Baby Grand – Pleasance Courtyard
31st Jul – 25th Aug (20.15)

Material:   Delivery:   Laughs:

Chris Washington is an ordinary lad, with a tremendous gift for explaining his ordinary life in a hilarious way. In his show, Raconteur, you feel you are sitting around the kitchen with your funniest mate, recollecting the annoyances of everyday happenings. Chris doesn’t talk about politics, or the environmental crisis, or Russian Nuclear treaties, he is just a purely funny guy doing what he loves, in fact, I would say he was born to be a stand-up comedian. You can just tell, he has always made the people around him laugh, and now he has made a career out of sharing with us what comes natural to him.

When I go to Fringe shows, I usually want to see something edgy, or that makes me think. I love the weird little things that people feel the need to perform. Chris Washington’s Raconteur is not like that. His show is an hour of laughter and enjoyment, which is a beautiful thing we all need from time to time. For this show, I sat in the front row, because no one else wanted to sit there. Super-early Fringe audiences and all that. It was great to pay such close attention to Chris. I’m writing this to try and help you all choose to sit at the front. It really improves the atmosphere and the front row seats are the best in the house. Fringe shows are beautiful for their intimacy, and it could be that we never have a chance to see Chris Washington in such a small venue again, when front row seats for one of his stadium shows will cost hundreds.

Robert Bewley

Heroes @ The Hive – The Bunka
Aug 2-25 (20:40)

Material:   Delivery:   Laughs: 

Sitting in the depths of The Hive, the audience are lead through into the sweltering antechamber of ‘The Bunka’. On our right as we pass through the curtains, two bowler hats peek from over the tops of newspapers. Two pairs of perfectly matched, crossed, legs hover below. These are, of course, our entertainers for the evening, The Establishment. Once all are seated they creep between the dividing line of the 2 sections of seating, bright pastel umbrellas under their arms, charity shop checked jackets on their backs, carrying the legacy of Weichmarch era cabaret easily on their shoulders. Sitting amongst the audience, they echo the sniggers that start to burst from corners of the room, like a Steve Reich looped tape track. They hold the silence in between audience reactions with the patience of Indiana Jones waiting to replace a bag of jewels with a sack of sand.
“Have we started yet?”

These words, and themes, are repeated throughout the performance, lending it the weight that any absurdist humour requires to give it pathos, and connect with the audience. Upon finally ‘beginning’, they bring out their Financial Times and read through a litany of market forecasts and celebrity foibles. The current harbingers of doom in our consumerist capitalist age. The wordplay between the duo of performers is so tight, it makes you feel that if The White Stripes performed comedy this is what it would look like. But the more obvious comparison is Waiting for Godot, and here the dark spectre of a never ending Brexit, unnamed, raises it’s head. This is mirrored in the tension between the 2 sides of the audience in the room.

“You are highbrow!” They ironically declare to the 2 Americans who decide that the beginning to the show they’d really like should involve more pizaaz and ‘Flashpops’. The other half of the audience are declared ‘low brow’, for simply being content laughing at the sight of them parading up and down the room, shooting their umbrellas out to yelps of glee. Each laugh receiving an enthusiastically blown kiss from our hosts. The sense of unity they bring to the room, by engaging with the audience members who obviously don’t like the pairs schtick, and asking them what they would prefer, lends an air of positivity to proceedings, in cunning contrast to the current political climate.

There are 2 standout metaphor moments. One, a game of cricket which rapidly delolves into the tall, bespectacled, Establishment member repeatedly hurling balls of crumpled up newspaper at his partner while shouting “CRICKET!” (They have already established that “no one understands the rules of Cricket, except The English”), and a surreal finale, a tale of St George and The Dragon, sitting down to settle their differences over a pint, which results in the cheeriest, weirdest, audience singalong I’ve had the joy to take part in for a long time. I’ll be going to see The Establishment again. It was genuinely impossible to tell which sections of the show were scripted, and which were spontaneous. Such was the clairvoyant-esque connection between the two. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next time.

