list.co.uk/festival
Read longer versions of these reviews at list.co.uk/festival Adam Strauss ●●●●● Strauss offers up a monologue about his struggles with OCD and the attempts to overcome it with therapy, medication and psychotropic drugs. With a note-perfect rendition of an erudite and affecting script, the result is a mesmerising hour, but while it succeeds as a piece of confessional storytelling about some very real issues – and realistic solutions – don’t expect anything akin to belly laughs. (Suzanne Black) Underbelly, Cowgate, 0844 545 8252, until 25 Aug, 3.50pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Ahir Shah ●●●●● Stuck in a packed little attic, the freshly-graduated comedian starts off with a series of witty comments on the location and his initial struggles at finding out what to do with his life. But it’s clear he should not worry about his future for too long, as he is made for stand-up: his pace is fast yet clear, he confidently engages in cerebral humour and assiduously stays connected with the audience. (Robin Ford-Coron) Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 667 7533, until 25 Aug, 4.15pm, free. The Coin-Operated Girl ●●●●● Since Belle De Jour’s revelations about the sex industry, stories of escorts have piqued the interest of both sexes and all the information you’d ever need is here. Miranda Kane is a thoroughly engaging raconteur and exuberant host. Though now apparently retired, her warmth, enthusiasm and open-minded attitude towards her subject is such that you can see why she was so popular with the punters. (Marissa Burgess) Dram House Upstairs, 226 0000, until 24 Aug, 2.15pm, free. Colin Hoult ●●●●● Hoult regresses back to his childhood self in order to take us all on a highly amusing, action- packed adventure through the town of Snottingham, accessed through his old bedroom wall. He paints quite the vivid picture of his journey, frequently coming up against – and often running away from – an array of the fictional town’s rather strange inhabitants (all played by himself) on his quest to find the Characthorse. (Katy Spry) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 26 Aug, 6pm, £8–£10.50 (£7–£9.50). Eric and Little Ern ●●●●● Jonty Stephens and Ian Ashpitel perfectly imitate the legendary pair in this fitting tribute to the double act who last worked together almost 30 years ago. The humour borrows and encapsulates the duo’s wisecracks and their famous trademarks are recreated: Eric clambers into bed with Ernie; Ern attempts to write his plays or sing a song as Eric tries to distract him; and Eric tries to prove Ernie’s hair is a wig. Lovely stuff. (Marissa Burgess) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 26 Aug, 3.15pm, £11.50–£12.50 (£10.50–£11.50). Faux Latino Show Pony ●●●●● Given that he ate a block of Red Leicester every day for a month while part of Fringe duo the Sunday Defensive, it’s not wholly unexpected that Jacob Edwards’ solo hour would be something of an oddity. His series of deliberately bad stand-ups are wilfully irritating and repetitive but there is an addictive and joyful quality about this delirious character hour that just about wins the day. (Brian Donaldson) Assembly Hall, 623 3030, until 26 Aug, 7.45pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). Foil Arms and Hog ●●●●● This sketch trio have made a decent name for themselves in Ireland. It’s easy to see why, as their knockabout comedy is an hour of solid entertainment with a decent laugh ratio, even if it’s also safe and old-fashioned. There are some great ideas at play but if there were more shorter sketches it would mean an overall tighter show. (Henry Northmore) Underbelly, Cowgate, 0844 545 8252, until 25 Aug, 10pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). Gamarjobat ●●●●● It doesn’t feel like the Fringe if you haven’t seen these Edinburgh regulars and Mohawk-sporting Japanese clowns. And it matters not how old you are and be warned, regardless of
Reviews at a Glance | FESTIVAL COMEDY
Henson Alternative’s Puppet Up! Uncensored
age, you’ll be strongly encouraged to join in the fun. That said some of the more inquiring of children’s minds may have a few questions for mum and dad afterwards; as with all the best shows for kids it’s got the right level of cheek. (Marissa Burgess) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 26 Aug, 4.30pm, £12–£13 (£11). Gavin Crawford ●●●●● This Canadian character comedian presents a disparate and unexpected show with impressions, music and monologue. Taking his inspiration from all sorts of areas, there’s the macho auto-repair man with an incongruous liking for lipstick, a preening Rufus Wainwright, an uncanny Snape of Harry Potter fame and Cole Porter had he been young in 2013. (Marissa Burgess) Space @ Surgeons Hall, 510 2384, until 24 Aug, 9.20pm, £9 (£7.50). Gravity Boots ●●●●● With a new show directed by Paul Foot, Gravity Boots put paid to all those acts that falsely market themselves as ‘surreal’ when they are anything but. Hailing from Down Under, James Lloyd-Smith and Michael Cleggett display an acute understanding of the mechanisms of absurdity as they parade through a series of rather unusual situations, treading a fine line between doing the totally unexpected and becoming wholly unintelligible. (Suzanne Black) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 26 Aug, 5.15pm, £8–£9 (£7–£8). Henson Alternative’s Puppet Up! Uncensored ●●●●● The Jim Henson Company step away from their Muppets legacy to create something a little more adult-orientated. Chaired by Brian Henson (son of Jim), the company revel in semi- controlled anarchy and improvisation with strings attached. Audience suggestions and participation are a frequent feature, with one crowd member invited onstage for a crash course in puppeteering before being given the reins, to predictable, but naturally funny consequences. (Kirstyn Smith) Assembly Hall, 623 3030, until 26 Aug, 9pm, £20–£25 (£16–£20); 24 & 25 Aug, 10.30am, £16 (£10). Ian Smith ●●●●● Ostensibly a series of recollections from his life, Smith