A dazzling drama about women slipping the surly bonds of male-dominated Nasa joins Essex poetry, New York silliness and Lorna Rose Treen’s laugh-fest as second-week treatsI first encountered the poet Luke Wright a decade ago, when I lived in Oxford and…
Continue ReadingPhotographer Murdo MacLeod captures an eye-catching array of comedy, dance and theatre shows as the arts spectacular continues Continue reading…
Continue ReadingPleasance Courtyard, EdinburghFrom a nine-year-old misfit to Sally Rooney writing a children’s book, Treen’s characters are pitched at a sharp angle to the real worldFunny Women winner 2022. Chortle’s best newcomer. Lorna Rose Treen has amassed a few a…
Continue ReadingMonkey Barrel Comedy, EdinburghSome gags are queasy and others are thrillingly bleak from the Mancunian comic whose outbursts are often directed at himselfThis cramped space at the back of the Monkey Barrel is where Rob Kemp confined us all with his ch…
Continue ReadingComedians at the festival are enlisting volunteers to join in their acts, creating a warm, inclusive and fun spaceAs I cross the threshold of US comedian Moses Storm’s Edinburgh fringe show, I’m handed a white coat. Now part of an identically dressed c…
Continue ReadingPleasance Courtyard, EdinburghIdentity politics are deftly and hilariously tackled, with the help of a diamante-studded sporran, in a compelling showJodie Mitchell’s debut hour in some ways sticks to the mould of artist origin story. But in this show, …
Continue ReadingLeith Arches cancelled scriptwriter’s comedy show after complaints from customersThe scriptwriter Graham Linehan is considering legal action against the Edinburgh venue that cancelled his comedy show after complaints from customers.On Tuesday morning L…
Continue ReadingThey might be ‘edgy, queer’ comics by night – but by day Shelf are children’s entertainers, and they’re not the only fringe act with a sideline in making kids laughWhen the comedy duo Shelf were asked to perform a show for children, they balked. “We’re…
Continue ReadingAttachment: The Leech Show is a merry romp about an influential reviewer and sums up the industry’s paradoxical attitude to theatre criticismAdvice has been circulating among fringe companies about how to appeal to theatre critics. The idea is to dig u…
Continue ReadingFor all but the biggest names, handing out flyers in the street is still essential. That doesn’t make it any less awkwardThe key to performing standup is to convince your audience that you don’t want their attention or approval as much as you obviously…
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