A Local's Guide to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Am I Really About to Blog About the N Word???

2011-10-28T02:27:00.005+01:00

The title will give you some clues as to the subject matter.... I'll just get straight in to it shall I?

I have a mate called Nik Coppin. He is a stand up comedian. He also happens to be mixed race (Mum from England, Dad from Barbados). I first saw him on stage at the pub my brother worked in a few years ago. He was actually one of the first reviews I did on this blog, before I knew him.

The following year my brother rented Nik a room in our flat and Nik and I became festival drinking buddies.

On one of our nights out, we were involved in what could be described as a bit of an incident in said pub that my brother worked in. The incident was quite interesting and since then, Nik has told the story on stage a few times. I have seen him tell the story on stage more than once. Unfortunately, people have taken offence to him telling the story, due to the subject matter.

So, firstly, here is my version of what happened on the night in question:

Nik and I were having a beer along with 1-2 other comics who had been performing in venues nearby. A girl walked in, crying, lost, with no shoes, and make up all smudged down her face. Nik recognised her as a girl he'd worked with in London, and got her to sit down with us. He gave her a hug, the barmaid brought over a pint of water and I grabbed her a few hankies. We then started trying to figure out where she was staying, where her mates were and where her phone was etc etc....

She was still very upset when a man started trying to get her attention, stroking her arm, speaking to her and touching her legs (she was wearing a miniskirt with no tights so her legs were totally bare). The chap had an African appearance and accent to match. She told him to go away several times, but he just got more and more determined.... until we all told him he was out of order and he had to leave her alone.

Nik, being the closest and the one who knew the girl involved was the most assertive, but he didn't even swear and went out of his way to be reasonable to someone who certainly didn't deserve it.

At that point the guy got up and said "I don't have to listen to you, you are just a half-cast, she doesn't want you, she wants to come home with a real man".

Nik gave him the opportunity to take what he said back, but the guy kept on at him, ranting and raving about how he was a worthless half-cast bastard.

At that point, Nik got a little upset and he said something along the lines of "We're the only two black people in the pub and you're coming out with that racist bullshit, well, F*** You N*****!"

The chap got more and more wound up, (more because the girl was still showing him no interest rather than because he'd been called names), I tried to get his cousin who was with him to calm him down, he was kicked out, the police were called, we all jumped in a cab and the last I heard the staff at the pub saw our friend being chucked into the back of a police van because he wouldn't calm down when they spoke to him.

So....

A year goes by and Nik appears back in Edinburgh again. I go and see his show and it turns out that the story has made it in to his act.

Apparently in England, us Scots have a bit of a reputation for being racist so Nik turns it round and tries to make it funny with the punchline at the end being "There we're 100 Scots sitting in the bar, watching the drama unfold thinking "F***ing hell... and we thought we were racist".

But if you want to get anywhere in comedy, you need to be more than just funny, you also need to be interesting and thought provoking.

As a mixed race kid growing up in London in the late 70's and early eighties, Nik obviously knows what it's like to be called the N word. Having watched him re-tell the story of what happened to us that night it was fairly obvious to me that he was trying to point to that event, including his own behaviour and show everyone how absurdly stupid it is to be racist. Only an idiot could listen to the story and think that racism was anything other than stupid.

In his effort to be thought provoking, he raises some interesting questions about language. He is by no means the first comic to talk about black people taking back the word, and if you look around twitter and the blogosphere you can see similar arguments raging from Ricky Gervais trying and failing to take back the word "mong" to gay comedians calling their friends F*****s and saying "well if the blacks are claiming their word back, then we're sure as hell having that one for ourselves..."

As language evolves so will the debates surrounding words. Nik subsequently regretted his choice of words on the night. He said his Dad would be ashamed of him, but on the other hand, he didn't think it was unjustified, and the guy deserved it.

So, to contribute to the discussion on language and to try and be thought provoking himself he told the story and directly asked the audience the question. "Was I justified to use the word? Does the fact that I am mixed race and have been called that word entitle me to use it?" (He doesn't ask it rhetorically, he actually waits for an answer - and the answers are not always the same).

It's an interesting question. It's like saying if someone hits you can you hit them back?

I'm not going to offer my own opinion on the subject but instead, I am going to offer my opinions on the people who have chosen to go on to his Chortle profile and anonymously brand him a racist.

Anyone who listens to the story as I have heard it, hears Nik ask the question and concludes that Nik's show is racist is quite clearly an idiot. You are not capable of thinking beyond one word that has triggered your inner PC voice to tell you to act like a moron.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and if you don't think he's funny then that's fine, but to go on to chortle, an important resource for stand up's trying to make a living and brand him a racist without even leaving your own name is pretty cowardly.

Some people would prefer to sit and watch banal Live at the Apollo wannabes making hack jokes about their sat nav's, moaning about their wives or trying to outdo Frankie Boyle on the offensive front. I'd prefer to hear a comic address some of the big issues and whether you personally find him funny or not, Nik at least has a bash at it and tries to make people question their preconceptions about race, racism and language.

If people like him are discouraged from trying to be a little more thought provoking because people without any forethought or intelligence are ringing his bookers to complain or bashing him on the internet, then the traditional stand up comedy club will become a much less interesting place to be.

Summing Up

2011-10-28T02:19:00.002+01:00

So.. My fringe blog dried up around half way through as usual... It tends to do that.

I always take a week off work at the start of the fringe to see as much as possible, but having to work a full time job catches up with you and inevitably I have less opportunities to get out and see stuff as the festival draws to a close. My inability to budget doesn't help either!!!

One thing I do want to add is that I was delighted to see Adam Riches get his Comedy Award. As is evidenced below, I've been following his career for a couple of years now and tipping him for bigger things!

I'll still send out the odd tweet so follow @fringeguide for my comments throughout the year!

I have however returned to the blog to have my say on an issue that happened during the fringe....

More People to See

2011-08-15T00:37:00.003+01:00

So, I've seem a few more acts, mainly at Shaggers (which I won't be reviewing because I have already done so twice and also because it's my mate who runs it) and I've also remembered a few more people that I didn't mention in my list.

Ashley Frieze closed Shaggers last night and he really is getting better and better every time I see him. He was joined on stage by Kate Lucas who more than held her own with some cracking smutty songs. But my favourite act of the night was Christophe Davidson who managed to keep the drunken late night crowd thoroughly entertained with stories about drunken sex and near misses!

Bob Slayer was not the best I've ever seen him as his crowd was a little sparse (and he needs a crown for his show to really work) but have seen him do much better so I can still confidently recommend him (perhaps make sure you go on the weekend).

I've heard great things about Hitler The Musical and also about Casual Violence: Choose Death although I've not had the chance to see them yet.

Another young Scottish act worth seeing is Sarah May-Philo who is doing a compilation show with Julia Sutherland.

Amateur Transplants: Adam Kay's Smutty Songs 2 1/2*

2011-08-14T22:38:00.007+01:00

Whilst I am a whore for free tickets and a big fan of the Free Festival, I'm also not against splashing out for a decent show to see a top comic if I think it will be worth it.

It was with this in mind, and with my girlfriend and I finally agreeing on a show we'd both liked to see that I booked tickets for Adam Kay.

If you don't recognise the name there is still a good chance you will have heard one of his songs, with The London Underground song having had well over 6 millions hits on youtube. It was this song that brought him to my attention and I also looked at a few of his other tunes, which were all funny and close enough to the bone to satisfy my sense of humour.

When you get into a particular comedy niche you are going to be compared to other comics doing the same sort of thing as you and one of the top comedians in the UK at the moment, Tim Minchin also sings funny songs at the piano and has lots of his songs on youtube.

There are however quite a few key differences, between Tim Minchin and Adam Kay, firstly Tim Minchin writes his own music whereas Adam Kay borrows popular tunes. That doesn't necessarily make you a bad comedian.

The key thing I didn't like about Adam Kay's style, was that many of his songs were not full songs, there were just a verse here a chorus there and while one or two were very funny and didn't need elaborated on, many of them could have been taken much further. Instead he simply stopped after the first laugh and moved on somewhere else.

The next talking point which can't go unmentioned is his capacity for drinking wine. After quaffing 1/2 a glass and a full bottle of white wine in the first 40 minutes, he managed to get half way through a bottle of red before he dropped his glass, smashing it on the stage and then simply moving on to the the next song because he didn't have anything else to say.

This was after he'd made his 4th or 5th reference to his parents not loving him, (because he's gay/not a practising doctor any more) which was funny the first time when he was sober but got more and more awkward as he got more and more drunk and it really did make the audience feel uncomfortable.

As far as I can tell from other reviews, the drinking thing is something he does during every show and whilst I think it's admirable that he can still play piano in the state he's in it really doesn't add to the performance and you end up feeling sorry for him by the end of the show.

Whilst he still has enough good material to fill an hour long show (and you can't criticise him for finishing off with the song that made him famous and effectively filled the room for him) , it seems that his old material is mainly full songs and his new stuff is mainly shorter and less complete stuff. When you add this to the fact that he can't even stay sober long enough to hold a glass until the end of the show, and then add in the fact that he has next to no straight stand up material between songs, you do end up walking away feeling a little disappointed.

He has the advantage of his crowd being friendly and forgiving because having seen his stuff on line they have an idea of what is coming and are prepared to wait for it. Sadly it doesn't come.

It was nice to hear the London Underground song live and there were plenty of laughs in the show, but I can't get over the fact that he's been performing live for six years and has been doing it professionally for a while now, yet his strongest material is the stuff he wrote whilst still a full time doctor or in the very early stages of his professional career, since then he gives the impression that he's been getting pissed, disappointing his parents and living off the fact that his one big hit can draw enough of a crowd to presumably give him a decent living. He promises so much more and still has the capacity to deliver, but seemingly not the will.

Show details:

http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/amateur-transplants-adam-kay-s-smutty-songs

The List

2011-08-11T23:15:00.003+01:00

So, a week or so into the Fringe, I'm posting a list of shows that I think you should see. Some I have seen and reviewed, some I have seen in previous years, some I have seen people involved in the show but not seen the whole show....

Big Names:

Reg Hunter is always worth a look. As are Richard Herring and Stewart Lee.

Becoming Big Names:

Adam Riches (see my review) has a growing reputation. His two sidekicks are also part of other shows "Late Night Gimp Fight" and "Idiots of Ants"respectively, shows I would very much like to see.

Doug Segal is now sold out so you probably won't get to see him but if you can go then do. A similar act who is almost as good is Chris Cox. He's doing a full run I believe.

I've seen Jessica Ransom twice as part of a double act and supporting Adam Riches and she was excellent.

I saw Cabaret Whore in 2009 and 2010, brilliant both times.

I'm off to see Adam Kay of Amateur Transplants on Saturday. (Check out the London Underground Song on youtube if you haven't heard of him).

Smaller names destined for bigger things:

Diane Spencer is getting some great reviews. Some great filthy sex stories and included in her show by the sounds of things! I've seen her at Shaggers and she stole she show.

Marcel Lucont is another Shaggers regular. He's doing a chat show this year which is definitely worth a look.

Max and Ivan were my first 5* show this year and are sure to be an even bigger success next year.

Now two shows with some great young up and coming Scottish comedians, most of whom I've seen at local comedy competitions. "Gangsters of Laugh" features Rik Caranza, Gareth Waugh and Paulie Cronin all of whom did well. One of my favourite up and coming Scottish lads is Richard Gadd who stars with James Kirk and Matt Winning in "Gadd Kirk and Winning: Well This is Awkward".

Compilation Shows:

My favourite show at the Fringe bar none is Shaggers. 4-6 comedians late at night talking about sex, with my buddy Nik Coppin as compere, who is also very good in his solo show "Award Winning Comedian".

Also I mentioned this in my last post, but Laughing Horse Free Festival run three "Pick of the Fringe" Shows at Espionage every day. Aside from the shape of the room, there is no difference between that and show and any of the compilation 3 comics and a compere type shows that you have to pay for.

That should keep you busy for a day or two at least!

Bratchy: Beer and Loathing and Lost Wages ***

2011-08-11T22:41:00.002+01:00

When your show is free then getting the crowd in can be only half the battle, entertaining them in non-prefect conditions can be a whole different matter. Often at the Free Festival you'll see a show every bit as good as a paid show. The Free Festival "Pick of the Fringe" shows are every bit as good as "Best of Scottish/Irish Comedy" or The Big Value Comedy show.

The downside however is that some of the rooms can be too uncomfortable, too hot, music can seep in from other venues and sometimes people wander in to shows not knowing what to expect and end up seeing something that is not to their taste.

Bratchy didn't have al the above challenges but it was a very bright room, not designed for comedy and there was a fair bit of music seeping in. I've never seen anyone do a 4-5 star review in these conditions so he has to be highly commended for putting on a 3* show under the circumstances.

Although somewhat disjointed in places, Bratchy is a very capable stand up. His style (delivery and material) is perhaps more suited to late night compering so it could ave been a challenge for him to hold the room but he managed fine (even when he went off at tangents that lead to not that strong material).

In the final part of the show the comedy went hardcore with the addition of a second comedian (disguised as a ventriloquists dummy) who managed to get away with some seriously offensive stuff because he was dressed as a dummy.

This is not a show to see if you are easily offended, but for a free show it is certainly ticks a lot of the boxes and I reckon that you'll be far more likely than not to pop a few pounds in the bucket at the end of the show!

Show details:

http://laughinghorsecomedy.co.uk/dynamic/show.asp?ShowID=394

Doug Segal - I know What You're Thinking *****

2011-08-10T00:25:00.005+01:00

I have two things to say about Doug Segal.

Number one is that he has an incredible show. Number two, he is the perfect example of how good marketing can bring you success at the Fringe.

I first encountered Doug when he started following me on Twitter not long after I'd joined, when I only had around 20 followers and hadn't said much. Presumably lured by my official looking username, he read my blog, saw what I was about and messaged me inviting me to come along and see the show. I was by no means the only one. @FringeGuru, @EdinburghSpotlight, @PublicReviews and many others had also been charmed into reviewing his show (or manipulated by the power of his mind depending on which way you look at it) and the reviews were all resoundingly positive.

I got the chance to meet him in person at the Free Festival Launch Party and I was pleased to find out that he was as nice in person as he appeared on Twitter. We chatted about his marketing strategy and he told me that once he had prepared a good show, he knew his work was still less than half done as he still had to get a crowd in to watch it, and he saw his job as show promoter every bit as much as a performer.

