I think that in terms of dishing out stars, I'm at my most generous when reviewing sketch comedy. I like it a lot and people like Max and Ivan and Adam Riches have received great reviews from me after getting it spot on!
So I was very much looking forward to Casual Violence, a troupe who have a reputation for macabre, twisted yet hilarious comedy.
The group are comprised of five actors and a musician, who provides atmospheric music during the sketches and some great filler material in between them... Including a joyous love song to one lucky lady in the front row.
The only criticism I have of the show is that it's a little slow in starting. There are around 6-7 scenes which are each introduced then revisited a couple more times during the show. I would say that the first set of scenes spends a little bit too much time setting the story out and not providing laughs, meaning that you're more likely to just smile rather than laugh out loud.
But by the second set, the laughs are starting to get louder and the concluding scenes are a triumph.
The acting is slick, the writing is strong and it has the perfect amount of gore to make you cringe and giggle at the same time!
Although it's not exactly the same type of humour describing the show as the sketch comedy equivalent of "Shawn of the Dead" wouldn't be too far off the mark. It's a collection of unrelated sketches rather than a film, but the feeling simultaneous joy from gore and comedy are rarely experienced together and just as Shawn of the Dead managed it in film, so Casual Violence have managed to do it live on stage! A great achievement.
Thoughts of "The Poppy Man" in particular will send shivers down your spine whilst at the same time make you giggle for a long time after the show has finished.... Want to know what I'm talking about? Go see it! You will not be disappointed.
Show info here.
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
Trevor Lock - Amateur Sex Tape**
A few friends of mine have a phrase to describe comedians who talk about really random stuff. They call them "Badgers and Jam" comedians. Ross Noble is a perfect example, he goes off at tangents and randomly starts talking about squirrels during a piece of material that has nothing to do with squirrels.
Trevor Lock definitely falls into the badgers and jam category. He goes wildly off course all the time making weird and random observations.
I have a lot of friends who like him and I was told by several people to go and see him. It turns out that I have seen him before, doing a guest spot and he didn't go down well there either.... But I didn't realise that until after the show started.
I was a little disappointed when I arrived and the place was fairly empty (this was a preview show over a week ago so hopefully it's filling up better now) and Lock admitted that the audience was mainly made up of his mates and his flyering team.
He quickly started his show and then quickly went off on a tangent.... "My grandad was scared of flying... and worms... not flying worms, he wasn't scared of flying and worms ,he was just scared of flying and also worms, I don't think he ever saw any flying worms... or maybe he did I don't know, can woms fly?"
Some people really like this type of humour. I don't. I think it's important which you score a show, you give an honest evaluation of how much you enjoyed it. I had a couple of laughs, but I can honestly say I wanted to leave half way through.
Others will enjoy the show a lot more and when I see 4 star reviews for him I won't be surprised because I know there is a lot of demand for that type of thing and I know he has a good reputation. I just don't understand why.
Whether the low score says more about me than the act I'll leave for other people to decide.
Show info here.
Trevor Lock definitely falls into the badgers and jam category. He goes wildly off course all the time making weird and random observations.
I have a lot of friends who like him and I was told by several people to go and see him. It turns out that I have seen him before, doing a guest spot and he didn't go down well there either.... But I didn't realise that until after the show started.
I was a little disappointed when I arrived and the place was fairly empty (this was a preview show over a week ago so hopefully it's filling up better now) and Lock admitted that the audience was mainly made up of his mates and his flyering team.
He quickly started his show and then quickly went off on a tangent.... "My grandad was scared of flying... and worms... not flying worms, he wasn't scared of flying and worms ,he was just scared of flying and also worms, I don't think he ever saw any flying worms... or maybe he did I don't know, can woms fly?"
Some people really like this type of humour. I don't. I think it's important which you score a show, you give an honest evaluation of how much you enjoyed it. I had a couple of laughs, but I can honestly say I wanted to leave half way through.
Others will enjoy the show a lot more and when I see 4 star reviews for him I won't be surprised because I know there is a lot of demand for that type of thing and I know he has a good reputation. I just don't understand why.
Whether the low score says more about me than the act I'll leave for other people to decide.
Show info here.
Diane Spencer - Exquisite Bad Taste *****
Taking a relatively early slot in the Gilded Balloon, Diane Spencer still has her work cut out to get the audience on side, but by god she knows how to do it!
She sparkles her way onto the stage and starts off with a wank joke setting the tone for the hour.
The space she performs in is a medium sized room, but it's snug enough for everyone to feel involved and not so big that there is a serious risk of empty seats.