Ewan Law

Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose
2nd – 26th August (17.30)

Somebody needs to tell The Men with Coconuts that Improv should be about more than just getting to the end of a sketch without running out of words. There is a difference between being contrived, and being absurd. Throughout this excrutiating hour, they consistently achieved the former, without ever rising to the level of craftsmanship demonstrated by their peers in The Bearpit Podcast, let alone the unbridled joys of watching peter Cook and Dudley Moore poke and prod each other into mis-steps and blind comedic alleys as ‘men in a pub’. They begin by committing the cardinal sin of improv, taking the audience’s suggestion, and changing it to suit their needs.

“Give us a word!” they cry, “Niche!” comes the response. “We’ll go with quiche” they proclaim, and this sets the tone for the rest of the performance. They whizz through a series of mundane scenes, from a bakery shop to the trenches of World War 1, at one point proclaiming that ‘making balloon animals to fight The Bosch’ is a bad idea. Well, they at least got that right. There is functionally talented singing on display throughout, but this is overshadowed by rambling nature of the dialogue, unfocussed, unfunny and unoriginal. (There was a blatant appropriation of a very fine Austin Powers gag about a series of unfortunate events) This, however, was not the greatest sin of the afternoon.

Twice, they decide to make characters ‘funny’, by making them gay. This is the kind of pathetically retrograde trope I was used to seeing at improv in the 90’s, trying to squeeze laughs out of the audience by having 2 visibly uncomfortable male actors pretending to be a gay couple. In case we didn’t get ‘the gag’, at one point one of the performers interrupts a gay wedding by shouting “Gay!” at the couple. I despair.

There was a highlight halfway through in a scene where a pair of chickens decided to go on a sex strike in an effort to show a chauvinistic, gaslighting, rooster the error of his old fashioned ways. ‘Cock blocking’, if you will. But by the end of the scene I had lost count of the ‘topical’ virtue signaling references they were throwing in, like a live version of a Guardian comments thread. They tied all of the narratives together at the end, and admirably kept track of the myriad characters they had created throughout the performance, but by then, the battle was lost.

As they said at the start, every show is different. Some days it’s 5 stars, and some days it’s 1. Sorry lads, it was indeed 1 of those shows.

Ewan Law

Gilded Balloon Rose Street Theatre
2nd – 25th August

Material:   Delivery:   Laughs:

Boom, bang, slap, WAKE UP, Brandi Alexander is back! The larger than life silver-dressed Brandi engages her audience with a lasso that will hold you tight until the end is nigh. As Brandi pushes her natural-born talents as a comedian, she goes on a journey of rebirth… but with more baggage than a Boeing 747 the outcome is like the toss of a coin. Having to climb the ladder of comedy success wasn’t going to be easy, especially when you are the opening act for the very man who is your soul eater. With every turn and twist Brandi delivers a thought-provoking realistic take on life as it is. Reflections on age, girth, past encounters, weight, appearance and most importantly sexual satisfaction, Brandi is not shy.

Is reality true or just an illusion, this show certainly makes you ask that very question. Its hungry work watching Brandi caress her crowd into a secure sense of being, and then drop a bombshell like no other. In a world where men take more digestive biscuits than they are entitled too. Brandi’s comedy is a landslide of well-crafted shrewdeties, that open up subjects normally firmly closed. A wonderful, honest performance that will shock, tickle, stun and humble you, but always with the very best intentions to please. Courageous and uplifting, Brandi Alexander is an experience like no other.

Raymondo Speedie

Material: Delivery: Laughs:     

There was something infinitely charming about the hour of comedy supplied by Henry Churney & John Wilson last night at the brightly modern venue that is The Place. A completely unpretentious affair, these two gentlemen exist in another sphere from the comedians who work the circuits, & so their brand of comedy is different also. For that, this was a very refreshing, almost transcendent, start to this year’s Fringe.

Divided into two halves, first up was John, playing Dickie Dido, ‘plumberer to the stars,‘ who gave us a quite a jolly romp through a world where, ‘Simon Le Bon absolutely decimated an Armitage Shanks.’ As he progressed through his 25 minutes or so, he was revving himself up more & more & my instinct tingled at his ‘babestation’ stuff that I might have just heard the funniest thing of the Fringe, already.