As someone who works in marketing who has watched so many better than average comedians get nowhere because they were to hungover to flyer or because they don't even have a facebook page, I can't tell you how refreshing this attitude is to see. Any aspiring comics or theatre acts need to look back at his Twitter timeline over the last three months, read his masterclass in self promotion and follow his lead.

Anyway, enough of my appreciation of him as a marketing guru and on to the show.....

Doug describes himself as a mentalist "like Derren Brown" but funnier. When you compare yourself to someone as successful as that you need to have the skills to match and thankfully Doug's show doesn't disappoint. I have read Derren Brown's book as well as others by the likes of James Randi, so I have a fair idea of how acts like Doug's work (I regularly annoy my girlfriend by beating Penn and Teller to the punch when they dissect the performance of another contestant on "Fool Us").

I tried doing the same at Doug's show, but by trick number four I was really struggling and although I got back on track mid-show, the last 4-5 tricks , leading up to the grand finale had me not even knowing where to start.

From the beginning he is charming and friendly, his show requires audience participation which (unlike Adam Riches) is done very sensitively without embarrassment and with the volunteers constantly at ease with their role.

His tricks all worked perfectly and he finished with a standing ovation (albeit prompted) and the buzz continued all the was down the stairs as people were leaving, desperate to discuss how he could have possibly pulled it all off.

He is now on course to sell out every show (many had to be turned away on the night I was there - and that was a Monday) so book your ticket while you still can.

Bigger and better things now await! He'll be doing a full run next year and the 5 star reviews keep rolling in.

I'm delighted to add mine to the list!

Show information:

http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/cabaret/doug-segal-i-know-what-you-re-thinking-free

Bring me the Head of Adam Riches *****

2011-08-09T23:50:00.003+01:00

I've seen Adam Riches before. If you've read my previous blog about him you'll know what's coming.

Thankfully I knew what was coming and I chose a seat right at the back in the corner. I don't mind being dragged on stage, in truth I'm a bit of a show off (as the audience at the Free Festival Launch Party found out), but on my own, during the day, sober is a bit much and last time I twice ended up like this poor chap, taking part in Adam's show (and no, I didn't lick his face) so I figured it was someone else's turn!

To carry off a sketch show, especially when you're doing most of the work yourself you have to be full of energy and Adam Riches is... well imagine Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, in a pro plus eating contest!

From the first moment to the last he gets the audience on side by being charming and at the same time off-the-wall funny! I've mentioned before that I'm easy to please and I often judge comedy shows by giving you a rough idea of their laughs per minute. With Adam Riches you have to judge him in laughs per second.

Again, I don't want to give too much away about this show itself, but you will not be disappointed.

He's moved up from the cellar to the attic and although his show is suited to a cosy room, I do think it's time for him to move on to bigger things and I hope to see him at a bigger venue next year.

With their being so much competition, including from sketch shows Max and Ivan and Colin Hoult who are equally funny, talented and enjoyable to watch, the odds are against Adam Riches winning a big award this year, but I will say that if he does win, I won't be surprised.

Show information:

http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/bring-me-the-head-of-adam-riches

Cul-de-sac **

2011-08-09T23:27:00.003+01:00

Billed as a brilliant spin of the Stepford Wives, Cul-de-sac is an exploration of what happens when neighbours get too close. The new arrival in one of the houses is greeted by his neighbour who tells him what's what and welcomes him into the cul-de-sac. As the play evolves, you find out more about the characters in the play and also the peripheral characters who are not represented with actors but form part of the story line.

Whilst the acting of the play was generally good and there were some funny moments, it was also a little weird and I have to confess I didn't really get it. I'm not ashamed to say that because I don't think many other people in the audience got it either, judging by the puzzled looks and the general shrugging of shoulders that started as soon as the actors left the stage.

There were constant references to the scary people who live outside the cul-de-sac, the hoodies and "the Muslims" who were a threat to the residents, and whilst it's quite obvious that the intention was to paint the residents as paranoid Daily Mail reading types, bigoted characters tend to be shown up at the end of the play and this didn't really happen.

All in all, the failure of this play to shine is down to the poorly written script, which did not give the actors the scope to really show off the comic prowess they claim to have on the flyer.

Show information:

http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/cul-de-sac

Free Festival Launch & Chortle Fast Fringe

2011-08-04T10:21:00.003+01:00

As well as the four shows I have already review from day one, I also went along to Chortle's Fast Fringe and then the Free Festival Launch Party. All in all I saw over 20 acts do 4-6 minutes each, and I can't remember all the names so I'll just post the highlights!

Tim Fitzhigham and Tiff Stevenson were the two most memorable stand up acts. Tiff has presumably used up all her TV friendly stuff on Show Me The Funny and only has abortion gags left, but they worked well! Tim did what some of the other comedians should have done and squeezed as much as possible into 4 minutes and made me interested in his show.

A little tip to some of the other stand up's: If you've only got 4 minutes, don't walk on stage and say"Fucking hell, 4 minutes, it's not a lot is it, I'm trying to think what I can do in only 4 minutes". It doesn't make you look like a super duper comedian with lots of in depth material, who needs time to express himself, it makes you look like an unprepared amateur, sets up your slot to fail and virtually ensures that no-one will buy a ticket to see your full hour which is the whole point of you being there in the first place. More than one of them did it, I can't remember all of their names so I'm going to be kind and not mention any of them, but seriously, what a bunch of absolute wallopers.

Out with the stand up's there was a great performance by a chap who managed to spin five hula hoops simultaneously. Unfortunately I can't remember his name. Please comment if you know who I am talking about and I'll edit the post to give him credit.

After Chortle it was off to the Free Festival Launch at the Counting house where I met up with a few friends and met lots of great new people.

Stand out acts were Compere Mike Belgrave, Doug Segal and Bob Slayer.

Mike is a cheeky happy performer who looks a little like a tramp. I'd really like to see him doing a 20 minute set as he was only really introducing acts.

Doug Segal is a mind control expert, similar to Derren Brown but much more light hearted. I was also lucky enough to meet him off stage and he's a terrific bloke. I'll definitely get down to see his show. He only has a short run (until 13th I think).

Bob Slayer is just a grade a fucking nutcase! He dragged me on stage and forced me to perform We Will Rock You, complete with a Freddie Mercury moustache, then went crowd surfing.... Thankfully I was drunk enough by that point and I'm not shy sober anyway! He doesn't do jokes, he just downs pints on stage and goes crazy, doing whatever takes his fancy, which is incredibly entertaining.

I'll be going to see lots more Free Festival shows during the remainder of the Fringe.

The Free Festival launch Night was a one off. Details of Chortle's Fast Fringe are here:

http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/chortle-presents-fast-fringe

2401 Objects 3 1/2*

2011-08-04T10:00:00.002+01:00

This show is a play about the world's most renowned amnesiac Henry Molaison who was operated on in 1953 by a doctor who was trying to cure him of severe epilepsy, but ended up wiping away the last two years of his memory and leaving him unable to form new memories.

The dialogue switches back and forward, showing the after effects of the surgery and his life at home before the surgery (stuck at home and having to rely on his parents) and the reasons for them reaching the decision to allow Henry to have the operation.

The subject matter was very interesting and the production was slick. I think the play would still have worked just as well without the large projector screen that they used, I think the actors would have been good enough to help you picture the scene without it being there in front of you, but I don't think it did too much harm either.

I can't go as far as to say the show was dazzling but it was intensely interesting and I admire the company for taking on the subject matter. They have certainly done their research too, taking the time to talk to the actual neurologists who studied Henry in real life which certainly paid off in the final production.

Show details:

http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/2401-objects

Max and Ivan are Holmes and Watson *****

2011-08-04T09:38:00.002+01:00

Now this is how comedy should be done!

Max and Ivan play Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson as well as many other characters in this hour long sketch style play.

The storyline is based around their final adventure, where they take a trip to Chicago to sort out Al Capone and all the criminals ruining the city.

The two actors have an unbelievable amount of energy and facial expressions that were made for comedy. They often played up to six characters between the two of them in certain scenes, but the ease they showed when switching between characters, using nothing other than acting skills, meant that you were never confused and could keep up.

The show is incredibly fast paced with a gags-per-minute count that is off the scale.

These guys are definitely destined for bigger things.

Show details:

http://bit.ly/pMBxCF

Chat Masala with Hardeep Singh Kohli **

2011-08-04T09:09:00.005+01:00

After my previous blog on the increase in the number of Chat Shows at this year's Fringe I took my first foray into that genre yesterday with Chat Masala

I was offered a free ticket to see this show and accepted because I heard Andrew Maxwell was a guest and he is always worth seeing.

The format is very similar to a typical daytime TV show. You do a bit of cooking and bring on the guests then let them try the food at the end of the show. I have to say my girlfriend is a fan of these types of shows, I tend to get distracted by facebook, twitter or anything else on my phone after about 5 minutes because I find them mind numbing. I only watch them if there is someone interesting on.

Andrew Maxwell turned up, despite being ill, so fair play to him! The chat between him and Hardeep focused for quite a long time on sectarianism in Scotland, which to be honest I hear far too much about being a football fan. When I'm at the Fringe I'm hoping to get away from all that boring nonsense, and more to the point, it's not funny.

They did point out a couple of times that it was a chat show and not a comedy show and they basically said that they didn't apologise for straying into serious matters - that's all well and good, but when you have a comedian talking to a comedian, you want to at least raise a chuckle.

The second guest was actor Art Malik who came along with his daughter Keira (who is producing his show) and later in the play his wife and other daughter came on stage too.

I'm not too familiar with his work, although it does sound like he's a very accomplished actor. His chat was interesting in places, but often it deviated to his family saying things like how nice a view they had of Arthur's Seat from their flat... Not exactly riveting.

Finally, the highlight for me was the last guest Joe Stilgoe, a comedy jazz pianist who did a medley of songs suggested by the audience. He was endearing, funny and a great musician.

The show will have different guests every day so you will get a wide variation and there will certainly be better shows than this one in the run. I have to be honest though and say that out of all the shows I saw yesterday, this was the one I would not have regretted missing, which is why it only gets two stars.

Show Details:

http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/chat-masala-with-hardeep-singh-kohli

Phillips and Will Are Now in a Relationship 3 1/2*

2011-08-03T12:59:00.002+01:00

My Fringe 2011 started with an understated yet entertaining play, in which a boyfriend and girlfriend read out their Facebook wall to wall. The play is only half an hour long... About right for the type of play it was.

I have seen plays like this where the actors were actually reading. This was not the case here. The actors' performances were endearing and believable and well timed (and they knew their lines).

If you've got a couple of friends who play out their relationship on Facebook, you'll definitely find the play entertaining.

I can't help thinking though, that the two actors and the writers will wish they had challenged themselves a little more. The idea is a little simplistic, and the format means there are limits to how much the actors can show off their skills.

Personally I don't understand why you would want to come to Edinburgh to act in a chair from behind a laptop. Being able to call yourself "The Facebook Play" will certainly get the attention of punters, but I think the actors should have been allowed a bit more freedom.

The theatre group does have another show at the Fringe and Seeing this play certainly wouldn't put me off seeing the other one. (I'm not sure if the two actors in this play are in the other one too. I hope so. It look quite good).

Show details:

http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/phillipa-and-will-are-now-in-a-relationship

The other play:

http://www.pleasance.co.uk/edinburgh/events/the-sexual-awakening-of-peter-mayo

It's Time

2011-08-03T10:33:00.003+01:00

So, it's finally here and pleasingly it's a nice sunny day!

Today I'll be heading to The Pleasance to see what's on offer, before heading to the Free Festival Launch Night at the Counting House.

I'll try and post a review of every show I see, but this year I'll also be posting on Twitter straight after the show so make sure you follow me @FringeGuide.

Two quick links for you I head off...

Firstly here is a spreadsheet which lists every free show at the Fringe.

Secondly, I've mentioned them before, but the Theatre Ninjas website is now live with free tickets for shows, many of which would otherwise not be free.

Happy Fringing everyone!

More Shows to See

2011-07-15T23:11:00.003+01:00

So, as promised, it's time for me to point you in the direction of more shows that take my fancy... after scouring the Fringe Programme, Youtube and Twitter. (Most of these have already been mentioned on Twitter for those who follow me @FringeGuide).

Firstly, a show I enjoyed last year but didn't get to blog about was Hamlet: The Musical. Their run has finished but I am reliably informed via twitter that Ed Jaspers, one of the co-writers is showing Grisly Tales From Tumble Water at The Pleasance. Well worth a look as I'm sure it'll be of a similar standard to Hamlet TM which I thought was great.

Staying on the musical theme, Fresher The Musical looks right up my street. A nice light-hearted subject wrapped up with musical comedy... I don't know much about it but it has a lot of potential and I will try and get along and see it.

Next, I couldn't let the blog go by without mentioning Doug Segal, mentalist and funny man. Any act looking to promote themselves on Twitter should follow this guy's lead, he's the master of flattery and he's had lots of great reviews in the build up to the fringe including from Fringe Guru and Fringe Review. His show revolves around subliminal messages and mind control, yes like that dude on Channel 4 that I'm sure he's fed up of being compared to. He's well worth following on Twitter and I'm sure he will also be worth seeing live. The bad news is he's only on for the first 10 days of the Fringe, finishing up on the 13th August so get in quick! Also, did I mention he's free!

I saw Desiree Burch at Shaggers last year and she stole the show. Her show 52 Man Pick Up will I'm sure, be filthy and fabulous. Definately a great "Girls Night Out" Fringe show.

Another great up and coming female act is Diane Spencer. Simply a great stand up who is relatively new to the scene and seems to be picking up lots of hype. I've only seen her do a short set but would love to see more!

For kids, two shows, Potted Potter has been recommended to me by a friend with two young boys. They've been to see them several years running and love it. I also saw Little Howard a few years ago when he had a show that was more suited to adults (although kid friendly). He's on CBBC now, (which I don't watch) but live both Big and Little Howard were excellent and I'm sure they still will be!

Finally, I made a bold prediction on Twitter.... If the Edinburgh Comedy Awards don't stick to a straight stand up "soon to be seen on Live at the Apollo" type act then Colin Hoult will be in with a great shout of winning an award. I've seen lots of hype about his show and after seeing him last year I know why. He's a masterful comedy performer with more crazy surprises than Glenn Mulcaire's notebook and an incredible knack for performing infectious songs and getting the audience involved. Go and see his show!

Funny's Funny Final

2011-07-12T00:49:00.003+01:00

Just a quick note to say good luck to all the Women at the Funny's Funny final. I was lucky enough to be a judge at the Edinburgh heat and the standard was very high.

