Festival Comedy list.co.uk/festival

ROBERT WHITE Get him on Shooting Stars ●●●●●

There are plenty of Fringe comics whose schtick is being gloriously unhinged, but there aren’t many who appear to be genuinely out of control. This baby-faced comedian with a bleached Tintin kiss-curl definitely falls into the latter category. Throwing temper tantrums, spitting out filthy language that would shock a Tourette’s sufferer, sleazing over (male) audience members and veering wildly off-script, Robert White’s show is a jaw-dropping riot. Perhaps his wayward manner is, as White himself says, courtesy of being gay, Asperger’s, part-Welsh, part- Essex. Whatever the reason, the mix of lewd innuendo, cheesy jokes, music hall songs played on a knackered keyboard and sound-effects games (aural impersonations of members of the royal family are particularly cruel and very funny) makes for a side- splitting hour. White’s banter and his audience participation prove to be a bit much for some of the crowd, which is, in itself, hilarious. He’d be great shouting the scores on Shooting Stars, but one suspects even Vic and Bob would struggle to handle Robert White. (Miles Fielder) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 29 Aug, 9.30pm, £8–£9.50 (£7–£8).

JOSIE LONG A joyous kickback against disillusionment ●●●●● Josie Long claims that losing weight has meant sacrificing her joie de vivre. It’s true that she gets more than

20 THE LIST 26 Aug–9 Sep 2010

usually angry, bitter and disillusioned in this, her first Edinburgh appearance in two years, but could a comedian bereft of joie de vivre hold a crowd for 20 minutes simply by enthusing about pictures of tasty breakfasts on the internet? I suspect she has a secret stash of positivity she’s not letting on about. The chief source of Long’s newfound

ire is life under the Tories and the lip- service hipsters and activists that couldn’t be bothered to oppose them. Relentlessly upbeat, she passes up the opportunity for an embittered moan in favour of self-improvement: a resolution to no longer take shortcuts to doing good. That involves talking more to strangers (which has furnished her with a first-class anecdote or two) and providing her own warm-up act, in character as a Kentish astronaut. It’s an opener that throws the audience off-guard, leaving

NEXT ISSUE OUT WEDNESDAY 8 SEPTEMBER

us receptive to her call-to-arms. (Matt Boothman) The Caves, 556 5375, until 29 Aug, 7.40pm, £8–£9.

CHRIS ADDISON Freeform ranting in a show about nothing ●●●●●

Much has changed in the five years since Chris Addison last did a Fringe show. While the Thick of It star and Mock the Week regular has obviously become more accomplished as a performer, the change is not all for the good. Where earlier shows were about things, cerebral forays into science and the ways of the world, this is just freeform ranting from a self-declared and heavily self-stereotyping ‘middle- class ponce’. One reason Addison looks like he’s not trying very hard could be that he’s such a personable, chatty kinda guy who makes it all look too easy. But on the other hand, you sense that now he’s ‘off the telly’, there’s no real need to spend the extra effort coming up with a structured show and those tantalisingly scarce things called jokes,

which is the biggest disappointment as Addison’s gags are very rewarding when they come. Nevertheless, he’s still brilliantly articulate and a vibrant presence on stage (even with a torn ligament sustained the day of this show), and it’s testament to these facts that this remains a flawed but entertaining way to spend an hour. (Laura Ennor) Assembly Rooms, 623 3030, until 30 Aug, 8.25pm, £17.50 (£14).

THE BALLAD OF BACKBONE JOE A noirish tale of murder and meat fruit ●●●●●

Combining versatile talents with the easy-going charm that comes so naturally from an antipodean accent, Suitcase Royale’s self-penned, music-driven comedy noir provides effusive, varied entertainment. It’s pre- war Australia and Backbone Joe is a small-town boxer with a dark secret. Suffering from blackouts and haunted by demons (well, a skeleton dog with an unstable jaw), it doesn’t look good for our eponymous hero when he’s held to ransom by his abattoir-owning boss, Messy Dimes Dan. Things take a turn for the curious though when Detective Von Trapp enters the scene holding only a letter from a mysterious dame and a surprisingly versatile suitcase, as he sets off on a tale of murder, intrigue and meat fruit. It’s a joy to witness a play of so many facets emerge as one brilliant whole. Suitcase Royale perform as a live trio

in intermittent bouts, serving up aggressive blues, tortuous jazz ballads and swinging hillbilly romps to set the scene for this humble but effortlessly intriguing group of characters. The comedic narrative that drives this inspired mix of idiots and egos on their journey is just as strong as its musical accompaniment, offering sharp dialogue and wonderful moments of improvisation from performers clearly enjoying their role.

The theatrical set-pieces shine too, with the group’s use of silhouetted forms to create a boxing fight of pure cartoon slapstick, adding a touch of genius to a show already doused in superlatives. And do watch out for that ever versatile suitcase. New Zealand has been the home of group musical comedy for some time thanks to Flight of the Conchords. Expect Suitcase Royale to take that title back to Australia pretty soon. (Thomas Meek) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug, 2.35pm, £10–£11 (£8.50–£10).