Badges

Three morsels of Fringey goodness

bruceonthefringe 2023, Badges, Comedy, Comic theatre, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Puppets Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Three days in, twelve shows seen. It’s tricky balancing wanting to be Fringey, writing about the Fringeyness and getting enough sustenance and sleep. It’s late just now, I had intended to be already in the Land of Nod but a few quick mentions before I lay my head.

Second day of previews I started with Ringer at Underbelly Bristo Square, picked as it’s by the same chap who wrote the very last show I saw last year, Out To Lunch (I was rather cajoled into seeing it as one of the few punters in Bristo Square, but it was very good). Another sharp, dark comedy; maybe a tad confusing to follow at the start but the storyline got underway, great fun and great performances by both actors. Same as last year’s, I’ll give it 4 stars.

I bumped into Grubby Little Mitts when they were flyering before the show, so lovely to see Sullivan Brown again, he said the new show is even better than last years – a bold claim! He was right though. The two of them (Rosie Nicholls is the other mitt) have a great chemistry, the sketches come fast and furious, there’s darkness and light and all sorts of bonkers in between. So that’s five stars plus another little star for Grubby Little Mitts: Hello Hi.

I want my bed so just one more, Shadow Kingdom by Mochinosha Puppet Company; that’s puppets as in Japanese shadow puppets, over four hundred are used! Another big epic story, last year’s was sci-fi, this year it’s fantasy (but again with a message in there) with plenty of adventure, hey, they paraphrase that line from Princess Bride! As last year, the flyer is actually a short comic book, and they have badges, yay (for a small donation), that’s 4½ stars from me. You might think shadow puppetry isn’t for you, maybe not, I wondered the same last year and am glad I gave it a chance.

G’night, sweet dreams!

Twenty four hours in….

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Just a quick rundown of the twenty-four hours, before I get some sleep. It’s been quite a start to this year’s Fringeyness, a very wet one too. So, twenty-four hours ago I’d just got into Whistlebinkies to see that edgy and dynamic duo The Scat Rats. It’s becoming quite a regular slot for them, Tuesday midnight, it always surprises me how many folk are up until after two so early in the week.

The lads were on great form, as were some members of their audience, especially one particular lady to Babestation! I won’t tell you the details, suffice to say, Carl later said, it’s one of those things that could only happen in Binkies. So true, certainly Scotty won’t forget it for quite some time.

I happened to meet a stand-up from Austria, over for his first Fringe, a personable young chap so I’ll go see his show. He’s Elias Werner, his show is called Live & Deaf at Hootenannies. Oh, the show isn’t listed in the printed programme, neither is the venue! It’s taken over an older number 108, Hootenannies is at the Apex Hotel in the Grassmarket, it has plenty of shows on offer.

Didn’t make it home until around half two, had to be up in the morning at eight to be sure of making my first show on time. It was chucking it down outside, bugger, but I made it with time to spare for Shakespeare For Breakfast so second breakfast was coffee and croissant. A good show, I kinda felt it took a wee while to really find it’s stride but hey, first preview, oh, and Puck kept forgetting to light up, I’m sure that’ll get sorted. Overall, great.

A Voloz Collective double next. First The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much then just over an hour later The Life Sporadic of Jess Wildgoose, like OMG, they were both so brilliant; a very talented bunch! More on them later. Hard acts to follow for Crizards: This Means War in the early evening; there seemed to be a number of preview problems, or it could have just been their style of comedy (it was amusing, some parts very funny but I found it a tad lame at times).

I was hungry after that, didn’t want to wait to eat, so Mosque Kitchen time. Yum, chicken curry and rice, washed down with a mango lassi (I rarely go there outside of Fringe time these days, so it felt quite a treat). Home to chill, but not shut my eyes for fear they wouldn’t open in time for my last show.

Finally I’ve seen John Robertson’s The Dark Room and it’s bloody brilliant!! Again, more later, the clock’s ticking, luckily my first show tomorrow isn’t until early afternoon. Oh, and joys, Crizards had badges to give out after the show (well, they had 300 made, after that, tough).

So a fine start to Edinburgh Fringe 2023! Goodnight guys, sweet dreams!

The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much

(PS. Don’t miss anything by following me on Facebook, Bruce T Moose, and Instagram @bruceonthefringe)

Twenty One Returns

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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!

Just a smattering….

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Wow! This morning Edinburgh awoke to a smattering of snow! Most of it was gone by midday (as is usual here) but it was still about on the hillsides and well-insulated rooftops. The paths around Holyrood Park were a tad on the slippy side, so folk were having to choose between sliding on the path or in the surrounding mud. It all made for some rather cautious walking!

Mind, the longer effort was worth it for the view of Dunsapie Loch, still as a millpond, with a perfect reflection of Crow Hill and Arthur’s Seat in it…….

I was a bit disappointed the otter wasn’t around but just when I’d reached the other end of the Loch, I looked and saw that she had appeared. Yes, I trooped back round to see her! I couldn’t help myself, it’s a wonderful thing to be able to watch an otter blithely swimming and diving about in the wild. She’s gorgeous and she knows it.

