Alex Horne looks back: ‘Both my careers – the Horne Section and Taskmaster – are an extension of playing with friends’

Alex Horne, Joe Auckland and Ben Reynolds on being best friends since childhood, their shared love of comedy, and spending their birthdays togetherBorn in 1978 in Chichester, West Sussex, Alex Horne is a comedian and co-host and creator of&nb…

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Rollercoaster review – fizzy tricks and funky escapades from a master of juggling

Assembly Roxy, EdinburghWes Peden shows off his skills with hoops, pins and balls, while his humble pleasure in performance sweetens the stuntsIf juggling follows breaking to become an Olympic sport, Team USA would surely want Wes Peden on their squad….

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Rose Matafeo: On and On and On review – a star-crossed love life laid hilariously bare

Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghTV success has only sharpened the Starstruck creator’s punches as she overshares about the indignities of dating, her fine gags closer to the bleeding edge than ever beforeWas any standup show more keenly anticipated than …

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I Am the Boss review – squabbling siblings’ hijinks at Edinburgh fringe

Assembly George Square Gardens, EdinburghIn the Taiwan Season, a spirited trio deliver acrobatic antics – and their mischief spills into the audience‘Don’t try this at home,” children may be warned at some of the family circus shows on the fringe. But …

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Garry Starr: Classic Penguins review – brilliantly ticklish riff on a stack of literary tomes

Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Dressed as the publisher’s emblem, in orange flippers and not much else, the ingenious comic delivers a dizzy series of droll visual routinesSome shows have “Edinburgh fringe” scored through them as if through a stick of …

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Scottish theatre cancels Reginald D Hunter show over heckling of Israelis

East Renfrewshire venue cancels upcoming show after Fringe audience booed people who objected to Israel jokeA theatre has cancelled an upcoming show by the comedian Reginald D Hunter following reports that Israeli audience members were heckled during h…

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Sawdust Symphony review – a surreal circus where stagecraft meets woodcraft

Zoo Southside, EdinburghAcrobatics, juggling and carpentry are fixed together in a humorous and lightly unsettling production in the Made in Germany showcase Power drill? Check. Hammers? Present and correct. Chainsaw? Fully charged. But it’s best not t…

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Willy’s Candy Spectacular review – even the Sad Oompa Loompa can’t save this parody

Pleasance Dome, EdinburghThis unfunny spoof of Glasgow’s dismal Wonka-themed attraction is as short of ideas as the event that inspired itHow we laughed at Willy’s Chocolate Experience, a family attraction so bad it left children in tears. What nerve t…

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Burning Down the Horse review – entertaining ancient Greek antics

Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh This comedy puts the audience inside the giant wooden ruse, alongside a cast who add fizz to a show with real interest in the classical ageHere is an alternative take on ancient Greece that is not straight from the Trojan hors…

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Stevie Martin: Clout review – ingenious and silly tech-comedy

Monkey Barrel Comedy, EdinburghThe Massive Dad star riffs on the benefits of making comedy online, buoyed by arch good humour and high-quality gags within gagsStevie Martin’s show weighs up the differences between live and online comedy. Her career beg…

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