Comedy, Murray Robertson
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KWAT
22 Aug 2012
Wordy sketch show of varying quality
Formerly known as Quattro Formaggio, the more easily digestible KWAT is a slightly more mature sketch group than most seen at the Fringe. This cerebral show recalls the work of former Perrier Best Newcomers The Consultants. And, like them, this literate…
Elis James - Speaking As a Mother …
22 Aug 2012
A gathering of bad experiences in a charming and disorganised show
Apologising to his fans, Elis James warns he’s changed style from his usual long-form storytelling to observational comedy because he wants to buy a house. It’s a lie. From an hilarious opening story about the worst gig in his life, to being…
Chris Ramsey
19 Aug 2012
Warm tales from a hugely charismatic performer
Quite why Chris Ramsey is so surprised by his popularity, it’s hard to tell. A nominee of last year’s Edinburgh Comedy Award, he cannot believe his luck and claims to be having the time of his life. This concept of good fortune forms the basis of his…
Fred MacAulay
15 Aug 2012
Persistently strong material and natural affability from Fringe institution
Now a firm Fringe institution, Fred MacAulay could coast by on easy charm alone. But that would never do, and even when he tackles well-trodden topics like air travel there's always the safe feeling that he'll have put in the graft for a proper big…
Jarred Christmas
13 Aug 2012
Breathless show from the Pot Noodle pimp
Jarred Christmas launches his show with such energetic gusto it's a wonder he's not flat out on the floor after the first minute. It's a spectacular entry, not particularly inventive but perfectly judged to endear himself to the crowd and terrify his…
Oyster Eyes Presents: Some Rice
11 Aug 2012
Confidently juvenile with some testing sketches
Oddball sketch quartet Oyster Eyes launch onto the stage with a ridiculous self-penned showtune, full of energy and interspersed with surreal stings, setting out their stall for this mixed but ultimately successful show. From the introduction we…
Mark Nelson: Under the Radar
11 Aug 2012
The formerly vicious comic's new attitude results in moments of profound hilarity
Mark Nelson may be going soft. When he first launched onto the scene, winning the inaugural Scottish Comedian of the Year competition in 2006, his more barbed quips could have made Frankie Boyle wince. Now just into his thirties and settled down, Nelson…
Seann Walsh
7 Aug 2012
Unadventurous material and scattered thoughts ultimately fuse
Now familiar to millions from stints on Live at the Apollo and Stand Up for the Week, Seann Walsh just has to announce his name from the wings to provoke rapturous applause from an eager audience. It's therefore no surprise when the response to his…
Sex Money Death
6 Aug 2012
Bittersweet observations in a thoughtful hour from comedian Stuart Black
Having recently hit the big four-O, sad sack pessimist Stuart Black has been fondly reminiscing about his childhood. He reasons that adult issues of sex, money and death represent the end of innocence and he yearns for simpler times. Black deftly…
Scott Agnew: Tales of the Sauna
5 Aug 2012
Fascinating insight into a furtive institution
Scott Agnew’s exploration of the gay sauna world attempts to blow the lid on this furtive institution. After disarmingly segregating his audience into gay and straight, Agnew dives into his material almost too keenly. He seems wary of overdoing audience…
The Boom Jennies: Mischief
5 Aug 2012
Great chemistry hampered by a poor script
The Boom Jennies are three accomplished performers with great chemistry and good timing. What lets them down here are a poor script and weak punchlines. Each sketch features three middle class women blustering around and politely remonstrating with…
London-dwelling Aussie comic Celia Pacquola returns to 2012 Edinburgh Fringe
25 Jul 2012
Show taking travel and relationships as starting point
‘It was like walking into a fairytale. There’s a castle!’ Celia Pacquola fondly remembers arriving in Edinburgh for her first Fringe in 2009. ‘We have castles in Australia but they’re made of sand.’ Since moving to London two years ago, Pacquola has had…
Billy the Mime: Steven Banks breaks with convention at Edinburgh Fringe 2012
11 Jul 2012
Billy's not kidding around in darkly funny mime act
