Pleasance @ EICC, Edinburgh There’s more Margolyes than Dickens here, but her gift for florid characters is on fine display and suits the Victorian master perfectly“Guaranteed to offend and delight,” says the publicity. Really? It’s rare now to hear th…
Continue ReadingSummerhall, EdinburghJulia McDermott is captivating as a presenter whose all-American smile cracks in the face of environmental nightmareScorchio! The Fast Show’s persistently sunny forecasts from Caroline Aherne have got nothing on the flaming reports…
Continue ReadingA crowing flash-in-the-pan PM and Jimmy Carr’s life lessons from the Oompa LoompasA tale of two powerful women as the Edinburgh fringe enters its opening week. Nica Burns is a West End producer and the impresario behind the Edinburgh comedy awards. The…
Continue ReadingTraverse, EdinburghPlaying both partners in a sordid three-year relationship, the bold LA clown delivers another unforgettable showFew fringe trajectories have been as joyful to trace these last few years as that of Natalie Palamides. From best newcome…
Continue ReadingPleasance Dome, EdinburghA show about unresolved masculinity combines elements of musical theatre with the experimental comic’s own ruminations on ego and oblivionIf you were picking a comedian likely to branch out into musical theatre, Jordan Brookes …
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 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 ReadingPleasance 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…
Continue ReadingAnthony Alderson defends the high cost of tickets and says the big venues are sharing the risk with performers, as this year’s festival opensLondon’s West End has nothing like the joint creative impact of the annual Edinburgh arts festivals, argues Ant…
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