The competition was set up in response to the Funny Women competition after they introduced a fee for comedians to enter... (a big no no in the comedy world).

Anyone in London should go and support the show... £12.50 is very reasonable for a final of a nationwide competition.

A Beginner's Guide to Stealing Jokes

2011-07-09T13:58:00.005+01:00

Chortle and Twitter have been rife with allegations over the last couple of weeks with some big name comedians becoming embroiled. One case in American is being resolved by lawsuit.

It started with an unknown Australian Comic Jordan Paris who managed to get through the auditions of Australia's Got Talent with some jokes stolen from comedians Geoff Keith and Lee Mack. Paris was as guilty as sin, stealing the jokes word for word, exactly as previously performed by the aforementioned comics on TV. As thefts go it's not exactly the great train robbery in terms of cunning or in terms of what was stolen, but for the two comedians who had their material taken from them and regurgitated by a less talented imposter, it was serious business. (The main joke in question was centred around rock singers getting the crowd to sing and comparing this to what would happen if a comic did the same).

Both comedians came out saying how angry they were and called for him to be disqualified from the competition and not booked by promoters in the future. Instead, the judges chose to let him continue on the condition that he didn't steal any more jokes and as a result, he predictably died on his arse with his own material. A fair outcome all round in the end.

Micky Flanagan didn't do himself any favours by then using the same joke as his own on Mock the Week a few days later! (A joke which he says he used years ago and only used recently because it was relevant to the subject being discussed).

Since then there have been quite a few more comics claiming that they too have had their jokes stolen....

Now, whilst comedians and writers have every right to protect their material, I do think there is a bit of self promotion going on at the same time. They say imitation is the best form of flattery and no-one is going to copy a crap comedian so it follows logically that if your material has been nicked it must be good! Therefore, if you are seen to have comedy material stolen from you, you must be a good comic, so it is in your interest to be seen to have been imitated.

Jim Tavare went one stage further recently and claimed that Sid Bowfin, formerly of the trio "Pluck" stole his whole act. "It's like you've stolen my soul" he proclaimed on Chortle, Twitter and Punchline Magazine. His evidence was a couple of videos showing that they both dressed in a similar manner, they were both bald, they both used musical instruments, they both had a routine around a broken microphone and their websites looked similar.

I had never heard of Jim Tavare, before this episode, I did however recognise Sid Bowfin (real name Adrian Garratt) from watching Pluck back in 2008. Review here. As I said in my review I thought they were great. His range of facial expressions, outstanding musical ability and participation in a very well thought out and planned show means he's got great comic ability regardless. The fact that many of his shows are improvised also tells you he isn't just a script memoriser.

However, my respect for him has jumped to a whole new level with his detailed and passionate defence of himself and his act, where he refutes all the allegations against himself. In the rebuttal, which reads like an essay on the history of the type of comedy he performs, complete with video references, he explains that comedians can sometimes come up with similar ideas, can dress the same, can both be bald and can also both use the same computer software for building websites.

As a result, Jim Tavare, not to put it to lightly, now appears to have make a complete and utter c*** of himself and is very lucky that he is not being sued, especially since he encouraged other comedians to retweet his claims. To his credit though, he does now appear to have apologised.

In my experience, comedians do come up with the same material a lot. I have been lucky enough to have been invited to judge quite a few new act competitions and if I had to count the number of times I've heard the same jokes about sat nav and 9/11 happening on November 9th etc I would need all my fingers and toes! As a result, I don;t think Micky Flanagan is guilty of copying anything. At worst, all you can call him is a little bit hack!

So if you are a comic and you hear a joke similar to your own, my advice would be to stop and think about it, realise the world is a finite place and have a think about whether it COULD be a co-incidence. If you're sure it can't be, approach said comedian and tell him to stop performing your material or you will post videos of you performing the material before said plagiarist. If he/she still does not recant, post your material and let people judge for themselves. If it's that obvious, you will be backed up by others. If they still don't stop then talk to your lawyer.

Allegations can get out very quickly and mushroom in the age of Twitter so make sure they are 100% correct before you put it out there.

Alternatively, you could just take some advice from joke thief victim Milton Jones who simply said "A punch in the face in a comedy club green room is generally more effective than court".

The Chat Show Phenomenon

2011-06-27T21:28:00.003+01:00

They've been around for a while, but I've noticed that the chat show format seems more abundant that ever this year.

Quite a few of the acts I've seen before and many that I have recommended are going down that route this year. I'm a fan of Tim Vine... I've not gone to see him live because he's on telly so much, but he seems to have switched to the chat show format. Jack Whitehall and Arthur Smith are other reasonably big names who have done the same.

I've sung the praises of Marcel Lucont on the blog before and also recommended Bob Slayer, a real mayhem specialist... Whilst I'm a huge fan of both I have different opinions on both of them doing it. I expect Bob Slayer will not change that much, his shows will still be anarchy and he'll still run around like a lunatic, but Marcel Lucont is a much more polished comedian. I've really enjoyed his shows and would be happy to just see more new material.. I don't know how well his stuff will come across in a two way dialogue... but at least he is trying something new and I sincerely hope he nails it!

The locals are getting in on the act too, with Scott Agnew and Hardeep Singh Kohli joining in (I've always thought that Hardeep is more suited to a presenter style/TV type gigs than straight stand up anyway).

Long-standing chat show enthusiasts Neil and Christine Hamilton are doing their regular lunch time show and other names using this format include Olivia Lee, Stephen K Amos (on the Radio), and that's before you add in other TV and radio shows like Fred MacAulay who usually comes livefrom Edinburgh every day during the Fringe...

The question I really want to ask though... Is it taking the easy option? I'd like to see comments on this as I'm still undecided....

Many comics tirelessly try to reinvent themselves, develop and refine their material in order to try and come up with an hour of magic that finally sees them propelled to stardom!

To just invite your mates on and have a bit of material prepared to slip in along with the regular banter, doesn't seem as dedicated to me.

Having another comedian on stage would, I imagine, make performing much easier. If you hit a weak point and you aren't getting the laughs you can keep quiet and let the other comic do their bit.... It would certainly be a lot less lonely than being on stage for an hour!

On the other hand, many comedians come into their own when they ask ballsy questions and manage to stay just inside the line. Mrs Merton and Ali G are two character comedians who deservedly found fame by shamelessly taking advantage of the people they were interviewing.

Maybe people just want to see chat shows. Is it a simple case of supply and demand? Do punters drift towards these types of shows just like they drift towards your standard "three acts and a compere" because it's a safer bet? You can't blame comedians for following buyer trends. After all, comedy is still a business and anyone who doesn't treat it as such, especially in Edinburgh, is certain to lose out!

What do people think?

Free Festival Programme Launched

2011-06-26T22:41:00.006+01:00

In the current economic climate people will be playing closer attention to anything that can get them a good deal at the Fringe. A large part of my blog will have hopefully helped readers find the best deal and made it easier to pick up freebies, especially for shows that you normally have to pay for! (The Theatre Ninjas app has now been downloaded and I'm looking forward to using it. See my last blog).

The Five Pound Fringe were a great company keeping the cost of tickets down but sadly they have disappeared this year.

But you still don't need to look very hard to get a freebie with two major promoters offering free shows for the entirety of the Festival!

Peter Buckley-Hill has been around longer with "PBH Free Fringe" but in recent years he has been overtaken by the Laughing Horse Free Festival, who this year have 6725 performances of 339 shows in 17 venues (approximately twice the size of PBH)! Laughing Horse managed to secure the first Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination (Best Newcomer) for a free show last year with Imran Yusuf who this year moves to The Pleasance for £11 a pop; which goes to show that there are lots of great up and coming comics who aren't neccesarily charging a fortune!

I've already recommended a few shows from the Free Festival in a previous blog so I won't repeat those, but another safe bet is to try out one of their many 3-4 comedians for the price of one. They have shows at Espionage at 6pm, 8.30pm and 11pm and similar shows at other venues which are well worth a look such as Jock's and Geordies at the Meadow Bar.

If you are wondering how promoters can put on a free show at the Fringe and not lose a fortune, here's an article that tells you how.

So have a look at the guide and try it out! Not every act will be 5/5 but in terms of value for money there's nothing better on the Fringe. You can take a wander into any of their venues, buy a drink an just jump into the next show that starts! That's certainly what I'll be doing!

Theatre Ninjas

2011-06-21T09:32:00.003+01:00

I thought these guys deserved a post all to themselves...

The Theatre Ninjas have created an app that gives away free tickets to people who download it to their smart phone.

The idea is that instead of handing out comps randomly to people hanging out in the Pleasance (like me), they will be able to reach a wider audience of people who want to try something new and see the fringe on a budget.

There is a great interview with them in Three Weeks...

I'll definitely be downloading it and I'll let everyone know how I get on.

Posted Missing

2011-06-16T13:20:00.005+01:00

Friends who have picked up the Fringe programme have had a flick through it and said to me "The fringe looks rubbish this year, hardly anyone is coming!"

I couldn't disagree more!

If all you want to do is pay £18 for comics you've already seen on "Live at the Apollo" or on Channel 4, then, you may find yourself somewhat limited for choice....

No, John Bishop, no Kevin Bridges, no Rhod Gilbert, no Jason Manford, no Tim Minchin, no Sean Locke, no Michael McIntyre, no Alan Carr, no Dara O'Briain, no Lee Evans, no Micky Flanagan, no Adam Hills no Frank Skinner.... I could keep going for a while...

But on the other hand there are plenty of big names still appearing....

Jack Whitehall is still coming, Richard Herring and Stewart Lee are both up. Mark Watson will be there. Andi Osho, Rich Hall, Sarah Millican, Shappi Khorsandi and Jon Richardson were all on Channel 4's Comedy Gala but will still slog it out in Edinburgh! Milton Jones is a regular on Mock the Week but he's still coming.

All in all you still have plenty of choice.

But for me, the decision of some of the big names to stay away is a good thing. A lot of people still want to see big names. It just means that this year these people will be spread out a lot more. It also means that people are more likely to take a gamble and/or go and see someone they haven't heard of based on a recommendation from a friend or a good review in the paper.

This can only be good for the Fringe and live comedy. For me the spirit of the fringe has always been to try something new. There are always more losers than winners at the Fringe in terms of ticket sales (and money) but if there is a rough diamond out there not getting the recognition they deserve then they are far more likely to be found in a Fringe without the big hitters stealing the crowds (who will no doubt have less money to spend than in previous years).

So get yourself down to the Royal Mile and grab some flyers or head down to a Free Festival venue. You never know, you might be able to tell all your friends that you saw the next Michael McIntyre playing to 17 people in a dingy basement!

Early Recommendations

2011-06-12T16:58:00.004+01:00

So, 2010 for me was more of a "Hanging out at the Free Fringe venues with the people I met last year" kind of year and as a result I saw a few acts again that I reviewed in 2008/9.

Marcel Lucont was great again with a good selection of new material. He's hosting a chat show this year at the Underbelly. Details here.

Secondly, I've seen a young comic called Richard Gadd a few times, at various comedy shows out with the fringe, I also caught his show last year which was rough round the edges due to him experimenting with lots of new stuff, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. This year he's performing as part of a trio with two other up and coming Scottish comedians. More details here.

The one show that I wish I'd blogged about at the time was "No Son of Mine". A great performance by Rufus Jones and Alex Kirk in a comedy about a son in Theatre and a Father who comes to see him (even although he thinks it's "all a bit poofy").

Some classic one liners and two great performances. Unfortunately neither seem to be at the Fringe this year judging by a quick search of the Fringe website. If you see them anywhere then please comment below and I'll give them a shout out! Here's a good review from The British Comedy Guide.

My good friend Nik Coppin has his usual "Shaggers" show on at The Three Sisters late at night. See my old reviews for a run down - it's the best late night fun you can have at the Fringe with your trousers on! His solo show "Award Winning Comedian" also got some great reviews at this year's Adelaide Fringe. On top of that he's got a third show "Huggers" a family friendly alternative to Shaggers, with all the best comedians on the Fringe who don't say F***!

Imran Yusuf performed as part of the Free Festival last year and became the first free act to be nominated for the ECA (the award formerly known as "The Perrier") Best Newcomer. As a result he's got himself a 7pm slot at the Pleasance this year. A bit pricey at £11/12 so get in and see him during the previews or 2for1's.

Sarah-Louise Young is back for a third year as Cabaret Whore. After winning a 5* review in The Scotsman in 2009 (and with me too) she had huge audiences in 2010 and is now performing at the Underbelly in 2011.

More early recommendations to follow once I've had more of a chance to digest the Fringe Guide!

I'm Back

2011-06-12T13:27:00.002+01:00

I took a year off last year, primarily due to not being able to get to as many shows.

I also ended up drinking with too many comics after the shows I did attend, due to being introduced to them by my comic mate who was staying with me in 2009 so it made it a little more difficult to be objective... something I think is important if I'm rating shows!

Anyway, with the arrival of twitter, it should be much easier to rate shows and get my opinions out there. You can follow me @alocalsguidetothefringe

I'll try and post reviews via the blog here but also lots of bits and pieces while I'm out and about, including articles I like, shows I'd like to see and people i've spotted.

Royal Mile

2009-08-18T11:32:00.003+01:00

Having posted not much other than reviews and show recommendations I thought it would be worth chatting about other great aspects of the Fringe.

One of the highlights of the festival is the Royal Mile.

Right in the centre of the old town the street comes alive as 100's of street performers, theatre groups, flyerers and a few tramps all compete for attention.

If you want to soak up the Fringe atmosphere this is the first place to head. The street performers will keep the kids entertained for hours, there are three mobile stages with acts doing short preview performances every 20 minutes. If you wander between the three of them you are pretty much constantly watching something new.

If you like anything you see you can buy tickets from the fringe office which is right there in the middle of the Royal Mile. (There are also a lot of year round tourist attractions there - head further up the hill to see the Camera Obscura - one of the world's oldest visitor attractions).

You'll also see people trying to invent new ways of getting attention. Lying in the road pretending to be dead seems to be popular at the moment, which can be quite annoying when there is a big crowd trying to get past.

Yet there are still people handing out flyers without so much as a smile!

See my posting from last year for tips:

http://alocalsguidetothefringe.blogspot.com/2008/07/flyers-flyers-flyers.html

A mention should go to the cast of "Much Ado About Nothing" for attracting photographers with their posing, before dancing in the middle of the street with each other (and encouraging passers by to join in). Geat way to get attention. Good luck with your show!

