Monkey Barrel, EdinburghTV success hasn’t gone to Smith’s head as he still sweats the small stuff – as well as detailing his attempts to procreateReviewing Ian Smith’s breakout show Crushing two summers ago, I compared the Yorkshireman to Rhod Gilbert,…
Continue ReadingPleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Through song and standup, Cohen transforms her 2023 medical emergency into glorious oversharing with this comic triumphEverything was going right for cabaret comic Cat Cohen two years ago: Netflix special under her belt, …
Continue ReadingPleasance Dome, EdinburghStarting out with a deliciously bumptious persona, Doherty’s show trips itself up with a subplot about arts fundingGay Witch Sex Cult was quite the solo debut last year from Andrew Doherty, a folk-horror pastiche delivered in c…
Continue ReadingUnderbelly Cowgate, EdinburghJessica Barton sets about cleaning up the domestic acts of the men in her audience with comically strict disciplineWe’ve all felt the urge to impose order on the mess of our lives, whether that mess is literal or emotional….
Continue ReadingPleasance Dome, EdinburghIn an impressive show, Sami Abu Wardeh delivers a collage of historical storytelling, jokes about colonialism and clowningWhen Sami Abu Wardeh performed his hit show Bedu at the fringe three years ago, his Palestinian heritage …
Continue ReadingTraverse theatre, EdinburghPanto dame Dorothy Blawna-Gale is sharp-tongued and lovable but the hilarity is underpinned by creator Johnny McKnight’s personal storyShe stands before us in a blue gingham frock, towering wig and a “hideous yet age-appropri…
Continue ReadingTraverse theatre, EdinburghPanto dame Dorothy Blawna-Gale is sharp-tongued and lovable but the hilarity is underpinned by creator Johnny McKnight’s personal storyShe stands before us in a blue gingham frock, towering wig and a “hideous yet age-appropri…
Continue ReadingSummerhall, EdinburghIn its aim to avoid big topics – politics, gender, climate – the Canadian pair’s superb show attempts an escape from contemporary chaosIf the end of the world is a party, I want these two feral slugs to be our hosts. Fever-dreamed …
Continue ReadingOrchard at the Gilded Balloon, EdinburghThe US star’s engaging set is largely an earnest love letter to her non-binary child and newly adopted home of IrelandA month ago, Donald Trump branded comedian Rosie O’Donnell a “threat to humanity” and threaten…
Continue ReadingPleasance Courtyard, EdinburghThis tremendous solo show by Jade Franks uses deep rage and deadpan wit to skewer the ruling classShe has glittery nail extensions and her hair scraped back. On a night out, she is all fluttering eyelashes and enormous gol…
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