Assembly George Square Gardens (Venue 3)
Aug 5-7, 9-25
£ 10.50 – 11.50
18:20

The fabulous four are back again with their fifth show at Edinburgh Fringe, The Big Screw Up!  I thoroughly enjoyed Four Screws Loose a couple of years ago in the Bosco tent, so my hopes were high!  Thankfully they did not disappoint, maintaining their fast-paced, energetic, hilarious sketch show skills, even though Joseph had broke his ankle doing Beyonce’s ‘single ladies’ routine!  Directed by Matthew Floyd Jones (Frisky and Mannish), this original, explosive comedy and music show is unpretentious and extremely funny.

Instead of politely requesting audience patrons to switch off our mobile phone, it’s portrayed through a musical number including the delights of wikipedia and an obsession of YouPorn via the mobile.  The FSL team give it their all through high-energy routines, sing original music, ludicrous outfit changes, dance sets and parodies.  See a community choir conducted by a gangster rapper, Home and Away boxing match, Great British Bake Off/Breaking Bad spoof, Carol’s favourite Christmas sketch, a different heavy metal band, burger love, a brilliant take on Jeremy Kyle, The Panto and finally a 1980s medley!

The boys work effortless well with one another, showing off their impressive vocal talents and topical humor.  Described by them as “Funny, fast, furious, frolicking, fundamental, filling, fluffy, most words beginning with F. Have we left any out?”  Expect some audience participation, entertaining from start to finish. Constant laughs throughout, with standing ovation from the audience at the end. 4 fabulous stars

Reviewer : Sarah Lewis

22:45 (60 mins)
30, 31 Jul; 1-10, 12-17, 19-24 Aug 2014
Gilded Balloon Teviot – Dining Room
£9-£13

Sirens go off as Hope & Gloria, the hostesses of Club Titty Bar Ha Ha are caught for killing their ex hushand/lover.  Sentenced to life in prison.  Both dressed in tight black corsets, scarlet shinny leggings and black towering heels they kick off the show with a song.  We, the audience, are the designated inmates and the dirty duo want us to help them escape!  They share moonshine shots with us and create various ludicrous games to find the cream of the crop to assist their escape.

This is the second part in their trilogy of live shows following last years show.  They sing their way through musical smut, their hateful friendship, youth lingo, fuck buddies, porn and spinsters.  The devilishly fifthly pair work well together, by means of witty jokes and showing off their musical talents. Follow their prison journey as they plan to break out utilising blow-up dolls, moonshine, seduction and the inmate recruites.  Pull you’re best sex face and join their crusade!  It’s going to be ‘Fucking Vintage Darling’! 3 super stars

Reviewer : Sarah Lewis

 Pleasance Courtyard

17.30

£8-£12

10-24 August (not 11)

Painting a picture with wit and charming references along the way. An honest and relatable take on oneself is hard enough without having to make people laugh – Dane Baptiste reveals plenty in his hilarious debut Edinburgh show ‘Citizen Dane’.

He starts the hour explaining what it is like having Grenadian roots growing up in London. Despite most of the audience not being able to share that feat (myself included) he turns this into something special which anyone would find funny, mixing his life into 80’s and 90’s sitcoms and comic books. Oh how the audience howled.

The show dims the lights twice for a physical comedy sequence including dancing which receives a round of applause and a couple of whistles both times. When Dane explains his place in society as an outsider (with an intelligent political agenda) he has his audience tightly listening, he then lets off a joke about ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ where the tension is released in more laughter.

Baptiste is absolutely a stand up just waiting for a next big step as his current show is very well put together and performed. The one thing that could take him to the next level in the show is going deeper into audience interaction. A great show from of the very few black comedians at the festival, as he rightfully points out. Four stars.

Review by Thomas Boglett.

Voodoo Rooms

10-24 aug

19.30

Free Fringe

A modern yet unique style of comedy, throwing heavy punches way under her weight in the free fringe. Spending an hour with Elf Lyons is memorable, enjoyable but above all – funny.

