Margolyes & Dickens: The Best Bits review – the nation’s favourite foul mouth

Pleasance @ EICC, Edinburgh There’s more Margolyes than Dickens here, but her gift for florid characters is on fine display and suits the Victorian master perfectly“Guaranteed to offend and delight,” says the publicity. Really? It’s rare now to hear th…

Continue Reading

Weather Girl review – apocalyptic comedy gives chilling forecast for a burning planet

Summerhall, EdinburghJulia McDermott is captivating as a presenter whose all-American smile cracks in the face of environmental nightmareScorchio! The Fast Show’s persistently sunny forecasts from Caroline Aherne have got nothing on the flaming reports…

Continue Reading

Digested week: Liz Truss’s unintentional comedic turn at Edinburgh fringe | Brian Logan

A crowing flash-in-the-pan PM and Jimmy Carr’s life lessons from the Oompa LoompasA tale of two powerful women as the Edinburgh fringe enters its opening week. Nica Burns is a West End producer and the impresario behind the Edinburgh comedy awards. The…

Continue Reading

Natalie Palamides: Weer review – an outrageously entertaining one-woman romcom

Traverse, EdinburghPlaying both partners in a sordid three-year relationship, the bold LA clown delivers another unforgettable showFew fringe trajectories have been as joyful to trace these last few years as that of Natalie Palamides. From best newcome…

Continue Reading

Dylan Mulvaney: Faghag review – sparky musical comedy turned redemptive rally

Assembly George Square, EdinburghShe was chewed up and spat out by the US, but now the TikTok sensation gets to tell her story in this slick productionWith her TikTok series a smash during lockdown, and after a chat with President Biden no less, Dylan …

Continue Reading

Dylan Mulvaney: Faghag review – sparky musical comedy turned redemptive rally

Assembly George Square, EdinburghShe was chewed up and spat out by the US, but now the TikTok sensation gets to tell her story in this slick productionWith her TikTok series a smash during lockdown, and after a chat with President Biden no less, Dylan …

Continue Reading

Louise Atkinson: ‘Billy Connolly could tell me a story about a mayonnaise jar for two hours’

The comic on starting the career her ex was planning, how Jaffa Cakes help you judge people and why standups need TupperwareHow did you get into comedy?
I was dating a comedy nerd who wanted to try standup, so I researched comedy courses for them as a…

Continue Reading

Kemah Bob: Miss Fortunate review – a rollicking Edinburgh fringe debut

Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghThe Texan comedian delivers a playful show about a holiday from hell that tackles mental health and wokenessIt is rare for an act to firmly establish themselves in UK comedy, and then make their fringe debut. That’s the wa…

Continue Reading

Jordan Brookes: Fontanelle review – heady mix of uneasy laughs, sexual candour and Titanic spoof

Pleasance Dome, EdinburghA show about unresolved masculinity combines elements of musical theatre with the experimental comic’s own ruminations on ego and oblivionIf you were picking a comedian likely to branch out into musical theatre, Jordan Brookes …

Continue Reading

‘This isn’t going to be sensible!’ Olaf Falafel, Edinburgh fringe’s king of one-liners

Children’s author, YouTuber, ‘sausage bird’ designer … the comic who was born Derek Chickpeas (maybe) talks about cooking up his hilariously daft alter ego – and we pick some of his funniest gagsThey say that, for comedians, the Edinburgh fringe is a r…

Continue Reading