Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2019

[DrGreggles]

I thought it was very good, but not great.
Can't quite put my finger on what was missing.

[typeforty]

I've seen 51 shows so far, which I thought was excessive until I read through this thread. The ones I'd most recommend, in no particular order:

The Dark Room
Questing Time
Ollie Horn: Pig in Japan
MarvelUs: Aww Snap!
Samantha Hannah: How to Find Happiness (in a Year)
Andrew Silverwood: Call Me Janice
I, Tom Mayhew
Werewolf Live
Redacted Arachnid
Aidan Goatley: Happy Britain Part 1
Shut it Down Carol
Mark Cram: Centaur
Ash Pryce: Mind Reader
Hell to Play: Dante Wish Your Girlfriend was Hot Like Me
Paul Foxcroft: Debut
Colt Cabana and John Hastings Do Comedy to Bad Wrestling Matches
Joz Norris is Dead... Long Live Mr Fruit Salad
Pete Heat: Massive Wizard

I haven't seen a massive amount of shit, but Titania McGrath, Katharyn Henson and Erich McElroy have been my comedy lowlights thus far...

[hummingofevil]

I've seen 51 shows so far, which I thought was excessive until I read through this thread. The ones I'd most recommend, in no particular order:

The Dark Room
Questing Time
Ollie Horn: Pig in Japan
MarvelUs: Aww Snap!
Samantha Hannah: How to Find Happiness (in a Year)
Andrew Silverwood: Call Me Janice
I, Tom Mayhew
Werewolf Live
Redacted Arachnid
Aidan Goatley: Happy Britain Part 1
Shut it Down Carol
Mark Cram: Centaur
Ash Pryce: Mind Reader
Hell to Play: Dante Wish Your Girlfriend was Hot Like Me
Paul Foxcroft: Debut
Colt Cabana and John Hastings Do Comedy to Bad Wrestling Matches
Joz Norris is Dead... Long Live Mr Fruit Salad
Pete Heat: Massive Wizard

I haven't seen a massive amount of shit, but Titania McGrath, Katharyn Henson and Erich McElroy have been my comedy lowlights thus far...

This post really makes we want to post a list of names of fake Edinburgh shows. :)

[machotrouts]

EDINBURGH FRINGE 2019 SHOWS I'VE SEEN SO FAR PART 7


Ian Lane – Paperweight. Lovingly crafted PowerPoint-facilitated callback-swamped standup. I want to call it "surprisingly warm" but I think it's only surprising because he's perceived as aloof, such that a previous show of his was called "Aloof", and he notes in this show that he's recently been diagnosed as autistic, so. Surprising if you think autistic people don't have FEELINGS you bastards. I was one of an audience of 7 – and the only one who bought a ticket. Go! It's good! Imagine doing a show and up to like a day in advance, there are dates that have sold literally 0 tickets.

Well you might not have to imagine it, because you might be Ian Lane. Going by previous mentions of him on this forum, he's a member here! Right, which one of you is it? Ronalado? Pedro_Bear? Jonathan King?


Joseph Parsons: Baggy Point. Usually when I get the feeling of "oh no, what the fuck have I come to" at a show, it happens near the start – in this case, it was 50 minutes in. This is when he recounts the time he went on First Dates and caused controversy in the gay community by saying he was looking for someone "straight-acting". He's that fucking guy? I don't watch the show, but I remember that controversy! Everyone whose opinion I respect on Twitter was lining up to call him a boring cunt! How did this not come up in my research? (Notably, he complains that the show cut out all reference to him being a comedian – but if they hadn't, then I'd have made that connection while googling him, and wouldn't have considered going in the first place. Sometimes bad publicity is just bad publicity.)

The thing is, he'd more or less won me round by this point. An amiable, engaging, and confident performer for a barely-double-figure audience, he'd taken us through his own struggles with repression, suicidal feelings, and (other people's) homophobia. The show is in support of the charity Football v Homophobia (uncharitable interpretation: straighest sounding gay charity he could think of) and all cash in the bucket at the end goes to them (uncharitable interpretation: a bit like when Brian McFadden redirected all the proceeds from Just the Way You Are (Drunk at the Bar) to a rape charity).

But the "straight-acting" thing wasn't satisfactorily dealt with. His justification is that First Dates edited out his reasoning, which was along the lines of "straight men have the freedom to be confident and secure in themselves, and wouldn't it be great if gays could have that same freedom? Woo!". This just raises questions. Why connect that sentiment to a gratuitously offensive phrase in the first place? Who is that helping? Do you regret saying that, do you stand by it? Was it unclarified subversion, unaddressed internalised homophobia, or just clumsy phrasing and you don't really know what you were going for? I don't want him self-flaggelating or anything. He had my goodwill already. I think he means well. Just don't bring that bad fart into the room if you're not willing to fully unpack and deconstruct the fart.


