Comic theatre

Eels, eggs and bolognese

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

Finally yesterday morning there were only the lightest of breezes, so I took myself off to the Park and up Moose Ridge. There was a wildfire up over the other side of Arthur’s Seat on Crow Hill a few days ago, great plumes of smoke could be seen for miles! Of course, the most popular joke was that the volcano had come back to life (Arthur’s Seat is a very old very extinct volcano), I had intended to go and check out the damage. Unfortunately, I’d forgotten my water so at the top of Moose Ridge (I’m gonna keep calling it that until it catches on), I took Pipers Walk back down, and home via Old Wood Cafe at St Leonard’s to try their Eggs Benedict, not bad.

The afternoon saw me stepping into the darkness of the Banshee Labyrinth Cinema Room to bear witness to The Night Mouth. I had no idea what to expect, certainly not the Childcatcher! Ye gods, the stuff of nightmares, oh, and two school dinner ladies from hell (Lady Bolognese) popped in. Silly, and comically disturbing, mind, it was Pittman and Hughes behind it; and as you can’t have too much of a good thing, I later popped into Carbon to see God’s Longest again (it was the last of three shows, and being impro it’s always different). Hmmm, some folk’s deepest, darkest secrets really should remain secret!

My childhood trauma came a-knocking!

Evening time found me at that fine old institution the Bedlam Theatre to see Eelmageddon by Intrepid Fools. Yes, it’s as it sounds, the imminent end of the world as we know it, brought about by eels (some days looking at the news, would it be that surprising?!). Only a mad scientist and his assistant stand in their way, one wants to understand them, the other wants to eat them; but they’re running out of time and the super secret underwater science bunker is developing cracks.

Eelmageddon is a laugh-out-loud comedy with a great plotline running through the silliness, and oh, Mother Eel is a fine big bad with a voice to send chills through her enemies (it had me back to watching Dr Who as a young calf). For a small theatre company, they’ve put together a great show, just one thing grated by the end (and if they’re reading this, I bet they know what I’m going to say) – the professor’s voice, obviously a well-travelled scientist as the accent went everywhere and beyond, which, yes does have comedy value, but for me it tipped over into grating. Sorry, that’s just me, but I did love the creativity of Intrepid Fools, their comedy, the sound and lighting (a lot more important to making a production well-rounded than many realise, but then, if you don’t notice, then job well done!), and a cracking song to end on, what great voices! This is grassroots theatre, I look forward to whatever they do next. ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

That’s enough from me for now, I have another show to see. Toodle pip!

I pondered lonely as a moose

[Edit. It helps if I press the Publish button twice as instructed!]

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!

A few happy returns to the stage

bruceonthefringe 2025, Comic theatre, Edinburgh Fringe 2025, Returning Fringe shows, Theatre, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I have a table covered with cut-outs from the Comedy section of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival programme, but before that, a few more theatrical musings….

I knew I recognised the name, yup, three years ago I gave him five stars, so I reckon I’ll give Ben Moor: A Three Thing Day a go; I remember he had a wonderful voice that whisked you away into his stories. Henry Naylor is back with a new play, Monstering the Rocketman which sounds interesting; as the name gives away it’s about Elton John, him and that big kerfuffle with The Sun, could be pretty juicy (Naylor does do his research).

Looking back through my Fringe diary (I must remember to buy a new notebook, the last one’s full), it was also 2022 when I saw Space Hippo, an epic sci-fi adventure told in the medium of Japanese shadow puppetry. I notice the company name is different, has the story also had changes made? It was a wonderful experience last time, I am rather tempted, maybe late on, see how things go.

And a few pages later I wrote about Neil Frost: Nan’s House of Fun (omg, this is getting silly, it was also the year I last saw one of Henry Naylor’s plays!) A wonderfully silly, but bittersweet, show that’s morphed into The Door (well, that is the very disturbing Ricky Mouse in the picture). I gave the original 4½ stars, if I only had Hermione’s watch I’d go see Mr Frost again, truly a joy. Mind, he’s here for the whole month so I’ll keep an eye out for him popping up elsewhere, he’s that type, you know!

Those defiant wee bears are back and they’ve brought a bag of tatties with them. Yay, Batisfera are back with two short plays this year; The Gummy Bears’ Great War was one of my highlights from last year’s Fringe (4½ stars), can Tale of a Potato possibly be as good? I’ll let you know, I already have a ticket for this one! I also have my ticket for that great Fringe institution Shakespeare For Breakfast, always entertaining, okay, so some years have been better than others, but I wouldn’t miss it (or the croissant and coffee).

