F E S T I VA L C O M E DY | Reviews at a Glance R E V I E W S AT A G L A N C E
P H O T O
I : J K S A W
Jake Lambert
GRANT BUSE: TOUCHE BUSE ●●●●● Inspired by Tim Minchin’s satirical brand of musical comedy, Busé packs in the charm and self-deprecation in this hour-long ode to when things go wrong in life. From being unlucky in love to confessing his professional woes, the wild-haired and animated comedian overshares a great deal with the audience, all with the intention of accentuating his all-important mantra; ‘it’s the blows that make the shows’. (Arusa Qureshi) Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, until 26 Aug (not 14), 10pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10). HARRIET BRAINE: LES ADMIRABLES ●●●●● Previously combining stories about famous artists with unexpected popular songs, for this year Braine turns her attention to science, specifically some of the unsung (ha!) female inventors and practitioners from history. Her voice is stunning and her songwriting skills impressive, with the hour nicely constructed and easy on the ear. (Suzanne Black) Gilded Balloon at Old Tolbooth Market, until 25 Aug, 6pm, £6 in advance or donations at the venue.
HELEN BAUER: LITTLE MISS BABY ANGEL FACE ●●●●● Bauer’s hour is so supremely confident that it’s hard to believe this is her first full-length Fringe show. There’s no filler to be found and she’s in total command of the room throughout a high-energy performance. The subject matter is light and goes down 58 THE LIST FESTIVAL 14–26 Aug 2019
easy as she struggles to take life seriously and finds it difficult to have important conversations. (Craig Angus) Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug (not 14), 6pm, £8–£10 (£7–£9).
IT TAKES THREE TO TANGO ●●●●● It might take three to tango but it would require a fair few more contributors to knock this into shape. Lottie, Amaya and Will have energy to burn, but these Footlighters have set themselves a near-impossible task of writing a show about a three-way relationship that needs to fix itself before they go into auditions for a new TV show. (Brian Donaldson) Underbelly Bristo Square, until 25 Aug, 2pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9).
JACK GLEADOW: MR SATURDAY NIGHT ●●●●● The first 20 minutes of Gleadow’s show is a carefully choreographed shambles of video, song and dance featuring sustained banter with the audience and Barry, his hapless tech who keeps screwing things up. In this zany tribute to the TV giants who ruled 70s and 80s Saturday night family entertainment, the momentum dips in the final third, though he does manage to slip in a great gag about Tinder before the end. (Tom Bruce-Gardyne) Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug, 5.45pm, £8–£10 (£7–£9).
JAKE LAMBERT: NEVER MAK THE SAME MISTAK TWICE ●●●●● With his wide grin and
confident manner, Lambert delivers an hour of perfectly fine Fringe comedy with glimpses of the mainstream stand-up powerhouse he might one day become. The show is essentially about the pitfalls of domestic life now that’s he’s shacked up with his girlfriend. By the end, we’ve arrived at call-back central, before which he has failed at small talk, poked at vegans, and revealed his dreams of a cowboy lifestyle. (Brian Donaldson) Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug, 8.15pm, £7.50–£10 (£6.50–£9).
JAMES MCNICHOLAS: THE BOXER ●●●●● McNicholas’ offering is a moving blend of stand-up and storytelling, though it doesn’t quite land all its punches. He begins in character as Terry, a bolshy lad from Paddington who moves to the US and becomes a boxing world champion. It’s a touching hour (and a personal revelation later in the show is particularly emotional) and with some refining of structure and dialogue, The Boxer could really ram its emotional message home. (Yasmin Sulaiman) Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug (not 14), 4.15pm, £8–£10 (£7–£9). JAY LAFFERTY: JAMMY ●●●●● Working out where everyone is from and the salient details of a few individuals’ lives seems like typical crowd-warming banter but is instead one of the building blocks of this show about luck. Her carefully constructed elements come together into a convivial look at the forces of fortune as it pertains to pregnancy and child- rearing. Lafferty’s warm demeanour vies with her Glaswegian cynicism to great effect. (Suzanne Black) Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 26 Aug (not 19), 6.30pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).
JOHN HASTINGS: 10 JOHN HASTINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU ●●●●● After hitting rock bottom in his personal life this year, what Hastings lacks in positive life experiences, he’s gained in quality stand-up material. From having to borrow money from his parents to being separated from his partner due to visa issues, Hasting mines such disasters in return for some schadenfreude-induced belly laughs. (Katharine Gemmell) Monkey Barrel, until 25 Aug, 9.30pm, £5 in advance or donations at the venue.
JOHN PENDAL: MONSTER ●●●●● Pendal serves up a highly emotional and chucklesome hour, exploring the power that guilt and shame can have over someone’s life. His show is formulaic, yes, but when you understand that it’s just part of his autistic traits, it makes sense. It could be easy to overlook Pendal’s gentle
and wholesome storytelling as a tad comedy-lite, but beneath the niceties is a message of radical self-acceptance and evolution. (Katharine Gemmell) Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 26 Aug (not 16, 23), 7.45pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).
JOHN ROBINS: HOT SHAME ●●●●● Opening with a superb gag which instantly cements his candid credentials for the evening, Robins goes on to explain how he’s woke, sensitive and emotionally engaged. And so, when an innocuous Instagram post of his holiday to New York is challenged for its lack of diversity, he’s naturally incensed by the accusation. Throughout, he periodically walks stage left to his ‘Book of Shame’ from which he recounts embarrassing moments from his life; and these brief asides are unwaveringly hilarious. (Murray Robertson) Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug, 7.30pm, £14–£15 (£13–£14). JON LONG: PLANET-KILLING MACHINE ●●●●● Have you ever had to explain to a group of old ladies what a dildo is? Well, Long has and in this musical comedy show, he delves into his bank of silly millennial anecdotes through the medium of a jovial sing-song. Sassy and self- deprecating but with an unexpected edge, his set isn’t completely cohesive but it’s genuinely delightful and hints at a bright future. (Katharine Gemmell) Underbelly Bristo Square, until 26 Aug, 9.30pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).
JONNY PELHAM: OFF LIMITS ●●●●● Pelham has previously mined his back story to talk about disability and dealing with parents who are therapists. This year brings a frank discussion of how childhood abuse has affected his adult life, from his relationships to daydreaming too much. Self-deprecating and prone to poking fun at himself he’s given himself a very difficult job with this show, which may have a saving grace in helping similarly affected members of the audience. (Suzanne Black) Just the Tonic at The Caves, until 25 Aug, 3.20pm, £5–£7.50 in advance or donations at the venue. JORDAN BROOKES: I’VE GOT NOTHING ●●●●● There’s no such thing as a conventional Jordan Brookes show, nor is there any such thing as a passive audience member. There’s a danger of giving too much away but just be assured that this is another exhilarating Brookes show. The theme is the imminent end of the world through a show of beautiful physicality, probing intelligence and unexpected laughter. (Marissa Burgess) Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug, 9.30pm, £9–£11 (£8–£10).