Absurd comedy

To watch is not necessarily to follow

bruceonthefringe 2025, Absurd comedy, Eats, Edinburgh Fringe 2025, Horror, Mime, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I shall make a start on this post but I will be popping out in a bit to see Scaramouche Jones, or maybe not as it’s still exceptionally windy out there and yesterday’s performance had to be cancelled! It’s in a yurt, you see, next to the Potterrow underpass. Storm Floris wreaked havoc across Scotland yesterday and the winds are still going strong (no, I haven’t been anywhere near the Park, I don’t want to end up in Fife!!).

Anyhoo, that last show last Friday, it was at the Assembly Rooms in George Street, well, close by, the Front Room is actually a large white box in the street outside the Assembly Rooms. The opening music was O Fortuna played on banjos, oh-kay, best strap in (well, I’m pretty sure it was O Fortuna, conjuring up the dark, magnificent Excalibar for me, the Old Spice ad for others). A large laundry bag was pushed inside the box by stage hands, it awkwardly moved itself further into the room before unzipping and our man extracted himself from it.

Jonah Non Grata is a one man performance, it was bemusing, confusing and a tad disconcerting; full on absurd. An old adventure choice book was to hand, and left in the audience’s whilst he went outside, we just kept playing wondering when he would reappear, what else to do?! Later on, he led us all outside, just to lead us back in, oh, we all followed obediently on (not sure how much time had elapsed in the box, I did wonder if he’d just wander off and that would be the end of the show). I have no idea what it was about, had I missed something? A brief check with a few other audience members afterwards, it wasn’t just me, phew, none of them really made sense of this strange experience we had witnessed together, but, you know, we all kinda enjoyed it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

There was a storyline to The Mayor and His Daughter: A Genuine Appreciation of Comedy but for me it got a bit lost in the sketches and the two strange personalities ( I say two, I think the daughter had a few going on there). This is absurd comedy with a dash of horror and a Russell Howard dvd boxset; very funny, a dash unsettling. It reminded me of how I felt about The Establishment, hysterically silly but with something dark and uncontrollable lurking underneath (Is that just me? Anyone else?) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So I nipped out to see Scaramouche Jones, absolutely superb, a triumph for Tuck, but more on that later. Since then, I’ve been out at another show and had a mushroom pizza from Moratti, on the corner of St Mary’s Street and Holyrood Road (tasty and reasonably priced). Now, on to the third in this trio of surreal absurdities…

A Haunted House began with a very impressive model of a very haunted looking house, welcome to the nightmare! Car broken down outside? Come in and stay for the night, have a tour of the old place – if you dare! There’s all manner of ghoulish creatures, brought to life (or undeadness) by grotesque mime and dark surreal comedy. While there’s definitely nods to The League of Gentlemen, the eyes loop bit (sorry, it would be insanely difficult to describe it more, but if you see A Haunted House you’ll know the part I mean) had me thinking of Guillermo del Toro. I’ll admit, while I enjoyed David Hoskin‘s performance (he is great at physical comedy), I kinda lost the narrative at times, though, maybe it was just loosely there, anyway? Oh, and the Blue Moon part, loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

A very haunted house!

It’s late again!! One of these nights I intend to be asleep before midnight!

After breakfast things improved

bruceonthefringe 2025, Absurd comedy, Comedy, Comic theatre, Edinburgh Fringe 2025, Fringe Venues, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

A few weeks ago I was talking Fringe with a friend, about how to choose which shows to see. Reviews are a handy measure, of course, then my friend said that they tend not to trust reviewers who always give high ratings to everything, like a sickeningly sycophantic tv host (oh yeah, I know which they meant). The conversation has lingered about in my head, were they including me in that? Hey, I’ve been Fringing for thirty plus years now, my Fringe-dar is finely tuned, thank you very much.

And yes, it might look like I’ve been throwing stars around willy-nilly on Instagram recently, but they were all acts that I’ve enjoyed at previous Fringes; a damn fine first Fringe Friday was the plan. Mind, sometimes returning acts can be disappointing….

