Fringe Guide Out Tomorrow....

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!