Comedy

After breakfast things improved

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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!

A few definite possibilities

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I remember back when the Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme would come out, early to mid June and folk would rush to get a copy to scour through it picking out their must-sees, ready for when the box office opened about a week later. It was all quite exciting, the anticipation. Nowadays tickets are woozily released from the start of the year, okay so I may take the odd peek, but I still wait on the proper physical paper programme to book tickets (okay, so there’s been the odd rare occasion), I prefer to see everything that’s on before I start to plan.

Only now, there’s also plenty of shows announced after the programme is out. Has it always like this but I just wasn’t aware? Okay, so there was always the odd one here and there (the Sleeping Trees and The Chocolate Factory comes to mind, it was a known late add-on to watch out for!), usually they were free or late night shows, probably thought up over a few drinks and cobbled together! Back in 2007 Rhys Darby was over performing in a play, next thing he’d got a slot in the Pleasance Courtyard Attic and photocopied some handwritten flyers, it wasn’t his best but we didn’t care, it was great seeing him do his thing.

These days, of course, there’s social media to keep an eye on for late announcements, like Lord Christian Brighty‘s of a three night run at the Pleasance Courtyard, yay. There’s always an odd extra show or two that’s not in the paper programme at Monkey Barrel Comedy but I know to actually read their emails just in case; and huzzah, John-Luke Roberts is back in the final week with a WIP.

And extra joys, Aidan Pittman and Hudson Hughes, the co-creators of the bloody brilliant Dr Dolittle Kills a Man (one of my top favourites of last year’s Fringe) are back doing various bits and bobs as part of PBH’s Free Fringe in the middle week. Quick edit here: well, he did announce it late! Will BF is bringing back his sci-fi romp Moon Team IIIV to a late slot at the Underbelly, starting on Tuesday 12th. Considering how many changes he made to it within a month last year, it could be an entirely different show by now! Still bonkers and laugh out loud daft, of course.

But there’s always the odd show in the Fringe programme that doesn’t happen, and sadly it’s not happening for Crybabies: The Scaring, they’ve had to cancel their run due to an unforeseen health issue (wishing a full recovery for whoever it is). However, I just saw on Instagram a couple of days ago that Crybabies have a series of four one-off comedy adventures coming to Radio 4 through August! Excellent news!

Well, it’s very late, way past time I should be asleep. I shall leave you with a picture of my cut-out Comedy possibles. G’night!

A few finishing scenes

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So, how did I finish my Fringe, with a bang or a resigned sigh? Did I make it to the Farmers Market early doors? Ha, best intentions but I wasn’t there until about one, I’d been to a show late morning, hmmm. I’m not saying it was a turkey, maybe a lame duck! The curry I made with the chicken thighs from Brewsters had more meat in it than that play; but as the Fringe is over I won’t give name to the offenders.

The show I took a chance on that evening more than made up for the morning’s disappointment, phew. An Evening with Mere Mortals was a blast, well two blasts, two short plays in fifty-five minutes, not a second was wasted, both packed with crazy full-on plotlines and great characters delivering deliciously sharp dialogue.

Stjälkar was like an early 70s espionage movie (okay, so the eyeball bit may have been a bit excessive?!) Inbound is more of an action movie, and special mention to the Tech here, wow, the effects really added big time to the energy of this section, impressive. The three actors were all very versatile and highly entertaining to watch. Good to know my Fringe-dar was still working fine! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

No time for a proper tea, so I had yet another vegetarian pizza slice from the Tony Macaroni pizza stand at Hunters Square (they are very tasty) on my way to the Voodoo Rooms. Aidan Sadler was performing their show Melody for the last time, only they, and we the audience, decided to go off piste for the last night, so instead, it was chat with the songs from Melody. And it was utterly delightful! Aidan is one of my favourite humans on the Fringe, warm, funny, smart, and a hugger! 💛

Sunday wasn’t a time for risks, I needed happy. Plus I was very tired from being out ’til after four in the morning dancing to The Scat Rats in Whistlebinkies. First up, brilliant and bonkers Will BF: The Last Gun, for one last time that antipodean whirlwind John Robertson with his fuzzed up uke, finishing with the ever delightful Accordion Ryan in what felt like a sauna (he gave a “it gets toasty”warning and handed out some mist spray bottles at the start!) My soul was soaring after that, a shame my body needed a lie down, so no ACMS for me (truly I couldn’t).

