Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghUsing snippets of pop culture, lip-syncing, video and clowning, the pair craft a rich exploration of eating disorders and gender dysphoriaFrankie Thompson, resplendent in floor-length pink tutu, and Liv Ello, hair slicked …
Continue ReadingMonkey Barrel, EdinburghUnpicking relationships with swagger and a dash of Hannah Gadsby-esque introspection, the standup seems ready for the big league Olga Koch has turned 30, and – per the opening moments of her show Prawn Cocktail – she loves it. S…
Continue ReadingPleasance Courtyard, EdinburghThough she emerged as 00s comedy royalty, Allen’s show about kicking back against dull domesticity only raises a few smilesHow to calibrate your expectations on approaching Fiona Allen’s new show at the Edinburgh fringe? O…
Continue ReadingPleasance Courtyard, EdinburghMoving beyond the gag about Rishi Sunak which dragged her into a media storm, Navabi’s first fringe show introduces us to a comic of promiseLeila Navabi underwent a baptism of fire in comedy when, aged only 21, her Radio W…
Continue ReadingThe comedian, songwriter and actor on how Scotland’s annual arts jamboree has evolved, loathing corporate gigs and his Pick of the Fringe turning 30How did you get into performing?In the 1960s, I slid into folk clubs and came across Billy Connolly and …
Continue ReadingImaginary friends, runaway horses and Roger McGough’s take on the Wind in the Willows are among the treats for younger audiences at the festivalSummerhall, 11.30am, until 20 August Continue reading…
Continue ReadingPleasance Courtyard, EdinburghPlumbing the realms of the unexpected, O’Neill plays both parts of a clowning double act, masterfully testing the limits of freak-out comedy‘One banana, two banana, three / Is this the show you paid to see?” Well might Bil…
Continue ReadingSummerhall, EdinburghThe comic relives being a carer for a lovably eccentric adopted uncle in a heartfelt show that demonstrates caring’s reciprocal flowThe “dead dad show” is a fringe comedy staple. But what about the dead not-quite-an-uncle show? Ben…
Continue ReadingThe Welsh comedian on what makes him laugh online, including the League of Gentleman, a swearing child and a clip of his partner shooing away a dildo on the ABCHello. Most of the online stuff I get sent is from comedian friends making fun of the absolu…
Continue ReadingTraverse theatre, EdinburghA high-school English teacher and his former star pupil meet in a brothel in Kieran Hurley’s new playWith this uneven three-hander, Kieran Hurley has fielded two plays in one. The first is a sex farce about a middle-aged man …
Continue Reading