Edinburgh Festivals, Marissa Burgess

Bad Dog Variety

Oddball creations lacking in bite

21 Aug 2008

A show presented in the form of the worst cabaret show you could have the misfortunate to see has plenty of potential, but something just doesn’t quite gel with Bad Dog Variety. Our two German hosts Christian and Barnard (all the way from Antwerp? The…

Beautiful People (Don't Travel Economy)

21 Aug 2008

Any airline comedy with a bitchy hostess at its helm is always going to draw parallels with Pam Ann. The larger than life (thanks to a fat suit) Alexis Van Airbust certainly isn't as slick and the gags are somewhat familiar but nevertheless Robert…

Edinburgh-on-Sea

Causing a splash on the Fringe

21 Aug 2008

There are performances in campervans and squash courts on the Fringe this year, but a swimming pool is one of the quirkiest venues. Liz Bentley commandeers the pool for a show that includes her own barmy lo-fi poetry and observations on life plus…

Eric's Tales of the Sea

21 Aug 2008

Eric shares his life working on a submarine, from emergency escape training, through embarrassing onanistic initiation to a strong friendship formed with the submarine prankster. Though Eric's storytelling style could do with a little tightening up…

John Hegley

21 Aug 2008

Hegley strides the stage like a sexy English teacher berating an audience of children and adults alike and urging us to join in at key points. Hegley doesn't disappoint with a show (loosely) working through the alphabet and employing animal themes as…

Jollie

21 Aug 2008

Two Durham Revue fellas John and Ollie whose names slot together so well they form another word entirely, also form a tightly written and intelligently thought out double act. The inevitable friction between the pair - sharing a girlfriend and John's…

Limmy's Show

21 Aug 2008

Limmy presents a trademark show of stand-up and internet tinkering with video messages from some oddball acquaintances, the dissection of an ad for fish fingers and some gay porn featuring Coronation Street's Betty. There are some great ideas here and…

The Balloon Debate

21 Aug 2008

Less of a debate and more of a meander as friends Gary and Dan are thrown together on a hot air balloon trip with a somewhat haphazard pilot when Gary's girlfriend fails to turn up. Cue much fretting about his relationship from Gary, an exasperated…

Bernard O'Shea

14 Aug 2008

Despite the rainy night and damp, undersized audience, O'Shea soldiers on with a show that rails against the confines of society. There are some nice moments and the premise is a good one but it rambles into ennui and the three false endings, though…

Bunny Galore

14 Aug 2008

No-one knows how old aging actress Bunny Galore is, but rumours abound that she was the first Neolithic pin-up. Assisted by her middle European nurse Olga, Galore belts out songs ranging from Patsy Cline to the Divine Comedy, shows us clips of her Acorn…

Danny Robins

14 Aug 2008

Previously DJ Danny, this year Robins has upped the stakes to stage his own festival and we're all invited. With a little help from health and safety rapper Doc Brown, he shares the importance of eating sensibly by way of a dance mix, performs Gothic…

Ed Byrne

14 Aug 2008

The perennial Irish Fringe favourite delivers a masterclass in venting irritation. From an opening gag about a misleading slogan on a pre-pubescent's tracksuit, through pondering his class status, to the tortuous and very expensive wedding preparations…

Keith Farnan

Turning slaughter into comedy

14 Aug 2008

There have been some odd subjects for comedy shows at the Fringe over the years, but the death penalty has to be one of the more unlikely ones. This show (Cruel and Unusual) came about when Irish comic Keith Farnan studied law and spent a spell in…

Mark Allen

14 Aug 2008

After getting himself a cat, Allen decides to explore the relationship between humans and their pets, and finds himself in deeper than expected when he dons a dog suit to attend a party. Plus he's got pictures of cats in hats and goats with scary eyes…

Steve Hall

The life of a sophisticated loser

14 Aug 2008

One of the main benefits of Steve Hall leaving his We Are Klang pals behind this festival is that his evil sense of humour is free to flourish. Given his father's idea of the correct way to bring up his children, it comes as no surprise. The title of…

Wilson Dixon

Ride into a world of deadpannery

14 Aug 2008

Country and western star Wilson Dixon returns to the festival from his native Cripple Creek with songs from albums such as his debut, entitled Greatest Hits, and the subsequent Introducing Wilson Dixon. It's a mellow way to spend teatime, as he regales…

