Show 36: Alternative Comedy Memorial Society

Though not appearing in the edfringe website, it was listed on the Monkey Barrel site and thank goodness I found it, I was initially saddened at the thought of being bereft of this stalwart of showcasing alternative, daring acts (I'll never forget Joe Lycett's drag act Nigella Farage).

Highlights from this show included Ted Hill's love of presidents, a Fifer playing an Italian Opera singer singing the ingredients of a Penguin chocolate bar (I'd never have thought anyone can make singing 'milk' hilarious, thank you ACMS) and a mildly unsettling Scot playing a vaguely Eastern-European lady dancing with a Serbian audience member (an initial technical snafoo giving rise to a lovely moment of improvised singing followed by the actual dance compilation). A thoroughly enjoyable late night affair. I look forward to the traditional end-of-festival alternative awards show.

Score: 8/10
Venue: Monkey Barrel Comedy Club, Monkey Barrel 1
Dates: 28th August
Time: 00:00
Price: £8

Show 35: Fin Taylor: Daddy Self-Care

Fin Taylor is always sharply critical of the norm and mainstream, a refreshing voice that really challenges. This year's show looks at being a new father and the growing awareness of male mental health. He risks alienating the audience, though I think he's always been deliberate in pushing buttons, and a final routine playing out comedy caricatures of mental illnesses does prove funny, though it feels a bit of a sudden end with the show running shy of 50 minutes. The show feels incomplete and perhaps there will be further developments prior to an early 2023 tour. While there are multiple grains that bear fruit, I wonder if I caught the show before a full harvest. The half-filled QueenDome may also have distracted this joker.

Score: 6/10
Venue: Pleasance Dome, QueenDome
Dates: 28th August
Time: 20:30
Price: £13

Show 34: Phil Wang: The Real Hero in All This

Having known of Phil Wang for some years I don't think I've ever seen a full show of his, this was the year to rectify that.

Clearly an experienced performer now at ease with a large crowd, it's an hour of easy comedy with smart observations (I particularly enjoyed Wang's dismay at the Brits' aversion to reheating rice) and autobiographical material, guaranteed laughs in the hands of a skilled joker. Though varied in the material, it feels neatly woven together, even if there isn't any emotional heft or pathos. You can't go wrong with Wang, a safe bet moments of grand silliness.

Score: 7/10
Venue: Assembly at George Square, Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre
Dates: run ended
Time: 21:00

Show 33: Alasdair Beckett-King: Nevermore

Having seen ABK's posters around the festival for a number of years and hearing his Comedian's Comedian episode I thought I'd check out this show.

A multimedia show though the bulk is from ABK's honed story-telling stand up material. The occasional short video and animation serve to be refreshing moments to compliment the story telling. Overall a charming and entertaining hour, puns a plenty and whimsical moments make for a worthwhile show.

Score: 7/10
Venue: Pleasance Dome, JackDome
Dates: 28th-29th August
Time: 19:00
Price: sold out

Show 32: Alice Cockayne: Attention Needed

Another show that caught my eye in the programme being billed as an absurdist piece, I've realised of late I've been drawn to the more absurdist shows, things to take you away from reality and to dazzle in rich, bewildering creations of the great comics, I've found such shows in the parts to be really inspirational.

This was not such a show.

Cockayne's character sketch does venture into the absurd for sure, but there really aren't any smart ideas or even good punchlines.

There's audience participation a plenty in this show. An opening sketch about finding a partner, going to bed and confronting an intruder by speaking in tongues is at most mildly bemusing (I was the plucky partner though Cockayne seemingly didn't fancy my banter - a moment where her electric toothbrush is flailed wildly underneath a bedsheet as we're both in bed led to me apologising for the coke I took, she retorted that her parents were at home, prompting me to ask her where she think I got it from; she quickly asked me to stop talking). Another skit involving a dysfunctional dog sitting agency was altogether tedious, even tragic, though I suspect unintentionally so. Indeed the laughter bleeding through from Ewin's excellent show next door was palpable throughout. I'm quite glad I didn't catch the 110% John Kearns and Pat Cahill show where she featured later in the festival.

