Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghDowning Street’s chief of staff is imagined to be gossipy and gregarious in this wickedly silly showSue Gray is one of the most recognisable names in the UK, but few of us know a thing about her. Into that breach steps Emm…
Continue ReadingTooth pain, lost cash and lots of crying – the award-winning comic has had a difficult relationship with the fringe. So why come back for more?10 of the best shows at this year’s Edinburgh fringeAlfie Brown and Jessie Cave on their fringe double actEdi…
Continue ReadingPhotographer Murdo MacLeod presents his view of the opening week’s shows at Scotland’s annual arts spectacular Continue reading…
Continue ReadingMonkey Barrel, the Hive, Edinburgh The acerbic standup delivers a character-comedy show playing some captivatingly awful yet extremely relatable individualsA scouse woman in a glittery headband roams the crowd as we get settled for Rachel Fairburn’s ne…
Continue ReadingMonkey Barrel, Edinburgh The BBC New Comedy award-winner resurrects a cadaver of an idea as a Rotherham working men’s club MC with a devilish twistSubterranean and claustrophobic, Monkey Barrel 2 is the fringe venue where performance can most easily be…
Continue ReadingRoundabout @ Summerhall, Edinburgh The writer-performer’s playful show sends up actorly tropes while battling intrusive thoughts that could derail her bid for stardomTemi Wilkey is chasing the spotlight – literally. She scurries to bask in its beam as …
Continue ReadingPleasance Dome, Edinburgh A fallen queen bee turns to a social media pyramid scheme in a technological whirlwind of a production, grounded by Emma-Louise Howell’s darkly comic, rhythmic scriptWho wouldn’t be enticed by the idea of getting rich quick? P…
Continue ReadingGilded Balloon at the Museum, EdinburghThe former SNP wunderkind brings her popular touch to the standup stage, pairing irreverent personal stories with a gasp-inducing exposé of Westminster flummeryYou can see why, having quit as an SNP MP after nine …
Continue ReadingAnthony Alderson defends the high cost of tickets and says the big venues are sharing the risk with performers, as this year’s festival opensLondon’s West End has nothing like the joint creative impact of the annual Edinburgh arts festivals, argues Ant…
Continue ReadingWith every streaming service now searching for their version of the Netlfix hit, Mark Watson, Lucy Porter, Celya AB and more pitch the TV show of their lives, from real-life origin stories and flights of fancy to, erm, Baby Reindeer10 of the best shows…
Continue Reading