Also the cast of "Showstopper" deserve a mention for a very entertaining improvised song. Their show looks great.

If the weather holds I will probably head back down today.

Shows for Non-English Speakers

2009-08-17T18:55:00.003+01:00

I've been asked for recommendations for shows that would be appreciated by non-English speakers at the fringe...

My first thought was Gamarojobot, a Japanese mime act who often perform a mixture of magic and mime on the High Street and usually do a full show at a venue as well.

I say usually, because unfortunately I haven't seen them listed this year.... so on to the shows that are.....

The Soweto Gospel Choir are Fringe veterans. They've been coming for years and always get good reviews. I've only seen them on the street busking/promoting, and heard them on the radio. I've never seen a full show, but I have no doubt they will be impressive.

I saw the group running "Venezuela Viva" three years ago and although there is a storyline to the show, it's bursting with energy and is mainly dance based. It got 5* reviews all round and the girl I was seeing at the time loved it.

Tao - Samurai Magical Drumming I think would be another safe show to see although I know less about it.

The "Dance and Physical Theatre" section will have more ideas. The Japanese/Eastern dance acts are always spectacular.

If I spot anything of interest I'll add it to this post.

Here's a couple more:

The Magnets at the E4 Udderbelly are worth a look. They creata a big band sound using only their voices.

Or you could hang out at Whistlebinkies and see the best Scottish traditional and contemporary music. They have stuff on all day during the fringe.

The Heresy Project: Kill Your God ****

2009-08-16T22:22:00.005+01:00

Be afraid... Be very afraid..... for the two comedians brave enough to put on a show with this title, let alone the content within the show.

The advertising for the show is not subtle "...makes Richard Dawkins look like the Archbishop of Canterbury" screams the poster. This show is clearly not for people with imaginary friends!

I've taken a keen interest in the god debate in recent years, so this is my kind of show and I knew it would be.

The show pulls no punches. Zero. Imagine the most blasphemous thing you can possibly think of, then add willies to it. And Donkeys. With willies. For every major religion.... So, you get the idea of the content. On to the show itself.

The show is a well presented and well prepared hour which makes good use of mulitmedia without being overly flashy and dependent on it. But what impressed me most was the preparation that has obviously gone in to preparing the dialogue itself. The two comedians did have their scripts on stage to refer to, just in case they went off track but they didn't take too many peeks so it never took away from the show itself.

What we ended up with was two passionate comedians talking about something that they believe in with a good on stage rapport as well as a natural talent for being funny.

Although there is a lot of goofiness and a fair bit of equating people they don't like to other people they don't like (Christian Voice are a bit like the BNP apparently) some of the central arguments of the atheist perspective are put across quite well, in a simplified, offensive kind of way.

So... if blasphemy is your kind of thing, go and see it. If it's not, don't.

The Heresy Project: Kill Your God is on at Espionage at 20.40

4/5

http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=14852

Shaggers Part 1&2 ****

2009-08-16T19:29:00.006+01:00

I've been to Shaggers three times since it started last week and I've seen some good stuff...

For thse of you who haven't read my previous posts, it's basically a show lasting 60-80 minutes with guest comedians who are given one rule: You must talk about sex.

It's a late show at the Counting House and it starts at 11.40pm in the ballroom upstairs. I don't claim to remember the names of every act on stage but there have been some seriously good ones.

Here are the highlights...

Marcel Lucont: An absolute class act both times. He's got some cracking on stage banter as well as some great prepared material. He has his own show at the Underbelly around 10pm, which I'll hopefully get a chance to see before the end of the fringe.

Dan Willis: Solid shagging stories from an experienced comedian. He's on quite regularly so there's a good chance you'll see him if you head down. If not he's got a solo show around 6pm in Espionage and he comeres "Northern Talent" in the Meadow Bar.

Lewis Schaffer: Got to gives him kudos for pushing the boundaries. He managed to get about 10 eopl eot walk out with his humour but alos provided me with the best joke to repeat to all my sick and twisted mates (which I'm not repeating on here). His show, which is definately not for the feint hearted or easily offended is on at the Counting House at 6.40pm.

Nik Coppin: My lodger for the fringe... superb compere (he'd kill me if I said anything else but it's true). He also has a solo show at Espionage at 7.20pm.

Ben Dover: Porn star, but also a pretty competent stand up judging by his preformance. Alhtough I have friends who went to his show last night and apparently a few people walked out it was so bad! Funny how comics can kill one night and die the next. Pretty good based on what I saw though.

I've also stuck my head it to the tail end of a few of the free shows when I've been drinking at the venues... Donald MacIntyre had a few good jokes, but with a tough crowd. Kai Bosh was compering a late show and had some great filler material in the 5-10 minutes I saw him. Imran Yusuf also had a great short set.

Nick Mohammed in Apollo 21 **

2009-08-16T18:27:00.003+01:00

The blurb for the show doesn't tell you much, other than it's a show about the moon landings and it's listed in the "comedy" section.

Unfortunately I didn't really figure it out. It's all very much moon related, but I just don't think he really took the theme anywhere. The show followed the timelines of the moon landings in a loose fashion but he didn't really try to go in one direction.

The show started with, and kept going back to imressions of Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins although Mohammed strangely chose to put on an accent for Collins, but use his own accent when playing the art of Aldrin).

Rather than talking about things that actually happened he chose to imagine how they may have bitched about each other then repeat his thoughts to the audience. There were one or two witty observations scattered in there but mostly it was predictable... pooing and peeing in space, Michael Collins being jealous because he didn't get to land on the moon etc.

He touched on the subject of the debunking the conspiracy theorists who try to claim that the moon landings were faked, but again didn't really take it anywhere.

Unfortunately the best part of the show came when he had a major technical problem with the projector and couldn't get it to work. This lead to some funny interactions and ad libing while the computer restarted and we got to see his screensaver.

So there is proof that there is a good comedian out there, he just didn't manage to show it in this show.

Nick Mohammed is at The Pleasance Upstairs at 16.45

2/5

http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=15094

The Motherwokfantastic - Daniel Rigby ***

2009-08-14T20:33:00.003+01:00

Daniel Rigby is a very interesting charachter. His ridiculous style of comedy which mixes deadpan with stupid songs and on stage giggling makes him really hard to define or take seriously.

His deadpan style comes across as a little arrogant at first. I got the impression he thought he was a genius and was just waiting for us to realise it at first, but he won me over by the end of the show.

Some of the sketches were repeated, getting more surreal each time.

I really can't decide if I like him or not. There's a good chance he's the sort of act that grows on you the more you see them (there is more than just a tip of the hat to Monty Python in his sketches)... I could quite easily see him next year and give him 5 stars. He could just as easily fall of the face of the earth.

Why not go and see him for yourself and post a comment below....

Daniel Rigby is at the Pleasance Cellar at 18.00

3/5

http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=15028

Regret Me Not **

2009-08-14T16:10:00.002+01:00

You can sit and watch someone who is clearly talented and recognise their talents, but still not enjoy the show all that much.

Andrea Dovovan is likeable and I don't know if it was that tiredness was starting to set in, but I didn't get in to the show at all.

With no-one to bounce off on stage and no audience interaction (which I admit was a relief afer Adam Riches) the show was far too one-dimensional. The costume changes took up quite a bit of time and although the charachters could have been funny, they took too long to establish.

She'll go on to do well I think. Other people in the audience were enjoying the show more than me, but it was definatley smile to yourself funny rather than laugh out loud funny.

I expect to see Andrea Donovan have success in the future, possibly getting parts in comedy acting... I don't know how exerienced she is... if this is her first Edinburgh show then it could be a good starting point for her, but she will need some new ideas to really get on... more props, people starring alongside her.... use of multimedia in the show could all help take her to the next level (Her youtube trailer for the show is decent - link below).

Regret Me Not is at the Peasance Hut at 16.45:

2/5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-SeZfQnDM8

http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=13991

Rogue Males - Adam Riches *****

2009-08-14T15:10:00.005+01:00

Mr Riches, if you are reading this, you are very lucky I have a sense of humour.

I figured it was charachter comedy rather than stand up, there were seats near the front, the room was filling up and I was by myself, so I figured I could sit at the front and be safe..... Big mistake. Schoolboy error.

There was some hilarious charachter acting in the show from Riches and his sidekicks (with the Daniel Day Lewis impressions being the highlight) but the only people who get it worse than Mr Day Lewis are the poor audience members in the front row.... which included me.

During the show I was snogged by Riches, forced to bear my (lack of) chest hair, dressed up as a MI6 operative and only avoided an unusual drinking contest because a fat guy in the audience decided to start heckling (NEVER heckle when there is audience participation in the show).

This is exactly the sort of show you'd want to go and see with your work mates. (Point out the boss and I'm sure Adam will oblige in picking on them).

Despite my humiliation I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm sure the audience enjoyed it even more!

Rogue Male is on at the Pleasance at 15.30

5/5

http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=15065

Success Story *****

2009-08-14T14:52:00.006+01:00

I've had a busy week of festivalling and working which has left me with hardly any time to blog my fringe experiences so far. I've fianlly got some free time and it's raining, so here's my first catch up review...

The one thing that annoys me about the fringe is the blur between comedy and theatre. I see a lot of stand up but some of the best shows that you see are theatre shows that are funny. A well acted play with well executed funny lines can give you double the pleasure as you're seeing a story unfold infront of you rather than just retold, but you also get a decent gag to laugh at.

There isn't a guide out there for "funny theatre". There's definately a gap in the market for someone who coud list al the threatre shows that consider themselves funny rather than all out serious.

Success Story is exactly the kind of gem I look for. A great play that allows the actors to shine, without taking itself too seriously. One of the best plays I've seen is Ben Elton's "Popcorn" and whilst Success Story isn't as gory, it has many similar attributes.... Hollywood types holed up in an apartment, suddenly facing a moral dilema, not a small amount of stress and some strained relationships.

The acting in this play is top notch, particularly from the lead actor (who's name isn't easily found on a google search). There are twists in the tale, some great one liners and a real sense of escapism as you're taken away for an hour in to the lives of the Hollywood elite.

The small intimate venue of the Pleasance Upstairs also helps the atmosphere in the room.

I expect this play to get more 5* reviews as the festival progresses.

Success Story is at the Pleasance at 2pm

5/5

http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=16268

Day 2 Summary

2009-08-06T23:56:00.005+01:00

I saw the following shows today:

Success Story 5/5
Rogue Male - Adam Riches 5/5
Regret Me Not 2/5
The Motherwokfantastic - Daniel Rigby 3/5

Nik Coppin - Liquatious - see below.

I cant remember seeing three 5* shows in a row, but the first two today were both great adding to the joy of Hugh Hughes last night. Full reviews will follow, I'm trying to cram in as many shows as possible at the moment so it's inevitable I'll fall behind.....

Success Story is a great play, with a fantastic young good looking cast and well worth going to see.

Adam Riches is on his way to getting a 5* review despite humiliating me on stage three times. Never sit in the front row - I made a huge school boy error thinking "It's a charachter show - he won't be picking on people". I was a whole new level of wrong. Think Michael Fish in 1987 and you're close. Maybe it's got something to do with his beautiful assistant throwing herself at me but despite being used and abused the whole show I still enjoyed it.

Regret Me Not will be getting a similar review to "Almost 10". Charming actress - slightly dull script - raised a few smiles but all out laughs were rare. Another talent who would highlight her skills better with some on stage interaction.

I'm still undecided about Daniel Rigby. He came across as slightly arrogant at first... but did win me over by the end. Performers getting the giggles can sometimes add the show - but you have to be careful not to do it more times than the audience - and Rigby and his sidekick weren't far off crossing that line. I thnk he's pretty new and he will develop in to a great comedian/performer over time - I was pretty tired by this point so he's maybe a bit unlucky I saw it at the wrong time.

Nik Coppin is staying with me this festival so any review would be biased and I don't want to compromise my integrity. But take it from me he's a funny guy and as well as doing his own show he is also the brains behind "Shaggers" the late night show where three guest comedians get on stage - with the only condition being that they have to talk about shaggin'.

I banged on about how great Shaggers was last year so check the archives if you want to read the old reviews (there's also a review of Nik's show from before I knew him - which I don't know if he knows about yet). No doubt I'll be making plenty of trips back to Shaggers this year which is at a bigger venue this year in the Counting House. Great drunken fun and it's part of the Laughing Horse Free Fringe so it doesn't cost you anything)!!!

Other thoughts on the Fringe in general - I'm pleased that the bar prices at the Pleasance are reasonable. £1.50 for a 500ml bottle is rather fair so well done to them for being sensible.

One thing I did notice that due to the nature of the staff's job they spend most of their time outside and therefore think it's OK to just stand there smoking or rolling fags! You don't see Policemen, or Zoo Keepers or even Street Cleaners doing it so I don't understand why Pleasance staff think it's OK - just because they are working outside. They are meant to be there to interact with customers. It just looks unprofessional.

Anyhoo... I'm off to bed. I'm hoping to get one if not both of the two plays about Charles Darwin in tomorrow! After that it's anyone's guess.

Hugh Hughes.. in 360 *****

2009-08-06T23:33:00.002+01:00

I saw Hugh Hughes last year and the year before and I was almost tempted not to go again, because although I have previously been impressed, performers rarely make wholesale changes to their shows, they will always be different, but generally follow the same formula, I thought I'd enjoy his third less for that reason.

I changed my mind because I was with a female friend and girls can't fail to look at Hugh without going awwww.... and gushing. He literally has the same effect on people as a six week old puppy.

Luckily we weren't disappointed. From his unique start and right the way through the show he charmed the audience, interacting when it was appropriate but keeping the flow of the story going nicely.

Hugh has a very youthful charachter, so it was appropriate that his story was all about friendships and how they develop from childhood into adulthood and it really brought out all his best features, sentimetality, cheekiness and his fun loving nature, out to play.

He sweeps you away on a journey like no other actor/comedian or anyone else in between and leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling on your way out.

It's hard to define his show. It's definately more theatre than stand up comedy - but he does engage with the audience in a way that stand ups do. He was't using props this year which gave it more of a stand up feel, but the way the show is structured still convinces me that it is proper theatre. In the end it doesn't really matter how you choose to label him and his show as long as your description has any of the following adjectives attached: brilliant, funny, uplifting, cheeky, enjoyable, pleasant......

I could go on all day but I'd just be repeating myself.... So just go and see it..... You will not be disappointed.

