2401 Objects 3 1/2*

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 *****

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 **

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*

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

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

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

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.