Festival ComedyReviews at a Glance list.co.uk/festival
Matt Tiller ●●●●● This uninspired musical comedy from the lovely but rather outmoded Matt Tiller centres upon life’s little blips in social equilibrium: the toilet walk-in, the beach erection and saying the wrong thing after sex. This is fairly common material performed in the now over-done style of the nervous, self- deprecating guitarist, bumbling his way through an ever-bewildering life. (Rosalie Doubal) The Caves, 556 5375, until 29 Aug, 4.55pm, £7 (£6). Max and Iván ●●●●● This youthful double act presents a near-universal gung- ho set of high energy, fast-paced sketches, raucously covering everything from re- imaginings of blockbusters to advert appeals for a charity for models with eating disorders (where the only disorder is eating). Strong physical performers, the simplest acts are best, but the seemingly climactic flash of full frontal is a little unnecessary. (Rosalie Doubal) C central, 0845 260 1234, until 30 Aug, 9.30pm, £8.50–£10.50 (£7.50–£9.50). Miles Jupp ●●●●● Jupp is a thoroughly endearing storyteller, stand-up and cricket fetishist. The former Balamory actor’s account of how he posed as a journalist and toured India with the England team (and some familiar sports celebs) is wonderful, funny and moving. It speaks to anyone who has ever loved anything – music, football, films, whatever – or who has ever had a hero. (Nicola Meighan) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 29 Aug, 8pm, £9–£10 (£7–£9). Monster of the Deep 3D ●●●●● Claudia O’Doherty is a quirky little fish. Her show brings to mind the type of bonkers shenanigans which Bridget Christie gets up to, where a world is created almost out of scratch, infiltrated by rigorous detail and manically explored to highlight the most absurd situations and material possible. This hour features Aquaplex, the underwater civilisation that was founded in the 1970s between Australia and Vanuatu with initial promise but ultimately disastrous consequences. An amiable and tight performance from O’Doherty prevents her staged venture from sinking without trace. (Brian Donaldson) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 30 Aug, 6.30pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50). The Nelson Twins ●●●●● God love them, but these ‘garden gnome’ resembling identical twins from New South Wales really struggle to spin the gimmick out long enough for an entire show. It’s only 45 minutes long, and it has its own warm-up act – the expressionless stoner Luke Heggie – but their watery gags on kiddie-fiddling and beer attract more groans than laughs. (Claire Sawers) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 30 Aug, midnight, £8–£10 (£6–£8). The Penny Dreadfuls ●●●●● It’s hard to see exactly what the mad fuss is about when it comes to this threesome. Now a staple Fringe act, the trio have laddered up the ranks from a cave in the Underbelly to the cheek-mic glory of Pleasance One in a short space of years. But the main problem may well lie in their new status: sketch comedy works best when tight and claustrophobic, where an audience member can catch each nuance and aside with ease. Such a room blunts their more subtle humour leaving them to overplay the mucking around on 46 THE LIST 19–26 Aug 2010
tiny motorcars and in the wrestling ring. (Brian Donaldson) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 30 Aug, 6pm, £12–£14 (£10.50–£12.50). Pete Firman ●●●●● Firman’s old- school spectacle of party magic, wit and mock-sorcery is droll, if not dumbfounding. The comic-wizard’s deadpan hang-up with ‘mystery’ might align Alan Partridge with the Magic Circle (an exotic range of tricks and props includes The Flying Orb of Humberside), but his greatest ruse is conjuring a cross between Paul Daniels and Vernon Kay, while still being charming. (Nicola Meighan) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 30 Aug, 7.10pm, £12–£14 (£10.50–£12.50). Piff the Magic Dragon ●●●●● Piff is actually a magician in a green monster suit whose illusions are scrappy and whose stage manner slides from smug to sleazy. Given that the show is half- character comedy, half-magic act, the B- grade styling is, of course, all intentional. That said, Piff pulls off some