Show 35: Michael Legge: Jerk

Michael Legge is a Northern Irish comedian I came across from the comedy panel show podcast ‘Do The Right Thing’. Described by some as ‘the angriest man in comedy’, he lives up to that .

This was a show filled with comic rage; rage against UKIP (in particular UKIP supporter Simon Winger, “that’s his real name, look him up”, in whom Legge finds ridicule and disbelief about the political climate of 2017), rage against big corporations, namely Apple, and rage against himself.

It’s an intense hour of unrelenting savagery that brings endless laughter and shock – he’s not afraid to give his opinion, and thankfully it was a pretty left-leaning room he played to. That said, it’s all suffused with intelligent analysis of why the world has got to where it is, and how we need to be careful not be swept up in the mass hysteria.

His show ends with a tribute to his deceased dog, the titular Jerk, which makes a poignant end to an energetic performance. An assured comedian and a guaranteed hour of laughs and passion.

Score: 8/10

Venue: The Stand

Show 34: Tim Key: Work In Progress (Megadate)

I’ve known about Tim Key for a while – initially through the short-lived but brilliant BBC mock-quiz show ‘We Need Answers’ with Alex Horne and Mark Watson (originally an Edinburgh show), then having seen Tim Key in Daniel Kitson’s production ‘Tree’ and listened to Key’s Comedian’s Comedian Podcast episode, I was finally convinced to see what Key had to offer.

Key has a strong, dominating but almost aloof stage presence. He acknowledges the crowd, but it’s also as if he doesn’t quite trust us, or believe we’re actually here. He seems imperious and separate, like a lion coolly observing its audience through a cage.

Megadate is his work-in-progress show, but it’s pretty well worked up already. It tells the story of his date and his search for his lost hat. The show switches between filmed, arty black-and-white montages of the date and the following day as he goes about his search for his hat, with a detailed chronically of Key’s persistent, perhaps ill-judged texting of his date, who never responds.

Each section of the show is punctuated by a clip, and between each clip is a dazzlingly impressive costume change from Key as he relives his night and retraces his steps.

Throughout he recounts what happened on the date, punctuated with breaks where he recites his famous short poems on playing cards.

Overall this is a magnificent production – this is Key at his prime. He had the audience’s absolute attention, taking us on a bewildering journey in his inimitable style. His persona is a curious blend of ragged detachment, haughty commander and skilled raconteur. He keeps the audience on its toes, forever guessing what’ll happen next and it’s exhilarating.

So thrilled was I from the 2017 work-in-progress I’m watching it again this year.

Key is an exceptionally talented writer and performer – there’s no one quite like him and my God does he know how to play his audience.

Score: 10/10

Venue: Pleasance Dome

Show 33: Trygve Wakenshaw & Barnie Duncan: Different Party

Trygve Wakenshaw’s mime show ‘Nautilus’ enthralled me in 2015. His return with fellow physical comedian/mime Barnie Duncan, however, proved slightly lacklustre.

The duo barely  speak throughout the show, emphasising the slapstick comedy. The presumed premise of the show is that the two of them are in an office, trying to be productive and completing various office tasks, which provides them with plenty of materials for antics, from piles of multi-coloured paper to surprisingly easily breakable ceramicmugs.

Although there was plenty of clowning, the show didn’t quite capture my imagination or my uninterrupted attention. It didn’t help that the venue was unbearably warm.

Score: 5/10

Venue: Assembly Roxy

Show 32: Dan Antopolski: Return of the Dan Antopolski

After a few years away from stand-up comedy, performing as sketch trio Jigsaw, Dan Antopolski returned with his first solo stand-up show since 2013.

After having seen him back then, with a particularly memorable routine involving Maisie the mouse, a popular children’s book series, and a vivid interpretation of her drug-fuelled life as told via examples of the Masie book series, and seen some of Jigsaw’s Edinburgh shows, I was keen to see what Antopolski’s return to stand-up would be like.

He’s still got an eager, almost childish giddy energy about him and his ability to come up with surreal ideas and subtle witty comments hasn’t been lost; his reason for having children is because ‘it’s nice to meet new people’.

However the second half of his show led to a balance from the whimsical and silly gag-packed first half as we move towards more sombre, adult themes of his divorce and the recent death of his mother. A particularly touching finale where he describes unpacking his mother’s house was particularly moving and shows a delicate maturity about Antopolski. Thankfully Antopolski’s two young daughters provide plenty of stories of light-relief to remind him just who is in charge of the house when they’re around.

It doesn’t look like he’s doing a show for 2018, but it’ll be interesting to see how this more mature voice changes over time.

Score: 8/10

Venue: Assembly rooms, George Square Theatre

Show 31: Sara Pascoe: LadsLadsLads

This is the first show of Sara Pascoe’s I’ve seen, despite her being a big name in Comedy in recent years, prompted partly by the fact I’m an avid listener to ‘The Elis James and John Robins’ Podcast’ and Pascoe and Robins had undergone a break-up of a 4-year relationship at the end of 2016, I was interested to see how Pascoe’s and Robins’ shows would compare.

Having looked at a few reviews of Pascoe’s LadsLAdsLAds show, it seems her previous shows have had a more academic tilt, focussing particularly on topics of chauvinism, feminism and anthropology. LadsLadsLads, however, is an altogether more personal show (akin to Josie Long’s ‘Cara Josephine’ perhaps) considering Pascoe’s break-up, her life as a single lady and her ways of coming to terms with her new life.

It’s a giddy show filled with misadventure, from an ill-planned yoga retreat to Costa Rica (turns out it’s not in Europe) to a solo trip to Paris on Valentine’s day, it’s a show filled with a search for finding oneself again after being lost in a relationship, the inner-strength of women and the joys of being single.

Pascoe proceeded to write a short BBC Radio 4 series called ‘Modern Monkey’ about various aspects of human behaviour and how it can be explained through the lens of evolutionary biology and psychology, which _­ties together academic interviews, personal anecdotes of her childhood and wry, witty observations – a really interesting and enjoyable listen.

Score: 8/10

Venue: Pleasance courtyard

Show 30: Nick Cody: On Fire

Another one from the Comedian’s comedian, Nick Cody’s an established Australian act who had performed at the Fringe Festival twice previously, has appeared on Conan and has a strong following back in Australia.

It was a shame the venue was barely filled – he’s a confident stand-up with a deceptively laid-back covering standard comedy topics of relationships, childhood and masculinity but he delivers it all with well-timed jokes and an easy hour of entertainment – guaranteed quality and worthwhile checking out for good quality stand-up. Hopefully he’ll be making a return to the Fringe in the future.

Score: 7/10

Venue: Udderbelly, Old Medical School