Pleasance Below

16-25 August

£9.50-£10.50

20.30

I know what people were thinking. What!! A Russian comedian at the Edinburgh Festival. What next, Putin turning up in his 1970s Action Man suit.   No, just a normal guy from Moscow called Igor Meerson who was here to take us on a journey through his world of English and Russian Language, using many proverbs along the way.  From his first word he had the audience hooked with his Russian / English accent and rolled out the show from there. Not wanting to talk about politics he proceeded to hand out fruit to the audience which in his native land Russia has been sanctioned due to problems his comedy act has caused back home… quickly reminding the audience he is Russian and giving him the right to poison people. 

Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy  was his introduction to the proverbs  of the English language and bringing  many a laugh with his Russian versions of it.  This well put together show was fast paced, witty, intelligent and best off all Funny.  Inviting the audience up on to the stage for a shot of Russian vodka was a great end to a exhilarating show.  This is one Comedian to watch out for.  FOUR STARS

Reviewer : Spud

Assembly George Square Studios

Aug 10, 12-17, 19-25

18.30pm

£13

I took my mother along to this not previously having seen the girls in action. What unfolded was a comedy gem full of wit and laughter and music. Their first Fringe visit in 13 years “cos they needed the money” after some bad investments and failed businesses. The show they put on will leave any punter feeling that they got their money’s worth. Anne Gildea, Sue Collins, and Maria Tecce are the 3 Nualas, distinquished by their hair colour; blonde, red & brunette offer us some cynical advice on the woes of families & relationships.

The hour passes quickly with skits and hilarious songs in genres as diverse as Hip hop and Irish balladry mean there is something for everyone (suggested age is 16+). My mum loved it too. 4 stars

Reviewer David McMenemy

: 

Pleasance Courtyard

15-23 August

20.30

£8.50-£9.50

Mathewson held the audience’s attention and appreciative silly smiles from the onset by humorously discussing his own failed passed intros. His audience participation proved tasteful, witty and even charming and left this punter regretting allowing himself be swayed by his fear of being made a spectacle of if he sat in the front row. His knowledge of local humour fused with his story – telling about himself, his own life and relationships in parts were worthy of a good chuckle but for the best part were downright hilarious, and for most of the show had me and my counterparts gasping for air in between our uncontrollable laughter. Despite hitting the odd miss, laughter flowed throughout his performance, with a combination of the occasional classic stand-up joke fused with his own unique stylings.

I, and by the audience reactions they would all agree, found that Mathewson’s energy, storytelling, witty jokes and honesty, were both slightly moving and anticipative, but ultimately hilarious. I excitedly recommend this show to anyone who likes to laugh and smile and am delighted to give his performance a glowing 5 stars.

Reviewer : Dermot Nelson

Gilded Balloon

15-25 August

18.15

£10-£11

The show began promisingly with the new Brian Eno and Karl Hyde album.Its the first time I had heard it. I loved that bit. Kevin Day is famous for being a horse racing celebrity television presenter for Channel 5 live, but the last time that I had a telly. Channel 4 was still a neat idea. But what came home was how television had made him. How he made it as a comedian I do not know. He replicated the dodgy stand ups of my Working Man’s Club upbringing in Yorkshire.Only this Stand up revelled in the joy of telling us how fortunate he was making rather lot of money doing what he loved. A little smug if you ask me, in a Jeremy Clarkson kind of way.

My dad would have liked it I think. It got me looking for my pop and crisps.

2 Starsxx.

1 Star for the opening song.

So thats 3 Stars.

Reviewer : Mark ‘Divine’ Calvert

ZOO (Aviary)

15-25 August

12.15

£7-£8

Sophie Willan’s dons a dodgy Columbo style detective hat and mac, recruits her trusty sidekick, ‘Frank’, from the audience (Barry just didn’t seem trustworthy enough a name!) and sharing her ‘slightly psychic’ Gran’s intuitive hunches sets out to track down her father. The show is fun, and engaging.  Willans interacts easily with the audience throughout, even though she does seem somewhat frustrated by Frank’s lack of commitment to sleuthing.  Although I suspect that she’s been frustrated by Frank in every performance.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awT6Q1DSlXo

With the use of various props, musical embellishment, moody lighting, some quite fantastical detective work, and of course Frank’s help however, the mystery is solved. Twice as it turns out! The show feels very loose and chaotic, and yet is obviously brilliantly put together and well written.  Sophie’s one woman show, Novice Detective, is a very natural, very human, and incredibly enjoyable hour, if somewhat bonkers!  FOUR STARS

Reviewer : Nina Jones

Pleasance Courtyard
until 24 Aug
7.15pm
£9-£12 (£8-£10.50).

