Comedy, Issue 636

Service’s background as a trained actor gives her valuable comic versatility in this one-woman sketch show. But while her characters – ranging from an overly-chatty 24-hour medical emergency helpline assistant to an Australian drama teacher whose mantra…

Tackling this family tree isn't as interesting as Who Do You Think You Are?

Lennox is tackling his ancestry, using it as a springboard for a gentle hour musing his genetic make-up. Poignancy points are awarded for the worthy message and sweet home movies, but the fuzzy warmth far outweighs the laughs. He’s a charming, highly…

Unfulfilled geek potential

They say bad things come in threes, but two can be just as terrible if this woefully unfunny double act is anything to go by. Phil Gilbert and Jacob Edwards are both geekily handsome and deliver every line with enthusiastic intensity. But it seems clear…

Promising stand-up debut from the one-time wannabe actress

Stevenson has gone from modelling work to small-time acting but right now her role is as new stand-up hopeful. The London-born comic exudes confidence and has plenty of stories from her more celeb obsessed and ‘vacuous’ days. More impressive is the high…

Nick Hornby influenced trawl through the soundtrack of romance

Setting the story of past romances to music, Agisilaou is the centre of his own high fidelity. Yet with a one-way conversation about his likes and dislikes, hobbies, friends and family, Mp3some comes across as an idle description of his myspace page.

Comedy that proves both outrageous and dark

One of the true oddball sketch affairs on the Fringe this year comes from Viv Gibbs and Trudi Jackson as they re-enact bits and bobs of ancient history, conduct a book programme with serial killers and jump in the laps of male folks in the crowd. An…

Jaw-dropping tricks with fast and furious gags

Firman may archly raise an eyebrow when he describes his act as ‘magic and gags, gags and magic: a killer combo’, but many a true word remains spoken in jest. Fusing jaw-dropping tricks with a fast and furious delivery of gags, he combines old school…

Hilarious on and off his script

Breathless Irish comedian Delamere flits about the stage like a genial dervish, his quick-fire delivery and razor-sharp mind taking no prisoners. Quickly building a supreme rapport with his audience, his masterful control allows him to stray a little…

Love poems for household objects, and other unusual ideas

Like the subject of one of his poems, Harvey’s show is low key. There’s a quirky charm in love poems to homely subjects such as Ibuprofen, tea bags and the potato while the Radio 4 contributor’s proposals for a harmonious society include ‘uncertainty…

Ill-judged, inconsistent variety

This features a twitching, manic guddle of music, mime, puppets and innuendo by three-piece suited entertainer ‘Jeff Window’, aka self-styled ‘foolosophist’ Paul Currie. His redoubtable range, talent and charisma manage to shine through a string of…

Split personalities telling the same jokes

There are five Mick Ferrys competing against each other in his Comedy Final. While the crowd happily indulge him in this venture, there is very little to choose between any of them, all coming across with a Peter Kay-esque bonhomie and matey banter.

Comedy impressions with improvised sketches

Comedy actor and impressionist Desai hits the Edinburgh circuit with a one-man mission: 52 cards and 52 famous faces in 52 minutes. Desai combines impressions with an improvised sketch show in a fast-paced and unpredictable affair where anything could…

Rants and political polemic from the intellectual comedian

Acid-tongued and sharp as a barrelful of tacks, Englishman Longley is a comedian with an axe to grind. His rants on everything from politics to pregnancy don’t always hit the bullseye, but his witty one-liners keep the laughs ticking over. The Stand…