"sian bevan"

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…

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…

Records - The Fast Camels

3 Jul 2007

TRIP POP Hailing from Glasgow, The Fast Camels pay a psychedelic tribute to the 60s in their energetic debut album. Guitar heavy, with mature harmonies and strong rhythms, the band are unashamedly influenced by the likes of Love and Pink Floyd.

Siobhan Donaghy

Album

18 Jun 2007

AIRY POP Some may remember Donaghy as the one who quit the Sugababes, burnt her bridges, then suffered a flop album. Fear not, she’s back with So You Say, which has taken radio friendly pop and added a pinch of sophistication. Her vocals are…

RE

Strong performances and an over-ambitious script

26 Aug 2009

Frustrating piece about three people trapped with each other and the ghosts of their pasts. Confusion arises from a script trying to do too much in such a limited time frame, but the show is saved by beautiful staging and strong performances, which keep…

Jason Cook draws us the essence of his Fringe show

Board Meeting: Jason Cook

5 Aug 2010

This week we’ve persuaded another fine comedian to put pen to board and draw the essence of their show. Jason Cook is one of the few comedians chirpy enough to do a show about death without sounding like a depressed goth tied to a bus stop of pain. He’s…

Nat Luurtsema supports the dinosaurs using wipeable pens

Board Meeting: Nat Luurtsema

13 Aug 2010

This Summer Nat is discussing heroism and being helpful in bad situations. As such she drew the first dinosaur of the Board Meeting series, complete with first sword. If that's not worth having a gander at her quirky brand of comedy, then the dinosaurs…

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…

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…

Robert White's Outrageously Peculiar sketch of his Fringe show

Board Meeting: Robert White

23 Aug 2010

You are looking at a man in blue, with blue pants over tights, holding a trumpet in one hand and a whiteboard with a phallic keyboard on the other. You, ladies and gentlemen, are looking at Robert White. Robert White's Outrageously Peculiar Organ…

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…

Rob Rouse gets his teeth into Edinburgh Fringe 2010

Board Meeting: Rob Rouse

23 Aug 2010

OK, so ignore the fact Mr Rob Rouse is standing in front of the wrong venue board, and pay attention to the GENIUS of bitten sheep. It looks like he's biting it! Who needs Toy Story 3? This year he's talking about sorting himself out with the…

Paul Sweeney describes his show using the medium of marker pens

Board Meeting: Paul Sweeney & Tom Webb

23 Aug 2010

Look at the cheeky wee grin on it. There's a panda AND a bear on this board, topped off with a Paul Sweeney sporting a lovely moustache. What more could a discerning audience member require? Oh, comedy. That too. Paul Sweeney and Tom Webb,The GRV.

Comedy Zone show off their artistic talents

Board Meeting: The Comedy Zone

19 Aug 2010

If you're finding it difficult to decide which comedians to see, then The Comedy Zone has four fine young things showing off for an hour and a half. And, if their whiteboard is to be believed, they all look exactly the same. Apart from the scary giant…

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…

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…

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…

Daniel Rigby draws us up a biblical board

Board Meeting: Daniel Rigby

13 Aug 2010

Daniel is telling the tale of life as a lapsed born-again Christian and so has, quite rightly, drawn a cross on his board. He has also adopted a beautifully holy expression, which was nice to see. However, the show is not guaranteed to be a fast track…

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…

Pete Firman illustrates his Edinburgh show via a whiteboard

Board Meeting: Pete Firman

23 Aug 2010

Aww...look how nice Pete Firman is. He's only gone and starred out the sweary word on his board so we don't get offended. Thank fuck. He's also been very sensible and named his show in fine Ronseal fashion, so you know exactly what you're getting: Jokes…

Time Travelling Magicians conjure up a sketch with marker pens

Board Meeting: Morgan & West

23 Aug 2010

The Board Meetings Prize for dapper dressers go to these lovely Time Travelling Magicians, who won our hearts by doing a little fancy trick with their tiny flyer. It was like the future and the past all in one hand movement. Magical fun. Morgan…

Lady Garden draw out their secret show

Board Meeting: Lady Garden

13 Aug 2010

Looking particularly floral, Lady Garden catch the eyes of people loitering in the Courtyard this afternoon. It's not just the amazing oufits: these six ladies have been building a reputation as one of the sketch shows that it's worth making an effort…

At least they're showing us how to draw a cake

Board Meeting: Domestic Goddi

13 Aug 2010

These three ladies have been garnering quite a reputation for themselves...no, no not like that...they're funny. A funny reputation. Oh shut up and look what a neat cake they drew. In case you can't read it, they also wrote 'obesity rules' on the side.

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…

Andy Linden expresses himself in odd ways on our board

Board Meeting: Andy Linden

19 Aug 2010

It's the dude you might recognise off the telly doing chat and that. If we were to analyse his Board, we could conclude that he either sees himself as the Elephant Man or a balloon. We're not sure which is more worrying.