One last happy return, Scaramouche Jones is back, as Thom Tuck said, ten years later (he first performed it twenty years ago and declared that he intends to perform it every ten years, maybe even reaching the clown’s old age if he’s lucky). Scaramouche Jones is a 100 year old clown, born on the stroke of midnight 1899 and now a hundred years later on the eve of a new century, after not speaking in fifty years, the old clown speaks to tell his life story before he dies. Ten years ago I wrote “Thom Tuck at his very best” and gave him five stars.

I’m starting to get a bit excited about this Fringe. Toodle pip!

Where have I been? Well…

bruceonthefringe 2025, Comic theatre, European trip 2025, Logan's Close, London, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Hello chaps, just a quickie before I away to my slumber, a sketch map so far…

So, eight days ago, down to London Town to see Logan’s Close at the New Cross Inn oh boy, that was fun and a wee bit different as Seankeys wasn’t down with them. Carl filled in some keyboard parts, it was fine, the crowd had a great time from Half and Half for a starter through to Eleanora to finish (more details later).

Friday was another day in London and as luck would have it, those Grubby Little Mitts were on at the Soho Theatre! Couldn’t resist another peep, that’s another 5☆+ performance!

Since then I’ve been in three countries and am going back to the first tomorrow. First off Belgium and Bruges, next, not Germany but Switzerland and Basel, then it was Germany but not Hamburg, Aachen instead, where I currently am until tomorrow morning when I head back to Belgium and Brussels. Then homeward bound on Tuesday 3rd, the day that this year’s Fringe programme comes out in solid form.

It’s been fun, interesting, informative, eye-opening. More about all that later, right now a large comfy bed is calling me – my only hotel stay of the trip, the rest all hostels! Well, it calls itself a hotel, it’s a tad odd.

London
Bruges
Basel
Charlemagne

Toodle pip! Sleep well, mes amis

Music, murder and mind-reading

bruceonthefringe 2024, Comic theatre, Edinburgh Fringe 2024, Free Fringe, Fringe reviews, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

It’s Sunday evening of the second Fringe week, I’m feeling somewhat peeved as I’ve just lost two days fringing to a lurgy! Oh, it’s my own personal lurgy that likes to pop up and lay me low at the most annoying times. It wasn’t going to stop me seeing Logan’s Close last evening though, oh no, an afternoon dozing on the couch sipping lemon and honey was just enough to pep an old moose up.

The lads along with two other acts were meant to be playing on a stage on an open area at the top of St James Quarter, but this is Edinburgh in August. Yeah, no, that wasn’t going to happen, of course the weather was not going to play ball! So the bands played on the third floor, but hey, it was grand, the Close were on top form; a lush intro going into Babestation and they were off. Previous LC drummer Alex was filling in for Gavin, busy elsewhere at the Fringe. What’s happening in the pic? Check it out on Instagram! What an utter joy, a mid Fringe dose of Elsie. A much-needed tonic 💛

I’ve done absolutely zilcharoony today, so now as my head is starting to clear, a few more Fringe musings…

First up The Grim a darkly comic piece of theatre. I really enjoyed it, the banter between the two undertakers, one a real geezer type and the other a more timid Irish Catholic lad, was great but one couldn’t help looking at the covered over corpse on the table and wondering… This is the second play I’ve seen by Edmund Morris, I very much look forward to his third. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Surreal: The Mind-Reading Show From Berlin! is something very different. Even as we sat waiting for the show to begin the animated vintage-style projections were incredibly beautiful and set the tone (at the end of the show we learnt that they were created by Vivian). Roman Von Thurau and Vivian Sommer are like creatures from another era, almost otherworldly, their storytelling pulled the audience in and their mind-reading kept us all enthralled. I like to think myself as open-minded with a healthy dose of cynicism; that was some show, quite unnerving ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Musical theatre, anyone? The Man Who Wouldn’t Be Murdered is performed in the round (or, more square in this case), and impressively without mics. Centre stage is the musical accompaniment, keyboards played by the writer/composer Lily Blundell who also plays a character too! She is Josephine, wife of Tony Morino, owners of a bar in 1930s America. Business is not good, Tony comes up with a plan to get some money, but Death has other ideas. A little different to my usual fare but again my Fringe-dar hit the mark, a deliciously dark, funny tale, brilliantly performed by all ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

It’s late, I need my bed. I’ll leave you with one last mention, John Robertson: The Human Hurricane quite simply, bloody awesome!! The last time he did free Fringe show he had an old guitarist to accompany him, this time he’s playing an electric ukulele himself. John is as brilliant and gleefully manic as ever. The evening I saw him there was a dog in the audience (he is all inclusive) and a gentleman who kept John supplied with shots of whisky – a fine, fine show for us, quite what The Dark Room would have been like after it is another matter! I’ll definitely go see The Human Hurricane again ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

He’s a big softie at heart

Fancy a sardine sandwich?

bruceonthefringe 2024, Comedy, Comedy duos, Comic theatre, Edinburgh Fringe 2024, Fringe reviews, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

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 more I’ve see…

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Late last night I put up couple of pics on my Instagram story, I suppose I should say something to support them. Okay, there were three pics but I’ve already told you how great The Gummy Bears” Great War is (4½ stars, in case you missed it).