Friday morning was an early rise (for Fringe time) to make it to Lauriston Halls for Shakespeare For Breakfast at ten o’clock in time to grab a coffee and croissant on my way in. The thing with Shakespeare For Breakfast is that while the premis of goofing around with a Shakespeare play is the same, the actors and writers are always different from year to year, so the feel and style is very varied; the faithful returning audiences rely on the company getting it right, again.

For me, this year it felt a bit lame, a bit little one of those Radio4 afternoon comedy plays at times (if you know what I mean), oh, some parts were pretty funny but not enough to really raise it up. The performances were enjoyable enough, and the torch song to a croissant was brilliantly sung, but it lacked something for me. Oh well, it’ll be something different next year. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Next up were Finlay and Joe: Pretend It’s Fine at the Dovecot Studios where used to be Infirmary Street Baths (more on the venue later). I saw them two years ago performing Past Our Bedtime, in my Fringe diary I put, “Will see these two again in the future”, and indeedily, yes I have!

Off to a great start, opening with a song to the music of the Beach Boys’ I Get Around (great choice of tune and wow, they have great singing voices!) and looking very dapper in blue suits with flames flickering up the bottom of the sleeves and trouser legs. Pretend It’s Fine is a sketch show but there’s a story arc going on, and a bit of improv thrown in for good measure; some sketches are surreally stitched together, other times we’re jolted back to the story, like, oh yeah, that’s where we were; it’s sharp, silly, surreal, full of quick, good-humoured wit and warmth. It says family-friendly in the programme blurb, and it is, British humour at it’s best ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After a late lunch of scrambled eggs (with leek and cheese) on toast, it was up to Appleton Tower (the latest Gilded Balloon venue while Teviot is still closed) for Ironing Board Man, well I really enjoyed it last time and reckoned there would be changes from last year’s show, so why not? Jody Kamali has created a wonderful parody of an 80’s action/romance blockbuster movie with an amazing soundtrack; I’ve no doubt the soundtrack was a labour of love (like making the perfect mixed tape where the right order was vital!) but that hour of sound must have taken sooo long to get just right. Good choice to go back, even better this year! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

One more return for the day Bad Clowns seen last year, twice actually, I saw the unrehearsed Role Swap version of Hostage and then the proper version (I actually preferred the role swap version, it was hysterically funny!). This year it’s Bad Clowns: Long Live the King! actually the King dies at the start of it and our clowns are all contenders to be the new king! These three guys are all very funny in their own right, but the dynamic and chemistry between them makes comedy gold (see, that alchemy again!). Long Live the King! is a silly, gleeful romp with plenty of audience participation and laughs a-plenty, loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Now, I did those four shows in one day (there was another one too later in the evening, but I reckon it fits in better with the next two shows, and right now it’s quite late!), but like I said I’m a seasoned Fringer, if you attempt those last three shows in one day, please wear a girdle or your sides may literally split, you have been warned!

G’night, sweet dreams!

Deep in the Belly….

bruceonthefringe 2024, Absurd comedy, Edinburgh Fringe 2024, Fringe reviews, Sooo fringe, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

This Fringe I’ve been rediscovering my love of Green & Black’s Organic Intense Dark 70% cocoa chocolate. Oh, it’s a tad too intense to start, but then it oozes in and canoodles your senses; I don’t leave the moose cave now without a piece slowly melting in my mouth. A very pleasurable sensation!

And a pleasure it was to see those men of the cloth again and with a new show, Bishops: Farewell Bruce Porcelain. Another very funny show, this time sketches with a narrative running through (well, loosely skipping through). I was utterly delighted that they revisited one of my favourite bits from last year, but I can’t believe how long it took me to twig it was that again!! No, I won’t say which bit, to say anything would give it away, but boy, it killed me, twice. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Staying in the Underbelly in the Cowgate, I went to see My Last Two Brain Cells in the Iron Belly, which reminds me, I was rushing to the show, tore up the stairwell unsure which floor it was on (note to Underbelly, it would help to put signs on the stairwell doors through to each floor), gasping I asked an Underbelly employee sat in the stairwell which floor Iron Belly was on – I got a vacant look and shrug back! Jeez, not a lot of brain activity there.

