Laughing Horse @ The Newsroom
Aug 12, 14-26 (19.30)

Material: Delivery:    Laughs:

Set in the basement of a plush bar The Newsroom was a slightly rough looking night club venue. I thought it would be a fitting venue for the expected degrading content of the show. And indeed around a quarter of the way in, several members of the audience stood up and left in disgust at the dire material. The perpetrators of this comic affront were Martin and Phil, known as Loose Brie, who have shared a flat for many years and came up with the idea of writing a show based on solving all of the world’s problems. In an hour. In tackling many issues very relevant to today’s media driven world, the dynamic between the two seemed only to highlight the contrast they created between themselves and caring responsible adults. The more sensitive the issue, the more distasteful their reactions – no blood, guts or gore, but plenty of nasty physical insinuations.

Mixed in with unspeakable content (of which more later) was some quirky witty banter between the two that was perhaps a product of the real time they spend together in their poky flat. They used improvisation that delighted them – they had a big thing with delight – which actually shone through but didn’t stop more walkouts in disgust. Did we know we would be walking the plank by coming to this event? It was a show filled with distaste and laughter, if you can manage it, in the face of two guys parrying with each other about faults and discrepancies, really about them living together.

It’s a highly physical sketch show, but all the context for the disgusting/distressing physical stuff we do is in what we say. It’s a much darker show without the words
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The title ‘Loose Brie Solve Everything’ afforded some good jokes, as they listed lots of things that need solving, from public embarrassment to which they gave the quick solution of acting weird all the time. They mushed around concepts, finding negatives about each other and then finding it difficult to have anything positive to say. Although it seemed to be about the world, really it seemed to be about them. No sooner had the general remarks and issues momentarily won our attention, than we were shocked back into the howling torrents of abuse as they set an imaginary fire under yet another idea.

Our thoughts dallied, wondering if we were safe or not just for being there. But we perked up, or slouched in our seats just to see what would happen next, and next it came. Martin used his Freddy Mercury lookalike joke to reel us in, and you know as performance goes he wasn’t too bad at it choosing to growl and speak loudly not to sing poetically. The same strain of intelligence that ran through all of it did bring with it a certain continuity like you’d find in a less disturbing version of theatre, it hits highs and lows, but their reality was to offend the sensibilities and discover who was willing to endure it any further.

The level of uncertainty seemed to be very much on purpose, for although they apologised each time for going too far, they then struck the chord of the kind of comedy where nothing and no one was safe. At least they got me thinking about my own mortality I questioned myself as to how I truly felt about the show I was seeing it was succeeding in doing that for me. This pair weren’t rock stars far away from the actualities of everyday life, these were two guys going through life more than willing to provoke the world (in a small night club in a plush part of Edinburgh’s West end)

For their amazing finale they took their trousers down, bare for all to see! I couldn’t believe it but as a member of the audience, when no one else reacted neither did I, it was socially bad but drew out some laughter as they pretended to speak out of their backsides. If this lot appeals to your darker sensibilities go and watch everything you have ever held dear be blasted away.

Daniel Donnelly

Just the Tonic @ The Caves
August 2-26 (22.10)

Material: Delivery:    Laughs:

The Dirty White Boys are back at the Fringe. They are white, yeah, they’re a bit naughty at times, but as for boys, nah, these guys are real working men in a realm which needs good solid performers. I love the physical quality of their act; they come across individually as a young Christopher Biggins & the bullying intensity of an early Ade Edmondson. As a double act they are the 21st century’s Two Ronnies; the sketch where they are speaking in unison is particularly sublime. The rest of their sketches do vary in quality – like a box of Quality Street – a couple were, well, sketchy, but when they really let rip it is comedy adamantine.