Score: 1/10
Venue: Just the Tonic at The Caves, Just the Upstairs
Dates: 28th August
Time: 22:25
Price: £7

Show 31: Thom Tuck and Tim FitzHigham: Macbeth

Thom Tuck and frequent collaborator Tim Fitzhigham often bring quirky experimental comedy shows to the festival and this is no exception.

A retelling of MacBeth but with different directors everyday, essentially this is structured improvised comedy, always a risky endeavour for comedy except in skilled hands (thank goodness for Tuck's grounding at Edinburgh's Improverts) but today's show was sheer joy and silliness. Sunil Patel providing the direction (a very lacklustre and relatively unimaginative style, I couldn't tell if it was deliberate/a manifestation of his comedic persona (I confess I've never engaged with his material before)) Tuck and Fitzhigham did brilliantly to bring Shakespeare's tragic work to comedic life, starting with motorcycle riding witches to an inexplicable Mexican laird (get a funny accent just right and I'll double up in laughter) and excellent use of red cloth (you forget just how much death there is in MacBeth sometimes) this was a fabulous show. Vibrant, chaotic and downright stupid, this is the kind of show that makes the festival magical. I only wish I could have watched them again.

Score: 8/10
Venue: Underbelly at Cowgate, Belly Button
Dates: run ended
Time: 20:35

Show 30: Angela Barnes: Hot Mess

After many appearances on Mock the Week and various podcasts (namely Pappy's Flatshare Slamdown during a lockdown episode for me) it was finally time to see Barnes in person.

A hour of storytelling about her lockdown experience, becoming married and being there for a close comic friend undergoing cancer treatment, it's an overall feelgood show offering hope and belief in love filled with punchy jokes and a well-riffed (or was it meticulously planned) moment where technology ironically failed Barnes' set. A very well constructed hour from an engaging, confident, energetic performer, this was a very enjoyable show that has the right level of poignancy for an impactful Edinburg show. I look forward to watching Barnes again at future festivals and tours.

Score: 7/10
Venue: Pleasance courtyard, Cabaret Bar
Dates: 28th August
Time: 19:00
Price: £15

Show 29: Mr Chonkers by John Norris

A word of mouth affair following recommendations from a comedy aficionado friend and another friend's partner (unexpectedly up in Edinburgh leading to an initially very confusing and slightly unnerving whatsapp message from an unknown number) led to this being added to the schedule.

Norris enters as a faceless monk, high-fiving the audience to the tune of Gregorian chanting, leading to a call and response before revealing himself and taking us on a demonstration of his acting range. The show continues with a poetry section and the portrayal of an Italian-American family leading to a quirky meatball trick. Overall an hour of charming clowning and absurdity, certainly very playful and fun and an hit the right spot depending on the crowd. It'll be interesting to see what future fare brings.

Score: 7/10
Venue: Monkey Barrel at Carnivore, Carnivore 2
Dates: 28th August
Time: 23:55
Price: £5

Show 28: John Robertson: The Dark Room

A return to this previously watched show and it was a raucous affair again. A range of off-kilter prizes, including the back of a CD case and an inordinate amount of Tesco baguettes and the famous "flamboyant potato" (i.e. a pineapple) alongside plucky audience players brought together by Robertson's enthusiastic and excellent hosting made for an excellent evening's entertainment. Some delightful riffing with an older audience player, a likely baffled Swedish audience member and some slightly risky banter with a young teenager ending with crowdsurfing of very questionable safety created a glorious show, it'll be sure to make a repeat addition to the Festival schedule again.

Score: 8/10
Venue: Gilded Balloon Teviot, Dining room
Dates: 27th - 28th August
Time: 22:00
Price: Sold out

Show 27: The Goldsmith and East Hour

An impromptu addition to the schedule to see Nick Kocher perform stand up, this was a showcase show also featuring Sami Abu Wardeh, Linus Karp.