Hugh Hughes is at the Pleasance at 19.05

5/5

http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=14998

http://www.hoipolloi.org.uk/production/hugh_hughes/index.html

Early Long Island Iced Tea ***

2009-08-06T12:15:00.002+01:00

I'm not into cabaret.... and it's not the sort of thing I'd normally go and see.

Peter Straker is a great singer, with more than adequate accompanyment an a famous director buddy in Mel Smith - who I ended up sitting right next to.

There was some good audience interaction and a bit of playfulness between songs, but there was nothing outstanding or special within the show.

If you like cabaret it's certainly competent and you'll enjoy it.

I'm going to be more selective with my viewing choices today and perhaps succumb to the randomness of free tickets a bit less.

(Thank you to the lady who gave me the ticket - her husband hadn't turned up so she offered it to me - I didn't realise she'd actually paid for it herself and assumed it was a comp). I feel bad for not offering her a drink now!

Early Long Island Iced Tea is in the Cabaret Bar at the Pleasance at 14.30

3/5

http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=16248

Almost 10 ***

2009-08-05T16:12:00.004+01:00

I've got quite a lot of good things to say about this show. It's funny and it's well acted and it certainly lives up to the description in the listing.

I was hesitant to go even although it was free, as I found out straight away it was a monologue! (If you want to know about my previous experiences on one-person-plays, check out my review of "All Dressed Up To Go Dreaming" from last year).

But I gave it a go and was rewarded with some very funny lines from a talented actress. (A couple of fluffed lines should be forgiven in previews - there were a couple in there, but they were well covered and didn't distract from the show so I'm not letting it cloud my judgement).

I still don't have an overly high opinion of one person plays - I think all plays benefit from charachter interaction and I woud like to see Caroline Horton as part of a cast in a similarly themed comedy because she was good.

The play itself tries to be quite risque and there are some very close to the bone lines. The lines are funny because they are the sort of things that children say that cause embarassment, because they don't know any better - and many of them did work, but there really is no need for Jamie Bulger jokes - and it wasn't just one of that ilk... there were a few. Let Frankie Boyle tell them - don't incorporate them into a play like this.

You could even tell that Horton was uncomfortable telling that one in charachter.... and I'm glad to find out it wasn't her that wrote the play herself.

However, the central idea was a good one. A confessional of a nine year old told by a young adult actress. I've seem plays similar to this in the past and it can be - and was in this instance - a great way to deliver some funny lines. Despite my objections, there were a lot of funny lines.

So to sum up - fan of the actress, fan of the concept of the play (adults playing children and saying words that come out of their mouths), fan of the script with a few jokes aside and still not a fan of monologues in general...

A good 3/5 bordering on 4

Almost 10 is at the Pleasance Below at 12.55 daily.

http://www.edfringe.com/ticketing/detail.php?id=14984

http://tangramtheatre.co.uk/shows/almost-ten

It's Almost Time!

2009-08-03T10:33:00.003+01:00

The Fringe is almost here! Previews start on Wednesday and already you can see the city getting ready to double it's population. The big purple cow is back in Bristo Square, the Assembly Rooms are being tarted up.... Not long now.

My impending trip to Las Vegas means it'll be a lot of free shows for me again this year!

Check out the two following posts from last year which are still relevant if you're looking to do the Fringe on the cheap:

http://alocalsguidetothefringe.blogspot.com/2008/07/early-bird.html

http://alocalsguidetothefringe.blogspot.com/2008/07/more-free-shows.html

The first link tells you how to get free preview tickets.

The second link is all about Laughing Horse Comedy, who seem to go from strength to strength.

As well as the eight venues from last year they've added another six and now have 233 shows in total. You could spend the whole fringe just going ot see their stuff!

Add that to PBH Free Fringe who have 6 venues (and a much more difficult to navigate website, so I don't know how many shows they are doing in total - I think it's about 150) and you're laughing (pun intended).

Here's the direct links to the websites:

http://www.laughinghorsecomedy.co.uk/freefestival/edinburgh.htm

http://freefringe.org.uk/

As the blog enters it's second year things are starting to progress and I've been invited to my first press event, although it looks like I may have to work that day - but it's still nice to get the invite.

I also have a comedian staying in my flat this August which should be fun. (I'm sure there will be a blatant plug for his show appearing it the blog in the near future).

Finally, after my rant about shows with terrible pretentious text in their listings, I think it's only fair to give a shout out to people who do things properly....

I've never heard of "Two Shades of Blue Theatre" but their listing for "Once Upon A Time" caught my eye. Kudos to them for summing up their show in a way that makes you smile and gets you interested. Their other shows don't look bad either:

http://www.twoshadesofblue.org.uk/

I might come along - and if I don't make it, I hope they do well!

First Thoughts About the Programme

2009-06-19T22:58:00.007+01:00

Now that I've had a few days to digest the Fringe guide, here's my initial thoughts....

First of all... No Tim Minchin! I'm very disappointed. The good news is, he's playing the Usher Hall in October and doing a UK wide tour, so most readers will still have a chance to see him.

As for the general themes of the shows; in hindsight I really should have seen the "credit crunch" coming... I suppose I indirectly predicted it when I said that the big news stories would all be covered. The reason I didn't include it was because people are tired of the credit crunch. No-one can even be bothered about talking about it down the pub any more. It might still be affecting us, but we all just wish it would F*** Off! So to me, picking it as the main theme for your show probably isn't the wisest thing to do, but I guess it's all about how the shows are pitched, which brings me on to my first fun rant/marketing lecture of the year....

The world limit for listings in the Fringe guide is around 50 words by the looks of things.... The fringe guide and the website are the first things that people look at when choosing a show, so most people would agree that using those 50 words wisely and thinking carefully about how you want to come across would be a sensible approach.

But the way that some people waste this opportunity really does my head in!

Here's an example:

The Hat

"This is the story of a hat. A hat with a history. A hat with a story. A hat with a soul. Love, despair; murder. And the one thing they all have in common is.... the hat.

Do people not read this back to themselves and say "How will people react to that? What sort of person would it attract?"

What utter self indulgent meaningless twaddle! All I can guess is that it was attempting to provoke curiosity. Instead it conjures up images of a terrible play focusing on an inanimate object in a vain attempt to stop the audience noticing the lack of a meaningful plot.

What was the name of the theatre company?

Brick Wall Theatre Co.

Need I say any more?

Not everyone can name drop famous people who have worked on the project, or quote from fantastic reviews from previous shows, so you need to really sell the show and write something that will inspire your target market to buy a ticket or find out more.

Anyway, on to the shows I do fancy seeing....

The 150th anniversary of the publication of On The Origin Of Species and the 200th Anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, have inspired three shows (that I've spotted so far) to go out of their way to celebrate, all of them comedies. "The Rap Guide to Evolution" Looks to be the most interesting to me "Scientifically accurate and seriously funny" is the promise.

The other shows are:

Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection or the Survival of (R)evolutionary Theories in the Face of Scientific and Ecclesiastical Objections: being a Musical Comedy about Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

All of the above is the title! Could be entertaining.

The other play is simply entitled "Origins" and doesn't really jump out at me.

Pythonesque... A play about Monty Python has the potential to be very funny, but people have been trying to piggy back on the success of python at the Fringe for years and I've never seen anyone really do well out of it! I'll be looking out for reviews of it to see if it's worth going to before buying a ticket.

The Faulty Towers Dining Experience, sounds like much more of a safe bet. Dinner Theatre, with a three course meal served by Manuel and Basil sounds inpossible to screw up and judging by last years reviews they put on quite a show! Cheaper at lunch time: £29 versus £39 in the evening.

"Bob's Date" sounds funny. When you think of dating and theatre, it's more common to see things from a woman's perspective.... It would be refreshing to empathise with a bloke as he stumbles through a date.

Close up Magician Lewis Barlow would probably be fun in you like magic (which I do). Less heavily advertised but far more experienced is Ian Kendall in his "18th Birthday Magic Show"... They are both reasonably priced at £8.50 and on at the same time in the evening (9pm) which is a shame. I've seen Ian Kendall before and he's a very safe bet!

Comedy wise, I want to see Lloyd Langford's show. He was very good when I saw him a couple of years ago in a 4-in-1 comedy night. Stand up's tend to be hit or miss and it's always hard to tell from their listings how good they'll be so I'm not going to recommend any more comedians based on just their listings.

The following comedians listed below are all people that I enjoyed and gave a positive review of last year (you can find the reviews in this blog):

Jim Jeffries
Nik Coppin
Dan Willis
Rich Hall
Tommy and the Weeks

Chris Cox is a chirpier version of Derren Brown and worth a look (again you can see a review on this blog).

I've heard good things about "Midsummer" at the Traverse, Axis of Awesome and Adam Hill. but not seen any of them.

I'll do another post about free Fringe shows, but before I finish I have to mention "Shaggers" which is basically three comedians sharing their sex stories every night, and it's free!

Food for thought anyway.... Still over two months until the Fringe starts.

Quick Tip

2009-06-18T10:50:00.004+01:00

I may have mentioned this on the blog last year, but it's worth repeating anyway.....

If you are flying in to Edinburgh, make sure you sit on the left hand side of the plane, by the window.

No matter which way you approach the runway, you get stunning views either of the castle, Arthurs Seat and the city if you are coming from the East, or of the Forth Bridges if you are coming in from the West.

If it's your first vsit to Edinburgh and you get a view of the city on a nice clear day as you arrive, it'll set the scene perfectly for your visit!

Fringe Guide Out Tomorrow....

2009-06-09T10:18:00.003+01:00

It's that time of year again!

The fringe guide is out tomorrow, so it's time for all us fringe junkies to head down to the high street to pick up a copy or three!

It'll be interesting to see what kind of shows will be included this year.

As always, I expect current affairs to play a major role. American politics is always a favourite with theatre groups and comedians from across the pond, but many groups and comedians from outside the US also like to have their say.

With Obama coming in I expect at least one show to tell his story, with many more commenting on the new hope that he has brought to the world. Also expect to see some kind of "what's he doing now" show on George W. Bush. Comedians and satirists everywhere lost a massive source of material when he left office, but I'm sure one or two will try to keep milking it.

My favourite show onAmerican Politics last year was "The Patriot Act". I saw it on the first day and it was excellent then. Judging by the 5-star review in The Scotsman the show must have improved even more! I'll be looking out for the cast and company again this year and taking in anything they put on. I'm glad to see Will Lyman, the main star was nominated for an "Excellence in Acting" Award in 2008. (If anyone knows the name of the theatre company then please let me know - a quick google search proved inconclusive).

Away from American politics, it wouldn't surprise me if there was a show about pirates (the mordern version). People need to have their show information in to the Fringe Office by April to ensure they are included in the guide - so they have to decide what the main theme of the show is going to be by then, and the pirate story was at it's peak around that time. For the same reason, we won't see any shows about MP's expenses although I'm sure a few of the left wing comedians will include it in their stand up act.

So that's what I'm expecting, but I have no idea if I'm right or not and I'm looking forward to seeing what the fringe has to offer...

Of course, I'll be keeing an eye out for my favourites, such as Tim Minchin, The Trap (who missed last year - but I'm hoping they'll be back with another installment of the "Bad Play" series), and Daniel Kitson, who is poigniant but at the same time razor sharp - especially when he gets a heckler!

I'll post an update once I've had a few days to digest what's on and let everyone know what I'm looking forward to!

Edinburgh Tours

2009-02-24T22:32:00.002Z

Hi All,

Just a quick note to let you all know that I have started working on a casual basis for an expanding city tour company called Love for Adventure.

I'll be doing walking tours throughout the year, especially during the Fringe, (but I'll still try and make it along to quite a few shows) so if you are looking for a tour of Edinburgh's city centre then head to the website:

http://love4adventure.com/

I'll only be doing a few tours per week as I still have regular employment elsewhere, but there are five other enthusiastic and friendly natives on the team with a vast range of knowledge between them, so whoever you get you're guaranteed a fun, in depth and rewarding couple of hours.

Hogmanay

2008-12-17T20:16:00.004Z

Hi Guys and Girls,

Just a quick shout out to anyone who isn't from Edinburgh, but is thinking of doing something different this year for New Year.....

Despite some setbacks in recent years due to the unpredictable weather.... the New Year celebrations in Edinburgh are still some of the best around, with the city investing millions to try and encourage people to come and visit...

So why not come and visit?

Check out : http://www.edinburghshogmanay.org/

The official site gives you everything you need to know about the official events in Edinburgh, but unofficial is also a good way to go.

With the credit crunch, more people will be likely to have house parties, which means all the pubs in the town centre will just be busy instead of being utterly rammed as in previous years.

I'm starting off in George IV Bridge in a pub with my mates and planning on staying there for most of the night, but the great thing about being in a central location in Edinburgh is that you can do anything... I'll only be a quick stagger from the Grassmarket if we decide to go for a pub crawl... other good options that were suggested but rejected include the incredibly popular club night "Vegas" which is hosted in Ocean Terminal in Leith.

Whatever you're into, Edinburgh has it all.

If you have more specific questions about Hogmanay in Edinburgh, stick them in the comments section and I'll do my best to answer them.

And Now... The End Is Near....

2008-08-29T00:03:00.002+01:00

So that's it.

Unless I manage a trip to the Speigeltent before it packs up and leaves my experiences of the Edinburgh Festival are over for this year!

As well as all the shows I have reviewed I also saw quite a few acts at the Fettes Jazz Festival whilst working there. Despite my lack of interest in Jazz I enjoyed most of the shows - the musicians are undoubtedly the most talented I've seen live (with the exception of the Rolling Stones and the Stereophonics). But given my involvement I would still be competely baised, so I've decided not to review any of them.

I will say that Nikki King was great and I'll be making sure I get my Mum along to see her next year, because it's exactly the sort of thing she'd like. The venue is also awesome. Check out www.fettesthevenue.com and click in Jazz Festival.

Away from that, there were two big talking points at the start of the Fringe.

The first was all about the "Big Four" venues clubbing together to do a bit of marketing and they managed to rub a few people up the wrong way by calling themselves the "Edinburgh Comedy Festival".

The second was the ticketing chaos.

I didn't have too many problems with ticketing when I was buying tickets, mainly due to the fact that I prefer to go and see random stuff and only decide 10 minutes before the show is due to start.

But from what I heard from performers and promoters, the Fringe Office was a shambles and they really need to get their act together for next year.

I see the head honcho of the Fringe has resigned in order to "Spent more time working more closely with the artists". Don't get too close mate. You might get a pair of size 12 Doc Martins in the spuds if you come across someone who's show you bankrupted!