The show is titled ‘Underground Success’ which really is a true statement in artistic terms. She is a regular performer on the London stand up scene. The show’s name is about the famous underground tube system and refreshingly for a stand up show, the title has a relevance throughout. Lyon’s knowledge and jokes on the tube were well understood and enjoyed in a capital city of another country.

An intelligent take on sex and feminism is presented with well rounded audience interaction – the hour melts away wonderfully. Her anecdotes on her relationship with her parents were well received with cackles from all corners – Lyon’s energy seemed to increase as the show went on.

The grand finale was a bizarre hip hop track about the London Underground map which was as funny as it was informative – much to her credit.

A thought provoking show with a definite theme in a very architecturally awkward venue, this is the only downside of the show. I for one will be going to see Elf’s show again, its free! Underground success – but for how long? 4 stars.

Review by Thomas Boglett

Underbelly – Delhi Belly

16.00

£8-£10

8-14 Aug (not 12)

There is sketch comedy, & then there is the weird & wondrous happenings that inhabit the Grandee universe. These are Marny Godden, Tom Turner and Andrew Mudie, who say they are from London, but their imaginations are definitely on another planet. The boys are funny, but Godden in particular is a real treat to watch – with scintillating blue eyes, flashing white teeth & impeccable comedy timing,  she really does have the x-factor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7Oli6vOX_Q

Their show consists of three twenty-minute or so plays, separated by some kind of comedy striptease from each of the boys. The first play sees Godden play a balding middle-aged adveturer called Wilmot Brown, who journeys to the center of the Earth where he fights alien invaders. The second play is a little weaker, but the third act of the hour reverts to the surreal brilliance of the first, in which we encounter the politics behind a parliament of owls.  Again, Godden’s performance as some kind of Calypso beggar-queen is completely stunning. FOUR STARS

Reviewer : Damo Bullen

Just the Tonic at The Caves (Venue 88)

7th-­11th 13th-­24th August

22.40

£10-£11

This stand up comedian is like a juggernaut of characters and scenarios thundering after each other in a barrage of surreal dry humour. He’s cynic, a mimic and a maverick chameleon on a whirl-wind stream of consciousness. His show swings from political comment to completely off the wall hilarity; from the Beatles to alternative AA meetings, jealous girlfriends to natural medicine as a means to cure yourself with smugness. There were many sketches in the act that were so off-the-wall the audience was in stitches, crazy quick fire links between scenarios, political comment bathed in utter irrelevance. Some other scenes which relied heavily on sound effects felt slightly more laboured and broke the spell a bit as did the overly long dead dad stint. Other than that the audience where hooked and there were shrieks of laughter and utter disbelief at where this guys was taking us with his thought process.

The venue is right in the bowels of the Edinburgh Fringe, & the sounds of other shows bleed into the atmosphere as he rips apart the heart of what the fringe is about in a very observant barrage. Woody Allen meets Chris Morris, this guy has a great wealth of characters up his sleeve, each, as he said himself, sticking a fork up the arse of the establishment. THREE STARS

Reviewer : Glenda Rome

McEwan Hall, Bristo Square
Wednesday 6th – Tuesday 19th August
McEwan Hall – Underbelly Pasture, Bristo Square
21.00
£14.50-£17.50

The opening night in the grand 1,000 seater McEwan Hall for ‘What Does The Title Matter Anyway?’ and it was a sell out!  Tremendous!  You will see everything you will have ever remembered from the famous 90s TV series, but for legal reasons we cannot utter the name of the show!  The live improvisational show is hosted by non other than our award winning, multitalented presenter and comedy-writer Clive Anderson.  Featuring along side him was all the usual faces, Stephen Frost, Greg Proops, Colin Mochrie (born Scot, raised in Canada), Josie Lawrence and Phil the pianist.  All beholding the same quick-witted ad-libbed comedy they used to possess… but with just a few more grey hairs and recessed hairlines!

No two shows are the same, as the audience are encouraged to shout out different scenarios for the quartet to act out.  You’ll recognise all the usual games such as; questions only communication, acting on orders, the singing bar maid, translating foreign languages and a song about a member of the audience.  All unpredictable side-splitting nostalgia at it’s best!  They are not here for long so grab you tickets quick! A hilarious five stars!

Reviewer : Sarah Lewis