Mawaan Rizwan: Werk in Progress. As bare bones as a work-in-progress gets – the audience gathers in the dinky little SpiegelYurt to be handed post-its, Mawaan asks us to write down things we want him to talk about, then he pulls them out of a box and tries to riff on them. If his riff has legs, the post-it goes in a "yes" box; if not, a selected audience member plays Dido to shut him up and the post-it is discarded. The only pre-prepared material is 3 songs that he hasn't finished writing yet (and only 2 were performed).

As a Mafaan Rizfan, I wasn't disappointed. He's great company. He can do what he likes.


Police Cops: Police Cops in Space. The fastest hour at the Fringe. They're Police Cops and they're in space. Absolutely delivering on my expectations. Can't fault it. Except that I'm a bit sad to realise this was the sequel to a show I think just called plain old "Police Cops" that I HAVEN'T seen. I HATE watching sequels before the originals. What plot elements must I have missed? What about the lore???


David Kay. Pretty healthy triple-figure audience for what his blurb describes as "one of the hidden gems of the Scottish comedy circuit". Who's he hiding from then. His show doesn't even have a title what are you all doing here.

I like his hyper-low-octane droning old man delivery. I think I'd have enjoyed this show more if there was no laughter and the only other sound was some sort of haunting Blue Jam ambience.


Demi Lardner: Ditch Witch 800. Who I first heard about in the "Truly pathetic attempts at humour" thread. A series of stupid disjointed sketches that are: GREAT? Anyone who comes away from this giving it anything other than 5 stars (CORRECT) or 1 star (UNDERSTANDABLE) has lost their mind (UNDERSTANDABLE). This is so fun and ridiculous and chaotic and colourful and annoying and dumb I LOVE IT.


Tom Walker: Very Very. Who I first heard about in the "Truly pathetic attempts at humour" thread. Raucous disgusting mime show by a lovely man with a big stupid fucking face and dumb ass fucking teeth. Why do I keep describing things I like this way, sorry everyone. There's a great elaborate autofellatio bit early on and then things just proceed in that vein from there.

I just now googled "tom walker comedian" and all the results were about the guy who plays Jonathan Pie? Who the FUCK cares about Jonathan Pie's real name? Why even put that on Google in the first place? No need. Please rest assured this is NOT that guy.


Demi Lardner and Tom Walker: We Musn't. IF YOU FIND DEMI LARDNER OR TOM WALKER EVEN SLIGHTLY ANNOYING YOU WILL HAVE A MISERABLE TIME. THEY ARE AT MAXIMUM VOLUME. I WAS 100% ON BOARD WITH THAT. I WAS SAT IN THE FRONT ROW AND WHEN IT ENDED TOM WALKER PRAISED ME FOR MY ENERGY. I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE BEEN PRAISED FOR MY ENERGY. I ONLY REALISED I WASN'T GETTING A NIGHT BUS WHEN I'D WALKED HALFWAY BACK HOME AND I WAS DOING IT REALLY FAST AND I TOOK A PICTURE OF MYSELF AND I DIDN'T EVEN REALISE I WAS MAKING THAT FACE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT WAS GOOD???

[machotrouts]

THE MACHOTROUTS TOP 32 SO FAR (NEW ENTRIES IN BOLD)

1.   Demi Lardner: Ditch Witch 800
2.   Jordan Brookes: I've Got Nothing
3.   Demi Lardner and Tom Walker: We Musn't
4.   Courtney Pauroso: Gutterplum
5.   Tom Walker: Very Very
6.   Jamie Loftus: Boss, Whom is Girl
7.   John-Luke Roberts: After Me Comes the Flood (But in French) drip splosh splash drip BLUBBP BLUBBP BLUBBPBLUBBPBLUBBP!!
8.   Leo Mohr: When I Was Zorro
9.   Lucy Pearman: Baggage
10.   Sean Morley: Soon I Will Be Dead and My Bones Will Be Free to Wreak Havoc Upon the Earth Once More
11.   The Glang Show
12.   Ian Smith: Half-Life
13.   Ian Lane – Paperweight
14.   Phil Ellis: Au Revoir
15.   Stewart Lee: Wok in Progress
16.   Nick Everritt: The Deconstruction
17.   Zoë Coombs Marr: Bossy Bottom
18.   Glenn Moore: Love Don't Live Here Glenny Moore
19.   Joz Norris Is Dead. Long Live Mr Fruit Salad.
20.   Adam Riches: The Beakington Town Hall Murders
21.   Andy Barr: The Ruby
22.   Zach Zimmerman: Clean Comedy
23.   Spencer Jones: The Things We Leave Behind
24.   Vince Atta: Massive Attack
25.   Moon: We Cannot Get Out
26.   Mat Ewins: Actually Can I Have Eight Tickets Please?
27.   Police Cops: Police Cops in Space
28.   John Robins: Hot Shame
29.   Johnny White Really-Really: Unending Torment!
30.   Paul Foot: Baby Strikes Back!
31.   Edward Aczel – Artificial Intellect
32.   Tom Little – Chronically Underachieving Loser and Wasteman