Speaking of gorgeous, Logan’s Close have announced on Facebook that they’re intending to record their debut album next year. Oh yay! A whole album of rich musical gorgeousness, can’t wait!! In the meantime, they’ve come up with a line of sexy, stylish T-shirts and bags for the fans (about time!); personally, I think they should do badges too – yes, I do need badges, preferably not stinking, mind 😊

Toodle pip!

Antipodeans at Large

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Just looked up antipodes in my dictionary, it said “places diametrically opposite (to each other), esp. Australasia as region on opposite side of earth to Europe.” Hmmm, so technically we’re antipodean to someone living in Auckland or Melbourne. It’s just that we stuck in on Australasia first, or they bagsied the word. Personally I think it’s a great word, an-tipo-des, it trips off the tongue.

But why did you need to look it up, Bruce, didn’t you know what it means? Yes, but I wanted to be sure, words can be such tricksy things. Like on that last paragraph I was going to continue the sentence on “and it evokes” but the words of what it evokes escaped me! There is evoking going on it’s just indescribable for a moose.

I have a slightly better chance of describing how good the Modern Maori Quartet: Two Worlds were this afternoon, awesome! And not just great singing, the storyline was a slow reveal as we learnt more about the characters, their current situation and their truths. Yes, the truth will set you free (very important to the show) but, as shown it can be hard to admit and own. Some thought-provoking stuff going on, all delivered with that wry, no-nonsense antipodean humour. So if you have a mid afternoon free, you could do a helluva lot worse!

And while I’m on antipodeans, I’m sooo looking forward to seeing the Ukulele Death Squad this evening. Also from Oz, The Aspirations of Daise Morrow is on at the Assembly George Square Gardens in the wonderful Spiegeltent Palais Du Variete, but be warned, it’s after lunch, in a warm tent, beautiful soothing live music and lazy aussie drawls. Yeah, do go see it but have a coffee first! And have I mentioned how delightful Felicity Ward was?

Oo yeah, badges, to misquote Blazing Saddles “we DO need stinkin’ badges”, extra points to shows with free badges at the end. For a few years plenty of shows were giving out badges,  not so many now. Yay, to Tom Neenan and the Modern Maori Quartet for having badges, my only two so far.

Well it’s nearly time for me to trot down Leith Walk to see the Squad. This fringing and blogging thing is tricky, I want to tell you about all the brilliant stuff going on here – but I’m too busy out enjoying it!!

Toodle pip!

 

 

McNeil & Pamphilon: which ones were they?

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Ones who gave out badges at the end of their show, yay! I do like a show that has free badges at the end. That was in the Pleasance Dome in 2011, the show was McNeil & Pamphilon: Which One Are You?, which besides sketches had them looking at their differences and how fans have their favourite of the two (I was definitely a Pamphilon). These two are very funny and play off each other brilliantly, they’re so relaxed and endearing it felt like watching two pals bantering in the pub, keeping everyone else thoroughly entertained and happy just to listen.

Okay at times they seem disturbingly close, like when McNeil had to touch Pamphilon’s balls – it’s there in my old Fringe diary, followed by “(rubber glove and lube)”?! McNeil also drew the short straw in the fashion stakes, Pamphilon looks cool in anything, but McNeil can make the same clothes look crap, demonstrated to make the point (oh, it was well made) by borrowing a hoody from an audience member. Old diaries are fun, apparently the School Rabbit Sketch was VERY sick and funny, I’m sure it was, wish I had one of those memories that can actually recall details! I gave them four stars.

We saw them again in 2012, this time in the Baby Grand at the Pleasance Courtyard, a small, hot room, so, much like most venues then. Threading through the show was Pamphilon’s body-swapping machine and the joke that he fancied McNeil’s mum. Another four stars given.

2013 was the first time they brought Go 8-Bit to the Fringe, and more badges! Yay! Despite never having been much of a videogamer, I thoroughly enjoyed it seeing the enthusiasm and competitiveness it brought out! And the horror of some of the forfeits the lads, as team leaders, had to endure, well Pamphilon mainly. Forfeits like downing three shots of cheap vodka, eating a jar of chillies, getting dead-armed by all the winning team. All good fun, and worth five stars!

Oo, 2014 it went hi-tech, instead of, please switch off your mobile, it was, switch it on, go to the website and vote for who you think will win each video game. Umm, I didn’t bother, ok, so more like I was still getting used to my first android phone and didn’t really know what to do. Just as well, turned out that one lucky person who voted would then be randomly picked to play in the next game, aargh, like seriously, no way could I have done that! Hmmm, back down to four stars!? I did note that the forfeits weren’t as cruel as the previous year’s, was that a reason to lose a star?

As luck would have it, flicking through tv channels on 5th September 2016, I settled on a show on Dave hosted by Dara O’Briain, he’s usually a safe bet. Then, oo, isn’t that Steve McNeil, and there’s Sam Pamphilon, blimey Charlie, Go 8-Bit’s made it on to the telly! Nice one. Hang on, why is it Dara’s? No, it’s not yours Dara, it’s Sam and Neil’s, give it back! That was literally my thought process over the time it was on. Hey ho, maybe Dave wanted a bigger name to be able to entice viewers in. There’s been two series shown so far and another coming up next year. Well worth a watch, with a few beers, natch. It’s still great to see how competitive and focused some comedians can be, yeah right, Calman, it’s just a game!

Shame they don’t do the really cruel forfeits  😆