pretty good tricks with cards, rabbits and the like. The show stealer, however, is his levitating pet Chihuahua, Piffles. (Miles Fielder) The Caves, 556 5375, until 29 Aug, 3.15pm, £6–£7 (£5–£6). Productivity ●●●●● A sketch show about the recession? Sounds like a hard sell. And so it proves for wannabe Gordon Gekkos, Matthew Mulligan and Thomas Lyons. Sections of their mock business seminar raise a chuckle but in the business of being funny – the bottom line of any Fringe comedy – Productivity never manages to turn a consistent profit. (Peter Geoghegan) Underbelly, 08445 458 252, until 29 Aug, 12.10pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£6.50–£8.50). Radio Hoohah ●●●●● Centred on a defunct radio station peopled by obnoxious presenters and their objectionable guests, MacKenzie and McGuire’s latest offering is a pretty poor effort. The comedy is in turns laboured, random and largely devoid of comic timing as we meet a wooden newsreader, closet gay farmers and phoney psychics. In amongst the basic ideas there are very occasional glimpses of humour but sadly they’re few and far between. (Marissa Burgess) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 30 Aug (not 23), 6.50pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7–£8). Sarah Bennetto ●●●●● In this heart-warming little show, Aussie Bennetto tells the story of how, as an impoverished stand-up and one-time satellite TV presenter, she found herself invited to Clarence House to have tea with Prince Charles. This may not be the slickest or the funniest show at the Fringe but Bennetto is without doubt a thoroughly engaging and charming storyteller. (Marissa Burgess) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 29 Aug, 1.30pm, £8–£9 (£6.50–£7.50). Sarah Millican ●●●●● Millican has called her new show Chatterbox after her high school nickname. The Geordie funny woman can undeniably bump her gums, and it’s this ability to chat very naturally and wittily (and sometimes rather naughtily) about everyday stuff, from her obsession with cakes and puddings to accidents during sex, that makes her routine a consistent pleasure. (Allan Radcliffe) The Stand, 558 7272, until 29 Aug, 8.20pm, £10.
Simon Evans ●●●●● Evans executes the carefully crafted persona of an articulate, opinionated after-dinner speaker with a penchant for an extended vocabulary. Within the boundaries of this character, he charts familiar territories: slagging the Welsh, the Geordies and the fat, but armed with eloquence and irony. Fringe Magnet is tightly written and carefully delivered. (Siân Bevan) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 30 Aug, 9.50pm, £10–£11 (£8.50–£9.50). Speed . . . Mating . . . ●●●●● A German zoology professor and an Irish comic team up to offer a lecture (complete with slides) on matters sexual, looking at how we compare with the animal kingdom. Great idea, poorly realised. Dr Maggio is everyone’s favourite lecturer – funny, knowledgeable and with a glint in his eye – but the show feels structureless, needs better jokes and more facts. Like an inexperienced lover, this 50-minute show leaves one unsatisfied and asking, ‘was that it?’ (Laura Ennor) Surgeons Hall, 0845 508 8515, until 30 Aug, 8.33pm, £6 (£4). The Sunday Defensive ●●●●● You might not look at a block of Red Leicester again after this hour in the company of two men in glasses performing as themselves and their dads. A decent-enough chemistry abounds between Phil Gilbert and Jacob Edwards as they wonder how to tell loved ones about their impending nuptials and indulge in a bit of obscurely amusing Bill Pullman-baiting. And then the cheese comes out . . . (Brian Donaldson) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 30 Aug, 4.45pm, £8.50–£9 (£7–£8.50). Terry Alderton ●●●●● Watching Alderton is like channel-flipping between several different acts and finding that, by a million-to-one fluke, the composite experience makes perfect sense. ‘You can’t please everybody all of the time,’ chides his Gollum-like alter ego; but with observational material, characters, sound effects, impressions and music all vying for the mic, there’s probably a joke here for all tastes. (Matt Boothman) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 29 Aug, 