10pm— Late FESTIVAL
Dave Johns: Hod case COMEDY PREVIEW Dave Johns — On The Edge
Dave Johns needs no introduction - he's used to doing it himself. The Geordie ex-brrcklayer is Britain’s top compere, havrng warmed up and welcomed on thousands of comics over the past seven years.
Starting his own club — the Comedy Cafe — in Newcastle in 1990, Johns put on early shows by Frank Skinner, Jack Dee and Harry Hill. Now he is stepping into the spotlight wrth his first full-
; length show — On The Edge — which
i promises to be DaCy, inventive and
: partially improvrsed. SUbJCCI matter
includes Van Gogh falling out with his
mates after stealing his yellow paint.
; ’lt’s amazing to think that the weird i shit in my head makes people laugh,’
he chuckles. The big question is who '.‘/lII be
introducing Dave in Edinburgh7 The answer is typical of his affable style —
’l'll probably get the audience to
f introduce themselves to me lwant rt
to be like a bunch of mates having a laugh.’ (Peter Ross)
I Dave Johns ~ On The Edge (Fringe) Gilded Balloon (Venue 38) 53—30 Aug (not 73, 28) 70. 75pm, f6 50 (£5.50) Preview show, 8 Aug, 70 75, f3 50
COMEDY PREVlEW Cluub Zarathustra —
. Attention Scum
Cluub Zarathustra is a tricky g:g to
1 describe in Jrust one snappy, media-
I friendly so'rindbite. ’lt's a gentle show,
really,’ says Simon lulunnery, the show's host and erstw'v‘iile Urban Warrior, Alan Parker 'A few songs, couple of dance
numbers. . . a real family event.’
Yeah, right. Munnery plays a character called The League Against Tedium — who counts ’Women' and 'The Sea’ among hrs fiercest enemies - and arms to completely restructure the face of British comedy as we know it — through shouting, if need be.
As co-star Kevin Eldon describes it, the futurist komedy kabaret is ’not so much a way of life — more some people showrng off’. The eight-strong cast, including Stewart Lee, manages to do that in style. It’s the kind of show that only Edinburgh can do ]USI|Ce — an accomplished mind-meld of original thinking and polished characterisation. ’And if you could also mention the fact that it’s a good, funny show,’ says lvlunnery. Deal. (Danny Wallace)
I Cluub Zarathustra — Attention Scum (Fringe) C luub Zarathustra, The P/easanc‘e (Venue 33) 556 6550, until 30 Aug (not 72, 20) 70.05pm,
£8. 50/[3 (:7. 50/57),
THEATRE PREVIEW z The Bloody Chamber
; When it comes to sex, subtlety is far j more exciting, according to The Bloody _ Chamber director Ben Harrison. ’I don’t
believe in nudity in the theatre, it tends to be unnecessary.’ MUSlC to Morra Knox's ears considering the graphic
nature of his SUbJE’CI matter — an ' adaptation of Angela Carter's feminist
treatment of the Bluebeard myth The production follows the C0unt's fOurth
; bride, as she Journeys to his castle. Far
from silk sheets and sweet nothings, a
brutal sexual power play ensues. Set in the Mary King's Close
i catacombs, Grld iron could hardly have wished for a better venue, though Harrison !S at pains to state that this is
no cheap trick to pull in to'urists wrth a glammed-up ghost tour He does believe, however, that it’s time for renewed intereSI in Angela Carter. ’The characters are attractive but we are also repulsed with ourselves for finding
them so.‘ Not surprising really, wrth a
spoilt bitch and a serial killer to choose
from (Claire Prentice) I The Bloody Chamber (Fringe) Grid
Iron Theatre Company, The Haunted
7 Vaui’ts' (Venue 67) 226 5l38, 77 .30 7 Aug (not Suns) 70 45pm, [9 ([5).
“revie'vt' shows, 7 ~9Aug, 70.45pm, £5
The Bloody Chamber: Vaults on both side
101 Great Moments: on the belly
COMEDY INSIDER ,-,_.,, Vladimir McTavish In 101 Great Moments In Scottish Spar-PE?
