FESTIVAL COMEDY LIST.CO.UK/FESTIVAL
E D I N B U R G H F E S T I V A L F R I N G E 3 – 2 7 A u g
TOP 5
MAGIC SHOWS Sleight of hand and scary tricks are the chosen paths for these Fringe acts
PETE FIRMAN Middlesbrough’s number one magic man and author of Tricks to Freak Out Your Friends, Firman will be a Hoodwinker this August. Expect an hour of highly impressive/potentially quease- inducing illusions. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 4–26 Aug, 9.10pm, £12–£15 (£10.50– £13.50). Previews until 3 Aug, £6.
PETER ANTONIOU Fancy a spot of afternoon mind-reading? Antoniou drives his Psychic Circus into your heads, the show dubbed a ‘Vaudeville 2.0 Sideshow for the Facebook generation’. Apex International Hotel, 243 3596, 4-29 Aug (not 18, 25), 3.35pm, £8 (£6). Previews 2 & 3 Aug, £5. CHRIS DUGDALE He’s blown away Richard Branson, Angelina Jolie and that bloke from UB40 with his close-up magic antics and, via 2 Faced Deception, you can join that hi-falutin’ club. Assembly George Square, 623 3030, 4-27 Aug, 6.10pm, £11–£12 (£9.50- £10.50). Previews until 3 Aug, £6.
ALAN HUDSON He’s got pigeon poo all over him in his publicity shot. Does this mean the joke is on him or you should drop all your preconceptions about what modern conjury is? Slide into his Not So Secret World of Magic to i nd out. The Caves, 556 5375, 4-26 Aug (not 14), 4.55pm, £7–£19 (£5-£7). Previews 2 & 3 Aug, £4.
MORGAN & WEST In Clockwork Miracles, the dynamic duo allow you access to their Victorian parlour to see how it’s all done. And if you can’t get enough of M&W’s afternoon schtick, they’re also doing Lying, Cheating Scoundrels, a midnight run of card-table scammery. Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 5–27 Aug (not 14), 4.30pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50- £9.50). Previews until 4 Aug, £6. (Brian Donaldson)
2–9 Aug 2012 THE LIST 25
✽ HITLIST ALAN DAVIES One of several very welcome returns this year, as the boyish stand-up dips into his troubled past for laughs before a national tour beckons. See interview at list.co.uk/festival. ■ EICC, 0844 847 1639, 9–14 Aug, 7.40pm, £20 (£18).
Return of the Lumberjacks Canada’s trio of funsters (messrs Wool, Campbell and Francis) gang up on us for 90 minutes of hilarity. See Q&A, page 34. Assembly Rooms, 0844 693 3008, 3–26 Aug (not 13, 20), 8.10pm, £15 (£12). Preview 2 Aug, £14 (£11). Billy the Mime Controversy a-go- go here as Steven Banks shows that you don’t need to shout to make your point made. Or even speak at all. See feature at list.co.uk/festival. The Caves, 556 5375, 5–23 Aug (not 14, 17–19), 6.15pm, £6–£8. Previews 2–4 Aug, £4.
Magnus Betnér Sweden’s hottest comic delights us once more with his personal and political work. See feature, page 15. Assembly Rooms, 0844 693 3008, 3–26 Aug (not 13, 16), 8.45pm, £10 (£9). Preview 2 Aug, 9.30pm, £9 (£8).
The Beta Males If quicki re narrative fun is your comedy bag, this quartet is a must- see. For 2012, they’re delving into outer space. See preview, page 44. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 4–27 Aug (not 14), 5.45pm, £10–£11 (£8–£9). Previews until 3 Aug, £5.
Sarah Kendall She came, she saw, she conquered, Dr Brown The largely silent comic is still one
she went away and had a baby and she came back again. See preview, page 45. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 4–27 Aug (not 13), 8.30pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10). Previews until 3 Aug, £5. to shout from the rooftops about. See feature at list. co.uk/festival. Underbelly, Cowgate, 0844 545 8252, 4–26 Aug (not 13, 20), 9.05pm, £10.50–£11.50 (£9.50–£10.50). Previews 2 & 3 Aug, £6.
Jim Jefferies If you want a room divided in two, this is your go-to comic. And JJ wouldn’t want it any other way. See interview, page 27. Assembly Hall, 623 3030, 4–26 Aug (not 13), 9pm, £16–£17.50 (£15–£16). Previews 2 & 3 Aug, £10.