And on to the final day, the fizzle out. Absolutely definitely I was going to see Will BF: Moon Team IIIV again; three weeks since I first saw it and boy, there’s been some tweaking going on! (I was aware there’d been a few changes through the run, one of the reasons I wanted to see it again, yeah, a few plus a few more) Unfortunately the multimedia tech acted up a bit, but no mind, it just seemed to add to the surreal silliness of it all. Indeed, a fine note to finish on if I chose to, or?

I was vaguely meandering over to the university area, just flicking mentally through my Fringe as I walked; I remember realising I had only seen Thom Tuck in passing on the street this year (he seems to have developed guerilla Fringe tactics), oh well. Next thing, there’s Mr Tuck in the fenced off chill area by the Pleasance Dome, well, think of the devil and…! He noticed me walking up, probably looking a tad bemused, “Oh hello, are you here for the unrehearsed reading of the screenplay of The Princess Bride?” Er no, but hell, why not?

So I found myself listening to Thom Tuck acting as narrator reading all the directions, with a motley crew reading and vaguely acting out the roles. They got as far as Fezzik falling down dead, it seemed like a good place to stop after possibly one of the best scenes in the film (“never get involved in a land war in Asia”). What a most enjoyable, delightful Fringey way to end the Fringe! Sure, I could have gone on to another show, but my soul felt nicely sated.

A big thanks to all who kept my spirits up through this Fringe, you crazy, brilliant, sweet fools. Missing you already! Toodle pip!

《More analysis on my Fringe this year will follow, and maybe a few Brucies, but I’m shortly back off to Yorkshireland, I shall be a tad busy》

The final weekend, again

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It’s late-ish on the final Friday of the Fringe, the sounds of the traffic let me know it’s very wet out there. Yeah, I’ve no wish to go out, and I do want to be up early tomorrow (really, it will happen, it will). I’d say there’s still three more nights to go, but we all know that’s a joke! Oo, I can hear the bangs and crackles of the end of Tattoo fireworks, you know I haven’t seen them at all this year, at one time I would make tweaks to my evenings just so I would be on the Royal Mile to see them!

I was out late last night to see The Blueswater at The Jazz Bar, a mighty fine time, the joint was swinging! If you like a ginger beer, then definitely try their mix; it’s not just a ginger beer from a bottle or can, this is The Jazz Bar’s Ginger Beer, wow, it kicks! At £14 this is the most I’ve spent on a Fringe show ticket – but that is ninety minutes of the best sounds, so worth it. Indeedily ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Earlier yesterday evening I went back for more electrically distorted ukulele with John Robertson: The Human Hurricane. God, he is so much fun!! Every show is so unique as he plays around with the audience, this time there was a chap with a melodica, he kind of, em, tried to menace John with it?! Of course, it was taken up on stage where John attempted to play it and his ukulele at the same time. See, if Laughing Horse @ The Counting House continued until the final Monday, The Human Hurricane would be a great show to end my Fringe. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was also back the Delhi Belly in the Underbelly yesterday morning, my third show there (Bishops and Dr Dolittle), how would Michael Kunze: Infinity Mirror measure up? After such quintessentially British shows, Infinity Mirror is brashly American. Mind, I did wonder if I’d gone into the right show at the start, as he was on stage making sandwiches! No worries, his character Mitch Coony works in a deli, he had a story to share with us…

