Did you have a bad auntie when you were a kid? You’ll know one if you had one. A bad auntie is loud and funny, and by no means necessarily an actual relative. She’ll bring you sweets and give you cash from her purse, she’ll buy you clothes you love, and that your mum won’t let you wear outside of the house afterwards. She’s a bit flashy, a bit sexy, a bit gaudy, a bit much. She has an edge: she drinks a lot of gin… it could go either way by the end of the night. There will be singing at some point: you can rely on that. If your childhood held such an exciting figure you’ll recognise Ms Bellini immediately. She is the archetypical bad auntie, in all her majesty and tragedy. Watch her belting Tom Jones songs out in a gawdy frock, making lewd gestures with vegetables and flirting outrageously with other people’s husbands. She’s a fascinating glittery car crash: the woman ten pints in at the local karaoke, dressed more for her Eurovision debut than another Friday night down The Hoppy. Jo-Jo Bellini: liberating shameless, unreservedly passionate and properly silly. There are some great songs and gags here, but neither her voice nor her jokes the real strength or charm of the show. Bellini brings the private, closed-door kitchen-sink diva that lurks within all of us out under the spotlight, inviting us all to be just as wantonly daft as she is. You will sing-along, and love it, you will be fed, you may win an elephant. There is a genuine sense of audience camaraderie by the end, and the crowd leave on a perceivable high. This would be a perfect end to a fringe night out with pals, a very cute show to take a date –it’s a bit saucy, and I don’t just mean the food- and is even the sort of thing you could go see with your mum in the safe knowledge that no-one’s about to say anything ‘too political.”
It would be a miserable soul indeed who wasn’t a wee bit cheered by This and That: A Late Night Tasty Delight. Well worth a visit. FOUR STARS
Utterly ridiculous, superbly witty and completely hilarious.
*
Racing Minds delivered an incredibly impressive show which had the audience laughing from the start. A Grandfather’s story-telling runs wild as audience suggestions help him to piece together a story he just can’t quite remember. The talented quintet are left to entertain and improvise their way through such absurd notions as a desert island being in the arctic! Accompanied by a phenomenally impressive keyboardist who manages to successfully judge the comic direction of the actors adding the right amount of drama, tension and ambience (and, who knew the titanic soundtrack so well it had me wondering whether they had prompted an audience member to throw the titanic into the story mix), the members bounce off each other with such ease that at times you forget its improv. Challenging each other to make their characters or idea even more plausible, the quintet impressively tackle the adventure served to them by the audience. Laughing at their own direction and accent choices, Racing Minds keep themselves and the audience on their toes and in doing so deliver wonderful comedy.
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“Aaaand Now for Something Completely Improvised” is exactly what it says on the tin. And most importantly Racing Minds do it so successfully that you will be left wanting to go to the next show just to see how completely different it will be. Have your suggestions ready and put these brave and talented men to the test. They will not disappoint. FIVE STARS
Comedian Tim Vine won the Funniest Joke of the Fringe 2014 award, with: ‘I’ve decided to sell my Hoover… well, it was just collecting dust
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So tomorrow it begins, the month-long laugh-fest that is the Edinburgh Fringe Festivals. New material, old material, its all being flung into the epic maelstrom which sees hundreds of thousands of punters take their seats to be, well, entertained. The choices are vast, from well-established veterans to bright-eyed kids making their first step up from the ten-minute warm-up slots. I mean, making people laugh for an hour is no mean feat. To help the punters decide what to see this August, the Mumble has made the following selection of shows which are well worth a look.
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Fourth in Australia’s Got Talent, with over 400 sold out shows. This inspirational old Aussie takes a wicked, wicked look at old age, grabs it by the throat and makes a mockery of it. Australia’s Got Talent Irish Judge, Brian McFadden, comments ‘a class act, hilariously funny, National Treasure’. Australia’s Got Talent Judge, Danni Minogue, ‘it’s dirty, it’s smutty and we love it, a true Australian gem, original, warm, fantastic.’ He has packed out venues from Sydney to Perth and mesmerised TV audiences everywhere, gives you true blue fair dinkum belly laughs.