Of the many versions of the titular joke featured in 2005 documentary The Aristocrats, one interpretation stands out. In broad daylight on LA’s Venice Beach, actor and comedian Steven Banks mimes the dysfunctional family tale of incest, coprophilia…
Sammy J and Randy: Ricketts Lane
30 Aug 2011
Extraordinary performances in an endearing show
It’s been a busy month for comedian Sammy J and his antipodean compatriot Randy the purple puppet (performed by Heath McIvor). As well as their respective solo shows they pair up for this high-energy musical about companionship and tax evasion. After…
John Scott: Totally Made Up
30 Aug 2011
Exemplary observational material worked hard in stifling venue
Winner of last year’s Take the Mic competition, John Scott has his work cut out in this stifling venue. That he manages to get laughs out of our sticky situation is a testament to his immense likeability. There’s some racy stuff but Scott’s charm takes…
Randy is Sober
23 Aug 2011
A puppet with incredible range and comedy timing
For an inanimate puppet, Randy’s capable of an enormous range of expression. He’s a captivating flirt and turns his shortcomings (his eyes don’t work) into moments of joy. With a deft turn of phrase and subtle shift in posture, he reacts with impeccable…
Peacock and Gamble’s Emergency Broadcast
23 Aug 2011
Childish mischief and stupendous invention
Combining the childish mischief of John Belushi with the victimised protestations of the underdog, Ray Peacock almost walks away with this show. But Ed Gamble is the perfect foil, selflessly teasing out moments of stupendous invention. Their take on…
Pete Bennett's Tourette's and Stuff
17 Aug 2011
Unpolished but candid and funny set from Big Brother winner
Back in 2006, Pete Bennett spent the summer trapped in a building making people laugh. Now free of the shackles of Big Brother, he presents his one-man show, an autobiographical highlights package of his life with Tourette’s Syndrome. Interestingly…
Paul Sinha: Looking at the Stars
16 Aug 2011
Perfectly-judged swipe at celebrities, politicians and Twitter twats
Despite the assertion that he’s tired of being asked about current affairs, Paul Sinha has plenty on his mind. He reckons he’ll never be part of the A-list and so delivers a perfectly-judged swipe at celebrities, politicians and Twitter twats. There is…
Shane and Eddie: Picking up the Pieces
16 Aug 2011
50-minute avant-garde nightmare beyond redemption
This avant-garde performance possibly follows an obnoxious couple’s attempts to live like plebs. However, it’s difficult to be sure and impossible to care. It must be scripted because the duo have a great knack of not speaking over each other, though…
Keeping the Captain Warm
15 Aug 2011
Faltering sketch comedy with moments of greatness
Rather like a live rehearsal, about half-way through this show, the four-piece sketch act finally hits the ground running, and what began as a middling muddle of cliché actually finds its feet. Some of the performances tower over others and there is a…
The Hermitude of Angus, Ecstatic
15 Aug 2011
Absurdist comedy that starts well but quickly deteriorates
Shambling onstage like a demented Where’s Wally?, early signs seem promising for this rubbery performer. An absurdist narrated life story plods from one chapter to the next (in no particular order), carrying Angus’ near-wordless adventures. But, like a…
Chris McCausland
14 Aug 2011
Disappointingly unoriginal set from the London comic
McCausland’s London-centric material never rises above the mundane in a slow hour where jokes occasionally waft by. There’s some Neolithic stuff about budget airlines and how he’s joined a gym mixed in with the odd well-crafted gem. He’s capable of much…
David Reed: Shamblehouse
8 Aug 2011
Great lines but lots of filler
Luckless losers have great comic potential. From Brent to Fawlty, classic comedy is littered with the hubris of idiots. Branching out from Fringe stalwarts The Penny Dreadfuls, David Reed welcomes a collection of ‘tragic, lonely characters’ into his…
John Robertson - Blood & Charm: Disturbing Stories for Disturbing Bedtimes
8 Aug 2011
Tightly-scripted surreal monologue full of fascinating true stories
Australian Idol reject Robertson has constructed a tightly-scripted monologue full of fascinating true stories. He wraps his infectiously toothy grin around an autobiographical tale festooned with convoluted gags and dreamlike meanderings. The surreal…
