{COMEDY} Reviews at a Glance
Matthew Highton ●●●●● This warm, intelligent and beautifully written tall tale winds its way from an office infatuation to an apocalyptical climax featuring a fembot with an allergy to Nando’s Peri-Peri sauce, Mickey Rourke’s magic peacock and an evil Patrick Moore. Sweet and imaginative, but not in a ‘oh so intelligent I’ll pretend I’m thick’ kind of way. Great value stand-up. (Rosalie Doubal) The Caves, 556 5375, until 28 Aug, 10.15pm, £6.50. Matt Kirshen ●●●●● A geeky schoolboy turned awkward adult, Kirshen mixes tales about embarrassing moments (like that time he dictated an ‘I love you’ note to the Interflora man), with observations on politics. Kirshen tries to incorporate a fixed grin into his schtick, mocking it openly, but ultimately his set feels slightly wooden. (Claire Sawers) Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, until 28 Aug, 8.35pm, £10.50-£12 (£9.50-£11). Meryl O’Rourke ●●●●● O’Rourke won’t be the last Fringe comic to reference the riots but it was perhaps unwise to let us hear a better joke on the subject from her spouse. It’s an early off- note that she makes up for with some funny and moving material about her German-Jewish/Irish-Catholic heritage, though the celebrity-obsession she shares with her own mother is disappointingly tiresome. (Brian Donaldson) Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, until 28 Aug, 2.45pm, £9-£10 (£8-£9). Michael Workman ●●●●● In this surreal, meditative show Workman spins an impressively sustained yarn about his journey through a warzone accompanied by a talking dog and his grave-digging love interest. His philosophical, esoteric intellect is tangible beneath the surface of the dreamlike narrative, but the main question when the hour is up is whether the performance is more theatre than comedy. (Rebecca Ross) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 28 Aug, 10.45pm, £9-£10 (£8–£9). Music Box ●●●●● Maybe it was a lack of imagination on the audience’s part (a musical called Fish set in a chip shop doesn’t seem to be in keeping with the mash-up improv spirit), but this troupe never hit a true stride, going round in circles when they chance upon a half-decent line. A couple of performers threatened to stick out, but the whole endeavour was about as appetising as a soggy haddock. (Brian Donaldson) C soco, 0845 260 1234, until 29 Aug, 2.45pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£5.50–£7.50). The Noise Next Door ●●●● The Noise boys give form to their skeleton show with masses of audience contributions. Riffing off each others’ energy, they keep the shows momentum up through seemingly endless suggestions of ‘Harry Potter’ and deliver fast-paced improvised scenes and songs. Obviously some ideas fall flat but the quintet presses on with confidence and zeal. A delightfully unpredictable hour with some knock-about funsters. (Suzanne Neilson) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug, 4.30pm, £11–£12 (£9.50–£11). No Pants Thursday ●●●●● Sketches that go nowhere, no punchlines, 50 THE LIST 18–25 Aug 2011
lame scenarios. And all in their underwear. No Pants Thursday’s sketch show massively underwhelms with a misplaced enthusiasm bringing to mind a meticulously rehearsed but ultimately painful youth theatre production. A cautionary tale to future Fringe performers: delivering unfunny material in underpants doesn’t make it any less so. (Suzanne Neilson) The Caves, 556 5375, until 28 Aug, 10.40pm, £7.50 (£6.50). Olver: Portrait of a Serial Killer ●●●●● It’s difficult to tell how much Mark Olver would ordinarily diverge from his script as on this performance there were a series of hitches which he handled with good humour. But should he tighten up this stand-up show/theatre experience it has the potential to be brilliant. Fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a serial killer, Olver begins to bump off clowns. Soon he realises he’s not alone in his murderous endeavours. (Marissa Burgess) The Caves, 556 5375, until 28 Aug (not 21 & 22), 3.35pm, £7 (£5). Paul Foot ●●●●● Like Frankie Howerd before him, procrastination and performance deconstruction filtered through a mesh of silliness are Foot’s stock in trade. Despite previous Fringe prowess, Still Life has him going through the motions. There’s childish ingenuity and some laughs but it all feels as tonsured and teased as Foot’s mullet. (Paul Dale) Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, until 28 Aug, 7.40pm, £6.50–£11 (£6–£10.50). Paul Sinha ●●●●● Despite the assertion that he’s tired of being asked about current affairs, Paul Sinha has plenty on his mind. He reckons he’ll never be part of the A-list and so delivers a perfectly-judged swipe at celebrities, politicians and Twitter twats. There is some brilliant material, here, and through an intelligent, considered set he presents his ‘social comment with knob gags’. (Murray Robertson) The Stand III & IV, 558 7272, until 28 Aug, 10.40pm, £9 (£8). Phil Nichol ●●●●● An hour in Nichol’s company seems to canter by in the wake of the comic’s own upbeat and vociferous performance. However, the material is constantly in danger of descending into vacuity, and although he peppers the silliness with droll quips, the nagging feeling remains that he is dumbing himself down to the detriment of a sharper imaginative side. (Rebecca Ross) The Stand V, 558 7272, until 28 Aug, 8.50pm, £10 (£9). Raymond Mearns ●●●●● Mearns’ stress management seminar, although somewhat faltering in places, is engaging and warmly delivered. His personal anecdotes guide us through a masterclass in the signs and solutions to stress. Go and see this Glaswegian banter for an hour and laugh your anxiety away. (Suzanne Neilson) The Stand III & IV, 556 7272, until 28 Aug, 8.15pm, £8 (£7). Rich Fulcher ●●●●● It’s an uncharacteristically laid-back, practically sedate show from the normally rambunctious