Russell Brand .0” By Brand‘s own calculations. 7% of the audience might recognise him. After all. that‘s the percentage of the nation that has access to E4 and the Big Brother forums he hosts each summer. Before long. that figure should really be far larger. Brand initially looks awkward on stage. but soon his lack of co-ordination begins to fit his excellent material on orgies and yobs.

(Brian Donaldson) Assembly Rooms. 226 2428. until 27 Aug. 10.35pm. [12—[13 (£11412).

Dutch Elm Conservatoire eeee Conspiracy centres on the spooks’ firm Bracknell Conspiracy Solutions and its five-man team of hapless truth-seekers. Were the moon landings actually filmed at Thames Studios? Are aliens responsible for crop circles? Why is it a bad idea to employ Columbo to keep tabs on your estranged daughter? The sketches revel in the absurd and there's a brilliant deconstruction of Sting. (Robin Lee) Pleasanc‘e Courtyard, 556 6550. until 29 Aug. 5pm. [8—[9.50 ([548).

Robin lnce eeee Ince speaks out for everyone who ever gave an exasperated sigh at the sight of a bigoted tabloid headline or patronising reality TV programme. Easy targets they may be. but lnce weaves his ideas around them deftly. taking a pop at Dr Gillian McKeith (‘Poo in my sieve. poo in my sievel‘) and exposing the Nazi sympathies of children‘s authors. (Marissa Burgess) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550. until 29 Aug. 9.45pm. [8.50—[950 ([7—[8). Pluck 00” With little more than a raised eyebrow here or a manic stare there. this trio manage to extract laughs from Beethoven and Vaughan Williams. What starts as a simple skit based around classical blunders gradually develops into full-blown farce with burps and custard pies. When the Fringe is populated with so many concept shows. a bit of slapstick is just what you need. (Rachael Street) Pleasance C ourtyard. 556 6550. until 29 Aug. 7pm. [950470.50 ([8—[9).

Sex, Life and EFT eeee There‘s nothing novel about a bloke harping on about his sex life. but when the stories are droll. well-told. and cut through with enough self-deprecation to temper the

ego. then it's a joy. Peter Searles is the 47-

year-old-philanderer who met a girlfriend at last year's Festival and found the ‘emotional freedom technique' when they split. Enjoyable fluff. (Robin Lee) Gilded Balloon Tei'iot. 668 1633. until 28 Aug. 6.30pm. [9—[10 ([8—[9).

AAA Stand-Up eee Two comedians are let down by their third wheel: South African Martin Evans spends too long on deep-fried food and TV design shows. However. Sally-Anne Hayward is a giggly Bristolian who's sharper than you‘d think. and Pete Cain talks about going loco on a London bus. (Robin Lee) Pleasance Courtyard. 556 6550. until 29 Aug. 7.10pm. [7.50—[850 ( [64 7).

Ashton Brothers 0” Ever seen a man climb a ladder with his teeth? This Dutch quartet throw themselves from one piece of sweatily physical clowning to another. pretending to be robots. playing songs and impersonating erections. If you like ingenious stunts and agile performers you'll be happy enough. (James Smart) St George '5' West. 226 2428. until 29 Aug. 6pm. [IO—[ll ([9410).

The Bubonlc Play eee This comic drama has been compared to a C arry 0n movie. but for this watcher. the slightly more subtle silliness and daft mucking about with words is more akin to a Steve Martin or Mel Brooks filmic farce. A medieval tale about life. love. and lesions is a joy throughout. with hilarious performances and funny props.

(Brian Donaldson) Pleasam‘e Dome. 556 6550. until 29 Aug. 6.40pm. [8.504950 ([748).

Adam Button see For fans of Adam and Joe. there was utter despair that Buxton’s Fringe debut would revolve around a dour East European character. experimental animator Pavel. Yet the best bits are the silly projected films of Pavel in Star Trek and some mucking about with Pokemon. But a few funny voiceovers and a mad beard do not a great show make. (Brian Donaldson) Pleas‘ance Courtyard. 556 6550. until 29 Aug. 9.20pm. [9.50—[1050 ([849).

Cab Happy! 00. The perky exclamation mark should serve as a warning: if you‘re not prepared to let yourself go a little. this taxi trip won't be up your street. Adrian Green's show veers around Edinburgh's streets. taking in Afro wigs. pogo sticks and superheroic stunts with anarchic silliness. (James Smart) Sweet Ego, 0870 24 I 0136. until 30 Aug (not 28). 8pm. [0pm. [10.

Dan Clark eee An amiable and able performer with some reasonably incisive material. Clark is regrettably let down by an overly chummy persona which discords with his darker (and better) observations. and a dependence on comedic boilerplate-like division of the sexes. ageing and the male libido. (Sam Healy) Pleasance Courtyard. 556 6550. until 29 Aug. 8.15pm. [8—[950 ([548). Fordharn 8t Lipson eee Double act character comedy. he funnier than she. What pilots get up to when the autopilot is on is well-observed. but produced a few nervous glances amongst audience members. The blind date scene

Russell Brand

84 THE LIS'I’ FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 25 Aug—8 Sep 2005

is excruciating in a good way.