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Malcolm Hardee Award nominee and Best Show Winner Buxton Fringe 2014, in the first of a trilogy of new solo shows for 2015. After a chance encounter with Doctor Emmett Brown, Nathan realises there is only one thing that has really changed over the last 30 years. It isn’t flying cars. And it’s about to ruin all of our lives
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The award-winning comic’s story-telling show on how to find outrageous nightly adventure on a budget of £5. Set in the shady underworld of 1990’s Soho, London, it contains scenes of an explicit sexual nature. It’s a storytelling show about storytelling – using it as a way to get a social life. Creating scenarios in illegal drinking-dens beneath sex shops. Realising that the bigger the story you tell, the more people – such as international music legends and Tony Blair – want to believe it.
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Irreverent. Unnerving. Pointless. Following their sell-out show K.I.S.S. which toured the Camden and Brighton Fringes, and fresh from storming London Sketchfest 2015, four Edinburgh debutants bring you a sketch show unlike no other. Recently released from the funny farm, an institute for the unhinged (not actually) in Oxford, Laughing Stock combine fast-paced, witty dialogue with physical tomfoolery and musical ineptitude to bring you their very own brand of idiocy. Have you a penchant for the peculiar and a predilection for polo necks?
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Canadian Caroline Bierman coined the phrase ‘ONEymoon’ and reinvented a long standing social convention. This celebration was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award, Best Solo Show. Audiences join Caroline as her family and friends toast her unusual day and get a sneak peak at her vacation and rise to fame. Rapping. Dancing. Speeches. Your presence is gift enough. Christel Bartelse is a Canadian Fringe Veteran.
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Apples are the most important fruit in the world: think the Garden of Eden, the discovery of gravity, the advent of computers! Join Joe Hart (So You Think You’re Funny? finalist 2014 and Tickled Pig champion 2014) on his debut solo show. Prepare for a hilarious ride through the history of the world, according to apples.
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Anthropology graduate Joanie Little is stuck working as a barista. Much like Jane Goodall did with chimpanzees, this upbeat Miss studies her available subjects: the customers of her coffeeshop ‘jungle’… hilarity ensues
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A show for anyone who ever felt a little bit different growing up… Ballroom dancing is not the only humiliation heaped on a young Saikat. There’s public poetry, catechism, and no one getting his name right, ever. Join Saikat as he dances precariously through his dual identity childhood, torn between the familiar sights of Birmingham and the mysteries of Bangladesh. Meet werewolves in the playground, nuns in the corridors and tangerines in the dancehall… The play takes a humorous look at what it means to be British from someone who had to learn the hard way.
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Can comedy change Western misconceptions about Islam? Join Aatif as he makes his Edinburgh Fringe debut with a show that drew critical acclaim and packed houses to the Leicester Square Theatre in London.
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From the creators of Boris and Sergey comes a one man show featuring
puppetry, physical comedy, and mime. In this hilarious, absurd and often
magical show that juxtaposes themes of loneliness and belonging with joy
and exhilaration we are invited to witness one man’s quest for a friend.
Pathos, dark humour and Victorian aesthetics combine to create a wonderful
and mysterious backdrop to a poetic and surreal journey
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Join award-winning character comedian Joe Rowntree for the rare and wonderful specimen Morgan Berry: Pet Bereavement Counsellor. Rabbit Specialist. Born in Barnsley, raised in Africa – Bafrican! The car wash is in trouble. Morgan must save it. Can his online course in Pet Bereavement yield dividends and stop it from going Watership Down.
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It’s Only Words is a first for the Edinburgh Fringe – a comedy show in Chinese for people who don’t speak any Chinese at all! This unique debut from comedian Louise Reay is based on the idea that only 7% of communication is verbal. Come and experiment with the remaining 93%! You’ll understand it, but you won’t know why. It’s Only Words plays with the audience’s preconceptions about humanity and communication through a mix of clowning and stand up.