Mighty Boosher, and anyone turning up to see him unleash a full-force storm might feel a little disappointed. That said, Fulcher’s still a class act even when spaced out, and gets excellent surreal mileage from his new revolution of tiny, futile acts of rebellion. (Kirstin Innes) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 28 Aug, 8.30pm, £11–£12 (£9–£11). Sarah Archer ●●●●● Scatty and slightly shambolic, Archer delivers old- fashioned stand-up that’s likeable, but missing a vital spark. Taking a look at turning 40, there’s the occasional insightful jagged barb and caustic glance at the human condition, but on the whole the jokes are a bit stale and punchlines too easy with a lot of fat needing to be trimmed. (Kirstyn Smith) Surgeons Hall, 0845 508 8515, until 20 Aug, 9.35pm; 22–27 Aug, 6.05pm, £7 (£5). Seann Walsh ●●●●● Observational livewire Walsh is a casual yet potent force for laughs when he riffs on the generic habits and quirks that characterise our day-to-day - from experiencing déjà vu to losing the remote control – and his idea for a late-night pissed-up TV chef is on the money. His fulminations on boozing and toilet paranoia, however, felt overcooked. (Nicola Meighan) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 28 Aug, 8.15pm, £10–£11 (£8.50–£9.50). Shane and Eddie ●●●●● This avant-garde performance possibly follows an obnoxious couple’s attempts to live like plebs. However, it’s difficult to be sure and impossible to care. It must be scripted because the duo have a great knack of not speaking over each other, though the overall effect is of being screamed at by other people’s children in a room descending into hell. Beyond redemption, this is a 50-minute nightmare. (Murray Robertson) The Store, 556 5375, until 28 Aug, 9.20pm, £7.50–£8.50. Shappi Khorsandi ●●●●● In a whirlwind look at human relationships, Khorsandi ponders the truth behind the mother/daughter bond, weaves fond tales of her brother in his pants and tells heady stories about the perils of dating a Haribo-addicted rock star. Although at times a bit disjointed, there’s an unexpected layer of macabre beneath the cute exterior, but ultimately, you’ll leave feeling heart-warmed. (Kirstyn Smith) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 28 Aug, 7.50pm, £13–£14 (£11.50–£12.50). Stephen Carlin ●●●●● Performing in front of a photofit of his own Yorkshire Ripperish face, Stephen ‘not obsessed with snooker’ Carlin’s Guilty Bystander is unsettlingly funny. Best when he’s being bitter – railing against cheating women or family Christmases – or riffing on the criminal confessions he elicits from the audience, Carlin can seem slightly awkward and sometimes lacks polish, but he isn’t without flashes of greatness. (Peggy Hughes) The Stand III & IV, 558 7272, until 28 Aug, 9.25pm, £8 (£7). Terry Alderton ●●●●● Taking many of the conventions of old-school stand-up – observational comedy, sound effects, impressions – Alderton gives them a surreal twist before cramming them all together. Some punchlines get lost in the chaos of songs, dancing and
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EDFRINGE.COM FOR MORE INFO vocal mimicry but others loop round returning after 20 minutes for even bigger laughs while some wonderfully twisted internal monologues give a running commentary on this hour of clever nonsense. (Henry Northmore) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 28 Aug, 9.20pm, £10.50–£12 (£9–£10.50). Thom Tuck ●●●●● There are two themes in Tuck’s show: straight to DVD Disney films and severely painful break- ups. The connection isn’t immediately apparent, but Tuck’s brave finale combines both strands with some genuinely dark humour, while simultaneously his stage manner veers away from bumbling uncle on the Christmas port, towards obsessive, soft toy-snuggling melancholic. Funny and heart-wrenching. (Jonny Ensall) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 29 Aug (not 21), 8.10pm, £9-£10 (£8-£9). The Three Englishmen ●●●●● In keeping with its title, Optimists is fun and cheerful, with some crackingly original ideas behind the pacy mix of wordplay, gentle pop culture ribbing, off- the-wall surrealism and well-executed musical comedy. The four (yup, four) play to their respective physical quirks (tall, small, pretty and vexed) for maximum laughs and no joke outstays its welcome in this straightforward but inspired hour of sketches. (Laura Ennor) The Caves, 556 5375, until 28 Aug, 4pm, £8–£9 (£7–£8). Tom Goodliffe ●●●●● Goodliffe rails, good-naturedly, against middle- class problems like not liking your job, not having a girlfriend and the annoying questions people ask him because of his name. Taking in his love of maths (with an insistent musical riff on the subject), a lovely rapport with the audience and a disarming personality cannot disguise an hour of considered but lightweight autobiographical material. (Suzanne Black) Cabaret Voltaire, 226 0000, until 29 Aug, 3.45pm, £5. Vikki Stone ●●●●● Effervescent musical comic Stone is desperate to be on TV. She’s been there before on embarrassing adverts and Blue Peter, but she craves the studio lights, if only to get close to her teenage crush Phillip Schofield. In a bruising encounter she emits zero chemistry with the drummer and guitarist who comprise backing band The Flashbacks, but offers an array of sonic odes to her cat Billy and ABBA. (Brian Donaldson) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 28 Aug, 11pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). Wil Hodgson ●●●●● Gone is the pink Mohawk of yesteryear, in is some sharp (albeit not of the razor kind) comedy from this year’s ‘Care Bear- loving skinhead’, as our affable host spraffs lyrical about life as he knows it, from his friends down the pub to tits, cider and a racist guitar legend. (Anna Millar) The Stand III & IV, 558 7272, until 28 Aug, 3.35pm, £8 (£7).