Rating Guide
None = Unmissable
= Unwatchable
Impro
Premiers Crew: & Who's in it Anyway?
Drams
Venue Gilded Balloon Studio (Venue 36)
Address Gilded Balloon at Tailors Hall, Cowgate
Reviewer Nicola Osborne
Take a couple of comedians you know very well (Fringe veteran and imposing
but lovely bear of a man, Steve Frost and probably the wonderful and
charming Neil Mullarkey), add a few more that you know slightly less
well (Simon Bligh, Boothby Graffoe, Paul Rogen, and whoever has been
conned into joining in that night). Throw in a mixture of exotic audience
suggestions, shake liberally and serve…. Mmm… yummy!
This vaguely Who's Line is it Anyway? style improv show, in the intimate
setting of Gilded's Balloon's Studio, is an excellent way to catch a
handful of the festival's best performers in their natural (very) unscripted
state and it also allows plenty of opportunity to see them work round
your own suggestions. Whilst this means the show is always going to
be a bit hit and miss - especially as the line up of guests changes
continually and each has a very different brand of humour - it's difficult
to explain just how thrilling it is to see your own ideas instantly
developed and warped into something absurdly funny by this highly talented
gang. If you love improve or any of the acts involved (ring the Gilded
Balloon for details of who'll be on board that night) then it's definitely
worth toddling along.
The material is never the same, the comedy is frequently joyously weird
and incredibly inspired and in both of the shows I saw, the audience
left very happy… Perhaps this is both down to the quality of the show
and the fact that it was omitted from the official programme so many
of the tickets are going for the bargain price of nothing! Word of mouth
should ensure that doesn't continue much longer but even at the under-a-tenner
admission price it's great value.
Running until 28th (except 13th, 20th & 27th), at 20:00
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The
Japanese Beatles
Drams None - Top entertainment
Venue The Queens Hall (Venue 72)
Address Clerk Street
Reviewer Carol Francis
Before the show, you speculate as to how long the novelty value might
last, and before you know it find yourself grinning to the inevitable;
'So pree-ee-ee-eeze…Ruv me doo...'. As tribute bands go, they're probably
the most talented and entertaining I've ever seen, dodgy accents aside
- but then that's part of the reason you go anyway. On they bound, and
the wildly enthusiastic (& diverse) audience needs little excuse to
get up and jiggle their bits. They get exactly what they paid for as
the band adhere shrewdly to the boppy early rock 'n' roll - brought
care of Vox and Fender amps, cool garb and yes, Japanese accents.
Fortunately it's a very comfortable piss-take by invitation as they
take delight in introducing on drums….."Wingo!!!", and amiably ride
out the ensuing hysteria. 'Wingo' obligingly sings 'Yellow Submarine'
(yep, there's a plethora of cheap gags in there too), and later on they
introduce 'Elic Clapton' who lends a few guitar power chords but no
Slowhand acrobatics. All too soon, the jangly guitars and teeny-weeny
bass are abandoned, and Wingo and his pals disappear, steaming off to
deserved, tumultuous applause. But do they look just like the Fab Four???
Don't be so bloody stupid.
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Jeff
Innocent
Drams None - unmissable
Venue The Pleasance (Venue 33)
Address 60 The Pleasance Above
Reviewer Andrew MacNeil
The title "Undisputed Stand Up " seemingly comes from boxing parlance.
This is fitting for the web of "super-cockney" magic woven by Innocent.
He is superb at pinpointing the bathos in the working class culture.
At a Butlins, "brought into the 1970's" the status works up from bare
chalet to caravan owning class complete with barbed wire spotlights
and dogs. This is one of the tangents spuriously based on his penal
life and genes. We travel to Leith, Glasgow and London and how in his
manner Canning Town is twinned with the Galapagos Islands-both evolved
separately. We investigate the astral highway from Canning to Essex
and the eugenic dangers from breeding West Ham and Millwall citizens,
all the fault of the Jubilee Line. He scores to the comic midriff with
comment on The Krays' Catalogue, the Ethiopian Restaurant. A final crescendo
is reached with further evolutions of Cockney guile through the ages.
This is illegal rib-hurting stuff! For all this acute and quality material
this is more to come from this man. Encourage him, as he said, "it's
my big chance."
Runs until 28th August
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Lee
Mack's New Bits
Drams
Venue The Pleasance (Venue 33)
Address 60 The Pleasance
Reviewer Ray Anderson
Lee Mack and his co-stars Catherine Tate and Dan Antopolski take to
the stage with this rapid sketch show. Amusing video sequences play
between live sketches, allowing the actors and set to change, keeping
the audience's interest and helping the performance to flow smoothly.
Most of the show is character-based and as a result it is a little lacking
in originality. However, what they do, they do very well. There are
some good, original characters, such as the TV addict who regurgitates
his favourite comedian's acts to his partner's eternal annoyance. Others,
however, such as the old man who can't remember famous personalities'
names and can only manage, "Ooh, whassisname?" became a little tedious
and seemed to only get laughs in response to his wife's swearing. The
show seems to be designed in a format to allow an easy transfer to television
and would not seem out of place in a late night slot on one of the networks.
However, if it actually were on the TV I would occasionally be tempted
to flick to see what was on the other side.
Don't get me wrong, it's by no means a bad show. In fact, I really enjoyed
it but if you like your comedy of the high-brow variety (if there is
such a thing) then look elsewhere.
Runs till 28th....20:30.
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Sean
Lock
Drams None
Venue Scotsman Assembly
Address George Street
Reviewer Ray Anderson
From the moment he walks on stage Sean Lock shoots off a volley of quick-fire
gags. From lamenting the loss of his fringe and his barely noticeable
replacement (his hand) to recalling his rites of passage on his journey
from boy to wan… erm, man, complete with two years of armpit farts.