We exhaust one idea of comic potential and move onto the next one. No stone left unturned. And they’re really beautifully bizarre ideas this year
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Happy to indulge in international stereotypes & other such comedic archetypes, yet chucking original ideas into the mix, their show is a lovely blend of manic & amusing moments. Examples include a Crystal Maze clip, Judith & Valerie’s Avon sex-toy chat, Maud & Milo’s Motel & Mortuary & the opening Russian spy thriller which is a stormblast of guffawing perfection. The best, however, was the Pub Quiz section where the quizmaster focused all his efforts on the break-down of his marriage. Watching the Dirty White Boys makes one proud to be part of the Great British sketch tradition, which the lads are handling with confidence, deference & talent.

Damo

The Caves
Aug 12th-26th (14:00)

Material:  Delivery:   Laughs:

If there’s one thing you can’t flaw Ms Ford on it’s her honesty. Largely. Her show is based around the mostly true story of her life up to this point and she doesn’t spare any of the grisly details. The unboxed of the title refers to her father who was CEO of a box making company. I wouldn’t want to reveal anything more about the story in case I spoil the numerous surprises – suffice to say that her life is a lot more interesting than a few cardboard boxes. The big hearted Ms Ford tells her story with a delightful whimsy and energy while not shying away from darker territories and the pathos that goes with any show this revealing. I have rarely seen a comic being this candid about their personal life and it was certainly refreshing.  It is also apparent that she has a reasonable amount of experience in the field and I regret not seeing her previous show Kagool which, if this show was anything to go by, I’m sure would have been a treat for the senses. And treat for the senses it was. The stage set comprised solely of an unpromising stack of cardboard boxes. But they were soon brought to life with imaginative projections and ingenious sound design.

When I was 5 my Dad took me to his huge warehouse in the Fens in East Anglia. It was full to the ceiling with cardboard boxes and he said to me ‘one day all of those will be yours’.
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However, what really made this show stand out was the unexpected twist towards the end of the second act. I don’t want to give too much away but a shift in tone was created quite suddenly and to great dramatic effect. The M Night Shyamalan of comedy if you will. Certainly a brave move and one that, in less skilled hands, could have been disastrous. But all credit to Ms Ford she unshirkingly (is that a word?) stared into the void and the void stared right back. Only at us, the audience who, rather than recoiling, leaned in and pricked up our senses in anticipation of what would follow. Don’t be fooled by the cardboard boxes and apparent infatuation with Philip Schofield this comedian is anything but dull. If you can handle the truth, and maybe a little bit of R Kelly, this shows for you.

Victor Pope

 Pravda at Espionage

Aug 2-26 (20.45)

Lovehard are a comedy double act with some form at the fringe having garnered rave reviews for their festival show last year – but would this year’s effort match those giddy heights? The audience is immediately thrown into the action as two scientists struggle with the repercussions of an experiment gone wrong. They have inadvertently opened a portal to a deadly dimension of killer sound-waves, stored on a cassette tape which must now at all costs be destroyed. The cassette of course ends up going missing, and finds itself in the hands of our unsuspecting heroes, three geeky high school kids.

What follows is a brilliant parody of sci-fi, teen and horror B-movie tropes which manages to find room to spoof everything from Stranger Things to Back to the Future. The plot itself, if played straight, would be a supremely enjoyable episode of The Twilight Zone. Lovehard are clearly not only gifted comic actors but also scholars of the material with a real love of the genre sending up the cliches of teen movies such as proms, yard sales and bullying jocks to winning effect. They also find time to make allusions to Shakespeare and Greek Myth, but those of you wary of something highbrow which requires a degree in comparative literature to enjoy need not fear as this show is as gloriously silly as it is smart. The jokes come thick and fast throughout the show, involving plenty of fun with the stilted dialogue and anachronistic teen slang found in the source material (what at first feels a rather laboured joke about 60’s pop has a wonderful pay off later in the show which is well worth the wait ) as well as some brilliant use of breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience directly.

The pair are as gifted physically as they are verbally and there are some delightful moments of physical comedy which make good use of the pair’s gift for mime. I was particularly taken by a slow motion fight involving various characters. In fact much humour is derived from the fact that the cast of the little town in which the show is set is played by only two actors. This involves a fair amount of silly voices, exaggerated postures and a hectic pace which ably demonstrates the skills of the pair and their gift for self-mockery.