The hosts, Ben Goldmith and Chris East, cut a truly amateur overly enthusiastic, almost student-like, feel of MCs coming up with tedious games to engage the audience and frankly banal hosting; it could have passed for satire or anti-comedy had the notion of meta-ness surfaced.

Nick Kocher gave a very amusing anecdote of being caught by his father in the middle of some self-pleasure, while Wardeh was surprisingly interesting as a cigarette-ed psychic guitar player. Karp's premise of dissecting the modern Cats the Musical film as a masterpiece of cinema sounds intriguing though had a similarly pained feel passable comedy as the hosts did.

Score: 2/10
Venue: Royal Mile Tavern, Annexe
Dates: run ended
Time: 18:00
Price: Free (pay what you want)

Show 26: Oliver Coleman: Sublime

Self described as an absurdist comedian, Oliver Coleman caught my eye in the programme so I thought I'd give him a go.

An eclectic hour of part absurdism, part straight up observational humour, at times it feels like Coleman's playing with the form and being a comedian's comedian. There was something exhilarating with trying to see what exactly was going on. A threatening 'shark' moves through the audience edging closer and closer to the stage throughout the show too. The hour seems incoherent but feels as if there is genius lurking beneath the shambles. An intriguing hour, tempting me to see what he comes up with next year.

Score: 7/10
Venue: Monkey Barrel at Carnivore, Carnivore 2
Dates: 26th - 28th August
Time: 22:35

Price: £8

Show 25: Alfie Brown: Sensitive Man

You never quite what you'll get with Alfie Brown, whether you'll get an amicable charmer or a more prickly foe who seems to treat the audience with mild contempt, you'll nevertheless be thrilled by his energy. Luckily the show I watched had him in good spirits with some deft audience interaction and scintillating stand up.

He's not a Mr Nice Guy, indeed he tears away the nicety of Britishness and shows us the Truth of the world with comedic deft that is frightfully entertaining. His final joke about Black Privilege shows us just how well Brown's able to wrangle with tricky concepts to get us on board with his ideas. He's always eloquent and articulate, cynical and at unease with the world, his show is a sheer delight in shaking up our comfortable ways and seeks to make us sit up and listen. A very well deserved Best Show nomination for this year too.

Score: 8/10
Venue: Monkey Barrel Comedy Club, Monkey Barrel 1
Dates: 24th - 28th August
Time: 21:00
Price: £10

Show 24: Olga Koch: Just Friends

Having seen Olga Koch on Mock the Week and heard her on some podcasts I've been really intrigued to check her out in person.

This is an excellent hour of comedy, sexuality, femininity and relationships, a really strong, engaging performance with fabulous storytelling. Her pursuit of a threesome with two guys takes us on a rollercoaster journey. Ultimately a thrilling hour of comedy that showcases a tremendous comedic performer, very much looking forward to seeing her again.

Score: 8/10
Venue: Monkey Barrel Comedy Club, Monkey Barrel 1
Dates: 25th - 28th August
Time: 19:35
Price: £10 weekends, £8 weekdays

Show 23: Ed Gamble: Electric

Ed Gamble seems to feature quite heavily in my life namely with the Off Menu Podcast and the Ed Gamble and Matthew Crosby Podcast being regular listening material for me. Having been amused by a previous show some years ago at the festival I thought he'd be worth checking out (even if the ticket was £17).

There's no denying Gamble's skill and experience, he's a slick stand up with easy audience engagement and nicely put together routines. The final 15 minutes about hotel breakfast buffets has some insightful observations, but for me he never quite hit's the outrageously funny spot. Certainly a safe pair of comedic hands and worthwhile if you're a mainstream comedy fan. He might stay to being a podcast presenter presence for me though.

Score: 6/10
Venue: Assembly George Square, Gordon Aikman Theatre
Dates: run ended
Time: 21:00

Chloe Petts: Transience

 This was meant to be show 23 but I left work late and missed the show.