Des Clarke

7 Aug 2008

In front of a predominantly Scottish crowd, Glaswegian Clarke effortlessly works his room. Quick with amusing comments on every town in his native land and beyond, he spends the first section of his show getting to know his audience like the consummate…

Gavin Webster

An innovative Viz-fuelled waxing

7 Aug 2008

Comedy Store regular Gavin Webster has decided to structure his Fringe show with an on-screen, computer-operated random topic wheel where he will wax on whatever subject comes up. As it happens, this doesn't constitute the main part of the show nor is…

Liam Mullone

7 Aug 2008

In a series of subtle set pieces, Mullone relates the tale of his robbery by a Vegas stripper, which led him to spend six solitary weeks sleeping in a van in the Nevada desert with only a bag of pork chops and an imaginary psychopath for company. Moving…

Richard Herring

7 Aug 2008

This year Herring has (almost) ditched his preoccupation with having reached middle age in favour of focusing on his teen self growing up and carving peepholes in his bedroom wall in Somerset. Herring unfurls a sharp and witty discourse pondering…

Rob Deering

Experienced comic avoids making a tit of himself

7 Aug 2008

Some musical comics mask a lack of gags with skill in their chosen instrument. Not Rob Deering. An all rounder, his is a sharp, slick wit and he's deft with the hecklers too; hefty experience on the circuit really shows. Despite the humongous jugs he's…

The Cheese and Pineapple Club

Semi-cylindrical sphere of fun

7 Aug 2008

This charming show sits somewhere between Josie Long and Penny Spubb's with its homemade artwork and quirky qualities. Sarah Campbell and Grainne Maguire are having a party complete with awkward small talk, inappropriate flirting and, of course, cheese…

The Grandees

7 Aug 2008

This amateurish production tells of Nicodemus' quest to find the magic key to open the Box of Cricks for his barmy grandmother on her 100th birthday. There is little to praise here as sadly the writers seem to think that merely mentioning poo or wee…

Andrew Lawrence - Sit tight

31 Jul 2008

He may no longer be the stage psychopath with a killer tune and attitude to match, but Andrew Lawrence is still not exactly a cosy act. Marissa Burgess tentatively meets the man behind the growl Andrew Lawrence is a comedian in a state of constant…

Isy Suttie

The homespun revolution continues with Matlock’s character comic

31 Jul 2008

‘It’s called The Suttie Show; I knew I would use that title at some point,’ explains Isy Suttie of the serendipitous naming of her new show.

Sarah Millican - Credit crunch

31 Jul 2008

Sarah Millican is putting a sad past behind her and profiting from pain. Marissa Burgess pops round for a cuppa and finds that the Geordie comic may not be as dastardly as she wants us to believe

Daddy fool - Pappy’s Fun Club

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

22 Jul 2008

With the spirit of The Monkees and Monty Python coursing through their comedic veins, sketch troupe Pappy’s Fun Club tell Marissa Burgess that cash worries have fuelled their success

Eyes on the prize - Roy Walker

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

22 Jul 2008

Thanks to a fellow game show king, Roy Walker is finally making his Edinburgh debut. Marissa Burgess talks to the man who is hoping to woo the city’s youth

Four Wenches and a Free For All

23 Aug 2007

An entertaining hour is spent in the company of these talented actors. The laughs aren’t massive, with some jokes a little obvious, but the more creative ones include the ‘Vodafriend’ shop where you can exchange your old mate for a newer model with more…

Minor Spectacular

23 Aug 2007

Plested and Brown’s fifth Fringe show is a quaintly conceived offering about Terry, a Hotpoint washing machine repair man who risks life and limb in only half a van working in the not too distant future Watford by Sea. Ingenious scene changes…

Neil Delamere

23 Aug 2007

Irish comedian Delamere treats the Fringe to a history lesson on the Vikings and although you’re in danger of learning something, you’ll be relieved to know that it’s mostly a ruse to shoehorn in the gags. All well-written and pleasingly delivered by…

Tony Lee

23 Aug 2007

Despite the title’s claim to be ‘aggressive,’ Tony Lee turns out to be a kindly softy suggesting that anyone with mental health problems and those who are very drunk shouldn’t offer themselves up as hypnotist fodder; he’s the one that would get sued.

Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players

23 Aug 2007

Having visited the Fringe in 2004 and 2005, last year wasn’t quite the same without the Trachtenburgs around, sporting their thrift store chic. There seems to be no real barrier between the onstage and offstage personalities of Jason, Tina Pina and…

Classic Entertainment!

16 Aug 2007

Mr Winchester and his slightly camp, hapless sidekick Tommy (who replaces Winchester’s wife following her mysterious disappearance) are intent on injecting some cabaret into the alternative comedy circuit. Dodgy wigs, inappropriate asides and bad…

Martin Soan

16 Aug 2007

It’s hard to imagine a show that encapsulates the Fringe more than Soan’s. The comedy veteran’s offering is one of the barmiest you’re likely to see. Aided by Sally Day, there’s a plethora of quick changes and loony props with the highlight being the…

Andy Zaltzman

9 Aug 2007

Zaltzman has decided to create a utopia using a flea circus as a microcosm of humanity and his crowd are going to help. As a vehicle for political yet absurdist humour the structure works well, providing opportunities for potshots at governmental…

Arthur Smith

9 Aug 2007

The Fringe veteran takes a different approach with a showcase of his and other comedians’ artwork. This exercise in combining comedy and art is Dadaist in its execution, with empty cupboards, daft signs and a happy slapping video. Stewart Lee’s…

God's Pottery

9 Aug 2007

God’s Pottery return after last year’s Eddies newcomer nominated outing where they raised over £100 for LaVert, a child who had cancer; or at least said he did. This year Gideon Lamb and Jeremiah Smallchild have upped the stakes and settled on saving…

Ian Stone

9 Aug 2007

A regular on the national comedy circuit, Ian Stone’s usual 9.05pm crowd are more likely to consist of chattering stag dos and leery hen parties. But the skills he has shaped to deal with such baying crowds make putty of a gently merry, receptive…

Jason Byrne

9 Aug 2007

This beloved Irishman is one of the Fringe’s safest bets and here he gives us his take on relationships, where women are monstrous and men are idiots. There’s a drunken tramp who is actually his seven-year-old son and we hear of his clowning…

Martha McBrier

An interactive work-out

9 Aug 2007

There’s no other way to approach the star rating on a show like Martha McBrier’s but to give it three. Not because it’s an averagely good show but because it’s a definite love her or loathe her scenario. Which is a shame as McBrier doesn’t like the…

Russell Kane

Putting the accent on originality

9 Aug 2007

Plucking his theme from a review he received last year, Russell Kane decided to take on criticism and explore the notion of stereotype and cliché in comedy. A risky gambit, as it would be all too easy to simply slip into those stereotypes – the Essex…

Tea and Cake

9 Aug 2007

Afternoon tea with Tiernan Douieb and Lauren Shearing is an entertaining affair. Their well-written sketches are unashamedly unafraid to push the boundaries of taste and almost enough to put the delicate off their Lady Grey. They overcome awkward…

Toulson & Harvey

9 Aug 2007

The history of this Perrier-nominated pair (as seen largely through Toulson’s skewed perspective) is related. Theirs is a show that interacts with their audience, but with an affable non-threatening demeanour. Stand-out moments feature a…

Comedy of Errors

1 Aug 2007

Al Pitcher’s show Idiot Wind is based around a rather unfortunate incident involving a woman, an aeroplane and some flatulence. Here, he gives us his top five social faux pas

In rude health

1 Aug 2007

With larger than life characters, Alyssa Kyria’s set was a sleeper hit from 2006. She tells Marissa Burgess that this year’s show is all about getting down and dirty

Nick Doody

1 Aug 2007

Nick Doody’s debut show last year was a deeply passionate affair. Losing his Catholic faith, American politics and scary clown nightmares were all eloquently dissected and the critics lauded it.

Jason Manford

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

19 Jul 2007

Edinburgh Festival Fringe Edinburgh Festival Fringe Marissa Burgess finds a very contented Jason Manford living off the spoils of his barnstorming Fringe debut. Piers Morgan is the only fly in his soup