Edinburgh fringe 2022 week two roundup: from a sheep shearer in peril to pure Hollywood escapism

Howls of rage from Hong Kong to Malta vie with King Lear in the metaverse and Sophie Duker on the labour-saving benefits of threesomes Art in the time of political contests, climate crisis, rising inequality, a global rightward backsliding – what shoul…

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Thanyia Moore review – can a comedy show get by on laughs alone?

Monkey Barrel Comedy, EdinburghThe answer may seem obvious but the commanding comic’s fringe debut eschews any clear structure with mixed resultsBack in 2020, Thanyia Moore was planning her fringe debut with a show about her bullying past. By the time …

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Anthony DeVito review – stand-up guy reflects on his mafioso dad

The Mash House, EdinburghThe New Jersey comic mines his lineage for laughs in a pensive dispatch from cosa nostra America (or somewhere nearby)The “dead dad” show is a fringe comedy cliche. But the “dead dad who was also a mafioso kingpin” show? Not so…

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Anthony DeVito review – stand-up guy reflects on his mafioso dad

The Mash House, EdinburghThe New Jersey comic mines his lineage for laughs in a pensive dispatch from cosa nostra America (or somewhere nearby)The “dead dad” show is a fringe comedy cliche. But the “dead dad who was also a mafioso kingpin” show? Not so…

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Ivo Graham review – bashful posh comic grows up with a skilful new show

Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghMaturity has made the awkward standup more at ease with himself and lent heft and fruitful battle-scarring to his shtickIt’s a feature of standup that comedy watchers, more than adherents of other art forms, can see artist…

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‘It felt like this might never happen again’: comedians rejoice at the return of crowds

After lockdowns kept them out of touch with audiences, standups explain their exhilaration at coming together to raise laughs at Edinburgh fringeThe lights go down signalling the start of the show, but Rob Auton is not on stage. Members of the crowd be…

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Sarah Sherman review – Saturday Night Live star’s queasy comedy hour

Gilded Balloon, EdinburghSherman’s show, pitched between anti-comedy, performance art and body horror, leaves no doubt why she’s also known as Sarah SquirmDelightfully weird, says the pre-publicity. I’m not sure that covers it. Sarah Sherman – Long Isl…

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‘Night after night I get harassed’: comedians call for safer working conditions

With research showing sexual harassment is a routine occurrence, there is growing demand for arts venues to commit to protecting entertainersPosey Mehta, like many performers at the Edinburgh fringe, has been flyering for her own show. It’s called I Am…

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‘Night after night I get harassed’: comedians call for safer working conditions

With research showing sexual harassment is a routine occurrence, there is growing demand for arts venues to commit to protecting entertainersPosey Mehta, like many performers at the Edinburgh fringe, has been flyering for her own show. It’s called I Am…

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Phil Wang review – an irresistible set of smart and silly jokes

Assembly George Square, EdinburghPart observational, part autobiographical, The Real Hero in All This considers life from ever-surprising angles Sixteen years in Malaysia, 16 in the UK. Thirty-two-year-old Phil Wang’s geographical equilibrium is nicely…

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