The Stand 6

25-30

12:20

**

Sitting down with my lunchtime munch earlier this afternoon I prepared to be entertained by Swedish comedian, Tobias Persson. I soon realised, however, that he just wasn’t that funny. A titter here, a loud-laugh there, aye, but not enough for the fellow to say he was a comedian. I even found myself inventing a new word during the show, thinking what could be a word for lesser comedy – and decided upon amusery. His attempts at social satire were were weak, & the brightest spots of our hour were the jokes concerning his native country – Sweden & their relationship to other European nations.  This was genuinely funny stuff!

**

**

After a stiff start, Tobias did loosen up in the second half, bringing to our attention the media’s obsession with ‘anti-islamic lego,’ among other things. The problem with Tobias, for  me, is that on several occasions after a gag – there would be a second or so of silence which he filled with his beaming smile – a trip reflex that induced laughter in some of us. Surely a comedian should not have to rely on such tricks of suggestion to get his audience laughing. TWO STARS

**

Reviewer : Damo Bullen 

The Space @ Surgeon’s Hall

26-29 Aug

20.30

****

Now this really was the luck of the draw. Today’s Mumble Mission took me to the Space @ Surgeon’s Hall to see the “Old Fella.” It was nae until I got to the venue and asked to see a flyer for the show that I realized I would be reviewing a comedian. But not just any comedian. This “Old Fella,” a retired farmer from deep in the Australian Bush, is something of a celebrity in his native islands, accumulating over 500 sell out shows & accolades from Australia’s Got Talent. This year, the Old Fella is gracing our Scottish lands to wax lyrical, flinging funny funny tales of life back in the new country. His wife, Myrtle The Turtle (one will have to go to the show to find out why he calls her that), features heavily in the performance. He also takes us back to the dusty and smoky watering holes where he developed his craft, fluffed up with lovely, heart-warming tales about his grandchildren.

****

****

The Old Fella explained how performing at the Edinburgh Fringe was a long-held dream come true. Sir… It was an honour to be  apart of your audience tonight. For people who have never travelled the long haul flight from Scotland to Australia before, its incomprehensible to understand just how far away both counties are from each other. I’ve done it myself, only the other way around. So Respect to the Old Fella… he has come a long way to tickle our funny bones and warm our hearts, & for me will always be welcome if he returns.  FOUR STARS

****

Reviewer : Mark ‘Divine’ Calvert

The Gilded Balloon

25th-31st

15:00

I awoke with the lark, sun streaming in through my bedroom window, bounced out of bed, turned my laptop on and made a coffee and prepared to write for The Mumble​. After I had finished my scribe, I received my request to go and see Lieven Scheire at The Gilded Balloon. Divine and comedians generally do not get along, especially celebrity comedians. They really do take themselves too seriously. Comedians really have to be funny or I simply will nae write a review. Its one thing enduring a shit performance but its another having to write about it as well. Life’s too short. So on this beautiful Sunday I made haste to witness a clown with a difference. Lieven Scheire is the physics teacher that I never had. Divine bunked off the last two years of school and never got any qualifications bar a couple of GCSE’s and an English O Level. The school that I never went to in Bradford was rough as fuck and to actually go to school was to endure the bullying of the psychos that were my class-mates. David Bowie, Japan, Gary Numan, Kraftwerk John Foxx and The Human League were my teachers and the art of shoplifting music became a full-time occupation. I was a young DJ, from a working class background at a time of the three day week, my parents were nae well off, so I had to get my music somehow. My shoplifting career was cut short when I finally got arrested. I ended up in court, with a fine that I had to pay at 50p a week from my pocket money. First offence and all that. In the internet age people do that all the time. Without getting arrested or getting a fine.

What has all this got to do with Lieven Scheire? I hear you ask.The one thing that has spurred Divine’s writing skills is the Internet. Lieven taught me how the internet was the direct result of physicists wanting to share each others theories. In the same way that I am doing now. Brilliant stuff.  Well, Lieven Scheire is a naturally funny man with big blue eyes, equally as much eye-candy as brain candy, for nerds of a certain disposition. This was the only comedy show I have been to, where the audience were on the whole Physics graduates or teachers of the science. As you can imagine, this duck was out of the water. Or was he? I was eaves-dropping on a couple that were sat in front of me, I had been talking to them in the queue before hand… it was a very clever and friendly audience. The gentleman of the couple was talking about the Space Time Continuum. I said, ‘wow, one really needs to go deep to achieve that,‘ Divine did through meditation five years ago. I call it The Space, Soul Time Continuum. Its a deeper insight into Clairvoyance and how to successfully heal the effects of the past. His reply was, ‘no, not at all.’ I read it in a physics book. “OOOooo” said Divine. And the light switch turned on. Lieven Scheire helped me to bridge the world of quantum physics and spirituality in an instant. This was proving to be a very affirming lesson for Divine.

