FESTIVAL COMEDY REVIEWS AT A GLANCE
Abandoman ●●●●● Hip hop meets jokes meets improv in this mad mash-up. Creating on-the-spot lyrical masterpieces can’t be easy and at first vocalist Rob doesn’t do much to assuage this suspicion, words tumbling haphazardly forth, leaving us unsure he’ll hit a rhyme until the last minute. But as we warm to his easy charm, the crowd-led musical story gains momentum and it’s not long before he’s spitting couplets with razor- sharp wit. (Kirstyn Smith) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 27 Aug (not 26), 9.45pm, £13–14 (£11.50–£13). Al Pitcher ●●●●● Most people are too busy to stop and appreciate life’s small absurdities, but not Pitcher. He spends his days taking photos of things that amuse him, then presents us with a slideshow of the results. It’s a performance style that sits well with the digital age and while none of what he says is very profound, it does feel good to share this usually solitary pleasure with a room full of people. (Niki Boyle) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 26 Aug, 8.15pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50– £9.50). Anne Edmonds ●●●●● For her Fringe debut, the Melbourne comedian tells the story of why and how she became a stand-up, with the aid of songs sung to the accompaniment of a banjo. The ribald tale of Edmonds’ journey isn’t particularly compelling, but her strength lies in some banter with the audience and she’s got a winning way of making a fool of herself through story, song and some super embarrassing dance moves. (Miles Fielder) Underbelly, Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 27 Aug, 12.10pm, £8–9 (£7–8). Barry Castagnola ●●●●● The premise here is that Castagnola, having found himself in a tricky situation, must rely on a host of acquaintances to entertain the audience while his own progress is viewable via onstage visuals. Where’s Barry? is expertly constructed and such is the cleverness of the writing there are numerous times when you realise that the plot has sucked you in and caught you out. (Jamie Cameron) Gilded Balloon at Third Door, 622 6552, until 26 Aug, 7pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). Binge Thinking ●●●●● Xavier Toby relates the tale of a dinner party with three old male friends held after he returned from travelling. In that time they’ve all got married and Toby is unimpressed with how they’ve changed and with their choices in wives. Throughout the party, Toby drops in many big topics but the material isn’t strong enough with the accompanying rhetoric whistle-stop and a little simplistic. (Marissa Burgess) C nova, 0845 260 1234, until 27 Aug, 6pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£7.50–£8.50). Blind Date Ruined My Life ●●●●● Most people remember Blind Date as harmless and bland yet eminently watchable. Yet it seemingly damaged Nick Taylor’s hopes for romance, as he and comedy partner Phil Bird share the details of his time on air. Clumsily jumping between clips from the show and gawky reconstructions, the acting is sloppy, some jokes are painfully unfunny and we’re left praying for more video snippets just to escape the gauche live scenes. (Andrew Latimer) Apex International Hotel, 243 3596, until 26 Aug (not 25), 5.05pm, £7.50 (£5.50). Bob and Jim ●●●●● Bob and Jim are truly big and daft. This year, they’re being hassled by a pair of curious lookalikes called Barry and Martin who, we are told, will attempt to gatecrash proceedings at some point. But not before our heroes have indulged in some silly party games, avoided smashing into invisible Ming vases and torn the utter hypocrisy of Jessie J’s ‘Price Tag’ to ribbons. The hour might be light on massive belly laughs, but the pair’s 116 THE LIST 23 Aug–20 Sep 2012
throughout. (Jamie Cameron) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 27 Aug, 7.20pm, £14–£15 (£12–£13). The Dog-Eared Collective ●●●●● If effort equalled quality than the D-EC would be on a bullet train to glory. Unfortunately, their series of lame sketches and damp routines nullify any lingering goodwill. The finest moment is arguably their own slightly bizarre take on the Olympics with a long skit not about Usain Bolt or Mo Farah or the opening/closing ceremony, but featuring Rhona Martin. Yes, Rhona Martin, the Scottish curler who claimed gold in 2002. (Brian Donaldson) Underbelly, Cowgate, 0844 545 8252, until 26 Aug, 3.50pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10). Elis James ●●●●● James apologetically warns that he’s changed style from long-form storytelling to observational comedy because he wants to buy a house. It’s a lie. From the hilarious opening story about the worst gig in his life, to being ‘song- raped’ by a chav on a train, his set is dressed head-to-toe in delightfully constructed anecdotes, all dripping with heady authenticity. (Murray Robertson) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 27 Aug, 7pm, £10–£12 (£8.50–£10.50). Erich McElroy ●●●●● An American with British citizenship, McElroy has a fascinating story which he tells with much warmth and plenty humour. Although one of the central themes to the story (Britain is a pretty pessimistic, sarcastic place) was very nearly ruined by the feelgood factor generated by the Olympics opening ceremony, he has enough material and opinions to prove to any Statesiders in the audience that he’s now less American, not Un-American. (Brian Donaldson) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 27 Aug, 4.45pm, £11– £12 (£9.50–£11). Four Screws Loose ●●●●● The sketch show foursome’s show opens with a flamboyant music-led introduction that, whilst prompting the obligatory audience clap-along, is old hat. The lukewarm