LIST.CO.UK/FESTIVAL there’s a lack of depth in the material and little in the way of quality content in a show that becomes repetitious and tiresome. (Jamie Cameron) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 28 Aug (not 22), 2.45pm, £7–£8 (£6–£7). The Gentlemen of Leisure ●●●●● Turns out that this show is less about the Death of the Novel and more about why it’s still breathing. It may be an irreverent look at literature but you get the impression that these guys have a genuine love of books. There’s an introduction to Don Quixote, cringeworthy rappers What the Dickens and a rubbish guide to writing a novel. (Marissa Burgess) The Caves, 556 5375, until 28 Aug, 3.20pm, £7–£8 (£6–£7). The Ginge, the Geordie and the Geek ●●●●● In this veritable zip-wire of a show the three Gs whiz through characters from garden gnomes to mime addicts. The timing and production are truly remarkable, and there’s absolutely nothing to dislike about these lads, whose genuine enthusiasm is palpable. Prepare for a refreshingly unpredictable hour of sketches, which are feelgood but frankly not hilarious. (Rebecca Ross) The Caves, 556 5375, until 28 Aug, 4.45pm, £9.50–£12 (£8.50–£10.50). Henry Paker ●●●●● Imagining we’re stuck up Kilimanjaro, waiting to be rescued, with enthusiastic thespy type, Paker (he likes exclaiming things like ‘extraordinary!’) keeping morale up with his arsenal of dinner party skills. These include impressions of emoticons, impromptu anagramming and bluffing reviews of book he’s not read. His claims to be ‘not very cultured’ seem false, but his original, whimsical musings are very entertaining. (Claire Sawers) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug, 8.30pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7–£8). The Hermitude of Angus, Ecstatic ●●●●● Shambling onstage like a demented Where’s Wally?, early signs seem promising for this rubbery performer. An absurdist narrated life story plods from one chapter to the next (in no particular order), carrying Angus’ near-wordless adventures. But, like a charmless Mr Bean, this is an intensely irritating character, prone to screeching and humping chocolate cake. (Murray Robertson) Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, until 28 Aug, 10.45pm, £9–£10.50 (£8–£9.50). The Horne Section ●●●●● Imagine how much funnier you could be if you had your own backing band to play along to your jokes; sing back your best one-liners; hit drum fills after your punchlines . . . Such is the set-up that three top acts are treated to c/o Alex Horne’s ensemble. Real talent and tight planning make this a toe-tapping and uproarious cabaret affair. (Jonny Ensall) Assembly George Square, 623 3030, until 27 Aug (not 21), 11pm, £12–£14 (£10–£12). How to be Awesome ●●●●● ‘I’m a bit of shambles’ reveals Lou Sanders as she takes to the stage. High energy Sanders may be, but her material – letters sent to the show, chit-chat about her stepdad, a limp ‘how awesome are my props’ set – fail to hit the mark. Sure, there are some late quirky flourishes but
Reviews at a Glance {COMEDY}
John-Luke Roberts and Nadia Kamil
it’s too little, too late. (Anna Millar) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 29 Aug, 5pm, £8–£9 (£7–£8). Improvised Plays from Austin, Texas ●●●●● Capturing the true spirit of the Fringe is this US improv four- piece. Beginning the show by asking an audience member to pick words from a book at random and thus setting the theme for the performance, the outfit maintain a charismatic warmth throughout as well as a sharp wit and excellent understanding of how to hold their audience. (Jamie Cameron) Spaces on the Mile, 0845 508 8316, until 27 Aug (not 21), 7.40pm, £7 (£5). Isy Suttie ●●●●● Best known as geek love interest Dobby from Peep Show, Suttie’s an incredibly likeable comedian. Mixing stand-up and music, her humour has a real warmth and the stuttering love story of Pearl and Dave that runs through the show is instantly engaging and surprisingly moving. However, the problem with comedy songs is they’re often cute and clever rather than belly-laugh funny. (Henry Northmore) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug, 5pm, £10–£11.50 (£9–£10.50). Jack Mink ●●●●● Billed as ‘a dark