Festival Comedy
CHARLIE CHUCK A rare audience with original comedy nutjob ●●●●●
mixed up with the slightly less-tidily topiaried one from Neighbours). Des has booked himself a meeting with MSP Nicola Sturgeon in September, so he’ll be using each audience as a focus group, then giving her feedback on what rules need changing. Tonight’s crowd suggestions call for forced acceptance of Scottish bank notes under the border, and killing the 80s telly and advert-man, Dougie Donnelly.
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Clarke’s material about delayed trams, the pricey Scottish Parliament (yes, we are still talking about it) and the horrible Scottish weather feel a bit like the stand-up equivalent of reading The Evening News, ie heavy on the local gripes, low on any funny stuff. A surprise highlight arrived when
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someone in the audience announced that he was the boyfriend of Dougie Donnelly’s daughter, but Clarke somehow got no extra comedy ammo out of it. It’s a much less perky and enjoyable show than he’s brought in the past, and it seems some of the sparkle might have gone from his showbiz smile. (Claire Sawers) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 31 Aug, 6.20pm, £11.50–£12.50 (£10–£11). PIPPA EVANS Wicked musical comedy in every conceivable way ●●●●●
Did anyone else bury deep the memory of Charlie Chuck’s shambolic, barking contributions to the careers of Reeves and Mortimer? As the familiar hangdog horror drifts stage-wards, one is struck by the realisation that you’re all paying to spend an hour in the company of a shifty bus stop mentalist (brandishing an ominous length of wood) whom you would ordinarily go to great pains to avoid. Between Tourettes outbursts, Chuck wrestles free various garbled rants, equal parts unfettered wisdom, contrary comedy and bewildering dead-ended statements in a flawless performance. If there really is a perfectly well-adjusted comedy actor under the Hendrix bouffant and dishevelled tuxedo he certainly deserves wider acclaim.
The show is a two-hander and the narrative, at first apparently superfluous, soon reveals a necessary foil to the weathered northerner’s outpatient antics. Admittedly not to everyone’s taste and crashing in cack- handed at only two thirds its billed hour, it is all the more mystifying that there is still room for such a wealth of observation, heartbreak and raw fear packed into a show that still comes good with the laughs. (Mark Edmundson) ■ Royal College of Surgeons, 0845 508 8515, until 29 Aug, 5pm, £7–£8 (£6–£7).
DES CLARKE Showbiz shine disappears with tired material ●●●●● It’s a ‘semi-political’ show this year, announces Des Clarke (the neatly- eyebrowed one off the telly, not to be
28 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 20–27 Aug 2009
The ease with which Pippa Evans slips between her psychotic characters in this cabaret-style show is an instant reminder of why she was shortlisted for an if.comedy Best Newcomer award last year. However, there is an element of patchiness about her evening’s entertainment that undermines those impressive skills. Greeted at the door by a slightly unhinged Pleasance employee, the audience are given Bingo cards and pens – an inspired touch that fills up the occasionally over-long costume changes – before being greeted by host and ageing star Julie Mansize. Accompanied on keyboard by her son, Barry Manilow, she strikes up an instant rapport with the audience through her dated performance-style, an energy that’s recreated when Evans’ recurring creation Loretta Maine – whose sweet guitar melodies belie her certifiably crazy lyrics – steps on stage. These brilliant, bonkers moments are
weakened by the appearance of less well-developed characters, as well as the show’s abrupt ending. Yet Evans’ blend of dry asides and in-your-face dramatics is justifiably establishing her as a major Fringe attraction on only her second solo outing. (Yasmin Sulaiman) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 28 Aug, 6.20pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8–£9).
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DALISO CHAPONDA An unpreachy hour relating abuse and misery ●●●●●
It’s pretty routine for comedians from elsewhere in the world working on the UK circuit to crack jokes based on the differences between their culture and ours. The vast majority of those acts are from Australia and Canada and, let’s face it, the differences aren’t that marked. So when Daliso Chaponda moved first to Canada then Britain from his native Malawi, it was a canny move for an aspiring comedian. But An African Perspective: Westerners Calm Down! is not just a spot the difference between African ways and the West. Chaponda’s policy is not to get in a panic but instead see the funny side of the depressing aspects of life whether it be his family secret, the abuse he suffered as a child or the ex-girlfriend he clearly still cares for. The result isn’t some over-indulgent wallow in self-pity but a sharp, close to the bone 55 minutes that includes an incisive world view. There’s little point in worrying about a recession when it doesn’t warrant getting UNICEF involved and fretting about your weight when in Africa, rolls of belly fat are trophies to be proud of. His amiable style ensures it’s not preachy, instead uplifting, and above all, simply funny. (Marissa Burgess) ■ The Lot, 225 9922, until 31 Aug, 7pm, £5.