The Edinburgh festival 2004 -- Reviews -- Comedy -- (A) -- 5 out of 45

(A) 5 out of 45

Rating Guide
None = Unmissable

= Unwatchable
Page number refers to the Fringe programme

(A)dult (B)oarding (C)entre. (Page 15).
Drams

.
Venue Pod Deco (Venue 75).
Address 7 Clerk St.
Reviewer Thelma Good.

It's notoriously difficult to get adults who need to learn basic literacy and numeracy skills to learn, Sandals In The Bin suggest a solution. Incarcerate the learners, if they can't get away they'll learn that's the teachers, Freaky Alice, Rainbowy Bronwen and the Boss woman's idea. We meet them as well as some of their students, all played by the same three comic actors.

They work hard, too hard to make the script work. But despite not leaving Pod audiences prostrate with laughter I wouldn't be averse to seeming a TV pilot made out of this idea with a larger mix sex cast of actors. But I have a real fear that some reality TV team will grab the concept and make it "My Live-in Learning Hell".
© Thelma Good 25 August 2004 - Published on EdinburghGuide.com
Runs to 29 August at 16:30.
Company Sandals In The Bin.

Afterhours. (Page 15).

Drams None needed.
Venue Pleasance Dome (Venue 23).
Address 1 Bristo Square.
Reviewer Anna Kay.

Take four high quality comedians, all with their own shows on the Fringe and all great mates with each other, add copious amounts of alcohol and stick them on a stage. The result? Afterhours.

The show was compered by the brilliant Ed Byrne, who I cannot fault, and first up was the wonderful Reginald D. Hunter. He has a great chatty style, leaving you to think he could do material on just about anything. The vulnerability to which he describes being in love also gives a wonderful depth to his comedy and only makes you laugh all the more.

Next up, in a great contrast, was Milton Jones. His more traditional style of one-liners with little linking is not always something I am a fan of but, although there are a couple of groaners, his surrealness pulls this off fantastically. Lastly, the manic Jason Byrne. This man seems to be happy all time! Audience interaction makes his an almost entirely improvised set which couldn’t be better if he had planned it.

Line-up changes nightly. It’s worth noting this show lasts a good hour longer than the advertised 1½ hours, but is more than worth it.
© Anna Kay 8 August 2004 - Published on EdinburghGuide.com
Runs 12 to 29 August (not 16 or 17) at 22:20.
Company Pleasance Theatre Festival with AmusedMooseComedy.

Aisle of Life / Aisle of Dogs. (Page 15).
Drams

.
Venue Café Royal Fringe Theatre (Venue 15).
Address 17 West Register Street.
Reviewer Bill Dunlop .

One Handed Women unfortunately had but a handful of audience on the nights this reviewer saw these shows in reverse order, owing to arrangements elsewhere, in Charlotte Square Gardens. The three performers who make up this company make creative use of the audience’s till receipts to provoke some thoughts on whether we are what we eat, are what we buy (or if we imagine our shopping trolleys make some sort of statement about us, then maybe we really have fallen off our trolleys). In character or out, Georgie the gorgeous, Jew, much-married Marilyn and ever-munching Judith would possibly regard such searching for profundity as po-faced pomposity, for this is very much a show with a light touch, but with some serious questions, the deepest wisely kept to last.

Aisle of Dogs involves some fairly laid-back audience participation, (which this reviewer was relieved to be lightly let off) but the few good jokes it contains can’t disguise a sense of haste, which its more well ‘run in’ predecessor doesn’t have. It’s rather more of a mongrel, lacking both the gentle wit and shrewd observation of Aisle of Lifeand its smooth assurance. However, both are the type of show that require an audience in ‘relaxed’ mode to be enjoyed to the full, and it can only be hoped that in the crowded traffic that’s the Fringe, Marilyn, Judith and Georgie find the audiences, if not the men of their dreams.

Note : Regular visitors to this website will be aware that drams work in reverse order to other systems of recommendation. An extra dram may be advisable for this show, to block any resistance to audience participation.
© Bill Dunlop 17th August 2004 - Published on EdinburghGuide.com
Runs: August 15-30 time; 19.00-21.00.
Company: One Handed Women.

Arthur Smith's Nocturnal Guide to Edinburgh. (Not in Fringe programme).
Drams None - Arthur's Magic powered us all!
Venue The Royal Mile
Reviewer Neil Ingram.

Arthur Smith's Tours of Edinburgh are the stuff of legends. Though not included in the Fringe programme, word of mouth and rumour attracted about 150 people to the foot of the Esplanade at 2 in the morning to witness the return of Arthur, guide extraordinary and survivor (just) of many past Fringes.

We then witnessed, and sometimes took part in a succession of curious events, some pre-arranged, and many simply spontaneous. The security guard at the Esplanade has in past years been offered a special tobacco mix to smoke, but this year his treat was a kiss from a lady in a purple rubber dress - not illegal, but certainly stimulating. There was a Scotsman on a green pantomime hors. He came too soon and had to re-enter on his mount a few minutes later, after a member of the audience eagerly took off all of his clothes. Then Arthur revealed his own undergarments, a superb black leotard with eyes, a nose and mouth with red tipped cigarette, he looked a treat.

The swelling crowd were guided down the street, with strange and eclectic tales about an Alternative Edinburgh, and odd encounters till we arrived at St Giles to listen to a Bob Dylan song from Ronnie Golden. Arthur produced a colouring book depicting an area where I would never think of putting a crayon, and we met Heinrich, a veteran of Arthur's previous tours, who claimed to be working under cover for the Edinburgh Police. And when we finally reached one of those world dominating coffee chains' branches at the Tron Church, we tried to make it disappear by glaring at it severely - sadly this didn't work. After more excitements, we disbanded at 3 a.m. - a fitting end to another Festival.
© Neil Ingram 29 August 2004 - Published on EdinburghGuide.com
Runs most years at 2 am on the last Sunday of the Fringe.

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(A) 5 out of 45


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