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 ReadingThe 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 …
Continue ReadingPleasance 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…
Continue ReadingGlaswegian, 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…
Continue ReadingPleasance 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…
Continue ReadingTooth 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…
Continue ReadingPhotographer Murdo MacLeod presents his view of the opening week’s shows at Scotland’s annual arts spectacular Continue reading…
Continue ReadingMonkey 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…
Continue ReadingMonkey 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…
Continue ReadingRoundabout @ 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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