Festival
{COMEDY} LIST.CO.UK/FESTIVAL
HITLIST WITTANK A near-perfect display of sketch show hilarity from three boys who have been steadily upping their game for a few Fringes now. Prepare to be awestruck. See review, page 34. ■ The Caves, 556 5375, until 28 Aug, 6.15pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7.50–£8.50).
Andrew Maxwell With The Lights Are On, the Irish clown gets back to his blistering best with a show fuelled by a staggering wit. See review, page 44. Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 29 Aug, 9pm, £13–£15 (£12–£14)
BUG Hosted by Adam Buxton Mr B makes a bold return to the Fringe with his hugely popular London night in which he does his hilariously irreverent thing. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 25–29 Aug, 10.30pm, £15. Fiona O’Loughlin The Irish-Aussie comic reveals all about her booze battle in Spirited (Tales from an Angel in a Bottle). See list.co.uk/festival. Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 28 Aug, 9pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).
Lee Camp The rabble-rousing US comic comes over Tom Rosenthal Son of Jim and the star of Channel 4’s
here and steals all our laughs with a brilliant show full of twisted barbs at thoroughly deserving targets. See review, page 41. The Stand III & IV, 558 7272, until 28 Aug, 11.45pm, £8 (£7). Friday Night Dinner produces an extremely funny solo debut hour about privilege. See review, page 41. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug, 9.30pm, £9.50-£12 (£8-£10.50).
Luke Wright Aisle 16’s co-founder delivers a withering analysis of fractured Britain with Cynical Ballads. Mesmerising stuff. Review: edinburghfestival.list.co.uk. Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, until 28 Aug, 4.15pm, £9.50- £10.50 (£8.50-£9.50).
David O’Doherty This year, the Irish keyboardist is Looking Up with another loveable show featuring sausages, lakes and glaciers. See review, page 38. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug, 7.20pm, £14-£15 (£12-£13).
EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE 5–29 AUGUST Top 5
NEW SHOWS
With umbrellas in tow, who’s joining the party this week?
Omid Djalili Ahead of his arena national tour, the man with the finest Godzilla impersonation in the business tries out some material for lucky people who will be able to look him directly in the eye rather than through binoculars from the back of a massive hall. The Stand III & IV, 558 7272, 18–28 Aug, 7.50pm, £10.
Mark Watson Another chap testing the waters with his words is the non-Welsh Bristolian comic with a tour and his first live DVD on the way. Seems that the days of him arriving in August to do two full shows, a 24-hour gig, some readings and juggle fridge-freezers on the Royal Mile are behind him. Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 19–27 Aug, 7.45pm, £15 (£12.50). Alfie Joey You may remember Mr Joey from such shows as Ideal, where he plays Derrick, the root- vegetable obsessed friend of Moz. Here he brings us Monopolise!, a one-man comedy musical (Joey plays just the 20 characters) about a song and dance cop who tries to catch a killer on the streets of a rather popular board game. Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 22 Aug, 8.30pm, £9 (£8).
Drags Aloud With Showgurl, Joan Rivers’ favourite drag act rip up the Fringe for 11 nights only. A ‘showgurl’, in case you were wondering, is ‘what’s left when it all goes bollocks up’ for a showgirl. Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, 18–28 Aug, 10.20pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11). Andy Parsons The dome- headed star of Mock the Week brings his caustic wit and loud, questioning voice to the kind of room that is built for this very purpose. He’s feeling rather Gruntled this year. Assembly Hall, 623 3030, 20–28 Aug, 9pm, £16 (£15).
18–25 Aug 2011 THE LIST 33
F E S T I V A L