There is not much to comment on in the way of props, costume or set to the piece but what there is within the show is a very inventive use of sound. Unsurprising in a show in which the main threat is a killer sound-wave the use of audio is big aspect of the work and this handled with real subtlety and skill. The spooky electronic background music parodies only too well sci-fi TV themes such as Stranger Things and The X Files and the ominous reverb, angry static and distorted voices bring a real richness to the show creating a sense of atmospheric dread which the duo at times joyfully puncture. Along with the rest of the audience – howling with laughter throughout – I thoroughly enjoyed Tales From Elsewhere, a comedy spoof with real heart, intelligence and most of all laughter. I will certainly be interested to see what the energetic and imaginative Lovehard will unleash upon us next.

Ian Pepper

Pleasance Dome 
Until August 27th (not 13th) (12:25)

“Courtroom Play” … did exactly what it said on the tin. The economically sized stage – one must become accustomed to the small size of Fringe venues in Edinburgh city centre – was tidily set up to immediately point the way in to what lay ahead, with the words “Preston & Gates” projected on to a screen at the back and black drapes at either side of the stage acting like columns. The overall feel was like a Lawyer’s office in an older city centre building. I found the screen itself most attractive with its geometric shapes and cerulean blue light that glowed out over the audience.

The first character to grace the stage was lawyer Alex Stone, who stood alone and told us she was a hot-shot lawyer fighting in the name of justice. In fact we learn that she has come back to her home town, a place called Thatchford, from the big city firm where she works in order to do that very thing. And thus the scene is set for the story to unfold before our eyes. The action moves along at an easy pace, with plenty of scene changes, enlightening conversations, quickfire dialogue and wisecracks, performed with gusto by the all-star cast of Fringe comedians. We find ourselves effectively drawn ever further in to the drama, as we follow the scene changes and focus on each character in turn as the story develops.

The most striking, indeed the brashest, character in all this was inevitably the Judge, with his large wig and audience prompts. But it was more than the props – this character had a commanding presence as he presided over his court, set high above the stage, and the audience both respected him and collapsed in laughter at his gruff jokes. In the court scene, in contrast to the main characters’ dark formal dress, the stage and the judge’s high desk was all lit up in colour, giving the scene a feeling almost of a Spiegel tent, which gave the show a very appealing appearance.

When the three witnesses – all portrayed by the same actress – took to the stage, the set stood still and dark but for the spotlight that lit up the space. The dialogue was concise, and delivered with a kind, quiet respect for these justice seekers. It showed enemies (defence and prosecution) who are friends outside of their court battles overseen by the courtroom judge. There was cross referencing that was well thought out between lawyers in the courtroom scene. We heard each revelation with interest as we followed the twists and turns of the case (a murder). In some ways these scenes were almost like reading a book in a calm and considered way.

In the end, once the case is concluded and the story comes to an end, we are left feeling that the lawyers have done well and justice has been done – a most satisfying conclusion. The actors take their bow and we enthusiastically thank them with applause, cheering, and a few standing in ovation. If you like light hearted drama with plenty of plot then this show is the one for you – go along and be engrossed!

Review: Daniel Donnelly

Photography:  Kate Wright-Sanders

Pleasance Courtyard

Aug 1-27 (16:45)

Material:    Delivery:   Laughs:  

Something is rotten in Ye Olde London Towne. And its not just the stench of night-soil! New girl Olive Bacon has come up from the country and she has a fine nose for a mystery – and for when her prize pig is in season – which is pretty much constantly! Teaming up with hapless landlocked seaman Teddy Tyrell, the duo go a-witch-hunting through a wildly historically (and geographically) inaccurate Tudor England. All manner of confusion ensues.