Vladimir McTavish alias Bob 'The Gob’ Doolally expostulates on money 1 and its evil influence on sport. August is an exciting time for people involved in football with all the papers full dij pre-season transfer speculation. It’s no surprise that players go off the rails these days. Like the boy Gascoigne and the boy Di Canio. When I was a player in the , 605 there was no media. Just television, newspapers and radio. But no media. 1',“
The trouble these days is that money has ruined football. And not just football .? but golf, rugby and the lottery. And boxing. The time was when boxers were ~ 4,? content to fight for the purse. They weren’t bothered about the money. a g' -1
There’s been a lot of fuss about the boy Tyson biting the boy Holyfield's ear offgj-lf ‘1 he had knocked the other lad unconscious or given him permanent brain damage-.3, or killed him, he would have won the fight. But he bites a man’s ear off and he’s disqualified. That has to go down as a bad decision by the referee. When I was young, we were always told that a boxer had to be hungry. ,
Then there’s tennis. That wee lass Martina Hingis is sixteen and a millionaire. Shea.” could buy Albion Rovers but she’s too clever for that. (Bob ’The Gob' Doolally) I Vladimir McTavish In 707 Great Moments In Scottish Sport (Fringe) Vladimir " McTavish, Gilded Balloon (Venue 38) 226 2757, 8—30 Aug (not 72, 28) 70.30pm, ‘ £6.50 (£5.50).
COMEDY PREVlEW ; Terry Titter's Full Length
CABARET PREVIEW Mika
Mika must've been the kind of guy the That old myth of each and every other kids at school hated. One of I Scouser, bar none, being the funniest those natural-born types who excelled people ever to walk the planet died in everything. His current CV is filled I long ago, thanks mainly to Tom wrth stints at the National School of I O'Connor, Stan Boardman, Craig Ballet, world class aerobics, opera I Charles and Derek Hatton Now, Singing and a role in The Piano. though, one man is aiming to Single- To mark his Fringe debut, the New handedly put Merseysiders back on the Zealander mixes and matches his mirth-making map. Terry Titter is talents to produce a high energy launching his first assault on Fringe cabaret which high-kicks from Burt audiences wrth a show which he Bacharach to the rough and tumble of promises Will be chocka wrth ’songs, the haka, a bit of Kiri Te Kanawa and a puppets and obscene phone calls to rendition of the Stingray theme, all small chrldren.’ glammed up to the nines. Titter’s creator is Terry Kilkelly — he Kitsch and a little camp, for sure, but also transforms himself into Terry’s he claims not to be New Zealand’s sister, the curiously-moustached Renee, answer to Priscrlla. ‘It's more like a a cross between Hilda Ogden and Bette Midler revue or a combination of Melinda Messenger — whose act has Tom Jones and Prince on speed,’ he been described variously as ’a cocaine- chuckles. Not something you want to fuelled Arthur Askey,’ 'a postmodern contemplate, really. (Claire Prentice) Ken Dodd,’ and from the lips of Harry I Mika (Fringe) Assembly Rooms Hill — ’the funniest new comedian I’ve (Venue 3) 226 2428, 65-30 Aug, seen in years.’ Judge for yourself by 77.50pm, f9/f8 (£8/f7). getting out for the Titters .jBrian Donaldson)
* if * *fTAR £33: I Terry Titter’s Full Length (Fringe) * 1” * Very 00d Neptune Theatre Liverpool, Gilded a I’ * wort seeing Balloon (Venue 38) 226 2 75 1, 8—30 in Below average Aug (not 72, 26) 77.45pm, £6 (£5). * You've been warned See Free/oaders page 29
8—14 Aug i997 rueusras