Marissa Burgess

Glasgow Comedy Festival - Russell Kane

28 Feb 2008

Since the age of eight he has written short stories but has never been published ‘The one creative constant I’ve always had is to write fiction. I read that you should get your rejection slips and decorate your room with them. I literally ended up…

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