Henry was a different kettle of fish, a bit of an all rounder – sometimes rude, sometimes married, sometimes menopausal. Listening to his polished patter reminded me of being in a jacuzzi, a very pleasant experience, so warm is his spirit, & every now & again the bubbles came on! Henry was a real comedy carousel who has the ability to drop a proper bomb with brute force, & that’s why I enjoyed my time with him, a nice variety of themes & you never knew quite what was coming next.

The boys are only here for three more nights, a wee toe-dip in the hot bath that is the Fringe. But the water is still ‘boiling’, we are a long way from the lukewarm third week, & my honest – tho’ occasional – deep bellows of laughs are genuine proof that this fun & friendly show is very welcome in Edinburgh!

Damian Beeson Bullen

A Jewish Sexagenarian
And a Liverpudlian Plumber
Walk into a bar…

The Place in the Baird

Aug 1-4 (21:15)

Tweets by @hcblue

www.cuecomedy.co.uk

Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose
August 1-25 (21.00)

Material:   Delivery:   Laughs:

If proper punctuation causes a sensation between your thighs, Comma Sutra is a show for you. Australian musical comedian, Louisa Fitzhardinge, delivers a professional, hilarious, and educational show. Along the way she elegantly mixes English, French, German, Sign Language, Song and Dance into an entertaining and informative performance. We are given the story of her life-long love affair with words. It is not easy for a grammar nerd in a world where reading more than 180 characters is considered antiquated. It seems that everyone treats her great love with no respect. All she really wants is someone to snuggle up on the couch and seductively whisper puns into her ear.

I am no grammar enthusiast, but that is not necessary to enjoy Comma Sutra. In fact, I love education when its funny! Louisa is definitely funny, and is also a master of playing with words; with each clever well-spun pun I could feel new synapses in my brain connecting. It is rare to have an opportunity to learn so much in one hour, and have a blast doing it. I had a realisation during the show: I like Oxford commas. I think at some point a teacher told me they are incorrect, so I don’t use them. Oxford commas look good, they are little so they don’t waste too much space or ink, and they let us know that we are still listing. Thanks to the Comma Sutra, I now feel more free to express myself the way I am, a user of Oxford commas.

Robert Bewley

Comedy brilliance is coming to Edinburgh
But only for 3 nights!

Hello Michelle, first things first, where are you from & where are you at, geographically speaking?
I’m originally from Michigan and so is my accent. For the past three years I’ve been living and performing in Chicago, which shares a coastline with Lake Michigan so still close to my Michigander roots.

When did you first realise you could make people laugh?
I’ve been told that my hair is funny since I was a kid. The first time I remember making someone laugh was in middle school. I was a classic nerd and figured out that if I could make people laugh then they would laugh with me and not at me. Well, hopefully they were laughing with me. People called me binder girl so I made up a song about how much my binder meant to me. It wasn’t really a joke though because I did love that Lisa Frank binder. Truth in comedy I guess!

Which comedians have inspired you; both old skool & contemporary?
Maria Bamford is my everything! I am inspired by her so much. The way she constructs her jokes, how she talks about mental health, and her voice (both her literal voice and comedic voice) really spoke to me, made me laugh, and feel less alone. I also love Aparna Nancherla! Her delivery is so perfect and she tackles anxiety in a way that is so relatable and so so funny! Rachel Bloom is another comedian I’m obsessed with! Her musical comedy is so smart and raw and catchy! Old school comedians I love are Lucille Ball and Gilda Radnor’s physical and vocal styles. Also all of my friends in Chicago, Tokyo, and DC!