Anyhoo, My Last Two Brain Cells starts with Brain Cell 64,928,460,783 (with clipboard in hand) welcoming us to the first tour of Gary’s brain; then Brain Cell 12 turns up wanting to liven things up a little. Hmm, a brain cell buddy show?! Indeed, 64,928…. is the efficient but dull worker (useful but you wouldn’t go for drinks after work with him, and from here on in known as Clive), while 12 is fun, fun, fun (but you’re glad you don’t work in the same team as him). Oh, and of course these two have a history together…

MLTBC is very silly and surreal; Joe Pike and Tom Hazelden are such a talented pair, the energy of these two is full-on but oddly charming. They seem to pack a helluva lot into an hour, did all that happen in one hour? A crazy exhilarating hour ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Ah, I seem to have inadvertently stayed in the Underbelly in this post. I’ve also stayed with the theme of absurd silliness, it must be something in the air there. Dr Dolittle Kills a Man (and Reads Extracts From His New Book) was recommended to me, oh, such a sweet call! My god, another brilliantly bonkers show – what a great Fringe it’s been for me!

Dr Dolittle Kills a Man just ticked so many boxes: comedy that’s silly but sharp too, a ridiculous plot reminiscent of an 80’s movie or two, a pitch perfect performance, a great baddie, a surprise cameo, oh and great incidental music and visuals (loved all the maps). If this is what Aidan Pittman can do for a debut solo show, well, just, wow ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Must fly, another show to see. Toodle pip!

A few cuts of comedy…

bruceonthefringe 2024, Absurd comedy, Comedy, Edinburgh Fringe 2024 Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Just time for a quick one!! I have a date at eight with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. A few notes on Comedy, methinks. The wonderful Will BF is back with two shows, The Last Gun (last year’s show) and Moon Team IIIV. I’m looking forward to seeing both, yes, both, The Last Gun was very entertaining!

Also back are Crizards, just not together, they’ve gone solo. Eddy Hare: This One’s On Me is on at the Pleasance Courtyard, so a tad pricey! While Will Rowland: Masterpiece in Progress is on at the Banshee Labyrinth, part of the Free Fringe. Interesting choices. I’m interested to see what they each bring, will I prefer one over the other?

For years Gamarjobat entertained Edinburgh Fringe-goers, first just on the streets then also with proper shows. Mime is often the butt of jokes, but Gamarjobat a double mime act from Japan were brilliant; this year just one half is back with Ketch Sketch. Hmmm, I’m not sure if one mime can create the magic that the two had together, we’ll see.

And last but definitely not the least, John-Luke Roberts is back with not one but ten different shows; a retrospective of his solo shows, if you will. I’ve seen five, do I pick one I haven’t seen before or re-visit one that I have? Hmm.

Some salmon, sole and birdsong?!

bruceonthefringe 2023, Absurd comedy, Dancing, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Reviews, Stand-up comedy Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

It’s a soggy day out there! After another very late night, I’ve just been pottering round the moose cave today. Tomorrow is a new week, a fresh start, my Fringe calendar is empty (except for the Arthur’s Seat Comedy Extravaganza on Saturday). My dining table is covered with flyers, cutout possibilities and scraps of scribbled notes, but before Fringe future, a few more bits of Fringe just past…

Yay, last night I saw the sublimely ridiculously funny Luke Rollason: Cheep Cheep. Only three shows this year and not in the printed version of the Fringe programme, it’s as well I follow him on Instagram or I’d have missed him. This show was a WIP, Work In Progress, so there’s always chance it’ll be back next year, or some semblance of it. In case it does return, here’s a few highlights, a fairy tale princess, loo roll, a bear hunt, more loo roll, Midas and his Comedy Gold touch; all beautifully crafted together into absurd silliness ☆☆☆☆☆

Friday morning I legged it up to 32 Below to see Daman Bamrah: Salmon Camera at 11 o’clock. Okay, so I was a wee bit late, but at that time in a morning, come on! The good thing about the Main Cellar at 32 Below is it’s just a thick curtain between the bar and the venue room (also a bad thing when the bar is busy and noisy), so even if a show has started it’s possible to peer in and suss where/if there are seats.