It’s Horrible Histories mashed-up with the cast of Made in Chelsea on a Scooby-Doo Mystery. Olive and Teddy meet a queer assortment of characters, including the Stinking Bishop and the retired Witch-Finder General, who has given up cremating young women and now finds release from her crippling PTSD through home-baking!

The tone of GBM tries to marry wordy, quite intricate, humour with the utterly stupid and occasionally base. People seemed to invest in that combination which was very fortunate for us
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With faces made for comedy – check out the great mug shots on their advertising poster – the pair had me laughing from the start. The plot zips along, ably assisted by some nifty (if factually shifty) multimedia in the background. But the belly laughs come from the sparking playfulness between Olive and Teddy. This energetic pair had the audience roaring with laughter, Henry VIII stylee, as they hunted down and finally catch their quarry – and its not what they expected…..

This is the second instalment of the Great British Mysteries – their debut show sold out last year. Be sure to grab a ticket this year, sell your urchins if you have to. If you like your comedy fast and witty, silly and a little bit bawdy you’ll split your doublet and hose at Teddy and Olive. These guys deserve an award of some sort! Or I’ll eat my britches.

Mark MacKenzie

Sweet Novotel
Aug 3-5, 7-12, 14-19, 21-26 (17.40)

Material: Delivery:    Laughs:

Novotel is a great hotel – I’ve stayed there with the wife a couple of times, & they really do make for comfortable stay. They have now opened their doors & their conference rooms to the eternally expanding Fringe, & a great addition it is too. But enough of the venue, what about the comedian? Well, her name is Sonia – Sonia Aste – a soft-spoken yet energy-streaking Spanish lady with a lovely American twang. I got it straight away what kind of comedian she was – the quintessential internationalist. The audience was a microcosm of Europe; the Irish, Germans, British & of course Spanish were all represented. It reminded me very much of a British game show called Going For Gold which was on air between 1987-1996, presented by an Irishman called Henry Kelly. The questions were fairly difficult, & I always thought it unfair that people from the continent had to answer questions in English, it was a bit weird. But the Global Village is putting down roots at a phenomenal rate, & English is now the international lingua franca, with Sonia Aste personifying the spirit.

With Spain being one of the top destination for British tourists, my show shines a light into our cultural differences and what it means to be ‘Made in Spain’. It’s a fast paced show based on a ‘Tapas Menu’, and the audience chooses what they want to order. I wanted to cater to all comedy tastes and like a good Spanish meal, provide a space to share in the fun and laughter.
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The essence of her show is to sprinkle a bit of Spanish sunshine on us all, looking at swirling life situations, & giving us the Spanish take on them. To the audience were handed out a set of maracas, a tamborine & something that looked a giant ribb’d wooden suppository, apparently called a güiro. These were then shook & shimmer’d at the appropriate moments between Aste’s bubblebath performance. I also experienced a new moment in all my Fringeing; Aste was pronouncing a phrase she had heard in Spanish, to which the Spaniards in the audience were laughing before it was translated into English. It was at that point that I realised Sonia’s informal, communicative spirit is the perfect anti-Brexit peace-cry – we Europeans are all the same really, & watching a re-run of Going For Gold or heading to the Novotel in Edinburgh this Fringe at 5.40PM will prove that.

Damo

Pleasance Courtyard
August 9-14, 16-26 (21:00_

Material: Delivery:    Laughs:

I was very impressed with the size of the Pleasance Courtyard’s grand gothic hall, its stunning thick oak beams and its great acoustics. Then the lights dimmed, the curtain pulled back slightly, and there he was our wee ‘Chubster’ to entertain us with his banter, wit and somewhat dubious dance moves! Hal is one of the biggest acts around at this year’s festival.  I had previously see Hal on TV – Live at the Apollo & Have I Got News For You – so I was aware of his pedigree and was hoping for a real treat! I was not disappointed whatsoever, he was absolutely brilliant from start to finish.

