FESTIVAL COMEDY REVIEWS
TAYLOR GLENN Playing mind games with her crowd ●●●●●
There can’t be too many Fringe comedy shows that drop in phrases such as ‘cognitive behaviour’, ‘Gestalt theory’ or ‘psychodynamic therapy’. But not many Fringe comedians have worked for eight years as a therapist. American Taylor Glenn ended a career listening to strangers for the rigours of talking to roomfuls of people she doesn’t know, but has taken to it with some flair. After a pleasing enough beginning in which she gets straight on the crowd’s side by putting down her homeland with a delightful analogy or two, she teases us by stating that she’ll reveal the big secret of a famous client. Audience locked in, she offers insights on what goes on in ‘the room’ while dis- cussing the roots of her own neuroses. So who is the celebrity she speaks of? You’ll have to book an appointment to find out. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 26 Aug, 11.30pm, £8–£9 (£7–£8).
SARAH KENDALL Anticipated comeback show is a damp squib ●●●●●
When Sarah Kendall became the first woman in what felt like an entire generation to receive a solo Perrier nomination in 2004, her future glory seemed assured. But after one further Fringe stand-up show, a theatrical piece about a college initiation and an appearance in an all-female, few-laughs E4 sketch show, Beehive, she virtually disappeared off the comedy map. Early on in this Edinburgh comeback show, the reason for her absence becomes clearer: she is now a mother, upsetting the air travellers of the world with her restless daughter. This entry into the realm of parenthood isn’t the sole topic of Get Up, Stand Up, but a jumping-off point to reflect on society’s innate misogyny. Whether it’s via the R&B videos she spies on MTV Base or from the chatty ‘banter’ she encounters when trying to buy fruit, the world seems full of men viewing women simply as sexual beings rather than actual people. Though fellow females are also prone to a spot of patriarchy-pushing given that she receives a ‘gift’ of pole dancing lessons.
All of which makes for a solid foundation of conscience-fuelled comedy, but she opts for overly- long point-making exercises that lose their edge quickly. Meanwhile, her analysis of ‘The Ugly Duckling’ and her attempts to rewrite the tale as a more suitable bedtime story for her child is lum- bering; for an uproarious finale, it’s a totally damp squib.
At the very beginning of her show, Kendall notes the proliferation of hype at the Fringe with every poster proclaiming the disproportionate number of geniuses in town. It almost acts as a warning that we shouldn’t be expecting too much from Kendall. For her fans, we’ll just have to accept her as being a fine comic now rather than a great one. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 27 Aug, 8.30pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).
LIGHTS! CAMERA! IMPROVISE! Giving improv a good name ●●●●●
Banish all preconceived notions of improv being cringey or stilted, as there are no such qualms when it comes to the Scat Pack troupe. The premise is to create an entire film from scratch, directed by a chirpy host (Oscar, naturally) who pauses, fast-for- wards and rewinds the action to throw guidelines at the performers or enhance particularly funny scenes.
The audience make good with their suggestion of a gangster flick set on a cider farm in Somerset, entitled Keep Your Hands Off My Apples. And the performers are routinely excellent, making it difficult to comprehend there’s no script involved. The cast bound over the lecture tables and the audiences’ heads, (‘glorious 3D!’ roars Oscar) and produce moments of lunacy, leaving the audience in stitches. These guys are disgustingly talented, absurdly crea- tive and absolutely recommended. (Kirstyn Smith) ■ Underbelly, Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 27 Aug, 4.50pm, £10–£11 (£8–£9).
NINA CONTI Pic’n’Mix show leaves audience with too much choice ●●●●●
Midway through Dolly Mixtures, Nina Conti’s granny puppet states the obvious: ‘These puppets bring out different parts of your personality,’ tying together what Conti has been doing for the past half an hour. Debuting four new characters, she dips in and out of various aspects of her psyche, whether it’s a preco- cious, depressive young girl representing the shreds of her childhood wonderment, or the old man who encapsulates her fear of senility and death.
While there is no denying Conti’s vast talent for voices, this show feels as though it hasn’t quite found its feet. Too much is packed in, including an impressive but pointless piece of Derren Brown-style mind-reading. The finale is a cute piece of poignan- cy, but more focus on the puppets would leave the crowd’s hunger suitably sated. (Kirstyn Smith) ■ Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 27 Aug, 8.30pm, £13–£14 (£11.50–£12.50).
108 THE LIST 23 Aug–20 Sep 2012