Nish Kumar returns to the Fringe for his ninth year, to a cosy venue at the Pleasance Courtyard.  A total sell out for an unusually cold Tuesday August evening.  Kumar explains the title of his show, ‘Ruminations on the Nature of Subjectivity’ – it’s all about opinions and how we express them.  Demonstrating this by peoples likes/dislikes of certain TV sit coms and reasons why. But Kumar does not mind if we do not find him funny, as everyone‘s entitled to their own opinion…

Open to that thought, Kumar proceeds to touch the topic of race, making a nod at ’12 Years A Slave’ and ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.  Makes light of the fact that being an Indian comic, racism does not bother him, as he jokes no racist is going to come and watch him, with a name like Nish Kumar, doing stand-up for an hour!   His experience touring the aptly named, Isle of Whyte, was something of a surprise.  Race bingo anyone?  He’s had many people tackle his race themes, but he seems undeterred by them and if anything it supplies him with more hilarious material!

Kumar swiftly rattles through gag after gag, leaving us barely a moment to gain our breath from laughing.   His polished delivery seems effortless.  What is correct race comedy he queries?  And then acts an amusing sketch demonstrating the differences between Whites and Indians.  Bollywood would be proud!  At the age of 28, the chocolate Fraser geek, now has a girlfriend! ‘A nice lady’, who regnosises that he’s an introvert pessimist, self centred and egotistic, all of which he entirely agrees with!  As later he compliments himself, “I am very clever” after a witty comment.  It all ends with his observation that Google is making us stupid, rendering us unfit to concentrate for long periods of time and being easily distracted, to which he thanks us for experiencing him in the long form.  4 stars.

Reviewer : Sarah Lewis

Pleasance Courtyard

21.30

£8.50 – £10.50

14-25 August

At the beginning of the show, things seemed to be promising. A French stand up comedian using the lack of his English skills to make the first laughs. However, things did not continue as expected. Ideas seemed to come from here and there and were ambiguous. I spent the whole hour waiting for the big break of the session, but this unfortunately didn’t happen.

Having watched many stand up comedies over time, I think the audience seems to be mainly interested when stories are about real life of comedians. Impersonating dragons, chicken and batman do not seem age-appropriate. Children might be interested in this kind of show, but for adults, this certainly doesn’t meet their expectations. 2 STARS

Reviewer: Grace

Assembly George Square

14-25 August

£12

21.30

Edinburgh Festivals gladly welcome back the self-confessed whore-lovin, poor-lovin, self-righteous, potty-mouthed & anarchistic american comedic singer-songwriter, Hamell. Two years ago, he won the Herald Angel Award at the for his previous show, ‘The Terrorism of Everyday Life.’ This time round he’s the ‘Happiest man in the World,’ & god bless him, he guy is just pure entertainment. His exxcellent musicianship is played out on a beaten-up 1937 acoustic Gibson guitar, & the delivery of his songs is riveting.

Wide-eyed & swigging redbull after arriving in Edinburgh from New York only a ferw hours previously, Hamell swaggered to work; a cross between Eminem, Beck & Dylan doing Subterranean Homesick Blues, I was completely entranced by his words & almost demonic guitar-work. The root of this, I guess, is the fact he he took mescalin capsules every day between the ages of 13 & 21. He touches on all sorts of subjects for huis music – real down-to-earth stuff, & finished off the show with one of teh best pieces of performance poetry Ive ever heard. Inbetween the songs, he does throw insome pretty cheesy jokes, & like Hamells says, the mix ghe provides is ‘very fringey.’Iif this was his first night & he still had jet-lag, then future punters are in for a right treat! FOUR STARS

Reviewer – Damo Bullen