It was none stop laughter from start to finish, you have either got it or you haven’t, and Hal certainly has it and then some! His show was a real mix of material, pontificating upon everything from weight-gain to kids and Brexit. Hal throws in a splash of audience participation, but not much as he prefers to rely on having a poke at the world in general. Hal’s humour is a mix of anecdotes, observations and funny stories, with a bit of doggy dancing thrown in for good measure. As you would expect from someone of his stature his performance was flawless and filled with belly laughs throughout. Chubster is one of the slickest that I have vere seen and I can’t recommend Hal high enough. He is also one for the full family and a very safe and very funny pair of hands, with a sprinkle of something for everyone.

Mark Parker

Just the Tonic @ The Caves

August 2-12, 14-26 (16.55)

Material: Delivery:    Laughs:

I immediately liked this venue – the theatre room at the Caves – as it reminded me of pictures of the Tavern in Liverpool where the Beatles played all those years ago, with exposed bricks and a red stage; our seats were like cheap church pews. As I took my seat I wondered what direction this young comedian, Sam Russell, would take in this, his debut stand-up show at the Edinburgh Fringe. My question was soon answered as he launched into his act and started to tell us his ideas about both personal and general issues, displaying a witty and engaging story-telling technique with a lot of audience interaction. He told us he took a gig in France once where he said he found that his humour had the power to transcend language difficulties.

Russell’s style was a little brash – an essential for comedy – but there are deeper sections too, as he made more serious quips about losing loved ones, of which he said that after the initial funk of loss he would immerse himself in his live stand up. He became more and more entertaining and expressive as the evening went on – we could see him limbering up before our very eyes. His stories were filled with personal and interactional comments on his various theses about how he saw and felt, peppered with jokes. He’s the kind of comedian to tell stories about things that matter to him, perhaps also using the experience of friends.

The show is now about how when we are lucky we need to admit it and embrace it. Don’t always be looking for the next thing you want; wallow in the majesty of the wonderful everyday.
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The title of the show, Lucky Bastard, perhaps has two sides to it. On the one hand, it transpires that he has a beautiful Danish wife and a fortunate lifestyle, on the other there is the irony of not being lucky at his friend’s death or at the early training his mother gave him; since he was a child she had told him that there was no God, no Santa and so on. I think that he perhaps found that to be more of a benefit later on in his still young life experience. And his wife and middle class background can very well end up being the butt of his jokes – “my wife didn’t take well to that” or “Glastonbury is a refugee camp”.

A relaxed persona in simple, rebellious jeans and t-shirt and with a pint on the table next to him, Sam Russell had the audience in the palm of his hand and often howling with laughter. A couple of below-the-belt jokes were interspersed with the sincere side of the performance and we could tell that he was willing to be more risky and brash, including a few more risky jokes jabbing his finger at some racial and immigration comments. It was the sort of show that would go down well in any free thinking city. His themes were selected mostly from personal experience, and cunningly written by him as a tool for sculpting his material and his comedic performance.

I have to confess that I didn’t feel entirely safe during this show – I found myself hiding from the spotlight, for a red face wouldn’t save you from being roughly ridiculed and staring at the performer may mean your dignity and your life. What made me happy was that he was just as likely to turn the tables, and the comedy, on himself. My gut laughed a few times, from some of his timeless humour. One of the best was the marathon scene where he reduced himself to an absurd level. He was absolutely flying at that point.

Come and watch this crazy hilarious guy own the stage and offer up his whole personality, literal and metaphysical, for the sole purpose of entertaining you and sending you home with your head full of laughter.

Daniel Donnelly

Jacob Lovick and Tyler Harding are back at the Fringe with their third slice of  maverick mayhem. The Mumble loved having a wee blether with the boys…

Hello Jacob, so where are you both from and where ya at, geographically speaking?
Jacob: Hello! I’ve lived a very adventurous life, in which I was born in London, grew up in London, lived briefly in Birmingham for a period of my life I like to call ‘being at university’, and then moved back to London, where I’m currently still living. In London. Tyler has been slightly more maverick. He’s from Stroud, a Gloucestershire town about as opposite from London as you can get in every conceivable sense. He’s just moved from Birmingham to London too, to be “nearer to me” and “mostly for his job”. What a guy.