Ah, looking again I didn’t put any stars on the Shadow Necropolis pic. Another excellent production by the Mochinosha Puppet Company, revisiting some of the characters from last year’s Shadow Kingdom. This time our young heroine Minerva goes to Necropolis to rescue a new friend from the clutches of Oizys (new fact for the day, Oizys is the Greek goddess of anxiety, distress and misery).

If you’ve never seen Japanese shadow puppetry before (yeah, there’s a good chance of that), it’s not just dark shadows – there’s plenty of colours! The story is told using hundreds of colourful shadow puppets projected on to a big screen. The artistry is breathtaking and will sweep you up into the story, which fair cracks along from the off with the two puppeteers supplying distinct voices to each character.

There’s plenty of humour, intrigue and storyline to enjoy, but I did feel that some of the references to coping with anxiety were too heavy-handed and bogged the story down; a show like this is a great way to highlight anxiety issues and I applaud the company for doing this, just a lighter touch would have worked better for me. Apart from that, a top show for me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

The third pic is the flyer for Hughie Shepherd-Cross’s latest play Gang Bang about a mafia gang, not an orgy as some may wonder by the name! Okay, so I did titter when the call was made for the queue to start. I may have to enquire why the author chose the name, if I do I shall let you know.

Gang Bang is an awful lot of fun, the three actors morph perfectly between the multiple characters, delivering the laughs that just kept piling up. Well, Lancashire is just a funny place anyway, stick a sicilian mafia guy Don Lambrini in there (he thought he was on a boat sailing to America), next thing it’s nearly thirty years on, time to name his successor….

Okay, so I may be a bit partisan for things set in the North of England; Blackpool is the particular setting here. The accents were delivered with gusto, like I said, there’s an awful lot to enjoy with this production. Shepherd-Cross’s writing just gets better and better, he’s definitely one to watch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Just one more mention for the night, Napoleon’s 100 Days written and performed by Andy D in one of my favourite venues Paradise In The Vault. Last year he successfully transplanted Mark Twain’s The Stolen White Elephant to England, plenty fun there, but a show about Napoleon?! Surely a tad on the dry side? Never fear, this is the story of Napoleon’s escape from exile on Elba and return to Paris and power with a just small army, his friend Stanley from Lancashire (see why I included this here?!) and a dog called Fido – some elements may be more fictional than others, but it’s all delivered with a dry but fuzzily warm northern humour.

Annoyingly, just like back in my schooldays, the historical dates, names, places refuse to nestle in my brain, but I enjoyed being along for the ride. You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy this show, just an enquiring mind and love of a semi-factual tale ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodnight, sweet dreams

Norse men, bears and a bard

bruceonthefringe 2024, Comic theatre, Fringe reviews, Fringe Venues, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

August, the month of short, intense bursts of exercise, well, covering distances in a quarter of the time it would usually take. Oh, it’s not just about speed and stamina, there’s sidestepping obstacles, anticipating numpties, spotting and slipping through the slightest gaps in sprawling crowds. That was me tonight trying to get to the Gordon Aitman Theatre at George Square in time for Mythos: Ragnarok. Reader, I made it! Only because as I dashed out, 20:55 morphed into 20:50 in my head (yeah, I wouldn’t have made that).

So how was Mythos: Ragnarok a tale of Norse gods told by wrestlers? Bloody entertaining, that’s what! This particular venue often feels quite dull and sterile to me, but tonight was very different, the backdrops and effects really gave the place an atmosphere; the action was dramatic and powerful with plenty of humour and wit. Wrestling isn’t usually my thing at all, but as it’s Fringe, why not; so don’t be put off if it’s not yours either, it’s a great storyline and that noise as they slam down is something else (honestly, it sounds so painful, just as well they’re all professionals and incredibly well rehearsed). So glad I went!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½