start sets the scene for a largely dull hour with notable exceptions in the shape of an intelligently conceived musical rendition of Titanic and a well- executed spoof of modern-day boybands. (Jamie Cameron) Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 27 Aug, 3.20pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Fran Moulds ●●●●● Moulds is the latest in a series of female character comedians who have laid on a feast of creations high on detail but low on laughs. For every Laura Solon or Cariad Lloyd there are a dozen Kerry Gilberts or Ruth Bratts in their wake and the spirited Moulds unfortunately falls into that latter set. The tone is set from the off with her Welsh tour guide and a gag about safety instructions being translated into different languages running out of steam very quickly. (Brian Donaldson) Underbelly, Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 26 Aug, 2.50pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7–£8). Gavin Webster ●●●●● Flimsily tackling the messiah of commentary comedy, Bill Hicks, Webster delivers an initially scrambled routine about class divisions and hard labour. The Geordie stands on the shoulders of Hicks to amplify his own political voice, often running off on tangents inspired by the American’s original material, but Webster has only laid the groundwork for something more substantial and inventive. (Andrew Latimer) The Stand II, 558 7272, until 26 Aug, 5.50pm, £8 (£7). Gravity Boots ●●●●● In the Gravity Boots universe, you can perform as many sketches as you like, so long as they are delivered in an ear-shredding, high-pitched squeal. It doesn’t help that despite the troupe being made up of many members, two male actors (let’s hesitate to call them comedians) take the ‘glory’ in every sketch whether they
SHIRLEY AND SHIRLEY
Sketch shows can often be pretty hit and miss so if you’re looking for an hour of sketchy fun in the company of a sassy female double act you could do a lot worse than taking a punt on Shirley and Shirley. Among the wise-cracking close-to-the-knuckle material there’s an inspired mime played along to Lana Del Rey’s ‘Video Games’. ■ Underbelly Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 27 Aug, 4.10pm, £10- £11 (£9-£10).
charming buffoonery is difficult to resist. (Brian Donaldson) Underbelly, Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 27 Aug, 12.20pm, £8–9 (£7–8). Bob Downe ●●●●● From the minute he pirouettes onto stage all 70s gear, mega-watt grin and fake blonde hair, it’s clear that Aussie’s ‘clown prince of polyester’ is having a ball. Smokin’ is a questionable title for a show that relies more on face-pulling, prancing and popular tunes than it does any sort of inspired comedy material. Jokes about the Olympics, the trams and his penis reduction seem shoehorned in, but Downe is a consummate, energetic performer. (Anna Millar) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 26 Aug (not 23), 8pm, £12.50–£14 (£10.50–£12.50). Bristol Revunions ●●●●● The Bristol lot have come up with a pretty ingenious avenue into their sketches this year, as members of the scout-like Junior Maritime Rangers need to get their comedy badge and so have to write and stage a series of routines. The crew is blessed with some excellent performances as they imagine an encounter in the smallest elevator at the House of Commons and create a pervy spin on the Heimlich manoeuvre. There’s even a welcome reference to internet doggy sensation, Fenton. (Brian Donaldson) The Caves, 556 5375, until 26 Aug, 2pm, £7.50–£8.50 (£6.50–£7.50). Carl Hutchinson ●●●●● At a mere 25 years, it might be far too soon for Hutchinson to be a grumpy old man, but he gives those fractious gents a run for their moaning money with his debut hour. Things that can ‘fuck off’ include tapas and dubstep and he is seriously down on search engines. He does get a little too Stewart Lee when taking apart the facile pop star annual/’memoir’ (replacing Asher D with One Direction) but overall this is a pleasingly moody start. (Brian Donaldson) The Caves, 556 5375, until 26 Aug, 6.20pm, £6–£7.50 (£5–£6.50). Dana Alexander ●●●●● Zipping through topics as though a law was about to be passed banning their public airing, Alexander’s hour fairly flies by. Except, it doesn’t: the Canadian is only on stage for 45 minutes tops, and leaves not looking best pleased. Her finest story is about a battle she has on Facebook with her grandmother, but she doesn’t use it to build a coherent theme and any impetus quickly fades. Breaking Through is a disjointed, limp affair. (Brian Donaldson) Underbelly, Bristo Square, 0844 545 8252, until 27 Aug, 10.35pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). Danielle Ward ●●●●● One of the two shows Ward is performing on alternate nights is billed as Speakeasy. After pouring cocktails to the soundtrack of vintage jazz, she launches into a routine about various dull jobs she had before becoming a comedian. The autobiographical material is mediocre, and the show works better when she launches into a spirited attack on the government, making the political routine her own by sexualising it in a neat subversion of masculine stand-up comedy. (Miles Fielder) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 27 Aug, 8.20pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50). David O’Doherty ●●●●● With Seize the David O’Doherty, the popular Irishman fuses a dry and subtle wit, self- depreciating humour and a randomist style, regaling the audience with tales of life, love and Cosmopolitan. The show is undoubtedly well-written, giving the audience a glance into the quirky life of an established comedian but there is a deficiency of top-grade content