[Sebastian Cobb]

pretty sure i've seen jerry sadowitz's willy

[DrGreggles]

As a Top 32 seems to be the agreed format:

1. Max & Ivan: Commitment
2. Nick Helm: I Think You Stink
3. The Delightful Sausage: Ginster's Paradise
4. Police Cops: Badass Be Thy Name
5. Frank Skinner: Showbiz
6. Stewart Lee: Wok in Progress
7. John Kearns: Double Take and Fade Away
8. Daniel Kitson: Everything Smells of Orange
9. Tony Law: Identifies
10. Daniel Kitson: Shenanigan
11. Police Cops: In Space
12. Simon Evans: Dressing for Dinner
13. Michael Legge: The Idiot
14. Tim Key: WiP
15. Tom Parry: Parryoke!
16. Seymour Mace is My Name Climb Up My Nose and Sit in My Brain
17. Adam Hess: My Grandad Has a Fringe
18. Jordan Brookes: I've Got Nothing
19. Nick Revell: Eurasia's Most Eligible Psychopaths and Their Lovely Homes
20. Kieran Hodgson: Maestro
21. Adam Riches: The Beakington Town Hall Murders
22. Spencer Jones: The Things We Leave Behind
23. Hayley Ellis: Nobody Puts Hayley in a Corner
24. Stuart Goldsmith: Primer (WIP)
25. Rob Rouse and Helen Rutter - Funny In Real Life
26. Simon Munnery: Alan Parker Urban Warrior Farewell Tour
27. Nick Helm: Phoenix from the Flames
28. Trevor Lock: Community Circle
29. Fishbowl
30. Mat Ewins: Actually Can I Have Eight Tickets Please?
31. Kiri Pritchard-Mclean: Work in Progress
32. Tony Law and Phil Nichol: Virtue Chamber Echo Bravo

[Sebastian Cobb]

Has anyone else seen Putner's show about Madness? I'm sad to say I found it a bit disappointing. He had a pretty nifty LWT t-shirt on before it.

[An Actual Propeller]

pretty sure i've seen jerry sadowitz's willy

Do you think that it was his real cock or a false one? I've had debates about this very topic.

[JCR]

Do you think that it was his real cock or a false one? I've had debates about this very topic.

Definitely real. I've sat front row at his show before.

[Tony Yeboah]

This review has caused a bit of a stink, the last paragraph in particular. https://www.chortle.co.uk/review/2019/08/17/44031/catherine_bohart%3A_lemon What do people think? Fair comment or insensitive and patronising?

[An Actual Propeller]

Definitely real. I've sat front row at his show before.

I've sat front row at his shows many times, and thought it was a false one*. Now I'm unsure.

* "Evidence": I own a realistic false cock.

[An Actual Propeller]

This review has caused a bit of a stink, the last paragraph in particular. https://www.chortle.co.uk/review/2019/08/17/44031/catherine_bohart%3A_lemon What do people think? Fair comment or insensitive and patronising?

Neither because he's the entirely wrong person to review the show.

[Small Man Big Horse]

This review has caused a bit of a stink, the last paragraph in particular. https://www.chortle.co.uk/review/2019/08/17/44031/catherine_bohart%3A_lemon What do people think? Fair comment or insensitive and patronising?

I'm not sure if it's patronising but it is all a bit odd, I haven't seen the show but I did see Bohart do 20 minutes on a mixed bill a couple of months ago and some of the material mentioned in that review, I thought she was really funny yet at no point did I think "I'd be enjoying this more if she wasn't a lesbian".

[DrGreggles]

This review has caused a bit of a stink, the last paragraph in particular. https://www.chortle.co.uk/review/2019/08/17/44031/catherine_bohart%3A_lemon What do people think? Fair comment or insensitive and patronising?

Not very well written, but it's fair enough for him to not relate to the subject matter and say he may have enjoyed it more if he could.
The oddest thing is that he admitted as much in a review!