In a way I think it also vindicated the "Big Four's" decision to club together. They're still millions of miles away from a monopoly and I didn't notice much of a change this year in the atmosphere at the Fringe.

I always tend to hang out at the Pleasance and will continue to do so, because quite simply it's the best place to be during the Festival. I really don't care how they advertise and who they club together with.

Well, this'll be my last blog for a while. I don't have the discipline to keep a blog going all year round, which is why a Fringe blog is perfect for me.

I have no idea how many people read it because we don't have view counters, but I hope it's been a help and I look forward to doing it all over again next year!

Peace!

Colin

Shaggers (The Return) *****

2008-08-28T23:55:00.003+01:00

They say it's never as good as your first time.

And it wasn't. But it wasn't far off.

The excellent Nik Coppen was compere for the evening at the last Shaggers of 2008, he was followed by Dan Willis whom I'd also seen earlier on in the evening but they didn't repeat much of what they had said earlier on, and I'd had a few more beers down me by this point so I continued to enjoy their wonderful sense of humour.

Unfortunately, like a lothario in a taxi home, I can't remember the name of the other two acts. They were both decent and got enough laughs, but Dan and Nik were the real stars of the show.

I really can't speak highly enough of the format of the show, which they are now going to take on to other comedy festivals throughout the world.

Three comedians in a room talking about sex, in a crowded bar late at night is a guaranteed winner and I hope someone eventually makes a bit of money out of it!

Shaggers will hopefully be back next year!

5/5

Wha'choo Talkin' 'Bout Willis *****

2008-08-28T23:29:00.004+01:00

Rumour had it that Dan Willis was the best comedian on show at the Meadow Bar this year and he didn't disappoint.

He apparently took part in four shows per day at this year's Fringe, so if he ever makes it big you can't say he didn't earn it!

Unfortunately he didn't get a single review in the papers in 2008 so I hope my little tip of the hat to him in one of my last blogs of the year will help make it up in some small way.

Like the act before him, he was relying on material that wasn't all that new (the fresh stuff was on display at his other show) - with subjects including Religion, Kavos, Spiders, The Police Advertising and Hecklers etc... picked at random from a big board by audience members.

The fact that he wasn't trying to reinvent the wheel and was happy to just crack some very decent and polished gags ensured a reliable smooth performance throughout the full hour.

Audience interation was very well handled throughout and he had some great stories about the people who had been in and heckled him throughout his 3 1/2 week run.

Looking forward to seeing him again next year!

5/5

Nik Coppin: Stuff ****

2008-08-28T23:19:00.006+01:00

After a week or two hard at work, I ventured back out for one final night of festivalling.

I decided to hang out at the Meadow Bar and check out the two prime time comedians to see what they were all about.

The bar is one of six venues hosting the "Laughing Horse Free Festival" which meant that entry to this show cost nothing!

After a slightly slow start, the show got going as Nik eased in to some comfortable material. Nothing groundbreaking. Stories about sharks and some decent gags about his obsession with comic books. He's such a fast paced comedian that it worked well and he had enough decent anecdotes to fill the hour or so that he was on.

He came across as a very likeable chap and was good enough to earn a few quid from me in the bucket that they pass round at the end.

More of a 3 1/2 than a four but I saw him give a 5* performance at Shaggers later that night so he gets the benefit of the doubt.

The run has now finished, so here's his website:

http://www.nikcoppin.com/

4/5

Richard Dawkins (Edinburgh Book Festival) *****

2008-08-13T22:28:00.004+01:00

Just to warn you, this is going to be a bit like my Tim Minchin review, except it's not for a comedy show.

I went to see Richard Dawkins because I'm a massive fan of his. I have read his latest book and am planning to read a lot more. I have also scoured youtube for interviews and debates that he has taken part in, and I post occasionally on the message board on his website, so I knew pretty much what to expect.

I think that Dawkins is one of the most influential scientists in the world at the moment and I truly believe that along with Steven Hawking, he will be remembered as one of the Greatest scientists of our time, so it was a great privilege to see him speak in person.

Anyway, to the event.....

The hour compromised of two sections. The first being an interview from the chair, followed by 30 minutes of Q&A from the audience.

With a mainly actively atheist audience already knowledgeable about his writings, it was decided that instead of throwing meat to the lions, Richard would delve deeper and speculate more about the origins of life on our planet. The result was fascinating.

All theories were pondered over, including all the ridiculous ones.

The only criticism I could give is that the event was nowhere near long enough. With very detailed questions being asked, it took time to get through them and I imagine only 7-8 people got the chance to ask their question.

But overall, I really enjoyed the experience of the book festival and I would certainly recommend that people go and see their favoutire author appear. It has a fantastic atmosphere, and you always get chatting to people on the queue as they will generally, like you, have read and enjoyed the work of the author you're going to see.

I think I managed to convince a 70 year old lady that youtube wasn't just full of teenagers showing off and that you could actually find some interesting and even intellectually stimulating stuff if you looked hard enough!

Unfortunately most events at the Book Festival are one off events, but that doesn't mean that you can't pick someone else to go and see. It's easy to forget that there are loads of other festivals on at the same time as the Fringe, offering a much more diverse range of events and talks and the book festival is one of the best.

5/5

The Edinburgh International Book Festival is held at Charlotte Square and finishes on August 25th.

You can book tickets for other events here:

http://www.edbookfest.co.uk/

You can find out more about Richard Dawkins on his website:

http://richarddawkins.net/

The Great Big Comedy Picnic ***

2008-08-13T01:04:00.004+01:00

Having seen Ashley Frieze perform at Shaggers the night before, I was keen to see more of his stuff and my 5th trip to the dentist in two weeks meant that I would be walking straight past the Meadow Bar at 5.30pm on Wednesday, more than slightly hungover on the last day of my holidays.

So, in I went.

The audience was somewhat different to the previous evening. Instead of being around 2/3 full I was joined in the audience by an Auzzie bloke and a girl from South Africa who worked together, a family of four from Manchester and towards the end of the show a local couple. That was it. 7 people rising to 9 for the climax of the show!

One thing you need to make a comedy show any good is an audience. Unfortunately the torrential rain scared a lot of people away, and it was still pretty early days in the Fringe.

So when my favourite comedian from the previous evenings late show repeated the material that had gone down so well the night before, he was met with a few blank stares (although I still found it funny the 2nd time round). The afternoon was summed up when Ashley realised that having got all 7 audience members to introduce themselves, that only 2 at the most would have actually heard of the TV show Rainbow....

Unfortunatley I can't recall the name of the 2nd comedian who went on after Ashley. He was pretty average.

I'm giving it three stars because it has the potential to be a good show, even although it didn't work on the day.

http://www.laughinghorsecomedy.co.uk/freefestival/gbcp.htm

Shaggers *****

2008-08-13T00:45:00.004+01:00

It's been over a week. Please accept my apologies. If anything makes you want to stop blogging it's the sight of 195 e-mails in your inbox on your return to work!

I went back to work on Thursday, so my last chance to go out and see a show and stay out late and get drunk was last Tuesday. So that is what I did.

I was catching up with a mate and we decided that Shaggers would be a safe bet for a show to go and see before we headed off to a club.

The premise of the show is that three comedians are invited along every night to talk about shagging. Some already talk about sex in their own shows, which is fine, they can use that material. If they don't, well they just have to darn well think of their funniest sex stories and confess them to the audience.

With the acts changing every night (and me being several beers into a session) I didn't try hard enough to remember the names of all the acts that were on... I've managed to find two of them using google - Ashley Frieze who was excellent, and Tony Cowards who showed a remarkable amount of balls by telling the story of where he was when he found out that Princess Diana had died (in a Las Vegas hotel with a hooker) and also what happened when he had phone sex in his office on a Saturday (complete with a picture on his mobile phone of the stain).

The show's start time means you're always going to get the fairly drunk crowd that is neccesary for this type of show, giving it a great atmosphere.

With different acts every night, I'll definately be back before the end of the Fringe!

5/5

Shaggers is on every night at the Meadow Bar at 23.50 and it's FREE!

http://www.laughinghorsecomedy.co.uk/freefestival/shaggers.htm

Day Off

2008-08-03T18:29:00.003+01:00

After three days of non-stop show watching, my stamina finally gave out on me - mainly due to the 7 pints of Kronnenberg Blanc I consumed at the Meadow Bar.

I was originally going to see the late show called Shaggers, but ended up staying in the bar with a few people I knew. I'll definately catch it before the end of the Fringe though!

I was also out last night and I'm going out again tonight, (to a night club rather than a show) but I'll force myself to head out of the house tomorrow and take a wander up to the Royal Mile now that we're in the full swing of things.

The previews have finished now and the money I had set aside for the festival has long since disappeared, and I also have to go back to work on Thursday, so the reviews and blogs will start to become slightly less frequent that the 6 times a day I managed last week!

I still plan to see lots more shows, but they'll be a bit more spread out and they'll mostly be of the free variety.....

Jim Jeffries - Hammered *****

2008-08-02T14:32:00.004+01:00

Hammered is the name of the show, and Jim appeared to be hammered on stage (unless he's always like that).

Some people are funnier when they're drunk and that seems to apply to Jim Jeffries. In fact, he should write down what he had to drink before last night's show and drink EXACTLY that before every show he does. If you've got a winning formula then why deviate from it?

Jim covers all the subjects you would expect a comedian known as "The most offensive comedian at the Fringe" to cover. Religion gets a few big mentions, so do fat people, gays, optimists, Americans and pretty much everyone else really.

But he manages to get away with it. His clever approach to any controversial topic "Isn't it funny that it's OK to laugh at dwarves in films, but if you did this instead...." means that he's making the point that it's not OK to discriminate against them, but still manages to get the laugh out of the situation.

I reckon the most difficult thing for comedians to do is take on these subjects but still keep the audience on side. I think that's Jim's best attribute. He does it effortlessly and I think that's why he's become so popular at the Fringe and has managed to get himself such a decent venue.

There's nothing earth shattering or groundbreaking in the show. It's just an hour of blokey offensive go-and-see-it-with-all-your-mates-and-have-a-few-beers comedy, which is really what most people are after.

Some shows just make you smile and laugh gently. This is proper "gasp and then laugh until your belly aches" humour.

Definately the safest bet on the Fringe.

Jim Jeffries is on at the E4 Udderbelly (that's the big purple upside-down cow in Bristo Square) at 9pm nightly.

5/5

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=853

Ginger and Black **

2008-08-02T11:46:00.002+01:00

I have mentioned in my last review that the key to success is to be enthusiastic and to have fun.

Deadpan comedy can work, but it's much more difficult to pull off, especially when you're doing comedy songs.

Unfirtunately, the performers lack of smiling throughout the show was mirrored by me for most of the time.

The songs were really slow, Mr Black didn't sing, he just spoke (with an annoying lisp). Ginger at least could hold a note when she chose to sing, which wasn't very often.

Some of the songs could have been funny if they'd been at a faster pace but they were all the same and with no variety, it was just a constant drone.

The whole show seemed lazy to me.

Ginger and Black are on at the Pleasance Dome at 19.30

2/5

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=173

Tommy and the Weeks - Powershow *****

2008-08-02T11:20:00.003+01:00

My faith in sketch shows has now been fully restored.

These guys are great.

The bloke who gave me the free ticket (score!) said that they were in the same mould as the Mighty Boosh or Flight of the Conchords. I agree.

I really can't say too much about this show, because if I describe what went on, then: 1. It will spoil the show for you and 2. It won't sound funny written down.

A man falls in love with a calculator. See. Not funny. But Tommy and The Weeks make it funny. Now that's talent!

Good shows are all bout enthusiasm. These guys are really enthusiastic with bundles of energy and unlike most sketch shows, there are no moments when you sit back and think "these guys must feel so stupid doing that". I get the feeling they are actually that mental all the time.

Great value at £8.50/£9.50

Tommy and the Weeks - Powershow is on in the Pleasance Attic at 17.45

5/5

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=150

Pluck: The Titanic Show ****

2008-08-02T11:02:00.003+01:00

To become critically acclaimed at the Fringe, you either have to be funnier than everyone else, or you have to be doing something different. You have to be unique.

After seeing Pluck, I really admire them, because they are talented musicians in their own right and could easily settle for a a slot in an arty farty venue and sit and play Vivaldi for an hour and make money. But they are much more ambitious and above all they seem like they want to have fun.

The result of their sense of mischief and adventure is an excellent show which I think will go on to do very well.

The show is a musical about the Titanic, told through the eyes of the musicians who were on board. It's very touching but also very funny and I really like the fact that it will bring a small dose of cultured classical music to people who wouldn't normally listen to it.

The show has missed out on 5 stars for me because I think they could have taken some of the jokes further. There was only one or two small references to the film and they had a couple of perfect opportunities to poke fun out of it but chose not to. (I was waiting for a hand to appear on the projector screen like it did in the car in the movie - it would have been hilarious but it didn't happen unfortunately).

But be assured that this is an excellent show. The comic acting is brilliant. The music is fantastic, and it's a very well thought out play.

Pluck is on in the Pleasance One at 16.40

4/5

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=511

Rich Hall: Fifty Cent Words ***

2008-08-02T10:34:00.004+01:00

On the way in I experienced my first wee bit of Fringe ticket chaos.

I headed along to Assembly to see what I could see and realised as soon as I sat down with my drink, that Rich Hall was starting in 15 minutes.

Excellent I thought! I had previously tried to buy tickets for his other show (the one where he plays his comic charachter "Otis Lee Crenshaw") but that was sold out.

So I headed along to the box office thinking that 15 minutes was plenty of time.

It wasn't.

To be fair to the management, they were out there in numbers keeping everyone informed, but employing 16 year old's who have never worked with a till before is not going do do anything positive to the speed of the transactions.

About a minute before the show was due to start, they saw sense and let everyone who was going to see Rich Hall go to the front of teh queue, but I still ended up being late.

Anyway, on to the show....

Rich Hall is a very charming and captivating entertainer. In this show he was sharing some of the stories he had written, one long one about his childhood, one about a trip to Aberdeen and one about his teenaged daughter's uncanny ability to get into trouble.

One of the stories was a bit long, but other than that it was an entertaining hour.

I do sometimes feel a little bit cheated when I turn up from a show and someone is just reading from a bit of paper. I didn't really research the show, so I guess I could have found out beforehand that he was just reading stories and made a more informed decision about whether or not to pay £12, but I didn't so I can't complain if that's what the show is advertised as.

