Festival ComedyWeekPlanner list.co.uk/festival
always knows how to treat his audience to another dose of life-affirming offbeat madness. (Siân Bevan) Assembly Hall, 623 3030, until 31 Aug, 8.15pm, £15–£17.50; EICC, 0844 847 1639, 28 & 29 Aug, 11.30pm, £15. Jason John Whitehead ●●●●● JJW is having a crisis: now in his 30s, his body clock is ticking but he has no real affection for kids, and a string of jokes about beating other people’s children compose the core of this routine. His quirky delivery steers him past slower moments but this rambling show needs a little more coherence to really make an impact. (Yasmin Sulaiman) The Stand II, 558 7272, until 30 Aug, 4.05pm, £8 (£7). Jimmy McGhie ●●●●● Opening with his weakest material – crowd- repelling tartan, bagpipe and clansmen stereotypes, and watery anecdotes about teen drinking disasters – this English stand-up is on shaky, confusing ground until he settles into more successful, far funnier character comedy. His ‘niche banter’ rich kids and middle-class smugs have developed from previous Fringe appearances, but still have a ways to go. (Claire Sawers) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 31 Aug, 9.30pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7–£8). Jim Smallman ●●●●● This East Midlands comic has made a name for himself with his rise to reliable compere status and it’s hard to see that he will go much more beyond that level on the evidence of this poor Fringe debut. He tells us that he’s had quite an eventful life and there’s no reason to doubt that, but in the telling of his various tales, there’s barely a punchline that registers. (Brian Donaldson) The Caves, 226 0000, until 30 Aug, 10.40pm, £5. John Gordillo ●●●●● Ostensibly an application of economic principles to heterosexual relationships, Gordillo uses the concept to frame some adroit domestic whining in the first half. The second is a complex exploration of pornography’s depiction of women. Running 20 minutes over time, the final uncomfortably heartfelt section sits at odds with the academic objective, giving the impression of a uni lecturer having a breakdown while delivering one-liners. (Suzanne Black) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 31 Aug, 8.10pm, £10–£11 (£8–£9). Jon Richardson ●●●●● There’s no doubt whatsoever that Richardson is destined for McIntyre-like levels of fame, which will be a sorry shame because an intimate (or brutally hot) venue is where his tight-knit comedy works best. Following up on last year’s spiffing Dogmatic, here he is questioning whether perfection is attainable, as exemplified in very funny anecdotes about ice skating, transport strikes and telephone companies. The devil is always in Jon Richardson’s minute detail. (Brian Donaldson) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 31 Aug, 8.30pm, £11–£12 (£9.50–£10.50). Kent Valentine ●●●●● This chummy Star Wars-obsessed Aussie is sick of the arseholes who rather inconveniently populate the world. When the truth dawns that he might actually be one himself, the only place to hide is behind his toy lightsaber. His pleasingly energetic set propels itself across various moral mazes and silly scenarios but, especially with his finale, don’t always climax with a satisfying pay-off. (Brian Donaldson) The GRV, 226 0000, until 30 Aug, 9.20pm, £5. Kevin Tomlinson ●●●●● ‘I’m not sure if this will be comedy or drama,’ says Tomlinson as he conjures up another character for his ‘seven ages of man’ improvisation. As it happens there are both laughs and poignant moments in this theatrical display, although audience inventiveness is much relied upon for the humour. An enjoyable hour that can entertain all ages of the spectrum. (Emma Lennox) The Caves, 208 0882, until 30 Aug, 5.40pm, £7–£8 (£6–£7). Lucy Porter ●●●●● Though her youthful looks and childlike attitude hide it, Porter has had more experience than most at the Fringe. It all makes for a performance that is assured if a little safe, never in danger of falling flat but equally never challenging any preconceptions. And she’s only half- joking when she admits that a (properly brilliant) childhood poem about the chemical elements is the best thing she’s ever written. (Thomas Meek) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 31 Aug, 8.20pm, £10–£14 (£8.50–£12.50). Luke Toulson ●●●●● It’s thoroughly refreshing to see a comic unwilling to pander to his crowd or make them love him, even the reviewer who in a stroke of genius positioned herself in the middle of the front row. Consequently, Toulson’s often cruel humour – whether in his banter or talking about his son – is sometimes hit and miss, but frequently unexpected and inventive. (Marissa Burgess) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 31 Aug, 9.45pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7– £8). Marigold ●●●●● The three young members of sketch group Marigold have an unenviable task – entertaining a very small audience in a hot C venue studio at midnight– and they face it with high energy enthusiasm. Yet with their questionable writing skills, and a show full of unoriginal material, overlong sketches and an audible dearth of jokes, perhaps they shouldn’t have bothered. (Emma Lennox) C soco, 0845 260 1234, until 31 Aug, 11.55pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50). Matt Green ●●●●● Green’s material is fine. His delivery is fine. It’s hard to fault any specific aspect of his act. Yet the fine whole flatly refuses to be more than its parts’ sum. Eagerness to please moves him to defang his more interesting, darker stuff with giggles or placatory epilogues, without which this satisfactory, earthbound show might have been given some altitude. (Sam Healy) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 30 Aug, 7.15pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Matt Price ●●●●● My Girlfriend Was Attacked by a Small-Time Wannabe Gangster and This is What I Did About It is a vividly descriptive title, but there’s more to this surprisingly tender confessional directed by John Gordillo. The lovely Price performs a cleverly constructed, highly personal story about love that is as likely to evoke tears as laughter in its poignancy. (Suzanne Black) The GRV, 226 0000, until 30 Aug, 9.40pm, £5. Patrick Monahan ●●●●● This show manages to over-run by ten minutes
