Umbrella Birds 00.. set and staged iii a portaloo tlits scries o!
y tgticttes yccrs lrotlt thc clowmshly comical to aw kw aid and tender .-\cutcly obscryed and excellently acted by its tour-strong leiiialc cast. it llL'\ er takes the easy route to laughs and allows each scene to play otit to a natural conclusion. With only ctglil scals. book llclscls quickly lor lhc most ciiioyablc hour yoti w ill spend iii a toilet tltts yeai
((iortloti l‘.ltlictl) lililt'llfl'.l.l.i"y I’tiytult. 0370 7-15 i’tlo'i’. until 37,-luc'. -l/nn. £6 (£4),
The Bratchpiece Family 0
his ltcyct' it good sign whcit lliL‘ L‘olllpt'l’c iiiststs that a comedy show is a 'two way thing' and it w c can show the acts some low then they will make (is latigli. I‘d always thought the lattcr caitie bclorc the lormcr. but ncithei is in much cy ideticc as .‘ylothcrwell's comedy clati treat tts to a giggle lrec hour. Ned character stttll by 'l‘llc Wee Man raises the lttootl tctttporarily btit loy e ccrtaittly isn't in the air. (Brian Donaldson) Itu/iy ltt'lly. 0870 7-15 5085’. until 36 Aug. 7.50pm.
£8.50 t‘l.50tl7.50 £8.50).
Tony Woods 0.. Woods ctiltiyatcs (he aw kward lattgli. In lact many ol them are his own. lapping
:\iiiericait
the mic in a well met gesture towards totiglt crow disiti. he la/ily' relays his thoughts on adult themes (il a predictably bt‘casticular nature. Not slty ol holitics and race. with liberal doses ol csccllently placed swearing. olten it's itot what he says btit how he goes about it that wins the day. (l’eggy Hughes) 'l'lu' (iri't'n Ronni. 2.30 0885. until 26 Aug. Ill/0pm. l") HUM-8 [9).
Shazia Mirza .0. Most notorious lor ltcr line about the name on her pilot's licence. llrtimmic contic Mir/a here conjures tip plenty tnore
w here that came from. The point she makes is as important as the quality of her ttiatct‘ial. lattipooning the audience lot choosing to see ‘sotttclhitig ethnic'. btit alter a proitiisiiig take-oil. the quality quickly tiosedtyes. and a home yideo parody at the end makes tor a disappointineg bumpy latiditig. (limma Newlaiids) l’lt'iiyiini‘t' Donna 556 6550, until 37.-lug. 9.40pm. [9. 50 [/050
(115' I").
Simon Amstell O... Amstcll is a good date. He makes you feel L‘lcy er Willi his philosophical musings, draws you in with cattdid tales ol‘ heartache atid social ineptitude aitd proyes that his pulliitg power is still mighty away from the telly with tightly written. machine-gun deliyered. pathos-ridden material. liyen though the show ends quickly. with no post-coital L‘tltltllc. [his snarky little pop bitch with a heart is a keeper.
(Stt/anne Black) I’lt'usttnci' (‘ourty'unl 556 6550. until 37 Aug. It)..\'()/mi.
[ll [12([950 ([050).
Austin Low 0.. This joy ial
Aberdonian adttiits to gtilpiiig a couple of
litres of tiny pop eyery single day. Which perhaps esplains his inability to stand still or locus on his material for atiy giyeit amount of time. 'l‘here‘s a line show in the cat‘l‘eitie-happy head ot‘ Mr Low, but 'liilt'x ofun ( ’i‘liiin Joker isn't quite it. despite a few neatly planted tasteless bon mots. (Brian Donaldson) llit' Green Room. 330 0385. until 36 Aug. II.50iini. [6 -[7i[.5 {6).
Jerry Sadowitz 00.0 The
Satloystl/ mycctiyc seems cy ct ttiotc bilious each passing ycai l'hc \ ictims ol ltis ire in this show raiigc lroiii tltc lznglish ( 'tccklcss cuitts' ). llcatlict Mills ('cripplc' ) atid eyen llarty l’ottci (‘lictioiial cunt" ). ()utragcously ottctistyc and w itli a \ocabulary that would make a 'lourcttc's stillcrct u itic‘L‘. hc Is also uproariously. taboo-ciushiiigly luiiny Add to this some truly stunning sleight ot hand magic aiid you ate otito a w itinci ((iot‘tloii liltlrctl) l tit/t Ili’llll'y l’tiytuit. 0370 7-15 .i'0.S‘.i’. tutti/37.1mm XVI/mi. 1/251) 1/450,
Stuart Goldsmith 8- Jimmy McGhie 00
up. scnsittyc Mc(ihic‘s girllrtctid is
\thn w cll brought
pinched by a predatory .-\ttssic (ll\ itig instructor. ltc coiilcsscs he'd rather stay iitdoois dotiig a sudoktt. (ioldsiiiith's t'oiiiaiitic brainwayc is stage—tiiatiaging a situation where his gtrlli‘icnd walks in on him w anking oy ci‘ her photo. Although the oserly studcnty material oltcii lacks bite. botlt tlcltycrics are slick. charming aitd L‘Ulllitlc‘lll. l’rottiismg. btit not tratlbla/ittg. ((‘laii'c Saw crs) (iiltli't/ Balloon li'l'lttl. 66S l6.\‘.i'. until 37xlue. 9.50pm. £8.50 [9.50 (l7 [8). Harmon Leon 0 llils drcadlocked American claims lo bc 'l-lu' lit/i/trutor but how he managed to work his way iitto the comedy section ol the hinge programme is his greatest hoa\. He's on stage (or perhaps tcti minutes as he plays some largely pointless loot;th ol liitti 'inliltrating‘ sol't targets such as gttii lobby and [S reality TV shows. He even appcars to skip past some ol tltc categories ol his on-screen menu. which ttltittiatcly becomes the show 's saying grace. (llriait Donaldson) 'l‘lu' (iri't'n Room. 220 0385. until 36 Aug. 6.50pm. [7 {Nil/i [7).