covers the everyday ephemera of horsing around with flatmates, being asked to give a talk at his former school and buying cream for his anus. With an over-reliance on call-backs, the refusal to quit when a joke isn’t working and the inclusion of an ancient Glenn Hoddle reference, Smith tantalisingly gets it right in places only to misjudge it in others. (Suzanne Black) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 25 Aug, 5.45pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Jessica Fostekew ●●●●● Domesticity and the travails of settling down are the topics of Fostekew’s show. She takes us through meeting and moving in with her hoarder boyfriend, and their attempts to keep up with the Joneses. Mixed in with this are stories about previous flatmates, personal realisations and the odd digression into geekdom. As she moves towards an ending that wraps up the previous threads, the pay-off is somewhat diminished by being not wholly unexpected. (Suzanne Black) Cabaret Voltaire, 226 0000, until 24 Aug, 5.05pm, free. Katie Mulgrew ●●●●● Dads, we are told, are simply not funny. But what if you had one of the most recognisable comedy personalities on British TV during the 70s and 80s as a father? While the hour feels a little light, Mulgrew amiably and movingly chats about her jester dad (Jimmy Cricket) as well as her obsessions with everyone from Jay-Z to Michael Buerk. (Brian Donaldson) The Stand III & IV, 558 7272, until 25 Aug, 1.10pm, £7 (£6). Lucy Frederick ●●●●● Frederick really wants to be Miranda Hart. Although she never admits this over her sporadically amusing hour, it infuses everything about her performance. Although she presents herself as flappy and affable, there are moments when a more interesting dark side threatens to take over, but this creeping madness never really erupts. That’s a shame, as without that frisson Frederick’s meandering tales float off into the ether. (Murray Robertson) Laughing Horse @ The Free Sisters, 622 6801, until 25 Aug, 2pm, free. Luke & Harry ●●●●● Titled Journey to Sex Colony 01, Luke Davies and Harry Carr’s show is a vaguely creepy sci-fi
odyssey. It’s as far removed from stand-up as you can get, and the entire show is an immersive experience. Most of the audience will only sway, chant and dance but others will be pulled out for special treatment: it’s consistently outlandish but never mean-spirited. Baffling but really kind of wonderful. (Henry Northmore) Just the Tonic at The Caves, 556 5375, until 24 Aug, 6.40pm, £10 (£8). Marcus Brigstocke ●●●●● He may have badly damaged his leg during an energetic performance early on in his run, but experienced campaigner Brigstocke throws himself fully into his hour here. After some dreary regional accent work, his non-political anecdotes from his earlier life are a winner, as is the closing recreation of one of Brigstocke’s past jobs which led him to needing his crutches in the first place. (Brian Donaldson) Assembly Hall, 623 3030, until 25 Aug, 9.10pm, £13–£14 (£12–£13). Mat Ricardo ●●●●● It’s hard not to fault a magic act (in this case, a juggler) if they get everything right, and given that Ricardo fluffs a couple of moves, this is reflected in the star rating. Some of his antics are jawdropping, and he teases us along the way with the anticipation of some dark and dangerous deeds. There’s a nice choice of soundtrack (Tom Waits, Johnny Cash) to accompany the more riveting work, too. (Brian Donaldson) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 25 Aug, 6.50pm, £9–£9.50 (£8–£8.50). Robin (A One-Man Comedy) ●●●●● For the last few years, Adam Drake has been playing around with a revolving cast of various characters and scenarios and innovative structuring which is brought together here for a strong impact. His fully committed performance and the sheer absurdity of some of the skits wring a few laughs but it feels as if he’s reaping too little reward for so much effort. (Suzanne Black) Just the Tonic at The Caves, 556 5375, until 25 Aug, 4pm, £7–£8. Sam Fletcher ●●●●● Making the leap from the Free Fringe, ‘Fletch’ brings us another slice of his loveable lo-fi comedy, merging a bit of technology with some pencil drawing. He struggles with a moody crowd, but the finale in which he attempts to speed his way through a project he needs to finish to save his ‘job’ is a funny highlight. (Brian Donaldson) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 26 Aug, 4.45pm, £7.50–£10 (£6.50–£9). Silky ●●●●● Silky has made a reputation for himself by singing gently disturbing songs and this is the lure for his 2013 show. It’s a trap. What Silky is really peddling is honest, heartfelt, slickly-delivered, irresistible and, yes, occasionally disturbing stand-up. Ostensibly about his reluctance to grow up, Silky welcomes us into his life and takes us through a roster of his friends and the way he met his current girlfriend, with whom he is sickeningly happy. (Suzanne Black) The Stand II, 558 7272, until 25 Aug, 2.30pm, £8 (£7). Simon Munnery ●●●●● Gleefully playing with the conventions of sketch comedy, Munnery’s latest show mixes lo-fi animated cut-outs with his own disembodied talking head. The set-up is a complex affair and it takes Munnery some time to explain it all, although he does so while maintaining a lively rapport with his audience. Even when things inevitably mess up, the results are still wonderful. (Murray Robertson) The Stand, 558 7272, until 26 Aug, 3.40pm, £10 (£9). Tim FitzHigham ●●●●● You’d be forgiven for thinking that FitzHigham is a bit bonkers having rowed the English Channel in a bath tub, and run 40 miles in searing heat while wearing a suit of armour. This year, he focuses on not just one madcap scheme, but a literal series of them for a television show, Superhuman Challenge. Although he manages to steer clear of mawkish sentimentalism, the discovery of his own unlikely superpower is a fitting finale to this incredible journey. (Kirstyn Smith) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 26 Aug, 7.30pm, £9.50– £12.50 (£8.50–£11). 22 Aug–19 Sep 2013 THE LIST 109