If you're a big fan of Rich Hall this is a must see, but if you're not, you'll won't be hard pushed to get better value for your £12 elsewhere.

Rich Hall is on at Assembly at 13.05 daily.

His other show (which I reckon will be better) is on at the Pleasance at 21.20

3/5

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=183

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=988

Tim Minchin - Ready For This? *****

2008-08-01T10:04:00.005+01:00

Tim Minchin is freakin' awesome!

I kind of knew he would be.

He was recommended to me back in June when the Fringe guide first came out and a friend passed on a youtube link to one of his songs.

I immediatley fell in love with his songs and watched everything that was on the net and lapped it up. I also went straight to the fringe website and bought a ticket for his show, so I went in with high expectations and I wasn't disappointed at all.

Going in, I was kind of worried that I might have spoilt it for myself. Having watched stuff that was only uploaded a could of months ago from performances in Australia, I could easliy have paid money to watch songs that I'd already seen over and over again on youtube.

Luckily for me, Tim has a whole bunch of new material and it is just as great as all the old stuff I've seen on the net.

He started with a typically self indulgent Rock 'N' Roll intro followed by a bit of stand up before he eventually sat down at the piano and did his stuff.

Every song was superb. I particularly liked the one about his wife... and the five minute stand up routine which followed - explaining that his wife doesn't mind him writing funny songs about her because her sense of humour is even more twisted.... I've said too much already, but it's hilarious! He also alludes to a certain journalist who gave him a one star review during his first year at the fringe. The song is called "Forgiveness".

If you want to know more, you'll have to buy a ticket. (Or look him up on youtube - I recommed "Inflatable You" as a good starting point).

I really hope he sells out his shows and gets an award this year. He deserves to be massive.

If you don't mind blasphemy - Tim Minchin is on at the Pleasance Grand at 21.45 daily.

A resounding: 5/5

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=141

Nina Conti - Evolution *****

2008-08-01T09:14:00.006+01:00

I first saw Nina Conti when she appeared with Monkey (that's her sidekick) on some new comedy talent show on BBC 3 when BBC 3 had only just started and nobody watched it (apart from me).

Needless to say she won the talent show and I encountered her again at Late and Live whe she was one of the four acts on display (at that time she hadn't really changed the act that much from what was on TV).

So having not seen her for 3/4 years I was looking forward to seeing some new material from by far the funniest ventriloquist I've seen to date.

Watching the show, I think Nina was very aware of the fact that she needed to get some new stuff out there and "Evolution" was a very ambitious attempt to do a full hour of material that hadn't been done before.

There were costume changes, a projector screen, and a duet between her and the monkey, as well as a bit of hypnosis and even an appearance form her famous Dad.

Some shows - particularly stand up acts, don't really need previews, because all they are doing standing and talking to a microphone. But when you have so much going on, the previews will highlight areas of the show that still need to be perfected and/or rewritten slightly and Nina certainly noticed quite a few, (and monkey wasn't shy about pointing them out to her).

But as I've mentioned in previous reviews, it's not how often you make mistakes, it's how you deal with them that makes or breaks the show and Nina Conti is the master of recovery.

She makes everything look effortless and has plenty of arse jokes to fall back on if things aren't going her way. The monkey can swing the audience with a moment of cuteness or a moment of utter filth. Either way she always has them eating out of her hand.

Most of her stuff did work and the stuff that didn't, you could see how it could be funny... and she didn't dwell on them log enough for the show to go off track.

She's reasonably priced at £9.50/£10.50, but I would wait a week or two before going to see her, because I think the show will "evolve" over the three weeks and get better.

She is clearly a top class comedian and a very safe bet for the fringe. (A good show to go to if you're going on a date as well).

Nina and Monk are at the Pleasance Two at 8.25pm daily

5/5

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=897

Day 2 in Review

2008-08-01T00:35:00.002+01:00

I've still to post two reviews from today.

I saw Nini Conti and Tim Minchin, both of whom were absoltuely awesome and will be getting five stars each in due course.

Today got better as it went on, proving that the best shows have the best time slots because they are the best shows....

I started with the worst show I had ever seen at the fringe (and I've probably seen well over 100 shows so that's quite an achievement) and finished with what was probably the best I have ever seen with Tim Minchin. Go and see him. You will not be disappointed.

I might take a wander down to the Assembly Rooms tomorrow to see what they have to offer, but if it's not that good I'll head back to my usual haunt at the Pleasance.

The first four shows I saw were all free, but I decided to stop being a cheapskate and buy tickets when I realised that the last two shows I wanted to see were only minutes apart, leaving no time to sit around eating ice cream on the scrounge!

AAA Stand Up ****

2008-08-01T00:25:00.002+01:00

I don't really have a lot to say about this show.

It was a very typical run of the mill, three-comedians-for-the-price-of-one-show.

The good news is they have got three very competent comedians! The bad news is, it's in the Cellar at the Pleasance which is really hot and stuffy and not a pleasant or comfortable place to sit.

I was last in due to me receiving a phone call as the show was being called and as my punishment I was forced to sit in the front row. On my own.

Thankfully I managed to get away without getting a complete roasting, (I don't know if that was because they were scared of me - one said I resembled a bouncer - or if I'm just so good looking I dont attract the attention of comedians. I like to think it's the latter, but I could be wrong).

AAA Stand Up will give you exactly what it says on the tin. Three very good quality comedians. Nothing special, but still plenty of laughs and nothing to complain about.

It would maybe beneft from being on a bit later as it would suit bigger more drunken groups, but I guess there isn't much they can do about that now.

It's a small venue so I'm sure they'll be more than capable of filling it most evenings.

AAA Stand Up is on at 7.15pm In the Pleasance Cellar

4/5

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=1026

The Six Wives Of Timothy Leary ***

2008-08-01T00:04:00.004+01:00

Being an amateur reviewer, I sometimes feel unqualified to give a fair review of the show, particularly in situations where I know little about the subject matter on which the show is based. I often think it would be a good idea for the audience to be given little info sheets - especially when the show is based on something that happened 30-40 years ago and much of the audience will be too young to remember.

All I know about Timothy Leary is that The Who referred to him in the lyrics of one of their songs. Other than that, I hadn't heard of him and unfortunately didn't get the opportunity to google him before the start of the show.

Throughout the show, there were a series of monologues from each of his six wives, along with a bit of them mixing together as they met and had drinks when he died. It told the story of his life with each of his partners as he progressed and became more experimental with illegal substances.

I'm not a big fan of monologues, especially when the person is talking and answering questions from an imaginary person... I sometimes find it tiring and unneccesary.

Having said that, they 6 actors were all very beleivable and performed well (especially considering the number of morons who were allowed in late and chose to thump their way up the stairs instead of sitting at the seats at the front near the door and in particular the two who chose to leave half way through right in the middle of one of the said monologues instead of waiting for a break - of which there were plenty. I have a feeling that the actors will be demanding that latecomers be told to go f*** themselves in future and quite right too! There. That's that off my chest).

So yeah, If you haven't heard of Timothy Leary. Make sure you google him before the show. If you have, I think you'll enjoy the show. I can't say anything bad about the six actresses (who were all lovely). I guess the show just wasn't really relevant to me.

The Six Wives Of Timothy Leary is on at The Pleasance Dome at 5pm

3/5

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=1048

Girl and Dean ****

2008-07-31T23:54:00.002+01:00

I saw a snippet of this show yesterday and they were OK so I thought (when I was given a free ticket) that I'd give the full show a try.

I'm glad I did. The two girl are very likeable and they have enough good jokes to keep things flowing nicely for the full hour.

The sketches are well rehearsed enough that they work well, without being too rigid and stifling the girls natural ability to look relaxed on stage.

They hinted that they were after a slot on Radio 4. I reckon their sketches would work better on TV. A polished up version of what I saw, with real actors instead of puppets and more props in a TV studio would be no worse than what's on BBC 3 at the moment.

I've been put off sketch shows after seeing a few terrible ones last year and a not so good one yesterday. But Girl and Dean have gone some way to restoring my faith in them.

3.30 in the Pleasance Cellar if you fancy something funny and chirpy.

4/5

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=1028

On The Island Of Aars **

2008-07-31T23:47:00.004+01:00

A farcical musical play about a woman who lives alone on an island off the West of Scotland with only two crazy Evangelical ministers for company, until a Dutch health and safety inspector comes along to stir things up.

The show sounded promising and was funny in parts, but too high a percentage of the jokes didn't work.

The ending does make you smile and there is a great enthusiasm from the cast who revel in being silly. The girl who played "Morag" had an excellent voice, but the too many of the jokes were just childish in an unfunny way.

2.10pm at the Pleasance Above if you fancy a bit of silliness.

2/5

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=980

All Dressed Up To Go Dreaming *

2008-07-31T23:35:00.003+01:00

If you were stereotyping the Edinburgh Fringe, or writing a comedy about a Fringe show, you would probably come up with a one man show in a basement, with four people watching, as a self indulgent weirdo dressed in a top hat and tails waffed a bunch of self indulgent nonsense for half an hour that nobody really got.

All Dressed Up To Go Dreaming was exactly that. To a tee. Out of the four people in the audience, three of them were in some way involved in the show. The other was me.

The charachter is a drunken socialite who goes on about how much he hates opera and quotes James Joyce to a dummy in an armchair. At the end he pulls the dummies hands and feet off.

I sat there for 25 minutes wondering if I was just a common man and really sophisticated intelligent people would get this show.... But I doubt it. It was just utter tosh.

I saw six other shows today so I won't waste any more time reviewing it.

If you have a someone that you really hate. Buy them a ticket.

It's on twice a day at 12pm and 1pm at C soco

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=1092

The Best Place to Stay

2008-07-31T00:24:00.005+01:00

It's not just about the shows! I also aim to give newcomers lots of general information about my city and welcome questions at any time.....

If you are looking for accommodation then you could do a lot worse than the Garfield Guest House.

I don't have much use for hotels and guest houses in Edinburgh, given that I have a flat here but I can recommend the Garfield Guest House. It's run by my good friend Martin and they even have their own blog where previous guests have left comments about the excellent service!

http://garfieldguesthouse.blogspot.com/2008/05/guests-comments-and-feedback-edinburgh.html

Main Site:

http://www.garfieldguesthouse.co.uk/

Although I haven't stayed the night, I have sampled breakfast on a number of occasions and the sausages are to die for! They also have great views of the castle and there are plenty of buses that will get you to the town centre in 5 minutes.

Call Martin on 552 2369 if you are looking to stay somwhere nice during the Fringe or beyond.

Day One in Review

2008-07-30T23:59:00.004+01:00

I saw four shows today (two freebies). It could have been a lot more if I didn't have a dental appointment right in the middle of the day.

I was planning on going to see "On The Island Of Aars" but my first show ran over a bit and I didn't have time to get back to the Pleasance for it starting. I'll try and catch that tomorrow.

I've also pre-booked a ticket for Tim Minchin which I'm very much looking forward to. I'm just hoping that I haven't spoilt the show by watching all his songs on youtube and that he'll have enough new material to keep me happy.

Other general observations:

I had a walk down the Royal Mile and had a look into C venue, walked past the Udderbelly and also spent a bit of time in the Guilded Balloon.

My general impression is that the Pleasance is undoubtedly the best place to be during the first couple of days of the previews.

They are fully up and running whereas the other venues are still putting together flat pack picnic tables from B&Q and looking like they haven't officially started. The other venues don't seem to have many people giving out comps, but at the Pleasance they practically shower you with them. They've got the best choice of food/drink - which are no more of a rip off than at any of the other venues.

On the Royal Mile I saw people flyering from trampoleens and two guys dressed as a bus giving out flyers. Good effort!!!

Roll on tomorrow!

Marcus Birdman: Sympathy for the Devil ****

2008-07-30T23:33:00.006+01:00

With a show title that alludes to the Rolling Stones and with a flyer that told me that Marcus Birdman was a commited atheist who was brought up by a vicar, this show looked very promising.... I am a massive Stones fan and a rampant atheist/humanist/secularist who can be very easily amused by blasphemy so this seemed to tick all the boxes.

I was given another freebie (Praise the Lord!!!) so I headed over to the Pleasance Dome - (the performance rooms are named after playing cards, this one being in what's know as the "10Dome").

Marcus was a very cheerful comedian. He tells some funny stories, gives us a critical examination of the bible and shares his philosophical outlook on life and wraps up the show reasonably well.

I thought he hit the nail on the head with all his observations - but in my case he was preaching to the converted. He was very competent and worth the money, but I didn't hear anything inspiring or original enough to really impress me.

If like me you have seeked out a lot of atheist comedians in the past, and watched/listened to the likes of Marcus Bridgestock or Pat Condell (other comedians with atheist/secular agendas that can be easily found on youtube and come highly recommended) then you won't find too much new within Marcus Birdman's show.

If you haven't before, and the topic of god being made up is something that may interest you, I would definately go and see it.

I tend to be rather generous when giving out stars - I've gone for four but it was probably more like three and a half, mainly because his ideas and jokes weren't all that new to me....

But he's a very competent comedian. You should definately go and see him.

Marcus Birdman: Sympathy for the Devil is on at 8.20pm at the Pleasance Dome.

4/5

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=206

Chris Cox: Control Freak ***

2008-07-30T23:10:00.004+01:00

This show was introduced to me by a bloke with flyers who said "Have you heard of Chris Cox. He does all the stuff that Derren Brown does, but without being a W****r". (Chris Cox also alluded to Derren Brown in the show - so I don't apologise for my many references and comparisons with Mr Brown contained within this review).

This opening pitch caught my attention, but also put me off at the same time. I quite like Derren Brown. I read his book and found it very informative and enjoyable.

Never the less a free ticket was forthcoming, (which was rather refreshing because I ended up paying for the first two shows that I saw), so I went along to see what it would be like.

The show wasn't bad. Most of the tricks worked, some nearly worked and one was completely given away by one of the volunteers. Not that anyone actually volunteered - he must use at least 15 audience members over the show (including me twice for small bits although I didn't have to get on stage thankfully). But overall he did rather well and his finale was quite impressive.

There were however two major downsides to the show for me.

Firstly, as someone who has watched all of Derren Brown's shows, I don't think he offered anything new. He's just doing the same tricks about three years later.

Secondly, as I mentioned previously, I have read Derren Brown's book so I pretty much know how he did every trick. There was nothing on show that I couldn't have explained to you.

He apparently sold out last year and I can see why as he is reasonably good at what he does. I've also never seen Derren Brown live; without the benefit of TV editing, so it could be argued that the above two criticisms are not entirely fair as it's not a level playing field.

