The foppish comic underwent a drugs trial to fund his Edinburgh show – and caught malaria. The next year he almost died on stage with an exploded appendix. Why is he going back?‘In retrospect, I should have gone to the doctors much, much earlier.” John…
Continue ReadingMolly McGuiness is treating audiences to a buffet, sketch troupe Simple Town bring fast-paced fun and Jessica Barton plays Mary Floppins … Here are half a dozen essential acts at the festival“There should be a buffet at every comedy gig,” says Manchest…
Continue ReadingThe festival has plenty of returning heroes, from Nina Conti to Nick Mohammed. Here are 10 shows our critics praisedIn cult clown duo Xhloe and Natasha’s two-hander, we are swiftly in the US of LBJ, Beatlemania and Tom Sawyer-style outdoor adventuring….
Continue ReadingThe standup on surviving heart failure, gigging on cruise ships and how a Tom Hanks gag saved him from his worst heckleWhat’s your new show about?My biggest fear was dying on stage and then I nearly died for real, on stage. Suddenly, it wasn’t a big de…
Continue ReadingPeter Pan has a pop fantasy, Faustus is in Africa, Brian Cox leads a banking satire and Billy Connolly meets the late Alasdair Gray. Elsewhere, the joy of pickling, a landmark jazz album and Elton John’s libel case take centre stageWhenever you see a p…
Continue ReadingIn a riotous show, Garry Starr dons a tailcoat, flippers and little else to re-enact a bookshelf full of classics. Would you help him bring The Jungle Book to life?Comedy smash-hits come in all shapes and sizes. You’ve got your standup, your sketch – a…
Continue ReadingNish Kumar among comedians warning that rising costs could stop university revues visiting the festival‘I don’t have any family connections in comedy or television, my leg up was that I went to a posh university that had this relationship with Edinburg…
Continue ReadingFringe Society CEO says venues could offer concertgoers ‘morning after’ shows or tempt residents who ‘want to hide’Organisers of Edinburgh fringe events have been urged to be “pretty smart” and capitalise on the decision by Oasis and AC/DC to play gigs…
Continue ReadingFrancesca Moody and Gary McNair’s innovative DIY solution to Covid restrictions will be revamped for a series of in-person, one-off showsWhen the 2020 Edinburgh fringe was cancelled due to Covid-19, producer Francesca Moody and theatre-maker Gary McNai…
Continue ReadingThe comic on idolising Russell Howard, spending summer away from the Edinburgh fringe and lying to cabbiesWhy did you get into comedy?I started standup as a teenager despite being painfully shy. I loved the feeling of making people laugh, but the thoug…
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