theatrical comedy’, Mink’s Making Light is painfully bereft of solid laughs. Remove the expectation of comedy from the equation and it’s a weirdly fulfilling theatre piece, as Mink free-associates and travels to very dark places. Due to the improvisational nature of the performance, it’s hard to say exactly what to expect, but it won’t be easily forgotten. (Niki Boyle) Jury’s Inn, 0845 508 8387, until 27 Aug (not 21), 9.10pm, £7 (£5). Jason John Whitehead ●●●●● In 2010, Whitehead was unceremoniously dumped by his girlfriend of five years. He’s put the 12 months since to good use with a lot of curling-up in a foetal position and penning this show. Structured around the reasons ladies have broken up with him, Whitehead deconstructs them with some cracking one-liners. (Marissa Burgess) Udderbelly’s Pasture, 0844 545 8252, until 28 Aug, 10.25pm, £10–£12 (£9–£11). John-Luke Roberts and Nadia Kamil ●●●●● It’s no ordinary sketch comedy that we’ve come to expect from the Behemoth pair. Their material is innovative, invested with a delicious sense of the absurd and whilst in places it employs some of the rules of comedy, elsewhere it deliberately bends them. And there’s a constant parade of
wonderfully silly voices too. (Marissa Burgess) Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 29 Aug, 4.45pm, £9–£11 (£7.50–£9.50). John Lynn ●●●●● No matter his subject material, which ranges in profundity from colonoscopies to making the perfect tomato and cheese sandwich, the roguish Lynn is able to mould it into a melodious, charming yarn. An affable, natural performer, he’ll send you away with memorable phrasing that you’ll regurgitate to yourself in moments of despair. (Peggy Hughes) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 28 Aug, 9.30pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9). Keeping the Captain Warm ●●●●● Rather like a live rehearsal, about half-way through this show, the four-piece sketch act finally hits the ground running, and what began as a middling muddle of cliché actually finds its feet. Some of the performances tower over others and there is a yawning chasm between the terrific and the trite but moments of inspired majesty lift proceedings. (Murray Robertson) The Caves, 556 5375, until 28 Aug, 8.55pm, £7–£8 (£6–£7). Luke McQueen ●●●●● Charming the audience with a quirky sense of humour and a big smile is McQueen. With content comparable to that of established randomist Ross Noble, his style is off-the-wall and stylistically rough around the edges while his self- deprecating and unassuming attitude conduces to a genuinely funny performance. (Jamie Cameron) Cabaret Voltaire, 226 0000, until 28 Aug (not 22), 5pm, £7 (£6). McNeil and Pamphilon ●●●●● Steve and Sam open with a knowingly sheepish confession: they are ‘two middle-aged, white thirtysomethings who won’t give up the dream’. Thankfully they bring something fresh to that already over-cluttered table. A seductive Wham dance, McNeil’s ability to ‘turn alcohol into sadness’ and a crap dad reacting in a wholly inappropriate way to his son’s sexual foibles buoy their set. (Claire Sawers) Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, until 28 Aug, 5.40pm, £8.50–£9.50 (£7–£8). Mark Nelson ●●●●● With no narrative arc or gimmicks, Nelson presents himself as a straight talker, not scared of eliciting shocked gasps with his more provocative material. He deals in the controversial with a cheeky grin, as if the words magically appeared in his mouth. Where the occasional pedestrian material lacks relevance, his profanity is utterly charming. (Suzanne Black) Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, until 28 Aug, 7.10pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10). Markus Birdman ●●●●● Birdman takes us through his ponderings on our dreams of living happily ever after, and all that lies between. There are some acutely funny observations on parenting, growing up and caring less, with Birdman only occasionally losing momentum by injecting needless shock jock humour via references to rape and decapitation, which simply dampen an otherwise jovial mood. (Anna Millar) The Stand II, 558 7272, until 28 Aug (not 23), 9.20pm, £8 (£7). 18–25 Aug 2011 THE LIST 49
F E S T I V A L