Now this is where the latent Nerd in me became as excited as all the other Nerds in the room. The whole performance was a very entertaining and informing Physics lecture. Explaining why, at the speed of light , lengths are shorter and time slower. As you can imagine this really tickled my funny bone. The silly sausage should have known that it will never ever be possible to travel at the speed of light. So all this is theory. Divine’s not a fan of theory. I have to live it to understand it.

So the equation bit of the show left me blank for a bit. My brain works different to most folks’. Because it was damaged when I was a kid. However, this hour of Comedy, it solidified my understanding of the difference between consciousness and physics. Physics is the mathematical equation, a theory to explain spiritual healing fact. Within Reiki it is possible and effective to send distant healing to a specific time, either past, present or at a future time that we are yet to arrive at. It works, I have been practising and teaching for 20 years.

Lieven Scheire’s performance taught me a very important lesson today. Spiritual Healing and Reiki are the tools of experience that Physics explains as theory. Wowzer indeed. Divine was on the edge of his seat, waiting for Lieven to say nothing travels faster than speed of light. Why?  Because there is something that travels faster than the speed of light. And that is love and healing. The 5th dimension that will never be worked out with mathematical equation. It is something that needs to be experienced. For it is the Muse, or the higher power. Or God! Well They Do Call Me Divine For a Reason. FIVE STARS

*****

Reviewer : Mark ‘Divine’ Calvert

The Pleasance Courtyard (The Attic)
August 22-31
21:30

*****

I’m so happy Tats Nkonzo made the long journey to Scotland from South Africa. His show was the comedic version of ‘writing back’; the tradition of early post-colonial writers writing predominantly to challenge the reduction of the colonised to a primitive, narrow stereotype. I’m happy because he wasn’t afraid to challenge his audience and push some boundaries; all the time carrying along the crowd with his capacity to make them laugh, listen and engage with his material. He warmed up the audience immediately by starting with a funny song, and with great delight you realise that he is multi-talented; not only singing, dancing and acting, but playing guitar beautifully to make his comedic but also very serious points. You had a good idea of what was to come by the wicked glint in his eye; that this man was not going to be afraid of pushing the envelope in an attempt to educate his audience.

​

One of the highlights is his skit on ‘if diseases had an award show’. He does a fantastic impression of Michael McIntyre as a disease, that roused more laughs the longer it went on. He hilariously illustrated the point that the manner in which diseases such as Ebola is covered always has a particular political agenda. He was fantastic at engaging the audience from the start, and equally able to tease a lady from Zimbabwe about her commitment to animal rights after the Cecil the lion fiasco, which morphed into a song sung by the whole room. He managed to get away with teasing a white South African woman in the front row with his anti-apartheid protest dances, which he decided to repeat a couple of times right in front of her, laughing about triggering some ‘bad memories’. He made some excellent points about not relying on either governments or celebrities for solutions for anything, but that we needed to embrace each other one on one. He, at times, became quiet and reflective enough at times that the hush in the room was palpable. He managed to smash to pieces the absurd pedestals on which we tend to place celebrities in a way that had me wiping my cheeks and shaking with laughter.

This show was thrilling, funny and touching all in one. With his glittering eyes and massive energy, he threw himself into it from start to finish. He’s been having to put on extra shows to meet demand, and it’s clear why. Many of the shows I’ve seen recently by people of colour have been invoking the spirit of friendship and togetherness amongst all people in a bid to mend fences and open hearts to one another. As he hugged each audience member on their exit, it seemed especially poignant coming from someone who grew up under apartheid to affectionately hammer home the point that “we’re just like you”. Try and catch the show while you still can; I guarantee that by considering another’s perhaps quite different perspective, you will be reminded about what’s important in life. Mr. Nkonzo, thanks for coming! FIVE STARS

*****

Reviewer : Lisa Williams

Underbelly Med Quad
6th-30th Aug
16.05
£10.50

****

Lovely is exactly the word to describe Laura Lexx. She bursts onto the stage like a wee firework and tells stories of her ordinary life and how disadvantaged she is as a comic to not have a trauma to rely on for stand up material.

You don’t sit feeling Laura is a jumped up little twat, which is easily how she could have come across with a show like this, instead quite the contrary; you somehow empathise with her only slightly less than perfect life, in the way of being a slightly less clumsy, real life version of Bridget Jones — except for having slightly worse underwear issues.

Documentaries seem to be the gospel of Laura’s faith, as she talks of the moral lessons learned through David Attenborough and Louis Theroux, as well as the feminist role models which have influenced her such as the Spice Girls, who invariably contradicted her initial role models, the Disney princesses. Watching Laura shake her tail feather on stage is truly tantalising and could convince any straight woman to give up men in favour of birds. Something Laura actually tries to accomplish, in a not so deranged way. Laura has quite a talent and the kind of voice that makes you want to kidnap her, if only to bring her out when you are feeling a little sad. FOUR STARS

Reviewer : Bobbi Mckenzie

The Stand 2
21st – 30th
16.50
£6 – £8

This is the maverick of comedy John Scott, born and breed as a Edinburgh lad, he brings his show “Dissent” north of the border for the Fringe. Being a favourite of The Stand Comedy club, John is always talked about as the one to look out for..  John delivers a thunderous array of political jokes that are told in that fashion that has long been lost in stand up.  The show starts with a voice over , allowing us an insight as to what the show may contain….