If I'd never seen Derren Brown I would have been very impressed. Unfortunately I have, and so has most of the population of the UK, which is a very big problem for Chris Cox to get around. He either needs to do something new or do it better than him which is a very hard task indeed.

This show is on daily in the Pleasance Above at 6.20pm

3/5

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=976

Lucy and Des Show Off **

2008-07-30T22:43:00.004+01:00

I paid for this one thinking that £6 was great value for two comedians of the quality of Lucy Porter and Des Clarke.

The show was a mixture of them dicking around on stage, a few sketches and a couple of guests slots for other sketch shows to promote their own show.

The two comedians worked very well at the beginning, it was a very informal and the banter between them and the audience, and between the two of them, was pretty funny and relaxing.

Them they started doing sketches, which were at best pretty average. Sometimes when sketches are under-rehearsed it makes them even funnier, but that didn't happen in this case. They just looked under rehearsed.

The two guests; a double act called "Girl and Dean" and a group of four called "Tea and Coffee" were both competent but they were only given a slot of around five minutes so they didn't really get the chance to build up any momentum. I don't think it would be fair to judge them on such a short slot and I've certainly nothing bad to say about them.

I suppose this is just Des and Lucy's "let's try it and see what happens" show. Their side project if you will. They've both got individual shows, which will be brilliant if their respective reputations are anything to go by. But I get the feeling that they have really put their heart and soul into their main shows, which are their bread and butter and concentrated less on this one.

The show has all the ingredients to be absolutely cracking and may well go on to get better as it develops over the next three weeks, but more work is required to get it right.

So unfortunately, on day one it didn't exactly set the heather on fire. I hope they get things sorted out early and hit form when the real reviewers start going along because they are both very likeable comedians.

This show is on Daily at 5pm in the Pleasance Above.

2/5

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=979

The Patriot Act ****

2008-07-30T15:18:00.003+01:00

My first show of 2008....

The play is about a liberal playwriter who has caught the attention of the administration by writing plays condemning government foreign policy.

The government charge him under the patriot act but offer him a way out and send a representative to convince him: write a pro government play about the war on terror.

I thouroughly enjoyed it.

It was a very well balanced play, with a few funny moments, flashbacks and a lot of engaging and gripping drama. The relationships between the charachters were all very poigniant.

There were a couple of stutters as the actors got to grips with performing the show for real for the first time at the Fringe, but that's why I only paid a fiver (preview price) and I'm sure that as they relax into the roles there won't be any problems.

Well worth going to see.

The show is on at the Guilded Balloon (that's the Teviot for all you locals) at 12.45pm daily.

http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?action=shows&id=1107

More Free Shows....

2008-07-30T10:19:00.005+01:00

I was going to wait until after the previews before mentioning this, but seeing as some acts have already started advertising in my comments section (good initiative guys) I'll do it now.

Laughing Horse are a comedy company commited to putting on free Fringe shows throughout the whole month.

They take over venues every year and put a show on every hour, free of charge. Here are this year's venues:

The Argyle
Counting House
Edinburgh City FC
Espionage
Jekyll & Hyde
Meadow Bar
Meridian
Pear Tree

They leave a bucket at the door so you can put money in as you leave - that goes to the comedians. The venue makes money through serving drinks. It's seems to be a successful formula that's growing year on year - no surprise when the average Fringe ticket is approaching the £10 mark...

For a list of shows check out:

http://www.laughinghorsecomedy.co.uk/freefestival/edinburgh.htm

Attention Seekers.....

2008-07-29T19:28:00.002+01:00

They've even managed to fool the Fringe Office:

http://www.edfringe.com/area.html?r_menu=global&id=197

(This story relates to my earlier advice for performers to "get noticed by the press" using any means neccesary)..... Scroll down to my third blog.......

Things to do in Edinburgh when you're dead on your feet!

2008-07-29T12:13:00.002+01:00

Whether you're organising a show or just here to soak up the atmosphere, you're going to be pretty tired during the Fringe. But if you've got the stamina, Edinburgh has so much more to offer. Here are my top 10 things to do:

1. Spit on the Heart of Midlothian.

The Heart of Midlothian marks the spot that used to be the entrance to the Old Tollbooth prison. which was demolished over a century ago. The locals at the time used to spit at the entrance to the prison to show their distain for the local authorities. The tradition has continued desite the building no longer being there - perhaps because the council are still pretty unpopular. Make sure you get a photo to show all your friends!

2. Climb Arthur's Seat.

It's not that difficult, and it has great views across the whole city.

3. Visit the Castle.

To my eternal shame, something that I've never done myself in 19 years of living here. I'll do it one day.

4. Go to the Zoo.

I love the zoo. They've got a great new chimp enclosure and the Rainbow Lorikeets (sp?) will come and land on your hand if you purchase a pot of nectar to feed them.

5. Have a pint of IPA in the Oxford Bar.

The "local" of Edinburgh's best known fictional crime-buster Inspector Rebus.

6. Have a dram!

Thee's a great whisy shop on the Royal Mile, just opposite the Heart of Midlothian. Take home a single malt to impress your Father in Law

7. Take in a football match.

Edinburgh has two teams, Hearts and Hibs. I follow Hearts, the bigger of the two teams so I would strongly encourage you to see them over Hibs. Both grounds have a good atmosphere, especially once the competetive stuff starts after the 9th August. A ticket will cost you around £25.

8. Climb the Scott Monument

Great views of the Castle and North to the Forth. Last time I did it, it only cost a few pounds to go up.

9. Visit Fettes College.

Tomy Blair's old school and one of the most important pieces of architecture in the whole of Scoland. They are running a Jazz festival form 22nd-24th August. Last year they lit up the whole building with floodlights. The perfect time to go and see the building. The music's pretty good too if Jazz is your bag!

10. (For the boys) Play football on the Meadows.

If the weather is nice, there will be loads of games going on, and peope will be happy to let you join in. Not for the faint hearted.

10. (For the girls) Visit Harvey Nicks.

Just off St. Andrew's Square towards the East end of the new town. Lots of designer stores are sprining up next to it as well. Make sure you're got plenty of money on your credit card!

Flyers Flyers Flyers.....

2008-07-28T23:17:00.000+01:00

This one goes out to all the stars of the shows....

When I'm not taking time off to swan about Edinburgh taking advantage of desperate Fringe performers, I work in sales and marketing (and also have a marketing degree), so it's quite interesting for me to observe the various tactics used by performers in order to attract as much attention to their shows as possible. (I say performers because with the exception of Jimmy Carr no-one can afford to employ PR companies to hand our flyers so you'll generally find it's the actors, writers and producers who are handing out flyers and harassing people on the Royal Mile).

So here are my tips to help make your show a success:

1. Take advantage of new technology. What do you mean your Fringe show doesn't have a facebook page? Please try and keep up. Bebo, Myspace.... they're all free. If you haven't done it already, you're already miles behind. Keep reading.....

2. Don't just hand out flyers. You have to engage with people.

If you wait until I have almost walked past you then you thrust a flyer right out in front of me, blocking my path, you'll get my "F*** Off I live here" stare, and I won't be coming to your show.

If you hold your flyer out just a little bit and give me a look that says "I hope you don't mind but I want to give you this flyer, but I really don't want to impose on you, I dooooo hope you'll come over to me and take one..." If you do that I'll avoid eye contact and keep walking. I don't want to be the one doing the approaching.

If you make eye contact early, smile, compliment me on my choice of T-Shirt and say. "We're doing this show, it's brilliant and I'm in it, so you'll want to come. Are you free at 3 o'clock?" You might just get me to stop and take a flyer (especially if you're a hot chick - I'll admit it - I'm a pushover if you're a confident hot little drama queen).

Say hello and aim to make a friend with every approach you make.

3. Be different. here are some of the things I've seen that have made people stand out on the Royal Mile:

People standing on pillars/on each others shoulders/lying on the ground/pretending to be dead whilst giving out flyers.

A double act where one guys gives out flyers and the other one tries to stop him shouting "Don't take one of them, their poisonous, I saw them last year, they were s***, don't trust him madam he's after your handbag" and grabbing him and wrestling him to the ground.

People wearing nothing but flyers (don't give out too many as you are liable to get arrested).

People giving out sweets with flyers - "Want a cola bottle? Well you can have one as soon as you take a flyer for our show at the C venue starting at 3.40 in theatre number two. I'm it it, it's great!"

One group sang "We're handing out flyers, we're handing out flyers" occasionally changing the lyrics to mention the venue, time and that the show was unsuitable for children, before going back to the chorus ad nauseum. Annoying but effective - like a daytime TV ad for cheaper car insurance!

You're actors. Improvise. The bolder the better.

4. Get noticed by the press.

One double act almost had to cancel their act when they were involved in a serious car accident on the way to Edinburgh, but they managed to get the show on and it was a complete sell out because the papers picked up on it.

I'm not suggesting you drive your car off the Forth Road Bridge, but you get my point.

I remember reading about a show in an inflatable swimming pool last year that was almost cancelled because the swimming pool got a puncture. Again, an unfortunate but ultimately happy co-incidence that helped them boost sales once they got it fixed because the press liked the story and ran with it (and before you ask, no, I didn't see the show so I can;t give any more details).

The above examples were genuine as far as I know, but things can be engineered. There's nothing wrong with a wee hoax to get your name in the paper - as long as you don't pretend the director is dying of cancer you should get away with it, and you might even get double exposure when the hoax is revealed. The wittier the better. As long as your confident the people being fooled see the funny side.

Also, try and pose for photographs when you;re out and about. If you can get your picture in The Scotsman, it'll help raise awareness of you and your show.

5. Hard work.

I've never put on a theatre show. Other than looking after the props for our school performance of Bugsy Malone 15 years ago, I have had no involvement at all. I realise it must be tiring, and you're probably sitting cross legged with excitement just thinking about the night life in Edinburgh during the Festival... but how hard you work will determine your success.

There will a direct correlation between your ticket sales and the amount of time you spend on the street promoting your show (unless you get really lucky and you get a five start review in The Scotsman in week one). If you are hungover and can't be bothered, then your show will not be a success and you are going to be no nearer to achieving your goals (i.e. getting a decent gig on Channel 4) than you were at the start of the summer. You'd have been as well spending your August working at Butlins.

6. Use your initiative.

The edfringe website is neutral (unless you pay to advertise) but it also lets people post reviews about shows they have seen. If you have a friend who has seen your show, get them to rate it, or write a review. Let's face it, everyone else is going to be doing it.

A few years ago a friend of mine was running a show. I gave it a stunning review after night one (which was empty) and by night three it had almost sold out because it was the top rated show in the "Dance and Physical Theatre" section on the website. It one five start rating (mine) and a cracking written review, compared with all the other shows' no ratings and no reviews....

7. Bribery

The Scotsman published a list of things that they had been sent by performers to try and entice them to come and review their show. The list included cake, alcohol, novelty toys, etc etc.... I wouldn't recommend cash bribes.

So, good luck promoting your show. I hope it's a success.

See you on the Royal Mile!!!

The Early Bird......

2008-07-28T22:36:00.000+01:00

Year on year I have become more enthusiastic about the Fringe.

I went from stopping to see a few jugglers in the street on my way to work.... to seeing the odd comedy show... to taking a week off work to go and see shows.... to writing a blog about it......

One thing I noticed as I became more keen, was that the earlier you started the more shows you could see for your money.

I don't want to perpetuate the stereotype of the tight Scotsman, but.....come to the previews. It's as cheap as the budgie!!!

It only costs a fiver for most shows Wed - Sat, and that's only if you're not lucky enough to get given free tickets by a stressed out producers who don't want to open with three people in the audience (including their parents who have flown all the way to Edinburgh for their big debut).

You'll get some shaky performances and you'll see at least one absolutely terrible show, but that's the risk you run when coming to the festival. You're not a true fringe goer until you've sat through a show, too embarassed to leave because you don't want to half the audience numbers by making a premature exit.

In order to maximise my chances of getting in for nothing, I've found that sitting in the Pleasance Courtyard eating ice cream, reading the Guardian (with a free fringe guide) and drinking a cold beer tends to do the trick.

It isn't that busy (especially during the day) and there will be lots of eager performers, looking for audience members to see the show and spread the word about it to all their friends. That's why, if they don''t sell many tickets in advance, they print off a big pile of freebies and hand them out to boost numbers.

It's mostly just other performers that are about, so if you adopt a similar position to me you'll stick out like a sore thumb because you'll be relaxed and not stressing out, and the flyer vultures will circle you and try to sell you tickets to the show.

Some shows may have already taken your fancy and some you may not have heard of, but your reaction should always be the same. Find out as much as you can about the show, ask if the person giving you the flyer is involved in it, if not have they seen it? Then, thank them for their time, take a flyer, show a bit of interest and tell them that if you're free when the show is due to start, you might buy a ticket.

If they have free tickets to give away, they'll come back to you. If not you could always buy a ticket, see it another day or just give it a miss entirely. In any case, there'll be another one along in a minute.

If you are patient, it works (you're guaranteed to be approached every 5 minutes, but the offer of a free ticket might only come along every half hour or so). I have done this for the past 3-4 years and on average I'll see up to 6-7 shows a day and pay for maybe 2 a day (that works out at around £10 not including beer and ice cream).

Then after the previews finish, find yourself a partner and take advantage of the 2 for 1 deals on Sunday and Monday, and fingers crossed you'll still have plenty of cash for the rest of the Fringe!

Welcome

2008-07-28T20:43:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Edinburgh and welcome to my blog.

At the time of writing, the Fringe is just over a day away. (That is to say, the show previews start on Wednesday 30th). Fringe usually gets going in stages, with previews and 2 for 1's etc before they have the audacity to charge full price for tickets, but for the purposes of your average Fringe-goer like me Wednesday is the day when the talking stops and showtime starts.

Over the next day or two, I'll start by posting a basic guide to the Fringe. This should cover all your FAQ's, tips on how to pick shows and get value for money (especially if you are a local or if you are coming to Edinburgh early). There will also be some advice for people who are putting on shows - how to attract the average punter like me, and I'll give you some general information about Edinburgh, the things to do and places to visit if you want to take a break from watch comedians or students prancing around performing hip hop versions of Shakespeare.

Then once the festival starts, I'll post information about the shows I've seen. Reviews if you like.

I always take a week or two off work to see shows so you'll find my posts may become less frequent as the weeks go on but I hope the info contained in them will remain relevant until at least the end of the Fringe, if not until next year and beyond.