Show 22: Mat Ewins: Danger Money

After a mildly dud 2019 show, I was keen to see what Ewins would bring for the return of the Fringe Festival. Thankfully he didn't disappoint.

Trying to make a name for himself, he's decided to become a game show host, bringing audience members up to play silly multimedia games (beer pong being particularly memorable) though most of the show is filled with Ewins' characteristic mad video based humour (the videos being projected onto massive cardboard cutout TV frames and projector screens) with moments of sheer ridiculousness (he starts the show with his head in a box with a camera, and a VR headset portion tries to turn the audience naked only for it to backfire on Ewins himself).

Though it doesn't have the cynical moment of poignancy that Adventureman had it's just as fun and it's a return to form for Ewins. I can't wait to see next year's buffet of madness.

Score: 8/10
Venue: Just the Tonic at The Caves, Just The Big Room
Dates: 24th - 28th August
Time: 22:30
Price: £10 weekdays, £12 weekends

Show 21: Police Cops: The Musical

After the success of their previous two Police Cops installments and their supernatural venture 'Badass Be Thy Name', Police Cops return with a musical number, focussing on Jimmy Johnson's first venture as a police cop, avenging his sister's death and finding the villainous Hernandez. Now with an expanded cast, Police Cops: The Musical is a riotous affair with, as ever, incredible choreography that dazzles and captivates, moving musical numbers and moments of comic genius (just who *is* 'the clapping man'?). An extraordinarily fun and inventive show, it may not have packed the same gag rate as previous offerings, and the plot may have got slightly lost in the middle, it's still a wonderful hour's entertainment.

Score: 8/10
Venue: Assembly George Square Studios, Studio One
Dates: 24th - 29th August (not 27th)
Time: 19:00
Price: £15 weekends (£14 concession), £12.50 weekdays (£11.50 concession)

Show 20: Avenue Q

Avenue Q's one of the few musicals I want to watch and was invited to join a group of friends to watch a small production of this so why not?

An overall charming and delightful musical with some surprisingly strong singers for a (presumably) amateur drama group, this was a very fun show about love, growing up and social harmony. The 'Bad Idea Bears' were particularly enjoyable. The set design and use of a relatively small space showed the company's creative inventiveness nicely, a very worthwhile show.

Score: 7/10
Venue: Edinburgh Little Theatre, 19 Hill Street
Dates: 24th - 28th
Time: 21:10
Price: £15 (£12 concession)

Show 19: The End of the Pier, at the End of the World

Discovered by chance looking at the Monkey Barrel website, Alfie Brown's work in progress show proved to be an intimate affair and an interesting insight into him workshopping ideas. A small crowd, seemingly half made of comics, in a haze of booze gave fertile ground for Brown riffing ideas and improvising some stunning bleak jokes. He's never been afraid to be controversial and cut through the miasma of pretense that UK culture creates, he's an ever refreshing breath, intelligent and at times a genius at comic ideas. It'll be interesting to see how this turns into next year's material.

Score: no score for work in progress
Venue: Monkey Barrel Comedy Club, monkey barrel 4
Dates: run ended
Time: 23:59

Show 18: Jordan Gray: Is It a Bird?

Having been recommended by Stu Goldsmith and BriTANicK I thought I ought to check this show out.

Gray is a trans female musical comedian, with a show about being trans and songs celebrating the human body. There's plenty of bravura and confidence, she's certainly not shy about herself nor is she apologetic for her confidence, but though there's plenty of style I didn't feel there was any real substance to the material. There's nothing particularly smart or interesting in the material, just hot energy that tries to carry the show through. At the end when Gray changes into her superhero costume (spoiler alert, she's just naked) certainly makes a strong point. It's a laudable hour but at ultimately I felt more bemused than amused.

Score: 2/10
Venue: Assembly George Square, The Box
Dates: 23rd - 28th August
Time: 22:25
Price: Sold Out