The Ugly Kid .00
coitiedians pc‘t'ltn‘llls stream (ii
A quartet ol
cottsciottsnL'ss sketches oti stililccls as typical as job interviews and doctor atid nurses. Although indiyidually talented. the group tail to ttield and produce anything which the audience hasn’t seen before. The character-led humour is last- paced and has its moments btit ultimately this is lorgcttable atid not Very pretty. (limma |.ciino\) (iiltlt'tl Bit/[min li’t'lUl. 668 I655. until 37.’\ug. 3pm. [6' l“) ((6.50 [7.50).
Take A Whiff Of . . . Turpentine O In an age ol the supreme surrealist banter ot' the Migltty Boosh and twisted tales ol The League of (ientlemen. the staged interplay between John ('anlield and Richard lltitchison seems somewhat tired atid awfully tatne. 'l‘he sketch-driy en duo is at paitis to ayoid such comparisons iii their presentation ol simpler obsery'ational antics but their likeable personas are not etiouglt to stop this show from feeling a little Hat and falling likewise. (Mark liditiundsoii) Iz‘iliitliureli ('o/lt'gi' otxlrt, 0870 34/ 0/.i‘6. until 26 glue. 3.50pm. [7(1‘6). Sammy J O... Sitting at his grand piano. blonde-haired. blue-ey ed Sammy J looks like a cruise ship entertainer. btit lii\ clcyer. sell-relcrcntial comedy is much more than kitsch parody. llis upbeat songs are gleel'ully ridiculous and interyals of smart stand-up keep the momentum going. With his manic attd tlttstered energy Sammy J proy es that there is no better titan to duet with than himsell. (limma l.enno.\) .S‘pu'gt'l
(iii/11in. 667 .5940. until .‘6 lug. 7pm. 15 (16) Footlights 00
comedy gtadtiattoii success ot the
Judging by the
(‘aitibtitlgc sccl. tltc iic\t Mark \\atsoii ot Stephen l'ry tttay wcll bc among thc lolk on stage. btit they ‘ic as dttlicult to spot as a tuiiiiy skctch Still. the cast's occasional cttotts to swallow thctt own giggles at least means soittcone is hay itig a good (mic It only they 'd keep to then initial piomisc ol not showing tip tor thc show (a piaiik tio otic lcll lot ). ait liotii would hayc bcht saycd lrom all our l|\ cs
(Brian Donaldson) I’lt'tiyiint t' ( 'ourttiinl. 556 6550. until 37 .lug. 5.30pm.
23.5“ {9.5011750 15').
Rich Hall 000 imagine a Rich llall pcrlortiiaitcc being
ll's dtllictilt eycit to
less than entertaining llis iiitclligcnt. gruntpy. pragmatic worlds icw is broadcast by way ol bcltc\ab|c absurdities. anarchic situational \ igncttcs and iticiiiorable wordplay. \ pity he lccls tlte coitipulsion (like tttatiy ol ltis ctintcmporaries) to locus on politics aiid current cyetits. which are lamentably sane and linear. at the eypense ol his best and ttiost skew -eyed material. (Satn llcaly ) .'i\\('ltll’l\' Rooms, 635’ 3050. until 37xlug. ltl._i’(I/ini. [/4 1/5 til." tl-l). Pegabovine 0 show based around dillci‘cnt gciicratioits
'l'his is a skctch
ol the same aristocratic tamin w itli a time-trayclling coat thrown in tor good tiieasure. Whilst you can‘t lattlt the l‘oppish cntliusiasiti ol' its trio, you can laull just about cy'ei‘ything else. Masterlully unltiimy and ctiibarrassingly lattic. you‘ll wish tlte coat was real so yoti Cotlltl get back the hour ol your lilc you just wasted. ((iortlott lildrctt) l’li'usunt'i' ('ourty‘unl. 556 6550. until 27 slug. 3/ini. [7.50 («5150(16 £7).