So let's be clear. Diane Spencer is filthy! Her jokes are in terrible bad taste but she gets away with it better than any comedian, male or female, that I've ever seen.
Her material is easy to relate to without being hack.... She starts one section with "I don't get drunk, I time travel... I'll explain what I mean"... No one needs an explanation of what she means but we all strap in for the ride anyway and we're all glad we did. Her stories are all fluid and polished with great interlinking and classic call backs.
I've never seen an act that is so ready for TV that hasn't been on TV yet and I fully expect to see her on Live at the Apollo in the next couple of years. She might have to tone down some material but there's enough stuff in there that would be fine on post watershed BBC and everything else is in place, she has the face, demeanour, professional attitude and most importantly the material to carry it off.
A bigger venue and more exposure surely awaits so get in and see her while she's still intimate (in more ways than one) and reasonably priced.
You can find her show info here.
She sparkles her way onto the stage and starts off with a wank joke setting the tone for the hour.
The space she performs in is a medium sized room, but it's snug enough for everyone to feel involved and not so big that there is a serious risk of empty seats.
So let's be clear. Diane Spencer is filthy! Her jokes are in terrible bad taste but she gets away with it better than any comedian, male or female, that I've ever seen.
Her material is easy to relate to without being hack.... She starts one section with "I don't get drunk, I time travel... I'll explain what I mean"... No one needs an explanation of what she means but we all strap in for the ride anyway and we're all glad we did. Her stories are all fluid and polished with great interlinking and classic call backs.
I've never seen an act that is so ready for TV that hasn't been on TV yet and I fully expect to see her on Live at the Apollo in the next couple of years. She might have to tone down some material but there's enough stuff in there that would be fine on post watershed BBC and everything else is in place, she has the face, demeanour, professional attitude and most importantly the material to carry it off.
A bigger venue and more exposure surely awaits so get in and see her while she's still intimate (in more ways than one) and reasonably priced.
You can find her show info here.
Monday, 6 August 2012
Anda Union - The Wind Horse ****
Who says I don't do culture?
A folk band from Inner Mongolia I admit, is a bit of a tangent from my usual Fringe diet of comedy with a bit of theatre (favouring funny plays), but I am a music fan too and I do like hearing traditional music from around the world (I used to love watching the Soweto Gospel Choir promote their show on the Royal Mile and I think there is space for more African traditional music especially as they are not performing this year).
I was particularly curious to hear the "throat singing" in this show, (described to me by the guy who game me the flyer) which plays a big part throughout the performance.
You are welcomed into the Assembly's "Elegance" Tent by the performers who give you a blue scarf around your neck - yours to keep, a nice touch which is in keeping with the surroundings and the quality of the whole show.
When the music starts, it's a lively cacophony of sounds not all of which you can attribute to an instrument. It's not immediately clear that the whistling sound you can hear is coming from the performers throats (I was looking for some kind of wind instrument but couldn't see one in the hands of any performer).
The style of singing means that the performers can make this whistling noise as they sing. It's incredibly powerful and it contributes well to the overall sound. The male voices, although less harmonious, have a similar effect to a Welsh male choir and the string instruments make them sound not to dis-similar to Irish folk group, but with an oriental twist (particularly the drinking song that they played).
Horses play a big part in the lives of the people from the Mongolian Grasslands and one of the highlights of the performance was a song called "10,000 Galloping Horses" during which, the musicians made their horse fiddles scream like wild horses (literally as well as metaphorically).
For me, it was a welcome distraction and a great break from a day of comedy, but for any music fan, this is likely to be a highlight of the Fringe and I expect them to be well received.
(I happened to bump into a former work colleague at the show who was reviewing it for Broadway Baby. He also enjoyed it and his review can be read here (in much better prose than I can muster).
Show information here.
A folk band from Inner Mongolia I admit, is a bit of a tangent from my usual Fringe diet of comedy with a bit of theatre (favouring funny plays), but I am a music fan too and I do like hearing traditional music from around the world (I used to love watching the Soweto Gospel Choir promote their show on the Royal Mile and I think there is space for more African traditional music especially as they are not performing this year).
I was particularly curious to hear the "throat singing" in this show, (described to me by the guy who game me the flyer) which plays a big part throughout the performance.
You are welcomed into the Assembly's "Elegance" Tent by the performers who give you a blue scarf around your neck - yours to keep, a nice touch which is in keeping with the surroundings and the quality of the whole show.