Can you tell us about the comedy scene in Chicago?
The Chicago comedy scene is incredible! I truly believe it is one of the best comedy scenes in the entire world! There are so many funny people in Chicago and I’m constantly blown away by everyone’s talent and work ethic. Chicago is home to legendary sketch and improv theaters like Second City, iO, and Annoyance and also amazing independent shows and theaters like the Crowd, Revival, Sh*thole, Hideout, and so many more! There is also an incredible stand-up scene. There is always somewhere you can perform every night of the week or you can rent your own space, do house shows, and do your own thing! There is so much talent in Chicago and so many shows to recommend! Matt Damon Improv, Dreamboat, Preach, 3Peat, and Midnight in Miami are shows you have to see if you come to Chicago! I hope comedy spaces continue to become more inclusive and lift up a diverse range of voices. What’s nice about Chicago is that while there are professional opportunities it’s less intense than LA or New York. You get a really good mix of people who are professional, but who also just love performing, making people laugh, and expressing themselves. I started off in DC and Tokyo, which have much smaller scenes. In the beginning I was overwhelmed by how large the Chicago comedy scene was, but there’s so many opportunities to learn and grow in this city. Also there’s deep dish pizza!

What does your perfect Sunday afternoon look like?
Eating cheesy potatoes by a lake at sunset with some good friends having a good laugh. Also reading a book alone after. Love my introvert time too!

What are the creative processes behind writing your material?
I’m someone who likes to write on their feet at open mics, improv shows, and riffing with friends. It helps me not overthink things and to get an audience’s immediate feedback. I’ll record my sets, write them down, rework the bits, and then repeat the process. With the 30-Year-Old Virgo I had a lot of help from my director, dramaturge, and creative collaborators. They really pushed me to dig deeper, take risks, and find new perspectives on my material. I love collaborating on projects because it gets you out of your head and makes it a labor of love from multiple people. We could all connect with each other about our lives inspired by themes in the show and that’s ultimately what the goal of the show was for me.

You’re performing at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe; what are you bringing to the table?
I hope to bring as much to the Fringe as it gave to me eight years ago. This whole experience has been a dream come true! I came to the Fringe for the first time in 2011 I had no idea what improv was and had never performed comedy before. I saw the improvised musical Showstoppers and was instantly hooked! I took improv classes, studied sketch comedy, and did as much stand up as a could. It changed my whole life! I remember writing in my journal in 2011 that I would perform at the Fringe one day and even though I don’t get to do the full run because of financial reasons I am so excited to finally make this dream a reality! I hope it goes well and that next year I can bring the show back for a full run. 2020 baby! So that was a long way of saying I’ll be bringing Chicago-style sketch and stand-up comedy plus a Midwestern earnestness to the Fringe!

Are you tweaking the show for a largely British audience, or is there a universality to your material?
I have a lot of bits about potatoes, but luckily the UK and Midwest both love potatoes so I’m keeping all of the potato bits in the show. There is a universality to the show, other than potatoes. It’s all about love, labels, and lack of intimacy. It opens up a conversation about our relationship to physical intimacy that hopefully folks can all relate to. There is also a lot about identity. I think as humans (definitely as comedians) we are constantly searching for ways to explain who we are to the world. We want to feel understood and to understand ourselves. The title of the show is a cheeky nod to the 40-Year-Old Virgin and the way we label ourselves and how others label us. There are so many of my friends, myself included, who identify so much with our astrological sign. We are obsessed! It’s wild! I’m a Virgo so that’s why I’m a perfectionist who likes to be in control, or maybe that has nothing to do with my star sign. This show touches on the idea that we are in search of ways to tell the world who we are, which can be empowering and a form of connection, but can also feel limiting at times, especially if you’re still learning and growing and changing. I love being able to label something and organize it neatly away, but life is messy and can’t always be fit neatly into a box. As you can probably tell I’m painfully earnest so I was worried that wouldn’t translate well to the UK style of dry humor. I toned it down a bit, but I can’t help my Midwest earnestness.

You’ve got 20 seconds to sell the show to somebody in the streets of Edinburgh…
Like the 40-Year-Old Virgin, but younger and with more astrology.
or
Do you like potatoes?

The 30-Year-Old Virgo

PQA Venues @ Riddle’s Court

Aug 12-4 (22:00)

Tweets by @gingerlymyself

www.gingerlymyself.com

Henry Churniavsky and John Wilson, aka Dickie Dido – now that is a must-see comedy combo!

Hello lads, so first things first, where are you both from & where are you at, geographically speaking?
Henry: We are both from Liverpool. I was born in Kirby & live in Liverpool. John lives on the Wirral.

