festival

COMEDY REVIEW

Kevin Hayes: Beyond The Pope

at fir *

Part stand-up, part double history, Kevin Hayes: Beyond The Pope sets itself the unenviable task of shoehorning 2000 years of Irish history into one slight comedy hour - a feat, let it be noted, he achieves with flair and no great lack of poise. Calling on nothing more than a laminated map, obligitary Guinness and a plastic novelty Viking hat, Hayes cuffs his targets with impunity. He sweeps through everything from the Catholic Church to King Billy's status as a gay Dutch papist. Not one for the Old Firm fans, mind: then again, what better inducement could you possibly require? (Barry Mcpherson)

I Kevin Hayes: Beyond The Pope (Fringe) Kevin Hayes, The Stand (Venue 5) until 29 Aug, 7.40pm, £5 (£4).

COMEDY REVIEW Fit to Burst **~k

It's a familiar comedy line-up. There's the little bloke, the large bloke, the lanky bloke, the weedy bloke and the bloke who does all the songs. Most of the gags don't sound remotely amusing on paper (sperm boogying along to the Superman theme, anyone?) so it's largely thanks to the sheer energetic mugging of the performing quintet that this assortment of three-minute sketches kept the audience weeping with laughter for a solid hour. Highlights among the unabashed silliness were vultures debating whether to devour the remains of their dead friend, and a ventriloquist’s dummy in revolt. I guess you had to be there. (Allan Radcliffe) I Fit to Burst (Fringe) Fit to Burst, Rocket Venue @ Theatre Arts Centre (Venue 76) 667 6666, until 27 Aug, 6pm, £5 (£4).

THEATRE REVIEW East . ****

In his 25th anniversary production, Berkoff’s blank verse monologues are bellowed and belched by his family of stunningly conceived cockney characters. However, the actions, brilliantly stylised into condensed routines of daily life, speak surprisingly louder than his Shakespearean swearing. Berkoff's deliberate detachment of the audience from his character’s lives, and his insistence upon artificiality (with Mum wonderfully played by a man), renders the experience fascinating and hilarious, but uneasily cold. Full of more gritty electricity than any EastEnders shock tactic, this new production remains puzzling, complex and in many ways a privilege.

(Judith Ho)

I East (Fringe) Steven Berkoff’s East, Pleasance (Venue 33) 556 6550, until 30 Aug (not 24) 7.30pm, £9. 50—£9 (£8).

6—8pm

COMEDY REVIEW Best of Irish Comedy **

Rule number one in the Irish comedian’s manual instructs that you must always be seen drinking a pint of Guinness on stage lest anyone doubt the authenticity of your lrishness. Rule of thumb number whatever; anything being sold to you as ’Best Of’ from K-Tel to comedy should be approached with caution. Comperes Brendan Burke and Martin Bigpig at least guarantee you get something of quality. But as for the rest it's a mixed bag of joke tellers peddling largely second-hand wares. In theory, three comedians for the price of one is good value. In theory that is. (Ross Holloway) I Best of Irish Comedy (Fringe) The Stand (Venue 5) 558 7272, until Aug 29, 6pm, £5 (£4).

THEATRE REVIEW The Green Man i:

Why? That’s the question that one must ask of this one-man show, with nothing to speak of to hold the audience's attention. Though the performance is competent, the script is appalling. Supposedly locating some basic primal instinct in its audience, the language and imagery are all about the importance of the natural beast within us, while the narration takes us through the four seasons with plodding predictability, adding an epilogue more foreseeable than the seasons themselves. ’Perhaps my brains are in my bollocks', remarks the eponymous mythic creature of nature during the Summer section. Perhaps. (Steve Cramer)

I The Green Man (Fringe) Green Man Productions, Greyfriars Kirk House (Venue 28) 225 3626, until 30 Aug (not 23) 7.40pm, £5 (£4).

COMEDY REVIEW Hudson And Pepperdine ***

One way of instantly shattering any illusions to being just another traditional comedy duo is for one of them to show us her arse. And that she does. As strange as it may sound this was one of the more simple, but well-rounded parts of this sketch-based show, which has definitely more hits than misses. They are only let down by their need to sing and their occasional descent into Young Ones style antics. Their characters, although a tad familiar, are their biggest asset - foul-mouthed, upper-class ladies and philisophical teenagers are, after all, still very funny. (Mark Robertson)

I Hudson And Pepperdine (Fringe) Pleasance (Venue 33) 556 6550, until 30 Aug (not 23) 6. 40pm, £8. 50/£ 7.50 7. 50/£6.50).

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STAR RATINGS ***** Umnmmhlt‘ *tirt' Very good fit

V‘.’()I‘.II wtw‘q ** Below average * YOII'VO I)(‘(“‘. wmr‘mi

Rooms, FOLK, BLUES

~ it’s all here! ~

THE WIDESI RANGE 01? MUSIC SPREAD ACROSS THREE MAJOR FRINGE VENUES

The BECK'S FAMOUS

SPIEGELTENT

beside Scott Monument, Princes Street Venue 87 Box office (OIBH-SSO 8010,

Aug 19 - 21 The POOZIES 19.30 £8.00 (£6.00) Aug 22 - 23 ERIC BOGLE (mill .lnlm .Ilunm. llre'm \lrllw‘I l9z30 £8.00 (£6.00)

Aug 24 - 28 TAM WHITE CELTIC

GROOVE CONNECTION 19:30 £8.00(£6.00I Aug 29 OLD BLIND DOGS 23:00 £7.00 (£5.00) Aug 31 DEAF SHEPHERD 19:50 £8.00 (£6.00) Sep 3 The HOT CLUB (with Nigel (‘larkl

I9:00 £7.00 (£5.00)

The FAMOUS GROUSE HOUSE

5 Chambers Street Venue 34 Box office (OIB‘II-ZZO 5606

Aug 19, 20 MICHAEL MARRA and LIZ L()(‘.IIHEAD 21:45 £7.50 (£5.50)

Aug 20 DICK GAUGHAN 19:15 £7.50(£5.50)

Aug 25 FIDDLER'S BID 21:45 £7.50(£5.50)

Aug 28 BURACH 21:45 £7.50 (£5.50)

E DIN BU RGH BOOK FESTIVAL

Charlotte Square Garden: Box office [01313-624 5050

Aug 27 BERT JANSCH 21:00 £8.00 (£6.00)

FRINGE BOX OFFICE (0131 )-226 5138 credit card hotline

For details of all the artistes listed above contact STONEYPORT AGENCY tel (0131)-346 8237 fat (0l3l )—3l3 2083 entail jb@ folkmuedemonxomk web http://www.stoneyport.demon.co.uk/index.html

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