When the music starts, it's a lively cacophony of sounds not all of which you can attribute to an instrument. It's not immediately clear that the whistling sound you can hear is coming from the performers throats (I was looking for some kind of wind instrument but couldn't see one in the hands of any performer).
The style of singing means that the performers can make this whistling noise as they sing. It's incredibly powerful and it contributes well to the overall sound. The male voices, although less harmonious, have a similar effect to a Welsh male choir and the string instruments make them sound not to dis-similar to Irish folk group, but with an oriental twist (particularly the drinking song that they played).
Horses play a big part in the lives of the people from the Mongolian Grasslands and one of the highlights of the performance was a song called "10,000 Galloping Horses" during which, the musicians made their horse fiddles scream like wild horses (literally as well as metaphorically).
For me, it was a welcome distraction and a great break from a day of comedy, but for any music fan, this is likely to be a highlight of the Fringe and I expect them to be well received.
(I happened to bump into a former work colleague at the show who was reviewing it for Broadway Baby. He also enjoyed it and his review can be read here (in much better prose than I can muster).
Show information here.
Back to Work
So, my "Fringe Week" is over....
If you've read my blog in previous years, you'll know that it's a flurry of activity at the start of the Fringe, then it starts to tail of in dramatic fashion.
The simple reason for this is that unfortunately I don't get paid for reviewing shows and I quickly run out of time and money and I also have to go back to work!
On the plus side, I've managed to see 18 shows (3-4 of them compilation shows which I'll jut sum up in one post) so I still have around 10 to review, which I'll try and do in chronological order, as well as adding in general thoughts and comments about the Fringe, so there will be plenty more to read about!
Just to quickly say that my highlights were: Max and Ivan, Diane Spencer, Mace and Burton, Bad Musical, Casual Violence and A little Perspective with Imaan... all of which I will be reviewing in the coming days.
I've managed to see shows put on by The Gilded Balloon, The Pleasance, Assembly, Underbelly, Just The Tonic at The Caves, The Alternative Fringe at the Hive, The Laughing Horse Free Festival and PBH's Free Fringe so I've spread myself fairly well across the venues this year! (Kudos to the other venues for offering more papering comps (that's business speak for free tickets) on the first couple of days of the Fringe).
After telling people to head to and support The Stand and associated venues, I've not made it down there yet, although I did make a trip into the Assembly Rooms to eat at Jamie Oliver's restaurant (which was reasonably priced with good service and a decent steak) and have a beer outside Speigeltent. Unfortunately the people I was with wanted to go clubbing rather than see some comedy!
My only disappointing moments were missing out on seeing Kunt and the Gang (who wanted to do a run though without an audience on the 2nd even although his show was due to start then and few people had turned up for it) and Mugging Chickens who chose not to turn up for their show at all despite it being their 2nd advertised day.
I still want to see Kunt, so I may make another trip down and leave a turd in his collection bucket to exact my revenge!
If you've read my blog in previous years, you'll know that it's a flurry of activity at the start of the Fringe, then it starts to tail of in dramatic fashion.
The simple reason for this is that unfortunately I don't get paid for reviewing shows and I quickly run out of time and money and I also have to go back to work!
On the plus side, I've managed to see 18 shows (3-4 of them compilation shows which I'll jut sum up in one post) so I still have around 10 to review, which I'll try and do in chronological order, as well as adding in general thoughts and comments about the Fringe, so there will be plenty more to read about!
Just to quickly say that my highlights were: Max and Ivan, Diane Spencer, Mace and Burton, Bad Musical, Casual Violence and A little Perspective with Imaan... all of which I will be reviewing in the coming days.
I've managed to see shows put on by The Gilded Balloon, The Pleasance, Assembly, Underbelly, Just The Tonic at The Caves, The Alternative Fringe at the Hive, The Laughing Horse Free Festival and PBH's Free Fringe so I've spread myself fairly well across the venues this year! (Kudos to the other venues for offering more papering comps (that's business speak for free tickets) on the first couple of days of the Fringe).
After telling people to head to and support The Stand and associated venues, I've not made it down there yet, although I did make a trip into the Assembly Rooms to eat at Jamie Oliver's restaurant (which was reasonably priced with good service and a decent steak) and have a beer outside Speigeltent. Unfortunately the people I was with wanted to go clubbing rather than see some comedy!
My only disappointing moments were missing out on seeing Kunt and the Gang (who wanted to do a run though without an audience on the 2nd even although his show was due to start then and few people had turned up for it) and Mugging Chickens who chose not to turn up for their show at all despite it being their 2nd advertised day.
