£8.50). Jessica Fostekew ●●●●● Fostekew is a down-to-earth posh bird. Luxury Tramp pertains to the grotty habits which conflict with her plush background, such as eating a kebab washed down with Dom Pérignon. This is observational humour with a confessional edge. (Lauren Mayberry) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 28 Aug (not 16), 7pm, £8–£9.50 (£7–£8.50). Joel Dommett ●●●●● Dining out on the retelling of one week spent in the company of an unnamed celebrity crush, Dommett weaves a charming and self- effacing love story. Behind the trendy haircut and gleeful grin is an assured performer with the skills to back up his confidence. Let’s hope another crazy encounter comes along in time for his 2012 Fringe. (Suzanne Black) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 29 Aug (not 16), 6.50pm, £9.50–£12 (£8–£10.50). Joe Wilkinson ●●●●● Bounding on stage with arms aloft, the loveable Wilkinson plays around with his front