This is true stand-up comedy. No props, no special effects, just Lock
alone on stage, letting us glimpse his very individual perspective on
life. He strolls and leaps around stage and has the audience virtually
rolling on the floor. His pained expressions are the perfect punctuation
to his stories, especially when telling us of his shame spiral, when
he remembers something embarrassing and involuntarily gurns, subsequently
causing more embarrassment. It left me with equally sore cheeks from
laughing so much. They still ache twelve hours later.
Lock doesn't worry too much about smooth links from one joke to the
next, and to be honest, neither did I. It was much preferable to a drawn
out explanation of why he is moving from one story to another. He just
gets on with the show and we're grateful for it. After all, we are there
to laugh and Sean Lock is just the man to make us.
Runs till 28th.
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MacHomer
Drams
(very Good)
Venue Assembly Rooms (Venue 3)
Address 54 George Street
Reviewer Carol Francis
As pitches
go, this one's a stoater. One-man show starring Canadian comic Rick
Miller, who re-enacts MacBeth by impersonating the Simpsons cast, also
using hundreds of hand-painted slides, a close-up camera, puppetry and
Probably the Best Sound Engineer in the World. The effort he has plunged
into this is monumental & mercifully pays dividends. Not only are his
vocal acrobatics uncannily perfect, meticulous attention to detail has
been paid to the script and the beautifully, horribly, accurate characterizations
clinch the show.
If you like The Simpsons for the quick-fire satire and rapid laugh turnover
element however, there is the vague possibility that you might be disappointed;
ultimately, MacHomer is distinctly cleverer than it is funny. Without
trying to sound purist or exclusive - it will particularly appeal to
the more *discerning* Simpsons fans...which is not to say it's for devotees
only. It's just not belly laugh after belly laugh; there are periods
when you can drift as the dialogue becomes, unfortunately, unintelligible
- but there are enough moments to make it worthwhile.
I mean, anyone who can incorporate the line "He really put the whoa!
In Banquo!" into a Shakespeare production deserves a big thumbs up.
Runs until 28th.
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The
Mrs Hoover Show
Drams
Venue Southside (Venue 82)
Address Nicolson Street
Reviewer Andrew MacNeil
Go to this landlady's show. It is humane and engaging to an extent that
is perhaps lacking elsewhere. I went to this to swim against the tide.
Both to investigate-and confound the obvious path to the flashy comic
youth. One biscuit on the High Street later I was ensconsed, photographed
and co-playing the kazoo with associated Japanese, American and Dutch
audience members.
Tea was served along with the real etiquette, and quality, of English
and British food, weather, language (South of the Border, naturally)
and home decor. In quite a profound way this is an elegy for the high
fat society that ravaged, sorry, created an Empire and still treats
its old like pariahs. But that is not the whole story. People count
and this show welcomes you and entertains you wholeheartedly. This "lady"
deserves a big tea-party audience-go along and make him one!
Finished on 13th, so you've missed it!!
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Nicholas
Parsons Happy Hour
Drams
Venue Pleasance (Venue 33)
Address 60 The Pleasance
Reviewer Carol Francis
Cult
status isn't necessarily enough to carry a student's choice celeb through
an entire hour of chat show if your guests are about as hilarious as
cystitis, although in this particular episode Nicholas Parsons battled
valiantly and scraped by to save his bacon. The concept creaks along
a traditional format of chat, jokes and guests - who also serve as commercial
breaks
There's a different selection for each show, and as they're all Fringe
performers, this is a great mutual opportunity for a free plug and cheap
padding. Current regular sell-outs Priorité à Gauche were first up;
sharp, amusing and original. The Four Horsemen did themselves no favours
by being wincingly unfunny with what one supposed were their two best
sketches, and the final offering, the spacey Julian Fox, trying very
hard to look like he wasn't trying at all, went down like a pork chop
at a synagogue. This is where Mr Parsons came into his own, by grasping
that the audience were not latching on to Julian's 'unique brand of
humour' and thenceforth mercilessly ripped the urine out of him, to
much delight.
Between sketches and diversions, Parsons blows dust off a few old gags
in his quaintly genteel fashion, curiously begs Scots nationality and
is tastefully 'Old School'. The success of Happy Hour will depend quite
heavily upon the guests - as you don't know who'll be on you're taking
pot luck with each show - although I believe that Nicholas Parsons will
be able to deal quite capably with whatever obstacles confront him.
Runs till 28th 17:40.
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Puppetry of the Penis
Drams
Venue The Pleasance (Venue 33)
Address 60 The Pleasance
Reviewer Carol Francis
The
title doesn't really leave much to the imagination, really. Simon Morley
and David Friend bring their self-coined 'genital origami' to the Pleasance
having stormed their native Australia with this assortment of spectacular
dick tricks and eye-watering (and almost literally ball-busting. boom
boom) routines. Despite the fact you are watching two naked men treat
their genitalia like anaesthetised play-doh, the show miraculously avoids
being lewd and offensive - yet predictably a bit on the saucy side.
I could even take my Mum to come and see it - and wouldn't have to worry
about her being short-sighted as all the action is filmed close-up and
relayed to big screen!
This is not a show for those upset by nudity or the overly squeamish;
despite reassurances that none of the contortions are painful, there
were a few audible 'ooyahs'. If you're after something original, refreshing
and extremely funny, and of course, a wee bit naughty, you truly won't
be disappointed. Simon and David are highly endearing (though I wouldn't
have been quite so quick to shake their hands as the one member of the
audience who volunteered to participate later on), and it's rated as
a 'non-sexual' show; this won't make sense until you actually go & see
it for yourselves - so do it!
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