Daman very wisely begins his show chatting to the audience finding out bits about them, so latecomers like me don’t miss anything (and he can suss out any references to tie in). I know some folk will be slightly put off by this, have no fear, Daman is a lovely, affable chap and its quite a nice cosy atmosphere in that room (probably all the happy, joyful vibes still floating around from Accordion Ryan’s Pop Bangers the night before). Daman Bamrah: Salmon Camera is an upbeat personal show, a gentle way for anyone to start their Fringe day ☆☆☆½

Catching up on previously seen, I saw Lost Soles at Assembly Roxy, a must for anyone with a love of tapdancing. A one man show, a joy to watch a story unfold with such graceful ease and minimal effort. Personally, I would have liked a little more tap, but what there was, wow, phenomenal! Thank crikey it was in Central at the Roxy so everyone could see it all! ☆☆☆☆☆ for the tap, ☆☆☆½ the show overall.

The rain is currently taking a break, so I’m off oot. Toodle pip!

Amused mooses, ACMSs and now the Brucies

bruceonthefringe 2022, Absurd comedy, Comic theatre, Edinburgh Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe 2022, Fringe Awards, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

It’s late, I’ve been medicating my sore throat with strong dry cider, I think it’s working, or?! Anyhoo, Mesdames et Monsieurs, Welcome to the Bruce On The Fringe Fringe Awards 2022! These winners have been picked from 52 shows (not counting return views); there’s been some stiff competition this year – so I took a leaf out of the ACMS’s approach and made up awards to fit.

Best Zomcom: Apocalypse Kernow

Best Pomelo: Palimpsest

Best Sci-fi: Space Hippo

I’m still pondering Best Musical Moment, first nomination is the Miracle Glass Company performing Look At You Now (it was mighty fine)

Best Use of a Red Hat: The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much

Most Macabre: Famous Puppet Death Scenes

Smartest Suited: The Flop – A Band of Idiots

Second nomination for Best Musical Moment is Blueswater performing The Wizard (epic)

Best Creepy Mouse Costume: Neil Frost – Nan’s House Of Fun

Best Hans Gruber Impression: Yippee Ki Yay

Most Tenacious: Aidan Goatley

Third nomination for Best Musical Moment is Nicole Smit for every moment she’s onstage

Most August: Thom Tuck

Best Kitchen Utensils: Steve and Shirley Sieve

Best Washing Machine Operator: John-Luke Roberts

Fourth nomination for Best Musical Moment is Accordion Ryan’s ability to go so low

Most Absurd Bird Impressionist: Luke Rollason

Best Avian Messenger Trainer: Christian Brighty

Best Furniture Movers: Grubby Little Mitts

Fifth nomination for Best Musical Moment is Carl Marah not falling off his stool in Binkies

Sweetest Fringe Thing: Accordion Ryan

Sexiest Fringe Thing: Rob Kemp

Silliest Fringe Thing: Crybabies – Bagbeard

And that’s it for this year. Pardon? Who won Best Musical Moment? I’m gonna take another leaf off ACMS’s tree and not bother declaring a winner.

Toodle pip!

this year’s Bruce On The Fringe Fringe award winners

Silliness, Inc.

bruceonthefringe Absurd comedy, Comedy, Edinburgh Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe 2022, Fringe 2022 reviews, Fringe Venues, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Come on, moose, focus! No playing out in the sun ’til you’ve written up a few more reviews. Well, as I stuck that pic up of The Establishment poster form 2017 at the end of my last post, let’s start with them. Yesterday I caught up with Neil Frost’s and Dan Lees’ latest Fringe offerings. The Establishment may have disestablished itself but these two have plenty going on. I had already PWYC for Neil Frost: Nan’s House of Fun, then just a couple of weeks ago I spotted that The Flop: A Band of Idiots was back (I failed to see it last year, yes failed, I did try hard) at Banshee Labyrinth, yay.

