F E S T I VA L C O M E DY | Top Tips

T O P T I P S | W E E K 1

LAURA DAVIS: BETTER DEAD

ALUN COCHRANE: BRAVE NEW JENA FRIEDMAN:

THAN A COWARD ALUN

MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE

Heroes @ Bob’s BlundaBus, 1–25 Aug, 9.10pm, £5. Dark, bold and razor sharp, Australian comedian Laura Davis is critically acclaimed as one of the most unique comedic voices around.

DEMI LARDNER: DITCH WITCH 800 Gilded Balloon Teviot, 3–26 Aug (not 12), 9.15pm, £10.50–£11.50 (£9.50– £10.50). Previews 31 Jul–2 Aug, £6. Once upon a time, in a faraway swamp, there lived an ogre named Demi Lardner whose precious solitude was suddenly shattered by an invasion of annoying fairy-tale characters. Welcome to her show . . .

Pleasance Courtyard, 3–25 Aug (not 12), 9.20pm, £10–£14. Previews 31 Jul–2 Aug, £6. No more Mr Nice Person! Cochrane intends to drop truth bombs about vegetables, gender, religion and washing machines. Assembly George Square, 2–25 Aug (not 12), 9.20pm, £12–£13 (£11–£12). Previews 31 Jul & 1 Aug, £7. As America slips into fascism, Friedman celebrates free speech while she still has it.

JACK TUCKER: COMEDY STAND- JORDAN BROOKES: I’VE GOT

UP HOUR NOTHING

Underbelly Cowgate, 3–25 Aug (not 14), 9.20pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10). Previews 1 & 2 Aug, £6.50. Following sell-out shows in New York, London and LA, award-winning comedian Zach Zucker returns with a new hour of absurdist stand-up.

Pleasance Courtyard, 3–25 Aug (not 13), 9.30pm, £9–£11 (£8–£10). Previews 31 Jul–2 Aug, £7. The Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee presents another unpredictable hour of high-energy humour.

MOON: WE CANNOT GET OUT Pleasance Courtyard, 3–25 Aug (not 12), 9.30pm, £8.50–£10.50 (£7.50–£9.50). Previews 31 Jul–2 Aug, £6. Two provincial louts perform grotty comedy sketches in an immersive comedy-horror experience.

SIMON BRODKIN: 100% SIMON BRODKIN

Pleasance Courtyard, 3–24 Aug (not 12), 9.30pm, £12 (£11). Previews 31 Jul–2 Aug, £8. The Lee Nelson performer and prankster whose targets have included Theresa May, Sepp Blatter, Donald Trump, and Kanye West presents an hour of comedy as himself.

ALICE SNEDDEN: ABSOLUTE MONSTER

Pleasance Courtyard, 3–25 Aug (not 14), 9.45pm, £8–£10 (£7–£9). Previews 31 Jul–2 Aug, £7. New Zealand’s Alice Snedden returns to Edinburgh with her brand new show.

10PM

F I V E Fictional Idiots

P H O T O :

K A R L A G O W L E T T

MICHAEL LEGGE

5. NAVIN R JOHNSON Steve Martin’s character in The Jerk is probably the greatest movie idiot of all time. Not only is he very, very funny, he’s also incredibly sweet. And that’s how I like my idiots. The joy he gets from seeing his name in the phone book is hilarious and adorable.

4. IGNATIUS J REILLY A Confederacy of Dunces is probably my favourite novel. It tells the story of a complete idiot who is such a massive twat that he actually thinks he’s a genius. You couldn’t bear him in real life but the writing is so beautiful in the book, you end up quite liking the big dickhead.

3. PHIL ELLIS Phil is a great stand-up who in no way sticks to any traditional stand-up rules. He’s at the Fringe this year doing his last show. Go see him tell hilarious tales of his pathetic, decaying life. Of course, the real tragedy of this particular idiot is that he’s not fictional.

JAYNE EDWARDS IS TOP 2. RICK

BODYBUILDER BRIAN Heroes @ Dragonfly, 1–25 Aug (not 15), 10pm, £5. Top Bodybuilder Brian demonstrates that shadow boxing outside Paddy Power can be a lifestyle choice. From the mind of comedian Jayne Edwards.

ALFIE BROWN: IMAGINATION Monkey Barrel, 2–25 Aug, 10.30pm, £7–£10. Preview 1 Aug, £6. Brand new hour from master Brown about family, friendship and inherited belief.

ZACH ZIMMERMAN: CLEAN COMEDY

Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, 3–26 Aug (not 19), 10.45pm, £9.50– £10.50 (£8.50–£9.50). Previews 31 Jul–2 Aug, £6. Newcomer Zimmerman skewers his traumatic Southern Baptist childhood and equally painful gay NYC adulthood.

My favourite comedy character of all time. The Young Ones changed my life and Rick is still the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. An anarchist poet riding on the last freedom moped out of nowhere city, and he hasn’t even told his parents what time he’ll be back.

1. IGGY POP Odd choice as Iggy Pop is neither fictional nor an idiot. But he made an album called The Idiot and, at 72, he still runs around half-naked on stage singing punk songs. That man has lived our dream-life and he’s still living it. He is literally the symbol of freedom the world needs right now. I’ll tell you who the number one idiot is: us.

The Stand, 2–26 Aug (not 12), noon, £12 (£10). Preview 1 Aug, £6.

SOFIE HAGEN Former Best Newcomer Award winner and prolific podcaster, Denmark’s Sofie Hagen brings us another helping of thoughtful sensitive stand-up. The Bumswing arose from a discussion with her therapist and revolves around memory, chickens, strawberries, sex holidays and a swing that once had a naked bum on it. Which, you can probably work out for yourself, has provided her with this show title. Pleasance Dome, 3–25 Aug (not 12), 7pm, £10–£14 (£9–£13). Previews 31 Jul–2 Aug, £6.

78 THE LIST FESTIVAL 31 Jul–7 Aug 2019