When did you first realise you were funny?
Henry: I’ve always loved comedy. My father introduced me to the Goon show & American Jewish Comedy.  I wrote appx 6/8 years ago 2 comedy sitcoms. 1 about a Jewish family & 1 about a Liverpool Hairdresser. It was only when I found out I could do a stand up course & I could do it.

When did you first develop a passion for comedy?
John: Growing up with a comedian in the Family (Al Dean) always inspired me, and of course being a teenager in the 80’s I had plenty of great comedy to draw from, it fascinated me. It took me a while to find my comedy chops but always wanted to pursue this amazing art form.

So how did you get into stand-up?
John: I had to wait until my 40’s, listening to live comedy podcasts by Brian Gittins and calling in and joining in the madness. That’s when a very close friend introduced me to the Liverpool comedy course ran by the very talented Sam Avery. Following on from that I was invited to Brighton and ‘Stickymikes Frog’ bar to perform at ‘Gittins to know you’ several times working along side Mainstream acts which cummulated In me starting up ‘HooHa comedy’ back in Liverpool with a few friends. This escalated into some big nights for the Liverpool comedy festival working alongside the wonderful Alex Lowe(Clinton Baptiste & Barry from Watford), Tony James (Bobbie Williams), Mark Silcox, Johnny T.Grrr, Top Joe, Darren Partington and many more. Which then lead me to gigging at the 100 club for Barry from Watford’s Christmas on Ice.

You’ve got three famous comedians (dead or alive) coming round for dinner. Who would they be & what would you cook; starters, mains & dessert?
Henry: Billy Connelly – cook him haggis ( Starter) to make him feel at home what else. A deep fried mars bar!! Mel Brooks – main course – salt beef ( very jewish ) but as a fellow Jew I would include chicken Soup with Matzah balls/ chopped liver with Challa ( Jewish Bread). Latkas ( potato cakes) & kudel to finish. Peter Sellers/ Spike Milligan duo ( desert) – have to be an Eaton Mess.

You are quite the comedy internationalist, can you tell us about your travels?
John: More podcasts again, calling into the ‘Double Special Show’ from Florida with Chris & Cristal Gorges. Having booked a holiday there I was asked to gig with Chris at Coconuts the oldest comedy club in Florida and Snappers in Palm Harbor. I’m very fortunate to gig there every time I return.

Where & when did you two meet?
John: I stepped in to fill a spot for Henry’s showcase gig off the back of his comedy course.

Where, when & why did you & John decide to team up as a comedy duo?
Henry: John was at my first ever gig. He had done the course a while before but came back to help the show. We stayed in touch & I gigged at his club. We kept in contact doing gigs & then we joined forces to do some charity gigs. When I started to think about the Fringe we were chatting & as he had not done it before he asked if we could do a show together. I thought it was a great idea & we spent time thinking of ideas..& the rest … history.

You were at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe, with your “2 Religions 1 Comedy show” – how did you find the experience?
Henry: Incredible is the best way to describe this experience. I was with a London comic Joe Bains. We were blown away by the number of people who came to see us. 3 day shows at Peartree. The first had standing room only. Over 80 came!! The second over 60 & the last day ( it was pouring with rain) we had 50!! It showed me I can do this at a higher level than I thought

What have you got for us this year?
Henry: The show is called “A Jewish Sexagenarian and a Liverpudlian Plumber walk into a bar…” My show is “A Grumpy Sexagenarian. Can it get worse?…Yes He’s Jewish.” Talks about getting through a mid-life crisis and now getting into Old age and being Jewish, that’s been hard! He will cover topics such as Growing Up, Marriage, Being Jewrotic (That’s a neurotic Jew) and even has time to discuss various surgical procedures he has had to go under to be at the Fringe. As for Dickie “9 ½ leaks” – ever see those adult movies where the plumber calls to fix a blockage? Those movies taught Dickie Dido everything he knows about plumbing…and comedy. Dickie is a Plumberer to the stars and has got many famous people on his books. He has even inspired many a song.

What were the creative processes that went into the creation of Dickie Dido?
John: I’ve always been a big fan of character comedy, I just found some glasses a wig and hat, oh and teeth, bingo!