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Come see the birth of a true modern jester, a voice for the people. The Man is a punchy and surreal atomisation of the shadowy controlling forces that shape our modern world. A lone vigilante, The Man ploughs through sacred cows like an allegorical abattoir, doing for preconceptions what battering rams do for doors
Carlton Studios was host to a comedy ‘Prelude’ on Wednesday evening, showcasing a medley of fine talents each airing their new material to an enthusiastic audience before letting loose at this year’s fringe festival. The first colourful act to be pulled from this evening’s bag of delights was ballsy and razor sharp Govan comedian Jay Lafferty. Jay is a promising talent and a breath of fresh air, bagging laughs like fine fruits ripe for the picking, all squishy and colourful. With an air of confidence, she smoothly relaxes her audience with some excellent, upbeat improv, firmly stamping her professionalism and wit smack on the front cover of her act. Festival cringes and saucy holiday novels splash through her set as she engages and interacts with her audience who quickly fall in unison to adore her. A true breath of fresh air.
The second comedian to take to the stage was Perrier award winner Wil Hodgson who quenches a satirical thirst with his observational gripes. Pubs, pies, pickles and paranoia are all given his critical dissection as he meanders through his hilarious ramblings. It may take some focused determination to keep up as he rick-shays unapologetically from hernias to real ale and smashes awkwardly into some imaginary voices. His bizarre edges and punky views giving a fascinating glimpse into a genuinely bizarre and interesting dude whom you could easily see yourself sharing a few pork scratchings and a pint down the pub, as he crunches effortlessly through a crisp bag of ideas.
The penultimate act of the night is the ever-charismatic Bonnie Fairbrass, a 2006 ‘So You Think You’re Funny’ semi-finalist (banned for being needlessly crude and offensive) takes to the stage with boundless energy, fabulous bursts of charm and a massively infectious smile. Her confidence and perfect timing is impeccable as she delivers fast-paced, punchy lines and hilarious anecdotes. Dysfunctional families, relationships and baggage pepper throughout her set whilst charisma and wit roll from her tongue onto a spicy narrative platter. This is comedy at its best, served up with lashings of social insight, a smidgeon of philosophy and a wee dollop of politics thrown on top.
The final act, Jay Islaam, arrives in his turban with a burst of political satire and a rather unconvincing accent! Close to the bone and not for the faint hearted he fires off a tirade of cleverly controversial one-liners aimed at provoking the audience to think about racism in a new light. Humorous, intelligent one liners bring some poignant considerations to end his clever act.
Tonight’s four acts were hosted by a confident and entertaining compere Paul McDougall, who faultlessly worked the audience into a jubilant bubble of laughter and perfectly stitched these four unwritten acts together. Overall, a feast of eclectic humour and cracking narrative smashed this evening’s showcase of talent and these comedians will do Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival proud. Watch out for a second Prelude showcase in July, and all four of these acts performing over the festival in August.
Great news! Not only can we enjoy some of the best comedy from the Gilded Balloon during the The Edinburgh Fringe in August, now they are treating us to monthly comedy nights at The Festival Theatre’s, The Studio! Each month The Studio play host to four comedians for us Edinburghers to sample some well established and up and comers breaking into giggle scene.This Saturday night we saw Scott Agnew, Jimmy McGhie, Andrea Hubert and John Gavin take to the stage. Unlike some Gilded Balloon comedy nights I have been to, tonight’s gig was unfortunately only half-full so we had our pick of places to sit. We bravely selected one of the table-and-chair seats at the front to fully appreciate the evening’s entertainment. 6’5” Glaswegian Scott Agnew is a Comedian and Journalist with TV presenting credits and radio appearances to his name. As one of Scotland’s top comperes, he hosts tonight’s show. The former Scottish Comedian of the Year regularly comperes in established and esteemed venues such as Jongleurs, Highlight and The Stand.
Agnew creates a warm welcome for London-based Andrea Hubert. Comedian, TV writer and Arts Journalist. After only 20 gigs Hubert was awarded second place in a national competition. Talk about fast work! Since then she has made it to the final of several New Act contests, such as Boom-Tish New Act 2011 (winner), Finalist of Leicester Square New Comedian 2011 and with her writing partner, Bafta Rocliffe New Writing Award 2013 (winner). You will also see her work appear in publications and across media networks, including The Guardian, The Telegraph and Channel 4. It’s clear to see why she has done so well in such a short space of time. Her honest and hilariously self deprecating tales touch on subjects everyone can relate to, and the audience appreciation is evident in the warm applause at the end of her set.