Neil Frost is at the Blundabus, a fitting setting for such an anarchic silly sense of humour. It is a small venue and he will talk to you wherever you choose to sit, but he’s very lovely and friendly so don’t let that put you off seeing this delightful show. You may wonder five minutes in what the show’s title is about, he’s still on his first riff dressed up like a scary psycho mouse, it’s actually a bittersweet look back at parts of his childhood. Neil Frost is obviously around ten years younger than myself as he thought Timmy Mallet was great in the 80s, really, he wasn’t. The show is on at 8pm in the Blundabus, which is next to the Potterow underpass (its passed by all the time by folk going between the Old Town/ Cowgate area and the university area around Teviot); definitely worth pausing there for 45 minutes to recharge your funny bone ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

The Flop: A Band of Idiots wasn’t listed in the Fringe programme (it is now in the online version) but if there’s one thing I’ve learnt these last few years it’s that the Absurdists like to keep folk on their toes, always check the free fringe stuff regularly, the silliest comedy is worth the hunt. The Flop are the other half of The Establishment, Dan Lees, a third of Privates Tom Curzon and Cammy Sinclair, three gents who can make you laugh just by standing still. What a wonderfully musical and cathartic hour! Again, some friendly audience interaction, the front row seats are not to be feared, embrace your inner child and have fun. Besides being rather good at physical comedy our trio are musicians also, Dan on electric guitar, Cammy on percussion and Tom on strings, yes, he’s brought his double bass along again and a violin. If you’re not grinning from ear to ear by the end of the show, well, there’s no hope for you, I’m afraid.⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

The Flop: A Band of Idiots is the perfect follow-on to Neil Frost: Nan’s House of Fun, and time for a beer or two in between. Be warned though, like last year this is going to get very popular so head to Banshee Labyrinth up to an hour before and pick up a token from the bar to ensure you’ll get in; they’ll appreciate it if you stay in there drinking but you can toddle back a while.

And while I’m talking silly, Grubby Little Mitts at Assembly George Square Studio 4 at 14:45 is very silly. Sullivan Brown is a lovely chap (Russian Roulette) and this year he’s up with a new show with Rosie Nicholls, obviously I was going to see it. Funny, subversive, charming, dark, daft; Sullivan does blustering magnificently and Rosie is marvellous, I like her, excellent character acting both of them, the two make a great team. The chaise longue plays its part well and doesn’t seem to mind being pushed and nudged around, I wonder did it come up with them or did they audition local chaise longue for the part? Oh, and this show may make you think twice before ordering a coffee anywhere later. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Now where’s my sunblock?

Toodle pip!

Twenty One Returns

bruceonthefringe 2022, Absurd comedy, Badges, Comedy, Edinburgh Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe 2021, Edinburgh Fringe 2022, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That is to say, there are a number of shows that did make the effort to come to Edinburgh last year, that are back again, some did come as WIPs (Work In Progress) in ’21 so there will be changes to them. I’m excited to see Rob Kemp: Agenda in a couple of days, that was excellent last year, I wonder if I’ll spot the changes. All three Privates are back with last year’s shows, alas, again no actual Privates show even though they do have a new show Great Ideas by Geniuses, which was premiered at the Brighton Fringe earlier this year.

Due to extremely popular demand last year I didn’t get to see Tom Curzon in The Flop: A Band of Idiots but this year I’m determined (he was in another show last year which I did see but thats not being repeated). Luke Rollason and Christian Brighty were both at Monkey Barrel last year so I was able to get tickets in advance to ensure seeing them. Christian has moved over to the Pleasance Courtyard (Below), let’s start with him.

Christian Brighty: Playboy is a brilliantly silly show with plenty of bawdy Carry On style humour. One obvious change from last year – no bows and arrows left on any seats for the audience to fire at him, shame! At least in Pleasance Below there’s quite a gradient up to the tech desk, so the avian messengers had easier downward flights to the stage. Pingback back time, if it works, see last year it was A win by a gnat’s crochet for young Brighty (click on the highlighted bit to see last year’s review), could he do it again?

Well I’m pretty damn certain there was no talking armchair in Luke Rollason: Bowerbird last year! It even has a wee segment to itself when it invited someone to sit on it (the guy at the front wouldn’t, nothing would persuade him, Brighty boy was in the audience and obliged the armchair), then Luke reappeared, kind of like those little odd bits in The Young Ones, remember them?! I did think he spoke more this year, as I previously noted that it seemed almost weird when he did talk. I’ve checked and my review from last year still stands, he is A barrelful of funny. Another pingback there, do let me know if they’re not working.

But which one won the battle of the Privates this year? Oo, gonna have to say Luke Rollason: Bowerbird (and that’s not just because he had badges at the end!). Mind, if you go to either of these shows and enjoy it, then do check out the other.