From Norse gods to Gummy Bears – only at the Fringe! As gummy bears are very small, so the timelength of the show is short, but The Gummy Bears’ Great War packs a lot of punch into thirty minutes; also, despite being tiny, the room layout means all the audience can see the stars of the show (the room being in C Alto aka The Quaker House). While we start off laughing and chuckling, the chuckles become wryer and sparser as the mood changes to a sad pathos for the absurdity of it all and the inevitable end. I was reminded of Henry Naylor’s plays on the human, personal consequences of war. Those gummy bears moved me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½

Time for one more, Shakespeare For Breakfast at C Aurora (aka Lauriston Halls). The ten o’clock start is a hard one, inevitably always a rush to get there no matter my intentions the night before! This year it’s The Tempest getting the C Theatre treatment where pentameter blends nicely with modern speech, and the setting is quite farcical. You don’t have to know anything about the original play to enjoy this take on it, honest. Always a joy, it wouldn’t be the Edinburgh Fringe without Shakespeare For Breakfast one morning! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Time to hit the sack, more reviews tomorrow, promise!

Shakespeare, Gummy Bears and a Gang Bang?!

bruceonthefringe 2024, Comic theatre, Edinburgh Fringe 2024, Theatre, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

This is going be short and sweet, like myself! It’s very late but let’s do a quick trawl through more cuttings, tomorrow is going to be busy so that could be another non-blog day. Crikey, this time next week this year’s Edinburgh Fringe will be properly underway. Aargh.

I did have my cuttings neatly sorted, yeah, that was doomed; so what’s at the top of the heap? Aha, first a slight correction, David Alnwick has a third show, it’s listed under Theatre that’s why I missed it earlier, The Mystery of Dracula. I saw it last year and enjoyed it, he knows how to tell a story!

The coffee and croissant crew are back, yay, Shakespeare For Breakfast and I am still without a ticket! That ten o’clock start is hard work, but on average it’s been well worth getting up for. The talented Hughie Shepherd-Cross is bringing another play up, that’s three in three years! I enjoyed the previous two, Out to Lunch and Ringer so I definitely intend to see Gang Bang.

Great poster applauds for Plotters and Corpse Flower, the blurbs are quite enticing too; and looking closely second time round The Gummy Bears’ Great War has me intrigued. I suspect its a show worth queuing early for to get a front row seat – those dudes are really small!

And last for tonight two possibles, largely helped by being at one of my favourite venues Paradise In The Vault. Now I must away to my bed.

Toodle pip!

Christmas Carolling

bruceonthefringe 2023, Cabaret and Variety, Christmas, Cinema, Comic theatre, Films, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Ghosts, there’s a lot of them about at this time of year. I was just at the cinema tonight to see Spirited, it was a singalong version, not that any of the dozen or so folk there bothered to sing along (I’d never seen it before, that’s my excuse). I was barely aware of it but seeing pictures on social media of Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds, oh yes! Another retelling of A Christmas Carol with a modern setting and lots of liberties.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, Reynolds and Ferrell are both such fun playing to their usual types (but they do it so well). Overlong some say, but I was fine with it, the plot bounces along at full speed. The concept of the ghost organisation doing so much in the background put me in mind of The Cabin In The Woods. The humour is fast, sharp, clever, with some deep stuff in there. I’d definitely watch it again but I’m still not enticed to bother with subscription telly.

Sunday night I went along to Assembly Roxy to see Boris and Sergey’s Christmas Cabaret, another loose spin on Dickens’ classic. Oh, it was great to the pair again and fall into their disturbing surreal world. The old church hall was a perfect setting from them, with cabaret style seating around small tables.

Flabbergast Theatre are an brilliant company, their physicality is otherworldly, the long steady gazes and quick glances right at you can be disconcerting. Are they staying in character, or is this who they are? A ragtag bohemian troupe from another age; they’ll entertain, bemuse and slightly scare you. Oh, and they sing, what a rendition of We Three Kings at the start! Beautifully arranged harmonies, spellbindingly performed; but what on earth were the instruments? I’ve never seen them before, a sound to perfectly match the mood of Flabbergast.

Boris and Sergey are a great double act, Sergey is the cleverer, meaner one who tends to boss poor Boris around. It’s easy to become absorbed in their world, but then like a weird dream that doesn’t quite make sense, at times they acknowledge the puppeteers. Watching the two fight is always brilliant, they do fight a lot, and die on occasion, but they would go to hell and back for each other.

This is a cabaret show, so plenty of interaction with the audience (and a humbug if you’re lucky), a game of What’s In The Box and some breath-taking aerial rope acrobatics. A Christmas Carol weaves in and around the cabaret element. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, I’ll give 4 stars; it deserves a bigger audience than was there when I saw it. There’s three more performances 19th to 21st, treat yourself, it’s Christmas!