Scott Agnew returns with a brief story of his experiences in Glasgow karaoke haunt – The Horse Shoe Bar. He creates a vivid picture of some of the establishment’s more colourful characters, before welcoming the next guest. In a change to the advertised billing, 35 year old John Gavin from Hamilton takes to the stage. Winner of Ha Ha Comedy’s Scottish Comedian of the Year in 2009. The father of three girls with angry/confused eyebrows and tattoo clad arms chats about the differences between Edinburgh and Glasgow, warns never to go to St Andrews Aquarium and takes us through a few of the things in life that annoy him – all to great comic effect. He has an easy going delivery style that works well with the mainly Scottish punters. He could be your mate down the pub. You know? The funny one with the eyebrows…
After the interval Agnew returns with tales of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. He makes light of the fact that the city became a friendly, sunny place for the duration of the games, but that it reverted to ‘normal’ as soon as the games were over! And so onto the headline act for this evening. Jimmy McGhie created instant hilarity by striding into the audience and tangling his microphone lead up with people as he walked among the tables and chairs. Spotting me as I was taking notes, he proceeded to snatch them from the table before reading them aloud to the now hysterical audience! Note to self – sit at the back next time! Londoner McGhie claims to be posh but not proper posh, and offers a simple yet amusing way to differentiate between the two. It’s all in how a person says yes apparently. His experiences at the gym produce tears of laughter. Despite a youthful appearance, thirty something McGhie is a self confessed technophobe and much of his material attacks the absurdities of modern life. Mobile Phones, Computers and Sarky Sales Assistants all come under fire. The physical comedy he displays when recreating the aforementioned assistant’s floppy designer haircut is brilliant. This guy is sharp witted and self-assured, and a perfect ending to a great evening’s comedy.
My last visit to The Stand Comedy Club was on a miserable November evening seven months ago, queued in a sedulous downpour that saturated the audience prior to Dylan Moran’s captivating performance. Mercifully, this evening’s Bank Holiday special at the venue was under drier conditions – and much drier wit – as another of Ireland’s favourite comics opened proceedings. As one of the stars of Father Ted, Michael Redmond’s cult status was already established, but as host of the club’s notorious weekly show ‘Sunday Sessions’, he has formed a church of faithful and devoted believers that attend this more relaxed, end-of-the-week, feel-good show.
In front of yet another packed out crowd, 64yr old Redmond welcomed a man more than half his age, Iain Stirling, to kick off proceedings. Research has provided that people are more health conscious at the start of each new week, so it was fitting, or perhaps contrary depending on when you consider the week commences, that Stirling broached the subject of gym-hungry, non-drinking friends. This was nothing more than a soft ice-breaker as the Edinburgh comic delivered philosophical, animated satire with bright witticisms about right wing group Britain First and political excuses for immigration issues. A confident delivery ensured that the audience were swift to respond enthusiastically to Stirling’s petitions and beguiling mannerisms prior to the second comedian of the evening, Jamie MacDonald.
MacDonald’s Edinburgh Fringe show “That funny blind guy” had already won favour in the east, and it was a short but highly funny set delivered by the ‘Caledonia Best’ voice (MacDonald provides a number of voice-overs and appears towards the conclusion of the advert). Although the comedian’s impaired vision was always going to be the core subject, it is a topic rarely broached and one with which the Stand crowd laughed heartily at through MacDonald’s wry opinions. Referring to blind sports as “blood sports”, an unorthodox examination of the visionless world created ludicrous, Mr Magooesque slapstick that beguiled the Glasgow audience from start to finish.
The third performer of the evening was the fantastic Loretta Maine; the wild and reckless American ball of frustration, created by British comedienne Pippa Evans. Maine’s embittered guitar songs and Absolutely Fabulous-style persona was the highlight of tonight’s show, engaging and alienating the crowd in an equally sublime and chaotic fashion. It was no surprise that a number of females in the crowd let their voices be known as Maine delivered her riotous ‘White Wine Witch’ song, drenched in tongue-in-cheek sour venom. As this was Maine’s fourth night at The Stand, it would have been understandable had she delivered a below-par performance, but this was ten minutes of uproarious piss-taking that sat easily with the Stand audience, and it was no surprise at the end of the show when she receives the largest acclamation – don’t miss her next time she’s performing near you.