(Morag Bruce) Pleasmu'e Courtyard. 556 6550. until 29 Aug. 5.55pm.

[8. 50—[9.50 ([7—[8)

The Greek, the Apple and the Time Machine 0” Bruce Furnmey is a braver stand-up than most. from not being thrown by competing with both the pub jukebox and nearby Tattoo. to his decision to turn physics into a comedy routine. But fortune favours the brave. and he rattles through complex concepts. rounding each one off with a carefully honed punchline. (Emma Newlands) Beehive Inn. 0800 169 7410. until 27 Aug. 8pm. [6 ([4). Richard Herring see I started then stopped counting the number of times that Herring said the word ‘yoghurt‘. He also says ‘Catholics' a lot and ‘monkey— fucking‘ a fair bit too. This triptych forms the majority of his show which is frequently hilarious. never dull. but oddly complacent. with the nagging thought bouncing around that he's simply warming up for his next concept show. (Brian Donaldson) I’leasmu'e Courtyard. 556 6550. until 29 Aug. 8pm.

[9. 50—[l(). 50 ([8--[9).

Hot Pursuit eee When prominent members of Upper Lower Great Middle Gobbleston start getting murdered. the local bobby joins forces with a disgraced London copper. With its broad entendres. audience interaction and threadbare plot. this is panto-like comedy. but the props are ingenious. (James Smart) P/easani‘e Courtyard. 556 6550, until 29 Aug. 5.10pm. [8. 50-[9. 50 ([748).

Phil Kay eee Improvised gigs should either be dreadful or splendid. All too often. though. they hover in the middle ground. strange enough to be interesting but not funny enough to give a crowd a properly good time. Tonight. Kay throws Frisbees. tries to bite a girl's bum and talks about the G8. while the crowd titter in frustration and amusement. (James Smart) Gilded Balloon lei'iot. 668 1633, until 28 Aug. [0.30pm. [950470.50 ([8. 50--[9. 50).

Andrew McClelland 0. Lawrence Leung O” A haphazard and middlingly erudite treatise on clandestinity from biblical times to the present. this Australian duo‘s mock- academic burlesque is far too self-satisfied to succeed as the droll thought-piece it thinks it is. Still. some of their montages projected in a PowerPoint ‘Secret Edition‘ presentation are inspired. (Sam Healy) Gilded Balloon Teriot. 668 I 633, until 28 Aug. 8.15pm. [9.5047 0.50 ([8.50—[9.50).

MC Hot Pink in Busty Rhymes

see Penny Ashton jokes about fantastic breasts. chat-up lines and being from New Zealand. interspersing her show with deliberately poorly executed raps on the same subjects. There‘s successful audience participation. as long as there are appropriately uncoordinated willing victims on the night you go. (Morag Bruce) Pleasance Courtyard. 556 6550. until 28 Aug. Ilpm. [7.504850 ([647). Milk 0“ This slice of surreal comic theatre by Pez En Raya opens with a pitch and a plea: ‘We are not so famous and not as good as you think’. In fact. the absurd play. which revolves around a possessed cow named Tracy. invites belly laughs and groans in equal measure. (Allan Radcliffe) Pleasance Courtyard. 556 6550. until 29 Aug. [8.50—[950 ([748).

Nicko and Joe eee Nicko and Joe strum acoustically through nine songs with sonic assistance from the show next door. There‘s a nice. delicate chemistry between the pair. one which might be spoilt by a larger audience: we numbered ten. (Robin Lee) Baby Belly. 0870 745 3083. until 28 Aug. 11.50pm. [7.504850 ([6.50—[7.50).

Nigerian Spam Scam Scam «I Most people just delete the offers of vast riches that arrive in their inbox. Dean Cameron saw a chance to have fun. and embarked on an exchange with one group of crooks. portraying himself as a heroically naive Floridan. It‘s certainly amiable. but watching Cameron read emails starts to pall after a while. (James Smart) Gilded Balloon Teriot. 668 [633, until 28 Aug. 4pm. [8. 50—[9. 50

([7. 5048. 50).

Fiona O’Loughlin see ()‘Loughlin doesn‘t strictly tell jokes. instead giving us a guided tour of her small town Australian life. taking in her harpy-like mother. long-suffering husband and inconvenient children. She's a straightforward host. full of self- deprecation and embarrassing stories. Assembly Rooms. 226 2428. until 29 Aug. 7pm. [IO—[ll ([9470).

Sue Perkins eee Perkins is a confident. engaging laughsmith whose observations are smart and sharp. if not wildly original. Although solo stand-up might not be her forte. she‘s at her best with the slightly blue material and true family stories. (Ashley Davies) l’leusani'e Courtyard. 556 6550. until 28 Aug.

8. 35pm. [950470.50 ( [849).

Howard Read eee For his Comeback Special. Read has left his diminutive animated sidekick at borne and takes a wee while to relax but there's some fun material here. about Christmas with his dysfunctional in-laws and a recent burglary. (Allan Radcliffe) Underlwlly. 0870 745 3083, 7.50pm. [9-470 ( [8 «[9).