I still want to see Kunt, so I may make another trip down and leave a turd in his collection bucket to exact my revenge!
Friday, 3 August 2012
Bob and Jim - Go **
I started the day yesterday with Bob and Jim at the Udderbelly Pasture.
Sometimes a show can be really badly affected by the time it's on and Bob and Jim's show "Go" is a perfect example of this.
The pair are a quintessentially British double act who cheerfully deliver their material which is well rehearsed and they have a good connection with each other.
Unfortunately, they don't really have much else to offer.
The show's time, location, marketing colour scheme, the mannerisms of the comics and it's general sense of humour make it the perfect show for kids - or so you would think, but there is just enough swearing and jokes that point towards sex etc that make it inappropriate for kids under the age of 10-12.
It most certainly could work with a drunk audience - I've seen many spoof kids entertainers do childish stuff on stage and the drunken audience have got involved and lapped it up.
But you don't have many drunks around at 12.20pm, so the audience is going to be made up of people who have just eaten breakfast and are seeing their first show of the day and on the day I saw it (yesterday) they never really won the audience around despite their relatively high energy and I'm struggling to imagine how they will do it for the rest of the run. (The general murmurs of the other people leaving indicated that they felt the same way as me about the show).
If they had marketed their show to kids and cut out the swearing I could see them being successful, or if they had found a different time slot I could see them making a success of things.
They are definitely not a one star show and I've marked them up for effort and potential, but at that time slot, in that venue, I'm afraid I can't recommend that you see them.
Show info here.
Sometimes a show can be really badly affected by the time it's on and Bob and Jim's show "Go" is a perfect example of this.
The pair are a quintessentially British double act who cheerfully deliver their material which is well rehearsed and they have a good connection with each other.
Unfortunately, they don't really have much else to offer.
The show's time, location, marketing colour scheme, the mannerisms of the comics and it's general sense of humour make it the perfect show for kids - or so you would think, but there is just enough swearing and jokes that point towards sex etc that make it inappropriate for kids under the age of 10-12.
It most certainly could work with a drunk audience - I've seen many spoof kids entertainers do childish stuff on stage and the drunken audience have got involved and lapped it up.
But you don't have many drunks around at 12.20pm, so the audience is going to be made up of people who have just eaten breakfast and are seeing their first show of the day and on the day I saw it (yesterday) they never really won the audience around despite their relatively high energy and I'm struggling to imagine how they will do it for the rest of the run. (The general murmurs of the other people leaving indicated that they felt the same way as me about the show).
If they had marketed their show to kids and cut out the swearing I could see them being successful, or if they had found a different time slot I could see them making a success of things.
They are definitely not a one star show and I've marked them up for effort and potential, but at that time slot, in that venue, I'm afraid I can't recommend that you see them.
Show info here.
Bane 3 *****
When you come to a Fringe show, you can't always judge how it's going to be set up before you go in.
Some shows have a massive production with lots of props and a supporting cast, others have more of a minimalist feel. Usually, when you head in and you realise it's just one or two people performing with no props, no sound prompts and no other showbiz add ons, think it's is going to be a bit cheap and nasty.
Unless that is, from the first minute, you get drawn in and thoroughly engaged by the performers.
Bane 3 is the third in the trilogy of "Bane" the epic adventures of a mafia hitman. Following the adventures of Bruce Bane, his colleagues, victims and a variety of other characters as he lurks through the murky world of crime, taking no prisoners and delivering asides to the audience as he goes along.
The soundtrack is provided throughout by Ben Roe on the semi-acoustic - and he is outstanding. (I play guitar badly so I can appreciate when someone does it well).
But the star of the show is Joe Bone, who plays Bruce Bane, Vicenzo the mafia goon.... and everyone else in the play. His high energy performance is something that all actors should aspire to. Not only does he differentiate between all the characters brilliantly with effortless switches, he also provides the sound effects without breaking character and adding considerably to the performance and the show as a whole.
It's funny, captivating and will leave you walking away entertained and with a smile on your face.
I saw the first Bane a few years ago and thought it was great, this performance was even better!
At this year's Fringe you can see all three "Bane" performances - Bane 1 is happening on Friday, Bane 2 is on Saturday and Bane 3 is on Sunday - Thursday.
If I had the time I'd be tempted to go back again to see Bane 2. If you've never seen it before, then make sure you catch at least one performance before the end of the Fringe.
Bane has a bit of a cult following but it's surely only a matter of time before he goes mainstream!
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