Hello Tyler, so how did you & Jacob meet?
Tyler: First year of University. I’d heard rumour that there was a man with an exceptional handshake on my course. Being a massive fan of good handshakes, I sought to find him. And yes, he absolutely does have a fantastic handshake.

Which comedians inspire you, both old skool and on the scene today?
Tyler: I like the double acts that push each other and play with each other – stuff like Peter Cooke and Dudley Moore, or Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson, people who make it their aim to make the other laugh or just enjoy it fresh every time, they’re fantastic. On the scene today, Im absolutely in love with Max and Ivan. Truly, truly brilliant.

When did you first realise you could make people laugh?
Jacob: When I was in year 5, there was a guy who had just the best laugh in the world. I won’t mention his name, on the off-chance that he ends up reading this and hasn’t laughed since year 5. It was so, so compelling to try to make him laugh, which would then set other people off and so on. That’s probably still at the heart of it now,

How did you get into comedy?
Jacob: Bafflingly, my school ran a stand-up night. Once. Just once. For good reason. I entered it and did 10 wilfully poorly-judged minutes about wanting to be a DJ. Aged 15. I don’t think I knew what a DJ was. But it must have been an enjoyable enough night because I carried on doing it right through to university and now beyond. Fellow comedians Chris Martin, Rory O’Keeffe and Alexander Fox were all also on the same bill.

Can you describe you relations with Tyler in a single word?
Jacob: Terse.

Can you describe you relations with Jacob in a single word?
Tyler: Yes

What are the key ingredients to a good joke?
Tyler: I absolutely fall about for any kind of surprise in a joke – a ‘pull back and reveal’ or ‘bait and switch’, so for me, that’s what cracks me up.

Just what exactly is LoveHard?
Jacob: It’s a not-at-all sexy fusion of our two surnames and our two sets of opinions about what is funny. It’s two people’s attempts at a foray into comic stories and adventures, and an opportunity for us to live out our dreams of being in the sorts of shows that we create. It’s sort of a sketch show, sort of a play, but mostly just an hour in the day when Tyler and I can spend time together not talking about ourselves.

Can you tell us about your run at the Soho Theatre?
Jacob: We were lucky that our show last year, ‘Murdered by Murder’, went really well and had some lovely five star reviews, most of which were from people we didn’t know. Lee Griffiths from the Soho came and saw us, enjoyed us and programmed us as part of their Soho Rising season at the end of October, for new and undiscovered acts. God it was fun. We didn’t tell them we had a gun in the show (which was made of plastic and marked ‘TOY GUN’), which had to be kept in a locked room at all times, and we forgot to invite any agents or producers. I got overexcited at the start and almost gave away a major plot point. I don’t think we’ve ever been more proud.

This is your third year at the Fringe, what have you learnt about yourselves & your act since 2016?
Tyler: I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that our show isn’t and never was simply a sketch show – our first year it was also a genuine haunted house horror, last year was a murder mystery, and this year’s also an 80s Sci Fi Thriller – so I shouldn’t just be worrying about laughs. It’s ok to have slower moments, to have tense bits, and it’s ok to let the audience enjoy that but without trying to cram on making it funny. If we do, it’ll take away from the rest of the story.

Can you describe in a single sentence the experience of performing at the Fringe?
Jacob: A self-indulgent, over-expensive, mentally-disempowering, under-prepared, hot-bin-scented best month of the year.

You’ve got 20 seconds to sell the show to somebody in the street…
Tyler: We’ve got an 80s Sci-Fi Thriller Comedy. It’s like Stranger Things, Jumanji and The Goonies had a baby. With just two performers playing about 50 characters.

Tales From The Elsewhere

Pravda @ Espionage

August 2-26 (20.45)

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