This evening I trotted up to Cabaret Voltaire to see Alex Farrow: Philosophy Machines last year it was Philosophy Pig – a man who doesn’t stray far from his favourite subject! Another interesting and entertaining show, oh, he did get in a mention about Andrew Nagel and his book again (well, I do recall his liking for bats). Last year Philosophy Pig did very well with plenty full audiences, mind that was a smaller room, but I’d say go for the Pay What You Can in advance option, this chap could get very popular again!

I’ll put this up I’ve seen some things, you know as it has my review of Alex Farrow: Philosophy Pig in it along with my reviews of The Return of Sherlock Holmes and Stand-Up Philosophy which are both back again. I’ve noticed that the company that put on Embassy Stomp are back again, hmmm. And John-Luke Roberts’ show was my favourite at that point of the Fringe. Ah well, it’s very late, to bed!

Red hats, chest freezers and an owl

bruceonthefringe 2022, Absurd comedy, Edinburgh Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe 2022, Fringe 2022 reviews, Reviews, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Wow, it’s Sunday, pretty sure it is, yup, my Fringe calendar shows that I saw BriTANick last night and indeed I did. This afternoon I’m staying in to fill you guys in on what I’ve enjoyed so far. What? Staying inside on a lovely Sunday afternoon when the town will be heaving with Fringey things? Well, exactly, it’ll be heaving out there and I have to write something down, all these shows are starting to merge into each other in my head, some were perfectly bizarre enough on their own without added plots. I have been out earlier in Holyrood Park, I headed up by the lesser walked Lang Rig, round to Nether Hill and down the steps, a bracing walk on such a windy morning. Washing up from the last three days finally done, I have strong coffee and a punnet of cherries to help me along.

So, how was Fritz and Matlock? Pretty good. Two friends have managed to accidentally get locked in a house basement while putting a dead body into a chest freezer down there; they’ll be unable to get out for sometime. The house belongs to Fritz’s granny and the lads have been growing marijuana in the attic, dubious characters; this is drama and dark comedy about dependency within relationships, with occasional illumination from the chest freezer. Its well acted, well written and well conceived, it struck a chord with this moose.⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Pleasance Courtyard in The Attic)

I was back up in The Attic the following morning for Who Here’s Lost? an utterly delightful monologue by Ben Moor. The hour slips away as our narrator tells a tale about going on a road trip with his ex-mother-in-law who is dying from cancer; it’s funny, heart-warming, surreal, recognisable, beautifully eloquent. I really enjoyed it and intend to pop up to the Courtyard just after he’s finished one day as I want to buy the book of it (didn’t have any cash on me at the time), oo, and there’s a badge too, yay ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the Pleasance Courtyard I headed to the Pleasance Dome for The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much by the Voloz Collective. The blurb in the Fringe had “Chaplin meets Hitchcock meets spaghetti western ….. live music ….. Lecoq-trained physical theatre company” how could I not see it? (great promo pic too, quirky, intriguing) Live musical accompaniment can really enhance a show, this guy played keyboards, guitar and harmonica (well if you’re gonna get a musician in, might as well get one who can play a few instruments). Could the Voloz Collective deliver what seemed promised? Yes, and how, with impeccable timing and nuances. Physical, comic theatre at its best, and that red hat amid the grey, loved it. Definitely gonna be one of my top shows this year (yes, three weeks still to go, it’s that good) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

While I’m on about the best ones so far let’s stay in the Pleasance Dome and go back a day to when I saw Crybabies: Bagbeard. Picked because the blurb said Absurdist and “a sci-fi infected narrative sketch adventure”, the pic was too dark to inform further. By George, my fringedar was right on the bullseye with this one, these lads are great. Right from the first scene, so, so funny and inventive, and the owl. I lost it when the owl appeared, not just because it was a ridiculous costume (that looked more like a strange bat to me) but it looked like John-Luke Roberts had just wandered into their show (it so looked like something he’d come up with and the chap is not dissimilar to him). And Victor Valentine – this character (and only when he was playing this one character) so made me think of the crazed FBI agent in one of my favourite films The Frighteners.

Crybabies:Bagbeard is hilarious, ridiculous, sweet, quite bonkers, there is a very good, clever plotline in there amongst the laughs. Another top Fringe delight for me. So what if there was a slight technical mishap, it was the first preview and they handled it well ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Must finish here just now. I do need to eat before my next show.