And it hasn't really "caused a bit of a stink" outside of a few cunts on Twitter - and they're probably overjoyed at finding something new to pretend to be outraged by. Cunts.

[DrGreggles]

Jordan Brookes had a (faux) angry pop at a bloke in the audience last night for not laughing enough.
After he'd finished he walked back to the middle of the stage and after a few seconds pause he looked back at the guy and said "You're Brian Logan aren't you.".
It was.

No mention of it, even though it derailed everything for quite a while:
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/aug/17/jordan-brookes-review-pleasance-courtyard-edinburgh

[Sebastian Cobb]

Do you think that it was his real cock or a false one? I've had debates about this very topic.

i reckon it was real

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Definitely real. I've sat front row at his show before.

It's really not. Sadowitz isn't insane, he's not going to risk arrest by pulling out his actual penis on stage. It's a semi-realistic rubber prop (AND SO IS THE THING HE PULLS OUT OF HIS TROUSERS DURING LIVE SHOWS).

He's a magician, it's a trick.

[hummingofevil]

Not very well written, but it's fair enough for him to not relate to the subject matter and say he may have enjoyed it more if he could.
The oddest thing is that he admitted as much in a review!

And it hasn't really "caused a bit of a stink" outside of a few cunts on Twitter - and they're probably overjoyed at finding something new to pretend to be outraged by. Cunts.

I think the "cunts" are right. That review sucks.

It's perfectly reasonable for an audience member to think that a show isn't really for them or to their tastes buts to treat a stand up show by a bisexual women like it is genre piece kid's movie aimed at a different audience of women, feminists and LGBT is patronising as fuck and makes the reviewer look like a total fuckwit. If you have that mindset going into a show you have no right to be reviewing it in the first place.

Of course this is something that is all over Edinburgh with every show seemingly getting a 4* review from somewhere (usually from their bios second year English students from Oxbridge with "interest in drama") but would expect more from Chortle which you would like to think would have higher standards of moderation.

And you can think someone writing some thing cunty is a bit cunty without been offended or outraged. I don't find that review offensive but it's shit and if anyone points that out to him then good.

[hummingofevil]

It's really not. Sadowitz isn't insane, he's not going to risk arrest by pulling out his actual penis on stage. It's a semi-realistic rubber prop (AND SO IS THE THING HE PULLS OUT OF HIS TROUSERS DURING LIVE SHOWS).

He's a magician, it's a trick.

Ha ha.

Would you really risk being arrested for getting your cock out on stage? Artistic licence? It's appearence is a punch-line to a bit and all in context. I thought it was real when I saw him (I was also sat at front) because it looked like you could see the skin stretch at the bollock-end as he wanking it off.

[hummingofevil]

Also just spotted this:

https://www.chortle.co.uk/review/2019/08/14/43989/olga_koch:_if&%2347;then

Whilst is is broadly positive it is also a dreadful bit of writing and contains at least two factual errors. Sounds like Jack is a fuckwit.

Oh it gets worse. He is THIS YEAR's "working class or non-white" Chortle reviewer. Ha ha.

https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2019/03/12/42505/meet_chortles_new_reviewer_for_2019

I do love the Fringe but sometimes you just have to sit back and weep/giggle at how fucking removed from reality it all it.

[Seagullsim]

I'm back after a week up in Edinburgh. Saw far too many shows to list (haven't got the energy to type reviews of each of them), but here's a quick top / bottom five.

Top Shows
1. Parryoke - Tom Parry. Absolutely fantastic - high energy, decent concept - I actually hurt from laughing so much. Also, the most celeb-filled audience i've been in - I was sat on the same row as Tim Key and Richard Osman, and Dara O'Brien & one of the Inbetweeners was in there as well.
2. Socially Awkward Penguin - Emmy Fyle. Free Fringe random punt, but it turned out really well. She's the perfect balance between loveable & quirky, and the show really resonated with me. Loved it. Awful venue though.
3. Hot Shame - John Robins. I was really disappointed when I saw a Work in Progress version of this a few months ago, but he's got it spot-on. Really great show.
4. Work in Progress - Cave Women.  This was a series of sketches, all held together by a theme of the death of their brother recently. Emotional, funny, and genuinely enjoyable.
5. Showbiz - Frank Skinner. I know it's obvious that he's going to be good, but it's great watching a comedian like him work the crowd. People have said that he's got the quickest mind, and it's clear to see in the show.

'Meh' Shows
Ivo Graham, Carl Donnelly, George Egg, Michael Legge, Nick Helm, Phil Wang. All fine, but nothing outstanding.