9.20pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8–£9). The Three Englishmen ●●●●● First off, there’s actually four of them, though they do all appear to be all of an Anglo bent. Kicking off with a deftly wordless piece about four Brazilians watching the World Cup, the quartet rattle through scenes about accidental infant- theft and an extreme stag weekend. They might rely a little too much on celebrity- baiting but the sketch where Tim Burton tells Johnny Depp his services are no longer required is priceless. In a generally poor year for the sketch game, this might be as good as it gets. (Brian Donaldson) The Caves, 556 5375, until 29 Aug, 4.45pm, £8 (£7). Toby Hadoke ●●●●● Offering what is as much a passionate argument in favour of the BBC as it is a stand-up comedy show, Hadoke’s delivery is slightly rough around the edges, seemingly out of sheer blustering exasperation at the kids these days. Those of his own telly-watching vintage will get most from the material – the well-trodden paths of 80s small-screen nostalgia – but it’s still tickling stuff and draws to an unexpectedly heart-warming and profound conclusion. (Laura Ennor) Underbelly, 08445 458 252, until 29 Aug, 6.55pm, £9–£10 (£6.50–£9). Tom Williams ●●●●● Williams got the inspiration for his multiple character- based comedy from watching court cases. Here, he’s been inspired by the tragic tale of a man who killed a teenage burglar, was tried for murder and found out a devastating secret about the dead kid. The acting’s fine, but one wishes the humour was a bit sharper. (Miles Fielder) The Caves, 556 5375, until 29 Aug, 12.40pm, £7–£8 (£5–£6). 2-Man No-Show ●●●●● This Canadian duo will make you laugh, but not in a way you’ll thank them for. They sensibly wring dry the comedic potential of their distinguishing features (one’s Jewish, one has scoliosis) at the earliest opportunity, but too many of the subsequent skits are simply overlong re- enactments of famous scenes from 90s screen blockbusters, with gurning in place of gags. (Matt Boothman) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 29 Aug, 11.45pm, £8.50-£9.50 (£7.50-£8.50). Vladimir McTavish ●●●●● Given the liberal passing round of sample nips of the water of life, McTavish’s show is not, as suggested in its title of Whisky: An Idiot’s Guide, a sobering examination of Scotland’s top export. It is, however, a thoroughly entertaining crawl through the national beverage, merrily peppered with interesting facts and figures and in no way watered-down by several humorous asides to the role it has played in the Caledonian psyche. (Miles Fielder) The Stand III & IV, 558 7272, until 29 Aug (not 23), 6.50pm, £9 (£8). The Wau Wau Sisters ●●●●● This is chaotic, messy, Benny Hill-style slap and tickle comedy, from those dirty tramps, The Wau Wau Sisters. Acrobatic striptease, red wine showers and Catholic schoolgirl burlesque skits keep the tone strictly low-brow, with song and dance numbers about sex with Jesus or the sisters’ attempts to, quite literally, love everyone. Their trapeze skills are impressive, but audience participation- phobes should consider themselves well warned . . . (Claire Sawers) Assembly Rooms, 623 3030, until 30 Aug (not 23), 10.40pm, £12.50–£13.50 (£11.50–£12.50). Wendy Wason ●●●●● Most of us tend to avoid airing our dirty laundry in public, but Wendy Wason is determined to squeeze secrets from every nook and cranny including family, friends and celebrities: not even her audience is safe. Wason is a natural-born chatterbox and her bank of anecdotes, while intelligent, heartfelt and entertaining, don’t entirely compensate for the paucity of actual laughs. (Rebecca Ross) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 30 Aug (not 24), 7pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Yianni Agisilaou ●●●●● In They @#$% You Up: Greek Parents, Agisilaou presents a charming show about his Greek-Cypriot family. He’s a naturally affable storyteller, with clear affections for his unique relatives, brought to life with fabulous set pieces. The delivery occasionally becomes awkward and much of the comedy remains around pleasant but this is a lovely hour with some fine, funny company. (Siân Bevan) The Caves, 556 5375, until 29 Aug, 10.15pm, £8–£10 (£7–£9).