Toodle pip!

It’s started, cue the drizzle

bruceonthefringe 2022, Absurd comedy, Comic theatre, Edinburgh Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe 2022, Fringe 2022 reviews, Fringe weather, Reviews, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Yes, it’s Preview Wednesday and right on cue the sky is completely grey and a gentle drizzle is alternating with a fine mizzle (the wetness just hangs in the air more with a mizzle, drizzle goes downwards). As this is a Brave New fringe my old habits are being reassessed for compatibility. For instance, I haven’t left Shakespeare For Breakfast til later, first morning in, bang! Seen. Actually it was more like Shakespeare For Brunch, this year they’re putting on a second performance each morning at 11:15 – rather good for folk who could never be up and at a venue by 10:00. Different venue again this year, an old favourite of mine, Roman Eagle Lodge or as it’s proper title C Aquila.

Ah, back queuing up those stairs to the very top room, but what’s this? The croissants weren’t just left on the seats, they were by the coffee (or tea or orange juice) at the entrance! While I applaud this change, no more wasted croissants, it does mean I don’t get to grab a few left ones as I’m leaving. How was the show? Very different to previous SfB productions, first and most obvious there’s only three players, one of whom is definitely much older than the usual demographic (not that there’s anything wrong with that, he’s probably younger than me actually); I don’t think I’ll be the only regular who’ll be like, oh, ok, not the same vibe. But it is cheesy in parts, some good groans, some not so good groans, great opening song, the usual bit of audience anticipation (just the one bit for one audience member).

This year’s breakfast dish is The Winter’s Tale, they asked the audience if anyone knew it, erm, I did it at A-level but remember only a smidgen, wasn’t about to admit to it. Oh, exit, pursued by a bear, I remember that, of course! Actually, once the story got underway a lot of it did come back to me but I couldn’t seem to recall Leontes hiring a private detective to look for his daughter, hmmm. Yes, Shakespeare with added film noir, oh and a ukulele (yay! There was a guitar played too in the play but ukuleles are way cooler). Not the best SfB production I’ve seen but it ranks pretty high, and bear in mind that was the first day. I’ll give it just a smidgen off four stars.

That wasn’t actually my first Fringe show this year, I saw that yesterday. Monkey Barrel Comedy decided to start a few previews early, it was a fairly easy choice to pop my Fringe22 cherry with John-Luke Roberts: A World Just Like Our Own, But…. He did not disappoint! On stage with just a washing machine with an old slimline corded phone in the powder tray, he told us about so many worlds like our own but for one thing, there were an awful lot of them, of course I remember it was very, very funny but few actual details. Two that really stuck with me were a world where corpses are buried feet first, so that if there’s a zombie outbreak it would like a game of Zombie Whac-A-Mole as they rose up; the other involved a cat and little red laser dots, I’ll say no more on that one.

The phone was there to enable other John-Luke Roberts from other worlds to phone him, he’d ask them about their worlds and whether they were happy. There is a reason for the washing machine but you’ll have to see the show to find that out, it is integral to the arc as JLR slowly reveals more, silliness and absurdity mix with pathos and profundity. I love this man that he can make me weep tears of laughter and recognition. A definite ☆☆☆☆☆

I’ve actually just finished this post off much later in the day as I had to shoot off to see another show. It was Fritz and Matlock in the Attic at the Pleasance Courtyard, more details next time; just mentioning it because I saw it purely by luck. Coming out of Shakespeare For Breakfast I debated whether to head home via the Royal Mile or the longer way by Teviot Square, the long way I decided. I fell into conversation with a girl with a small inflatable cow in her bag (as you would), of course it was to do with a show, would I like a free ticket? I wasn’t entirely sure it would fit into the day’s schedule but I took it, and phew it did, quite nicely in fact.

More from me about today tomorrow, I’m not too sure how or when as I have five shows lined up. I’ll probably put the odd pic up on Instagram and Facebook (Bruce T Moose). I’ll leave you with an old pic inside Roman Eagle Lodge, and yes the old stair lift is still there. Toodle pip!

Stannah Stair Lift to heaven?!