Chris Thorburn: Cineman review – heard the one about Sex Times at Spring Break High?

The Stand, EdinburghThis movie-mad comic lampoons Hollywood through sketch and song but some of his material could have been left in the cutting roomFilms are the best art form, declares Chris Thorburn, so he’s created a comedy show to evoke a trip to …

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Katie Norris: Farm Fatale review – this cat-lady comedy becomes a moggy melodrama

Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh This tremendous solo debut finds the comic veering between stranger-than-fiction verisimilitude and hilarious gothic exaggeration‘Childless cat ladies” have been much in the news since Kamala Harris strode into the presid…

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Susie McCabe begins Edinburgh run less than two weeks after heart attack

Glaswegian, 44, says angioplasty was ‘shot across the bows’ and she will now swap Red Bull for hummusA car breaking down when you’re hours away from an important Edinburgh fringe warm-up gig might sound like the start of an entertaining bit for most co…

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Emma Sidi Is Sue Gray review – bureaucratic blabbermouth’s lurid disclosures

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…

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Hannah Gadsby: ‘The Edinburgh fringe might make your dreams come true – or it will give you scurvy’

Tooth 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…

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Rachel Fairburn: Side Eye review – devilish, seven-headed humour

Monkey 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…

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Joe Kent-Walters Is Frankie Monroe: Live!!! review – one hell of a host

Monkey 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…

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Main Character Energy review – boudoir cabaret deconstructs Temi Wilkey’s inner celeb

Roundabout @ 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 …

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I Really Do Think This Will Change Your Life review – sharp-witted girlboss satire

Pleasance 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…

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