80 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 27 Aug–10 Sep 2009
which is no mean feat considering the dearth of material on offer. This would be a pleasant quarter of an hour in the hands of the jovial Geordie comic but stretched over an hour it becomes tortuous. Getting audience members to do a test from a women’s magazine and an idle childhood story do not a Fringe show make. (Gordon Eldrett) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 31 Aug, 9.15pm, £9.50–£12.50 (£8–£11). Phil Kay ●●●●● It’s customary critical practice to point out that Kay’s gigs can go either way, but on good form the man’s beyond compare. This year’s preoccupation is the birth of his third child, an event he details with typical, eye-opening candour. Utterly unique and possessed with a beguiling juvenility, his ability to conjure sublime bon mots is unsurpassed. (Murray Robertson) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 30 Aug, 11.45pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10). Ross Lee ●●●●● A fame junkie since his gauche childhood in Leeds, Lee presents a video documentary of his own obsessive attempts to be on TV, culminating in a stint as a Nickelodeon UK host. His evident monomaniacal lust for the merest crust of renown is sometimes entertaining but mostly depressing. Attempts at humour in the narration are tragicomically awful. (Sam Healy) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 31 Aug, 7pm, £9.50–£12.50 (£8–£11). Sarah Bennetto ●●●●● An early show and intimate venue work against confessional tales that cry out for a little hubbub to soak up the fluctuations in pitch and smooth over some of the timing. Aussie Bennetto’s golden ticket endeavours thus often ring true but rarely spark hilarity, and labour under inflections of voice: nasal high for children, husky low for, well, everyone else. (Mark Edmundson) Medina & Negociants, 225 6313, until 30 Aug (not 27), 3.30pm, £5. Shed Simove ●●●●● This is, if nothing else, unique. In Ideas Man, the nerdy Simove discusses his novelty products and occasional Gorman-esque stunt with an ungainly arrogance. There are some truly funny gems but the slick PowerPoint and overbearing posters make this a witty corporate speech, rather than a contender in the competitive comedy programme. Intriguing subject, awkward performance and a show which defies definition. (Siân Bevan) Belushi’s, 226 1446, until 30 Aug, 7pm, £5. Shirley & Shirley ●●●●● This female duo’s sketch offerings are technically, meticulously executed and you can’t fault either of the performances. But the material sways from pitch perfect writing to packing little punch plus being a little too reliant on stereotypes for laughs. That said, there is still plenty to enjoy here such as the French woman employed to teach the English some style and the posh country girl with a street boyfriend. (Marissa Burgess) Underbelly, 08445 458 252, until 30 Aug, 5.05pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Simon Donald and Maff Brown ●●●●● If shouting ‘you’ve got AIDS’ at latecomers, listening to a wide boy plumber-to-the-stars ramble, and helping a diligent market researcher complete a survey by Geordie teenagers sounds like
fun, you’ll probably enjoy this show. Some people laughed hysterically throughout. Possibly I didn’t get it, but with one weak, much-laboured joke apiece, the funniness of the sketches quickly faded. (Kate Gould) The Caves, 208 0882, until 30 Aug, 5.20pm, £8–£9 (£7–£8). Sirqus Alfon ●●●●● In what can only be described as an hour of sheer lunacy, Sirqus Alfon present a charmingly ridiculous, transfixing 90s dance explosion cum human computer game with Eurotrash. Impressive timing and energy turn what could easily have been a painful debacle into something which, although not to everyone’s taste, forces you to embrace your silly side. Expect full-volume absurdity, moustached Swedes in lycra and, most crucially, the unexpected. (Rebecca Ross) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 31 Aug, 5.30pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). 3 Gaga Heads ●●●●● The trio of Japanese nutcases showcase their largely none speaking style of inventive tricks and amusing oddities. There are pink aliens, a rubber glove overture and Godzilla recreated through a red lycra bodysuit and with a little help from two mates. Some of their escapades work better than others but it’s all quite barmy and all the more enjoyable for it. (Marissa Burgess) The Caves, 208 0882, until 30 Aug, 4.20pm, £8.50–£10 (£7.50–£9). Tiani Ghosh ●●●●● All the humour in this deeply irritating sketch show is constructed in the ‘I didn’t mean that, I meant this’ style of word play. If Tiani Ghosh and Raph Shirley raise any laughs from the audience, it’s because these jokes are so tortured and forced that they become unintentionally funny. Unfortunately, the repetitive characters and scenarios drain any enjoyment from even this small solace. (Emma Lennox) C soco, 0845 260 1234, until 31 Aug, 5.45pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50). Tom Basden ●●●●● A damn fine, damn funny show combining quirky songs on guitar and banjo (plus a couple of invented instruments) with strange slide shows, photo stories and suggestions for a new dance craze. Learn about the former if.comedy Best Newcomer’s suspiciously cuddly pet python, Neighbours-based fantasies and list of inappropriate fonts. The oddball material is original, well-delivered and raises big laughs. (Claire Sawers) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 30 Aug, 6pm, £10–£12. Wilson Dixon ●●●●● It’s a pleasure to spend an hour in the company of this affable, laidback, slightly dopey country singer from Cripple Creek, Colorado (perhaps by way of the Antipodes). During it, Wilson recounts the story of how he took off to make his name in Nashville after his wife left him for their neighbour. It’s wryly amusing and peppered with plain silly songs. (Miles Fielder) The Stand III & IV, 558 7272, until 30 Aug, 4.45pm, £9 (£8). Online Booking Fringe www.edfringe.com International Festival www.eif.co.uk Book Festival www.edbookfest.co.uk Art Festival www.edinburghartfestival.org