MR SUSIE

The Caves

14.40

1-25 August

£5

For those who have never seen Mark Davison’s alien alter-ego, Mr Susie, I urge you to rectify the situation as soon as you are able, before he completes his brief visitation on earth & is beamed back to his own planet. OMG this show’s funny, whose surreality is at times rib-crushingly hilarious. He is so likeable, the audience are more than willing to go along with his madcap participation routines, one of which had me smashing a zebra-toy with an inflatable rubber hammer whenever I heard the sounds of Jazz.

An interview with Mr Susie

Half-way through the show he introduces a second character, a disco-dancing cockney OAP, which, although not as funny as Mr Suzie, still keeps the smile stuck fast to your face. Especially amusing are his new inventions to the English Language, such as the word ‘Nunt’ – a deeply unpleasant nun.’   Another great fiver spent at the Fringe – FOUR STARS

Reviewer – Damo Bullen

JASON BYRNE

Underbelly Bristo Sq.

1-25 August

21.00

£10

Jason Byrne definitely fits into one the modern day movement of comedians as superstars, managing to pack out McEwan Hall on the first night of the festival. Opening night must be a night of nervous energy for comedians at the festival, perhaps being the testing ground for the rest of the tour.  At times Jason seemed to disconnect with the audience but overall got everyone joining in, with lots of audience participation.  If you like your comedy packed with fart and sex jokes and appreciate comedy prop gags well then “get the pints in” as this is the one for you! On the other hand  if you prefer comedy with a bit of intellectual zest, maybe best to give this one a swerve and try out one of the smaller up and coming acts. THREE STARS

Reviewer – Antoinette Thirgood

 SEAN HUGHES

Gilded Balloon Teviot

1-25 August

19.30

£11-£15

Working as a waitress years ago, I once opened up to find this man asleep at the bar, with a blue bin full of spirit bottles to suggest he’d lead the staff astray with some post-work drinks. Mr Hughes now claims to have left these days behind, yet still manages to draw laughs from a typically inebriated Edinburgh audience .  Sean; of “Sean’s Show”  fame, tells us about his romantic history, music tastes and talks about the youth of today’s environment has changed drastically from thirty years ago and how romance, parenting, music and technology will lead to drastic changes in our future generation’s formative experiences.

Comedy with intellectual appeal rather than machine gun gag routines but a show that makes you laugh in a sweet reminiscent kind of way. One to watch.

Reviewer – Antoinette Thirgood

SIMON LILLEY

The Tron

2.20pm

2-25 Aug (not 7,13,19)

£6

Downstairs in the basement of the Tron pub, early Sunday evening after being out in the tropical heat, I headed to sit myself at the back of the room to scribble my notes and cool down.   Alas, Simon Lilley had other ideas and asked me straight away if I was a fan of football.  My reply was that I support the Homeless World Cup – I wasn’t going to get away with ‘shying away’ at the back after all.His hour long show cleverly threads the three topics and peppers them with great jokes, football chant hymns & other songs as well as witty references to famous ‘icons’/idols of our time and old.

If you have ever bought property you will enjoy his hilarious letters to ‘Dean’ – one of his local estate agents who didn’t know who he was messing with when he plopped his flyer through Simon’s door!You don’t have to be religious, greedy or an avid fan of footie to appreciate his ideas, wit and great stage presence.  FOUR STARS.

Reviewer – Christine Morgan

RHYS JAMES PREPARES

Free Sisters

1-26 Aug (not 13 Aug.)

14.25

22 year old comic, Rhys James won’t thank me for mentioning his age, but he does this himself throughout his patchy show.  He is a confident performer but a lack of material lets him down &  when he is good he shows potential for greater things.  He is clearly quick witted as his adlibs during the show prove but he need to cut out some of the weaker material. Given that he is relatively inexperienced this likely happen.

A promising, self-deprecating  comic still learning his trade, the boy comic with one kidney could yet become a man.  By the way, Rhys.  I enjoyed the poetry. THREE STARS.

Reviewer – Dave McMenemy

GEOFF NORCOTT

The Tron

1-25 August

17.00

£8-£9

I went along to see Geoff Norcott not really knowing what to expect. The show started with the usual crowd participation, finding out where different groups of people came from, which during the festival is quite varied; then Geoff got into his routine which covered a plethora of topics ranging from politics,funny stories about the Taliban and many more. Although’ he started slowly, the pace soon picked up and by the end of the show I was holding my sides and wiping the tears from my eyes with laughter.  All and all a great show FOUR STARS

Reviewer – James Wallace

Pleasance Courtyard

3-25 August. 

20.15

 £8-£9.50

What if Russell and Jo Brand had managed to raise a lovechild in the West Country on a diet of Torvil & Dean, soaps KFC and encouragement?  Suzy Bennet could possibly be the result!

From the Phil McIntyre Entertainment group, Suzy was the winner of the Funny Women Award (2012).  Her show provides much humour while she tells of her up and down life story with aplomb, self-insight and many a confession, from Butlins Red Coat to a Rehab ‘Holiday’, and much more.

As well as currying sympathy from the audience of some past tragedies, her show also provides laugh out loud moments, one of my favourites was the slide of Great Yarmouth’s waxworks, sadly closed now!

 Go along and support her campaign to become a minor celebrity and have her moment on Dancing on Ice, she may even provide you with a lemon cleansing wipe! THREE STARS

Reviewer – Christine Morgan

BRETT GOLDSTEIN 

August 2nd-26th

21.30

£8.50 – £10.00

Reviewer – Teri Welsh

Lewis Shaffer

3-25 August

The Meadow Bar

17.30

Free Fringe

            Lewis Schaffer is not a nice man. He is bitter, sleazy, arrogant, smug, self centred, lazy, misogynistic and possibly even a little bit racist. Not two minutes into the show he was coming on to my mum and telling my mum’s husband and me how terrible and old we both looked. He fished around for gags by desperately begging the audience to come up with suggestions before veering off the topic completely. For a large part of the act you kind of got the impression he was on the verge of total mental collapse. Imagine kind of a cross between Joan Rivers and Charlie Chuck and you’re not far off. Now I’m no fan of Joan Rivers but I have all the time in the world for Charlie Chuck. And it was this side of his routine, the character and madness of Lewis Schaffer that I found the most appealing. His material occasionally veered off into pure shock value and was a tad thin at times but the delivery was so toe curlingly obnoxious that he always won through on pure personality alone.

It is not an easy watch, definitely don’t take your children (he might kidnap them) and definitely don’t sit in the front row as we foolishly did but if you’re ready for it Lewis Schaffer is one of the most vital shows on the free fringe if not the fringe as a whole. Free until Famous is the name of his show and I raise up the challenge, forget the Ginge, the Minge and the Twinge, give this guy all your money and get him a prime time channel four show right this instant! If only the world were so idiotically brave…

Reviewer – Steven Vickers