Comedy, Reviews and Siân Bevan

Yianni Agisilaou

A lovely hour with some fine, funny company

16 Aug 2010

In They @#$% You Up: Greek Parents, Agisilaou presents a charming show about his Greek-Cypriot family. He’s a naturally affable storyteller, with clear affections for his unique relatives, brought to life with fabulous set pieces. The delivery…

Simon Evans

Tightly written and carefully delivered

16 Aug 2010

Evans executes the carefully crafted persona of an articulate, opinionated after-dinner speaker with a penchant for an extended vocabulary. Within the boundaries of this character, he charts familiar territories: slagging the Welsh, the Geordies and the…

Alfie Brown & Ivo Graham

Rants and interruptions hamper this newbie duo

15 Aug 2010

Maybe they’ve had too many accolades in the past year, including the So You Think You’re Funny title for Graham, and have become complacent. Maybe they were having an off night, or rushed up to Edinburgh, eager to show their talents but not quite sure…

Dan Antopolski

Confidently entertaining

10 Aug 2010

It’s difficult for a comedian to both maintain a wide appeal and avoid falling into a safe and cliché-riddled set. Antopolski copes admirably with the mission, mixing gags (and there’s one to compete with last year’s ‘hedgehog’ phenomenon) with personal…

Elis James - Daytripper

Scruffy yet sharp show about obsessions

8 Aug 2010

Elis James is charming company. Even when fluffing the end of his show, he’s wooed the audience with the skills of a sharp compere so they totally forgive the slip.

Jason Byrne

Life-affirming offbeat madness

24 Aug 2009

The Fringe just wouldn't be the same without our favourite angry Irishman. This year's offering is more hysterical rantings, more rubbish magic and the heart-warming wonderment of a hyperactive child. At times the energy seems to dip below his normal…

Shed Simove

Intriguing subject, awkward performance

24 Aug 2009

This is, if nothing else, unique. In Ideas Man, the nerdy Simove discusses his novelty products and occasional Gorman-esque stunt with an ungainly arrogance. There are some truly funny gems but the slick PowerPoint and overbearing posters make this a…

Ben Dover

Penetrating tales of filth with dodgy jokes

20 Aug 2009

Everyone in the room knows what to expect from this chirpy pornography pioneer. His show is unashamed filth, packed with glorious details of the fascinating world of the professional shagger. In a Festival full of sex tales, it’s intriguing to hear the…

The Muffia

Uncomfortable, unplanned and best avoided

19 Aug 2009

Tight Women is a baffling little number, telling the tale of two market traders fantasising about their own telly show. However, the action is overshadowed by the awkward silence of an audience desperately trying to like and understand the two stars…

Patch Hyde & Adam Tempest

A sweet way to spend an hour

19 Aug 2009

The Fudge Kitchen certainly makes for a kooky venue. With scrummy smells, free fudge and very limited audience squeezed in, this feels like an exciting Fringe experience. The comedy, courtesy of charming daytime fudge-makers Hyde and Tempest, remains at…

Elvis McGonagall

Poetically charming tartan chappie

14 Aug 2009

There’s something very reassuring about Elvis McGonagall. It might be the tartan jacket or the golden Scottish tones which drip over the audience. It could be the older demographic this poet-comedian attracts, or the hypnotic rhythms of his accomplished…

Paddy Lennox

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

12 Aug 2009

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…

Pete Johansson

A perfomer comfortable in his skin

11 Aug 2009

In Naked Pictures of My Life, the affable Johansson marches through swathes of familiar territory, from differences between the sexes to the bodily transformations of age, and he tackles it all with a solid, dependable laughter-fest. Although…

A Big Trout in a Small Pond

Sketch show for the Skins generation lacks a wider outlook

11 Aug 2009

Z Theatre Company is ablaze with youthful enthusiasm and fling themselves into this fast-paced sketch show. There are some cracking moments, such as the Barry Scott number, but their young outlook is also their downfall, with too many obvious sketches…

Marcus Brigstocke

Preaching to the converted

10 Aug 2009

In God Collar, Marcus Brigstocke treads the well-worn path of questioning religion, albeit with wistful curiosity rather than a Dawkins-style damnation of all things spiritual. Brigstocke wants something to fill an empty space in his soul, which lends…

Rick Shapiro

16 Aug 2007

Rick Shapiro is a five star comedian in a two star show. If you want structure, well thought-out lines, or even the assurance of sanity then look elsewhere. If, however, you’re prepared to sit through ten minutes of shambolic mutterings as our hero…

Eirlys Bellin

16 Aug 2007

Bellin performs entirely in the guise of Rhian Davies, a fame-hungry Welsh girl prepared to do anything to get on the telly. Draped in this character, Bellin actually auditioned for Big Brother, and secretly filmed her adventure. There’s so much…

Profile - Heresy

Profile

9 Apr 2007

What’s that then? Every Thursday the Jekyll & Hyde basement on Edinburgh’s Hanover Street is host to a censor-free night of comedic devilment. Ooh, that sounds cheeky It is indeed. Resident MC Rick Molland (pictured) touts the proceedings as a ‘dark and…

Josie Long

14 Aug 2006

A box of badges and sunshine soundtrack greet the audience, before the last dregs of cynicism are brushed away by the lady herself. The cheerful Long has endearing energy but unfortunately the material is often rambling to the point of…

We Are Klang

11 Aug 2006

Klangbang opens with the immense Greg Davies prancing around, promising a variety show filled with delights. Soon joined by Marek Larwood and Steve Hall, the crowd quickly realises that it’s in for something special, in all senses of the word. The range…

Andrew O'Neill

8 Aug 2006

Andrew O’Neill’s humour is surreal to the point of being ridiculously silly, which is why grounding it in such a subject is a stroke of genius. He calmly explains why and how he believes that a 13-year-old Winston Churchill was Victorian serial killer…