Poor Shows
1. Brave New Alun - Alun Cochrane. I've seen his live stuff before and really enjoyed it, but this was remarkably poor. He's positioning himself as the only 'centrist comedian', which basically means he can criticise 'woke hippies' and 'snowflakes', and also people who wear hijabs & jihadis. If a comedian says "I thought you'd have laughed at that" three times during a show, it's normally a sign it isn't going well....
2. Showstoppers. I love musicals, but hate improv. This was too much improv, and not enough fun.
3. I'll Be Bec - Bec Hill. Normally love her, but this was a mess of a show with a shoehorned narrative about the world going to shit. Relied too much on technical quirks, and not enough on the material.
4. Baggage - Lucy Pearman. Hated it. Unprofessional approach - started 10 mins late, because she was chatting to her mate in the queue. Made unnecessary weight-related comments to an audience member. Shame - the last thing I saw her do (Maid of Cabbage) was great.
5. Ceremony of Golden Truth - Lucy Hopkins. No idea what this was. Only went because someone recommended it to me, but it absolutely terrified me.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Ha ha.

Would you really risk being arrested for getting your cock out on stage?

Did Jim Morrison die in vain?

Artistic licence? It's appearence is a punch-line to a bit and all in context. I thought it was real when I saw him (I was also sat at front) because it looked like you could see the skin stretch at the bollock-end as he wanking it off.

I've seen it up close too* and once the initial shock subsides you can tell that it's a sort of daft Stretch Armstrong prop.

* I love the fact that so many Cabbers have sat close enough to Sadowitz's rubber wank hose to even discuss this in the first place.

[DrGreggles]

I think the "cunts" are right. That review sucks.

It's perfectly reasonable for an audience member to think that a show isn't really for them or to their tastes buts to treat a stand up show by a bisexual women like it is genre piece kid's movie aimed at a different audience of women, feminists and LGBT is patronising as fuck and makes the reviewer look like a total fuckwit. If you have that mindset going into a show you have no right to be reviewing it in the first place.

Of course this is something that is all over Edinburgh with every show seemingly getting a 4* review from somewhere (usually from their bios second year English students from Oxbridge with "interest in drama") but would expect more from Chortle which you would like to think would have higher standards of moderation.

And you can think someone writing some thing cunty is a bit cunty without been offended or outraged. I don't find that review offensive but it's shit and if anyone points that out to him then good.

I haven't seen her show, but surely any subject matter that an audience member is unfamiliar with will have that effect on them.
The 'problem' here is what the subject matter is.

That it's poorly written doesn't help, obviously, but that's not why it's being criticised.

If the subject matter was Love Island and I've never watched it, I'm unlikely to understand or enjoy the routine as much as those who do. It's not for me.*


*this happened the other day

[DrGreggles]

1. Parryoke - Tom Parry. Absolutely fantastic - high energy, decent concept - I actually hurt from laughing so much. Also, the most celeb-filled audience i've been in - I was sat on the same row as Tim Key and Richard Osman, and Dara O'Brien & one of the Inbetweeners was in there as well.

I was at that one too.

The celebs seem to wear a cap as an attempted disguise now, but no one else really wears them in the venues so they just stand out more and you think "Oh, it's Tim Key."

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

The celebs seem to wear a cap as an attempted disguise now, but no one else really wears them in the venues so they just stand out more and you think "Oh, it's Tim Key."

Ronnie Corbett had the right idea. He always turned up at the Fringe looking exactly like Ronnie Corbett, which weirdly enough made him less conspicuous than if he'd tried to disguise himself.

[DrGreggles]

Ronnie Corbett had the right idea. He always turned up at the Fringe looking exactly like Ronnie Corbett, which weirdly enough made him less conspicuous than if he'd tried to disguise himself.

My first Fringe celeb encounter back in 2007!
He was surprisingly easy to spot.

I met Bernard Cribbins about an hour later too.
Great days!

[JCR]

Ha ha.

Would you really risk being arrested for getting your cock out on stage? Artistic licence? It's appearence is a punch-line to a bit and all in context. I thought it was real when I saw him (I was also sat at front) because it looked like you could see the skin stretch at the bollock-end as he wanking it off.

I saw Mark Little get completely naked onstage in the big room of the Assembly Rooms while he was still fairly high profile off the back of Neighbours. He wasn't arrested and in fact got five stars from the Scotsman if I recall correctly.

[zomgmouse]

5. Ceremony of Golden Truth - Lucy Hopkins. No idea what this was. Only went because someone recommended it to me, but it absolutely terrified me.

This is a great show and if you're terrified you need to go back and be terrified again until you get it

[CaledonianGonzo]

Have seen at least three comedian's willies this year.  Garry Starr is clambering around in the audience for 5 minutes with his old lad out.