FESTIVAL COMEDY | Reviews
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PUDDLES PITY PARTY: LET’S GO! An unexpected musical and visual delight with the saddest of clowns ●●●●●
Returning after 2015’s triumphant debut, Puddles continues with another concoction of rock covers and gently anarchic humour. For an hour, he invites the audience into a world of his own making, with mime and 80s power ballads as the building blocks. Dressed in the classic clown garb of pantaloons and white face, he proceeds through a series of beautifully sung tunes and skits that involve kind, if not always gentle, audience participation.
The effect would not be as great if Puddles did not have such a good singing voice. He lends his pipes to numbers by Queen, Tina Turner, Electric Light Orchestra and the more contemporary Twenty One Pilots with a sense of sincerity rather than mockery. He even manages to wring both pathos and humour from a Coldplay track. In this he’s aided greatly by his use of slides and VT, and the audience’s differing reaction – depending on whether they are watching the screen or the clown himself – lends a nice dynamic to the room.
The sad clown is an archetype with a long tradition, from the Commedia dell’Arte’s Pierrot to those creepy paintings decaying in charity shops and on to the old joke which Alan Moore reiterates in Watchmen – to paraphrase: man tells doctor he is sad; doctor advises he see the great clown Pagliacci; man says ‘but I am Pagliacci’. Though Puddles presents himself on the surface as the clown who, ironically, can’t make himself laugh, the role he plays is more nuanced. Rather than simply trying to cheer up the audience or conversely remind them of the world’s despair, he invites them to join him in his misery and empathise, often finding celebratory moments along the way. The warm and fuzzy feelings of community he engenders make his Pity Party an unexpected delight. (Suzanne Black) ■ Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 29 Aug (not 15, 22), 7.25pm, £14–£16 (£13–£15).
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MICHELLE WOLF: SO BRAVE Strong political satire diluted by weaker personal material ●●●●● PETER WHITE: STRAIGHT WHITE MALE Provocative commentary on privilege ●●●●●
Given that she’s worked for The Daily Show in its Trevor Noah era, it’s no surprise that Michelle Wolf can find her way through to an incisive political gag. And in her Fringe hour, So Brave, this is where her finest material lies, delivering equal wrath on the doorsteps of both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
Though her best moments here are reserved for figures slightly on the peripheries: she has excellent musings on what kind of a First Man (?) Bill Clinton would be (she would love to see him conduct an official tour of the White House given his salacious history with the place) and on Ben Carson, that long-forgotten Republican candidate who occasionally made Trump seem sane-ish. And she has a very nice line on IS and the guy in charge of flag design.
Less successful are her personal anecdotes about dating and a text exchange she saved to use in the show. Wolf opens with the phrase, ‘it’s a great time to be alive’. Judging by the horrors we see reported in the media every day, you realise that she’s probably just glad to be walking the planet in such a ripe old time for satirists. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 28 Aug (not 15), 9.30pm, £11–£13 (£9–£11).
50 THE LIST FESTIVAL 11–18 Aug 2016
As he points out from the top, Peter White’s choice of title doesn’t mean it’s going to be some kind of anti-feminist, ‘why don’t we get special treatment?’ rant. In fact it’s quite the opposite. Back in his native north America, White already has a notable reputation for his stand-up and it’s easy to see why. The Canadian comedian’s laid-back hour is a measured consideration of what it means to be a white man in this day and age, recognising its privilege while also acknowledging that he isn’t what would traditionally be considered an alpha male himself.
Within the show he proffers a common sense
feminism that Caitlin Moran would be proud of as he empathetically and metaphorically puts himself in a woman’s shoes. He then moves on to challenge the small town in Canada where he grew up with its narrow demographic and perspective on life. Closing the show with the story of his emotionally
abusive ex-girlfriend reminds us how the supposedly privileged white male isn’t excluded from being a victim too. This is a thoughtful offering that should only enhance his reputation. (Marissa Burgess) ■ Just the Tonic at the Mash House, 226 0000, until 28 Aug (not 15), 6.20pm, £8.50–£10 (£6.50–£8) or Pay What Yout Want.
PHIL JERROD: HYPOCRITE Boisterous return for this professional liar ●●●●●
Phil Jerrod claims that Hypocrite is his second debut hour at Edinburgh Fringe, as he takes another cheeky bash at the Best Newcomer award. He opens with a recap of last’s year’s Neanderthal and, promisingly, there are some return customers in the audience. The previous performance required him to work up a rage about a job he’d since left and he warns that there are lies in this show as well, as you can’t have a Fringe comedy set without a hook. The start is a little fragmented and bizarrely it’s after his microphone gives out that Jerrod finds his footing with his big personality shining through. Joining the audience in the seating, he creates an intimate workshop vibe where people are literally laughing into his face. He doesn’t really need the mic anyway with his booming voice and tremendous beard reminiscent of Brian Blessed, a similarity he quickly points out. Jerrod is an upbeat comic, cheerfully discussing his life in Brighton, his experience of university and his unusually named fish. He has a talent for comic imagery and fantastic anecdotes with a mistimed rap and an act of hooliganism at the zoo drawing copious laughter. A boisterous performer and definitely one to watch. (Rowena McIntosh) ■ Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 28 Aug (not 15), 6pm, £7.50–£10 (£6.50–£9).