After the pain of the Covid years, the festival has returned with a roar. It can make a new standup’s career – if they are willing to sleep in a nuclear bunker and expose their own traumaSomebody is crying themselves famous. Somebody has been forced to…
Continue ReadingMonkey Barrel Comedy, EdinburghShowing off an impressive range of facial expressions, the comic takes us on a whistle-stop tour of his life with songs and sketchesI’ve seen Adam Flood tell the joke about his haircut, which appears in his debut hour, ab…
Continue ReadingMagic and mentalism abounds at this year’s festival. But how are the tricks done? Some of the best performers remain tightlipped – while others reveal all“That feeling you have right now,” says Colin Cloud, putting his cards down, “it’s wonderful, righ…
Continue ReadingNo one-liner list would be complete with Olaf Falafel. He’s here alongside nine other standups with great quips from this year’s festivalOlaf Falafel: Getting mythology wrong is my Hercules ankle.Leila Navabi: I have an unconscious bias. I’m biased fir…
Continue ReadingZoo Playground, EdinburghInspired by the work of Nobel-winning Belarusian journalist Svetlana Alexievich, this is a disturbing but blackly funny pieceEvery performance of The Last of the Soviets by the Czech company Spitfire is dedicated to Belarusian …
Continue ReadingRoyal Lyceum, EdinburghObehi Janice’s one-woman show collects her adventures in the dating game but they don’t lead anywhere that interestingObehi Janice had friends at school who, like her, were academic and nerdy. She fancied boys at an early age – a…
Continue ReadingPregnancy is a privilege but is also weird, awkward and difficult. The cathartic nature of standup helps us consider the confusion of imminent parenthoodAt the start of the year, when I booked to perform my comedy show at the fringe, I was laughing in …
Continue ReadingPleasance Courtyard, EdinburghUsing snippets of pop culture, lip-syncing, video and clowning, the pair craft a rich exploration of eating disorders and gender dysphoriaFrankie Thompson, resplendent in floor-length pink tutu, and Liv Ello, hair slicked …
Continue ReadingPleasance Courtyard, EdinburghThough she emerged as 00s comedy royalty, Allen’s show about kicking back against dull domesticity only raises a few smilesHow to calibrate your expectations on approaching Fiona Allen’s new show at the Edinburgh fringe? O…
Continue ReadingThe comedian, songwriter and actor on how Scotland’s annual arts jamboree has evolved, loathing corporate gigs and his Pick of the Fringe turning 30How did you get into performing?In the 1960s, I slid into folk clubs and came across Billy Connolly and …
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