It’s a rise and fall tale of a young actor and his brother (who’s a horse), and trying to get into the VIP rooms at Tom Hanks’ sex parties (did I mention it’s a tad surreal and silly?) The story arc is good, sometimes overtaken by the sketches, but the payoffs are great, very nicely done. Kunze interacts well with an audience, but it was when he was shooting off one-liners that he had me in stitches. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve been think of my Fringe end, honestly, so much is over and already packing up on the Monday. I could finish with a bang on Sunday night, there’s The Human Hurricane, then I could catch Accordion Ryan’s Pop Bangers (note to self, would have to remember to queue in good time, he’s so popular he’s having to turn folk away!) Later on to the Alternative Comedy Memorial Society? It’s the final one, so awards time, very very silly awards ’til about three in the morning. Well, it’s a plan, and not too bad for making Will BF‘s final Moon Team IIIV just after noon on Monday.

G’night!

A Casio-carrying comic and a Volcano

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Another rainy night in Edinburgh, it’s late but just time for a couple of musings….

Huge Davies: Album For My Ancestors (Dead) is billed as “musical comedy, stand-up” and yes it is, stand-up with a huge Casio keyboard slung low in front – personally I think a ukulele would be so much easier. Oh, and Huge is correct, not a spelling error. Huge is also very deadpan, very. He’s that guy you can’t suss out, does he hate you, everyone in general, or is he actually just taking the piss? Does he just enjoy being miserable and moany?

Apparently, we were the worst audience ever (sure, I bet he says that to all his crowds!), and woe betide anyone not clapping or finger-clicking as required, or disrespecting his family; the deadpan delivery also continues in his songs. Huge is obviously quite an accomplished musician (a strong one too, carrying that thing around) and his comic lyrics are sharp to the point and wickedly funny, some even a tad catchy.

It took me a while to warm to him (or was it a Fringe version of the Stockholm syndrome?!) but with songs about pokemon, aliens, Pearl Harbour, Grampa Joe (from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Huge really had a bee in his bonnet about him!), well, I do like a witty ditty. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was intrigued by Volcano: Ben Miller, a Pay What You Want show on at Just the Tonic at The Caves. Yes, of course I realised it wasn’t the Ben Miller but I bet I wasn’t the only one who went along anyway thanks to the non-connection. The show zipped along, Ben was pleasantly personable and engaging, but while it was quite interesting and entertaining, there could have been more, well, oomph. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oops, definitely time for bed. Sweet dreams!

Fancy a sardine sandwich?

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That’s a duo of duos with a filling of Sardines; a fine concept if the showtimes had lined up, sadly not. My, a sandwich like this could really give you bizarre dreams afterwards (mmm, actually yes, probably as well it doesn’t exist). First on the board, BriTANick: Dummy.

BriTANick are from the States, a sketch comedy duo who’ve worked together for some time (oh, and the good-looking one is married to Karen Gillan). There’s a charm about them, their comedy is surreal, often subverting the audience’s expectations, but always charming. BriTANick are not afraid to follow ideas way down deep into the rabbit hole when timider comics would stop and head back to the light; the reward is a highly entertaining, deeply funny hour. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

On to the filling, Sardines a surreal comedy about William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. I’ll admit I was very unsure about picking this, like in one of those sandwich shops where it’s all unusual fillings, so you just have to choose and hope for the best. Oh, my Fringe-dar was so on point! Truly, wonderfully silly, there’s sweet and sharp, whimsy and dark. Another brilliant production at Paradise in The Vault but take note it finishes on Saturday 17th, if you like your theatre on the absurd side, do catch it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

And completing the sandwich are those Grubby Little Mitts with yet another ridiculously brilliant show, how do they do it? Hmmm, I reckon that Rosie and Sullivan skipped into a rabbit hole went right to the end, then extended it, and stuck in a few sneaky doublebacks just for fun – they’ve built a whole damn warren! And watch out, this is comedy with a soupsant of unease, and a shiver of disquiet (it’s Rosie, I tell you, she’s scary, looks sweet but …). Without doubt a contender for my top show of the Fringe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌟

More later, toodle pip!

A few cuts of comedy…

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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.