With a pair of braces and  hair like a homeless Bee Gee (as John himself would put it), the show starts with a big applause from the audience..  John is story telling comedian that has crafted his show well, you can tell he has taken his time to research his topics for our benefit …  He is a honest and direct comedian with no thrills attached. Using that all important thread that holds his jokes and show together John takes us on a journey of side splitting jokes, laughter and brings the reality of modern day life into the places will would rather avoid talking about..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pkNx-MrStQ

John also takes on the task of covering subjects that a lot of comedians would rather avoid , with jokes about race, well known figures of the establishment and class.  He does this with such grace and style the audience can only respond with genuine laughter.  This is a comedian that is not sacred to speak his mind and allows us (the audience) to participate in matters of importance that are turned into the hilarious show that is Dissent !!! Step up John Scott and move on Jack Whitehall, you”ve had your day Jacky boy.  Time for real comedy to get back to its roots..  Stand Up is a truly difficult game to get into and should be worked hard for, which I can see that John Scott has done with years of experience behind him, it won”t be long before he gets the break he deserves…  A great all round show which ended in a big cheer !!!!  Well done John Scott, a true marvel of stand up comedy… FIVE STARS

*****

Reviewer : Spud

Assembly George Sq

6-30th Aug

18.30

£12

Three brainiacs; Helen Arney, Steve Mould and Matt Parker, bring to us a tremendously silly, and all at once, highly intellectual performance which can prove to any sceptic that maths and science are actually very fun subjects! I am not someone who has spent a lot of time in lecture theatre’s, but I certainly wouldn’t have imagined one to be teaching an hour of charts, plots and diagrams and getting relentless laughs from the spectators. If high school maths and science is the metaphorical equivalent of brown tweed, this show is the equivalent of rainbow tartan!

Some of the content is aimed at young people and some at very highly educated academic professionals. There will be bits you understand fully, parts which will teach you something new or remind you of boring stuff you learned years ago but easily forgot because of the lack of colour in the teaching, and there are likely to be occasional parts which will blow strait over your head unless you have a degree in physics or a masters in maths.

The show is bustling with brain teasing excellence; fun with fire, singing and super awesome experiments with enough wit you make you doubt their credentials. (Apart from the likes of Dara O’Brien and a few others, stereotypes don’t usually point in favour of nerds also being hilarious.) From human speaker cables to magic math squares, this show is brilliant for anyone with an interest in the science world. You are bound to leave slightly brighter than when you came in, whether that be because you learned something new, or because the nerd-ilicious trio just cheered you right up! Dizzyingly dynamic and fundamentally useful comedy! FIVE STARS

Reviewer : Bobbi McKenzie

The Mash House

August 21-30

15:20

*****

There’s one word to describe this show: Playful. Surely inspired by Thing 1 and Thing 2 from   Dr Seuss’s Cat in the Hat (“fun that is funny”), The Kagools–a pair of DIY Ninjas– run, jump, dance, fight, bicker (silently) and generally cause hysterical mayhem for the full hour. The Kagools are engaging from the off–a fist in the air, a few shapes, a blast of chirpy retro 70’s sounds and the audience decide: a roar goes up and we’re treated to some wonderful dancing eyebrows and the sound of salt-N-Peppa’s Push It. The retro music continues throughout the show—Chariots of Fire/I will always love you amongst many others–to move the narrative on and give rhythm to the comedy

The comedy is physical and facial. The kagools have great faces: sometimes silly for the sake of it-cross-your-eyes and hope to die; mock come-ons to the front row; petulance when arguing over sweets; but there’s a full range to illustrate every sketch-I loved their faces and so did everyone else. The fun is also developed through an interactive screen used creatively to enhance the physical comedy—impossible, gravity defying contortions; diving deep to save the drowning bear–it works brilliantly, and in a way the interactive screen is a modern update of many of the old classic silent comedies I remember watching in black and white on telly as a child: I’m certainly laughing just as hard now as I did then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyuOWfpH1dw

The show includes audience participation-and I found myself doing some moves I really shouldn’t have–much to the amusement of my 16 year old–and later to be posted on Facebook! However, one really lucky audience member got to eat a half-eaten chocolate bar, while the audience member dressed as a bear brought the show to its interactive crescendo–including a striptease and a water pistol fight—great fun. As I said—playful—they’ve got the keys to the sweet shop and we walked down the alley wet, feeling good and laughing. A brilliant show. FIVE STARS

*****

Reviewer : Paul Rivers