Steve Williams 000 something qttaititly old-lashioned abottt tlte Stey‘e Williams shtick and his Itingt' Thinking is all the better l'or it. An array of well-worn targets (the British atid tlteir
There 's
attitude to queues). are given lresh hurricanes ol Me with his amiable and professional deliyery atid a distinct londness lor jokes about aiiittials. ll' you're tired ol' comics trying to be too
cleycr with their cra/y concepts. a shot of
old school Williams might do the trick. (Brian Donaldson) l'iuli'rln'lly; 0870 745 3085'. until 35 :lug (nut 35’). Ill/Nil.
t“) [/0 t [8 [(1).
Neil Delamere 000 cottiediatt Delamere treats the l-‘ringe to a history lesson on the Vikings and although you‘re iii datiger ot' learning something. you’ll be relieved to know that it's mostly a ruse to shoehorn in the
Irish
gags. All well-written aitd pleasingly deliy'ered by l)elamcre's eyer—all'ablc demeanoui'; the highlight ol the show is tlte linale w here he plays (is his butchered audio guide hall-inched lrom a museum. (Marissa Burgess) Assembly Rooms. 625’ 3030. until 27xlug. «S. l5/nn. [ll [/2 it'll) t'l/i. Andrew McClelland 0
ol the hottest rooms on the Fringe. this
ltt one
itiadcap :\tistralian sweats buckets trying to get laughs l‘roin lits show which is about nothing more or less ambitioUs than his layourite songs. You'll either adore his mugging immediately or sit open-mouthed at the paucity of lare on show. 'l‘hiiik (‘raig llill meets Matt Lucas iii a tight shirt and failing quill and you'll
bc gctttttg close to thc \ntltcw Mct'lclland e\pcricnce
(“nan Donaldson)
(ii/tit .l li’tilioon limit. 665 I655. until :7 .luc. 6 45pm. {S 50 {(150
is“ 5U is 50)
Open MicGThe Globe ooo lnttoduccd by amiable host. llill Shakcsiwatc. tour ot his best loycd chatactcis stcp tip to the mic. llattilet is a wild cycd l)anc angry about atlycrts'. Richaitl III has a mean sticak .t mile wide. ()phcha‘s ati unhmgcd cockncy teenager. and Katherine the Shrew ati upper class tcttshist :\ll ol w hich is clcyetly amusing tot those iii the know. lzspcctally llils liai‘kct as thc hilarious ls'athcrinc. a chatactcr wotthy oi hci own 'l’\' show. (Kelly :\plt'l) Ilit' (in't'n Room. 330 (ASN.5. until )6 .lug. 4pm. {7115(1617).
Minor Spectacular 000. Nested and lliow n's liltli liringe show is a qtiaiiitly concciycd ollcritig about it'll). a llotpottit washing machine repair man who risks lilc atid littib iii only ltall a yan working iii the not too distant luturc Wallord by Sea. ltigcniotts scene changes. sell rellcuyc mugging to the crowd and a bit ol social coitiiiietitaiy makes loi' a decidedly dall. ctitc littlc sltoyy that Is tillltosl lot' llit' \yliolt‘ lttllllly. (Marissa Burgess) I’lt'ttsiint i' Ihinu'. 556 6550. until 36 slug. 4.30pm.
{9. 50 1/050 (115' ii"). Kim Hope 00
iieryous energy. llope bounds onstage.
.-\ li/Itttg ball ol
announces she's going to do an hour on the theme ol timc tlicit ptocccds to waste a great deal ol the precious sttill gtirnmg and flapping her arms itiaiitacally. ’l'here’s a diyerting btt ol audience participation iii which she challenges the audience to name songs related to her chosen subject (I won a tollcc). but her so-so material on relationships would be so much better it she brushed tip on tittiiiig ol the comic Variety. (Allan Ratlclillc) (iiltlt'tl Hit/limit 'Ii'i'uit. 665' l6.i’.t’. until 27xlug. NIH". (H. 50 £9.50 (£7.50 £8.50). Mark Dolan 0. An irredeemably bland ittteractiy'c lormat. in which the audience does tiiost ol the creative work. kiboshcs the good oil-ices oi l)olali\ natttral charm. Showgocrs write their problems on paper and the comedian rill's weakly on tlietti. bttt the latal flaw is oby'ious: audiences aren't lunny. ll they were. they wouldn't need to pay to see comics l'rittering away their charisma on |a/y populist (waddle. (Sam llealy) (ii/(lt'tl Bill/ruin 'Ii't'iut. 668 [635. until 27 Aug. 6.30pm. 1‘) [llltto‘ £8.50). John Hegley 0... Taking turns to play stern. deadpan schoolmaster and playlul kid. poet—cotiiedian llegley rhymes and sings his way through a beautit'ully quirky set. Deceptiyely innocent wordplay on the dull and surreal /ebras. his l-olies Bergere dancer grandma and a vomiting dad is very popular with children. But unexpected moments ol' poignancy knock the audietice sideways and giye his literary nonsense another layer. ((‘laire Sawers) Plt’thlIlt‘t’ ('uurtyunl 556 6550, until 27 Aug. lpni. till) Ill ([7 [3). Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre 0. There’s absolutely no doubting the ellort put in here with this one-man sock puppet show. but there seems to haye been tnore titiie spent on
23 Aong Set) 2007 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 75