Quite a fair weekend in all

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And there ends the first weekend in June, another Meadows Fair done and dusted (ok, it’s the Meadows Festival these days but it did used to be the Meadows Fair – to hark back to a time of midsummer fairs? Then festivals became much more the rage, but I’m an old timer, so). It’s always well attended but the glorious weather was surely a factor in the bumper crowds that turned out.

There were the usual multitude of food stalls, three music stages (Out of the Bedroom – open mic, Future Sounds for new, young bands, and the Tone Garden, main stage), the Stewart’s Brewing bar, and a myriad of stalls selling allsorts. I was rather tempted by a lovely tactile wooden elephant puzzle, but I left the decision to the gods and when I meandered back later it had gone.

Want an old tin or two? There’s the odd old book, but those playing cards – nice!

The only thing I bought was a pork gyros from a Greek food stall, I must say it was very tasty! I don’t usually buy food as it is, to my eyes, expensive, but I do love pork gyros so I succumbed.

Oh, I did buy something unexpected this weekend – my first lot of Fringe tickets! Yes I know, I usually hold out until the whole programme is officially out, but Underbelly decided to do a sneaky early offer, so I just had to check out their line-up. Just as well I was paying attention, the offer was only on from Friday until midnight just gone. Underbelly usually do some kind of early offer but this time it’s very early (and very short), I wonder how many folk actually spotted it.

The deal was £6 tickets for all shows on each Wednesday of the Fringe, pretty good, huh? I didn’t bother with tickets for preview Wednesday, there’ll be plenty others vying for that spot, but it was good to get expensive tickets for acts I have never seen, because of the prices, on the final Wednesday. They would be Danny Bhoy and Foil Arms and Hogg, yep, I’m fairly chuffed about that; and with several other tickets I got my moneys worth of booking fee (it’s £1.25 a ticket up to a maximum of £5 for one order).

It’s late, time to kip. I’ll leave you with one more from the Meadows Fair……

Just a wee catch up

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Another month almost gone and I’ve only been in Edinburgh for seven days of it; after only a few days back from my European wanderings, I was summoned down to Yorkshireland. Busy, busy, and two sick pooches as well. Oh, they’re both fully recovered now – now that I’ve left.

I’m still working through all the photos, videos and occasional scribbles from my trip. As a matter of curiosity, this afternoon I went quickly through which songs I’ve taken videos of, and surprisingly there are none of Babestation, I know! Really?! Hot Blondes and Lost In You have the most clips, followed by Merry-Go-Round, Mock Marble Linoleum and Dans Le Jardin. Some will pop up randomly on Instagram, but I do intend to put them in some semblance of order later (mind, good intentions can just stay that way).

I am without tv to distract me – it says there’s no signal. It actually happened back halfway through April but as I had a lot to sort out I just left it. I’ve plenty to be getting on with now, so it can stay off, well the tv can, I do have a number of tv series on dvd that I can watch; there’s radio shows too. I’ve been listening to That Mitchell and Webb Sound on Spotify, still as funny and sharp as it was (on the Radio 4 early evening comedy slot between 2003 and 2013). I’m now on series 4, particular favourites are the Stargate sketches and the Old Lady Job Justification Hearings, so bitingly funny.

Missing watching tv at teatime, I dug out my old Coupling dvds, a tv comedy sitcom by Steven Moffat from about twenty years ago, loved it then and still do, especially Richard Coyle as Geoff. Some of the monologues would make brilliant set pieces in a stand-up routine. If anyone does snaffle the cushion speech by Steve, I’d know it from about six words in!

Last night I finally got round to watching Ash vs Evil Dead, it’s only been in a drawer unwatched for, oo, fifteen years?! OMG, it is so good! No, I don’t know why I never got round to watching it before, I think it was going very cheaply when the HMV store on Princes Street was closing down, I did buy a number of dvds at the time. I will definitely be looking for the second and third series at some point. Yeah, so no tv signal but I have plenty to entertain me.