After the final interval, it was the turn of long-standing comic Dave Johns. As a regular guest on comedy panel shows and having performed everywhere from Hong Kong to New York, it was disheartening that after Maine’s brilliant penultimate set that Johns didn’t live up to the expected hype as headline act. A number of the Newcastle comedian’s dated gags fell flat on the Stand’s cellar floor, with quips about lesbians penchants for Doc Marten boots, and archaic patter concerning Gary Glitter and Michael Jackson, failing to rouse the now-subdued crowd. At one point, Johns remarked “You are looking at me as if to ask is Dave funny or shit?” with one audience member towards the rear answering very much on behalf of the latter camp. As the Stand has always been known as a place that wills comedians to succeed, it was a pity that Johns was not perspicacious enough to gage that impersonating whale noises and ear-splitting karaoke-renditions of James Bond tunes would ever be enough to satisfy tonight’s public.
Not that this ruined the night, but first impressions last. Michael Redmond returned to thank each of tonight’s performers and, as always, The Stand had delivered another night of fantastic range and quality. Almost returning to his role as Father Stone in the highly popular afore-mentioned comedy series, Redmond stood at the back of the church (Ok, comedy club), shaking hands with all exiting – a huge delight for me as an ardent fan of the show. After eleven years or so compering his Sunday Service show, Redmond has lost none of his Irish charm and, in his own words, “Even though his hair is white, his eyebrows remain dark which mean they must not worry as much as the rest of him”. No need to lose any sleep over tonight’s excellent show, Michael.
Its been a busy time for Des Clarke, what with hosting the Common Wealth Games closing ceremony, carrying the Olympic Torch through Glasgow, wearing a white trackie and having a sell out show at Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival last year. This current stand up tour is the full version of last years fringe show.
He arrives on stage and gets straight in to some audience interaction, telling how everyone he’s met in Inverness is delighted Caley have made it to next Saturdays Scottish Cup Final, and asking the crowd how the Scottish Cup, which was only up here for 2 days managed to get broken. Des tells some funny stories about growing up in a high rise in Glasgow’s Gorbels, where he had the nickname of Lemonade as he lived 7-Up and his unfortunate early growth of hair, he was the second to get a moustache in his class…the first being a girl named Fiona.
After getting the crowd loosened up he introduced support act Scott Gibson on stage and for the next 45 minutes we were exposed to his dark, twisted humour which was extremely funny with moments of pure cringe, but maybe not for the faint hearted or easily offended. Having recently done his début solo show “Life After Death” at Glasgow Comedy Festival I think he will be one to look out for!
Following a short break, Des Clarke returned to the stage for the next hour, with his face paced energetic comedy, hilarious personal accounts and impressions! Occasionaly it felt a bit rehearsed, but he was at his best when he was chatting, working the crowd and being spontaneous. This is when we got to see his quick clever wit and the room was filled with belly laughs. After a long, eventful week, laughter really is the best medicine and this was the perfect tonic.
The Stand’s Thursday Show allows you to see the club’s Saturday night show at a reduced price, £10 instead of £15. This Thursday’s was a proverbial mixed bag. Bruce Devlin compèred. An equal opportunities offender, he managed to insult a good chunk of the audience, but in good humour, much hilarity and in a way that keeps everyone on-side.
The first act of the night was Harriet Dyer, who announced her arrival by claiming that she was “eccentric”, although erratic would be closer to the truth. She flitted from subject to subject. Unfortunately nerves seemed to get the better of her and it made for an uncomfortable largely laugh free fifteen minutes.
The next act was probably the best of the night, Wayne Mazadza, a young Zimbabwean comedian, whose low-key comedy centred hilariously around the cultural differences between his birth country and his adopted home. He was followed by the transatlantically renowned Graeme Thomas,who started with great energy which had be buzzing, which sadly fizzled out towards the end of his twenty minute set.
The night was capped off by the most confident and polished performer of the night, Jeff Innocent, who has been coming to Edinburgh ever since 2001, when he gushed;,
I’ve been in Edinburgh a week. In that time I’ve performed my solo show for five consecutive nights, appeared on a local TV program, been the subject of several features in the Scottish press, & had my first ever review – a glowing one. I’m pleased to say. All this & still only another 25 performances to go.
You could tell he was happy to be back, & his fresh material made sure the audience went home with smiles on their faces. Over all it was an entertaining night and excellent value for money.
Mumble Comedy 