A Jewish Sexagenarian and a Liverpudlian Plumber walk into a bar…

The Place in the Baird

Aug 1-4 (21:15)

Tweets by @hcblue

www.cuecomedy.co.uk

The quintessence of satirical stand-up is Russia’s Oleg Denisov

Hello Oleg, first things first, where are you from & where are you at, geographically speaking?
Hi, I’m hailing from Moscow, Russia.

When did you first realise you could make people laugh?
It was early, age 7 or 8, and at the time it was mostly what I was busy with. Then I tried a few times to have a normal life, but failed and came back to the roots.

How did you get into stand-up?
I’ve been writing comedy since school, putting on little plays and sketches, then did the same at University (In Russian Unis comedy sketches and improve form a competitive team sport called KVN – “Club of funny and inventive”, however it’s been neither of those things for the last 10-15 years). Then after a few low-paid and disrespected jobs (like teacher, film critic, data analyst etc) I got a job as a screenwriter, writing additional material for sitcoms and advertising. And after getting fired from there, I decided to take back creative control. So here we are.

You are a graduate in philosophy, has that in any way helped your comedy?
It has I suppose, in a way that both reading and teaching philosophy involves trying to make difficult (or core) idea clearer by putting in into context that’d help a particular person/group of people to understand it. When writing comedy, I go from the punchline (something that I find amusing myself) to the setup, and not the other way round, so my goal there is to make the audience see the stuff from my perspective in order to realize it’s funny in the same way I do. Therefore, understanding of people’s thought processes, what can influence them, and also structuring the routines are the things which are crucial to my comedy, particularly because I come from completely different background and live in a different culture than my foreign audiences. Philosophy (as well as screenwriting) help a lot with those.

Can you tell us about the comedy scene in Russia?
Stand-up is quite new to Russia, in the modern sense it appeared no more than 12-13 years ago, and got popular only after some sketch comedians produced a show called “Stand-up” on TV (what else would they have called it). Since then, and especially in the last 3 years it’s been gaining popularity rapidly, there have been big stand-up festivals in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg. Lots of open mic nights happen in Moscow every day. However, in terms of style it’s quite different from more developed markets like the UK, there’s no huge variety of styles (as the TV show is mostly the only point of reference to young comedians), mostly it’s either telling short anecdotes or basic observational. However, political humor seems to be getting increasingly popular, even though it’s not allowed on TV. Stand-up comedy in English started about 5-6 years ago in Moscow, there are about 20-25 comedians in town who perform more or less regularly. “Stand-up Cellar” is currently the most consistently popular weekly night that we started at over a year ago. It’s a PWYW show that runs every Friday in a small underground bar at the very centre of Moscow, and we’re really proud of the audience that it has shaped over this period of time. I think what characterizes it best is that visiting foreign comedians hardly need to modify their language, pace or material while performing, even though the audience is usually about 70% locals.

You’re performing at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe; what are you bringing to the table?
An hour of magical realism and investigations into human nature, carefully disguised as political satire.

What research materials have you been using and what have been the creative processes behind writing Russian Troll?
The final version of the show will contain a lot less current affairs stuff than originally intended. The name comes in part from the “Russian Trolls” as a popular news story, and in part from a scholarly version of how the mystical creature called “Troll” was invented by Scandinavian people. It says that in the old times, before people could draw maps, sometimes they would get lost in the familiar landscape at night, and after blamed it on some nocturnal creatures, “Trolls” that had meddled with the landscape and changed the positions of rocks, hills and so on. I find this a good metaphor for modern people getting lost in the landscape of their information bubbles and… well, you can work out the rest.

This is your third appearance at the Fringe – what advice do you have for a comedian making their debut?
Don’t expect anything, don’t worry, just enjoy your time. However, this advice seems to be a lot more relevant (and harder to follow) for people who are returning to the Fringe, like myself.

You’ve got 20 seconds to sell the show to somebody in the streets of Edinburgh, what would you say?
This is a show about Russia and the West, Putin and Trump, time and space, and other things that are a lot less definite than they seem.

Russian Troll

Champions of Festival @ The Scotsman

Aug 2-26 (16:40)