There’ll be plenty to entertain this weekend, the first full weekend in June so it’s Meadows Festival time. The rain gods are being canny this year, rather than a wet weekend, there’s heavy rain everyday up until then, the ground will be pretty soggy and with all those feet traipsing everywhere – there will be mud. Saturday evening I’m off to see The Crow in the cinema, I’ve never seen it so grabbed a ticket for the 30th Anniversary Re-Release, better late than never, as they say.

It’s only two weeks until the full printed Edinburgh Fringe 2024 programme comes out, oh yay. Yes, I’m still being good and not peeking. Okay, so I know some shows that are up through social media, and ones that aren’t, like Aidan Goatley who’s not bringing his new show Looking For Edith, noooo!! If he’s doing it in your area, lucky you, bloody go see it and be thankful! The other Aidan, Aidan Sadler will be back, yay. And very exciting, just spotted this evening, John Robertson is finally doing another stand-up show at the Fringe, happy happy, joy joy!!!

It’s very late so I shall away to bed and leave you with, well, is it just a sign or sage advice?!….

On screen and stage

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I stayed up on Sunday night to watch the Oscars, it was on ordinary telly for the first time in the UK and I had a good feeling. And yay, Emma Stone picked up Best Leading Actress, totally deserved! I went to Poor Things for a third time earlier in the evening (as I’ve previously mentioned I would), there was a reasonable size audience for it, good to see (apart from the person who was eating out of a very noisy packet). I’m sure Stone will have a long, successful career but I reckon Bella Baxter will be one of her top performances. Oppenheimer picked up the most Oscars but Poor Things did also get the awards for Make-up & Hair Styling, Production Design and Costume Design, again all three richly deserved.

Oo, I went to see Wicked Little Letters a few evenings ago, what fun!! Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley are both on excellent form, well, the whole cast are a delight. The film is based on a true story that happened in a little English seaside town in the 1920s, but be warned, some of the language is very fruity, okay, there’s long strings of swearing and obscenities like you’ve never heard! Best leave that person behind again, maybe the next film will be nicer and proper. Wicked Little Letters is hilariously funny but there are dark sides around the events too, I thought the balance was played really well.

On the small screen I’ve just watched the final two episodes of Our Flag Means Death, man, that was brilliant telly! Just so many great elements to it, so of course it’s been cancelled, no series three, boo. Mind, this way it remains a beautiful gem, no overstaying and sinking into the mediocrity of weaker stories (though with Taika Waititi at the helm that could have taken quite a while).

In other news, the first batch of tickets for this year’s Edinburgh fringe are on sale, not that I’ve bothered to look, all in good time. What I have had a ganders at was the line-up at the Leicester Comedy Festival in February; good to see plenty of WIPs (Work In Progress), hopefully they’ll be all polished and sparkly by August. Grubby Little Mitts have yet another new show, yay, Luke Rollason too, two for my definites pile, well I assume they’ll be coming to Edinburgh. Very exciting, I see that John Robertson was trying out a new show, I really hope that makes it up here.

I also had a peek at who’s been at the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Eric’s Tales of the Sea – A Submariner’s Yarn is still doing the rounds! I wonder if it’s still the same as when I saw it many years ago or has he tweaked it over time? Manbo and Yippee Ki Yay, two great shows paying homage to two classic 80s movies, popped over. The fabulous Aidan Sadler has been having a whale of a time out there, first time in Australia, first time in drag – I follow them on Instagram, very entertaining stories!

Starting this week and going on until the end of March is the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. I haven’t looked to see what’s on, hopefully plenty of shows being nicely honed for Edinburgh in August. Oh, I do know of one, Napoleon’s 100 Days on for two shows Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th, by the same chap who totally captivated me with the marvellous tale of Mark Twain’s The Stolen White Elephant last year. I’ll be away otherwise I may well have popped across, but hey, it’s going to be at the Edinburgh Fringe, I shall definitely see it then.

Well, my friend, its now very late, so I’ll bid you good night and sweet dreams.