Comedy Reviews
500 BODY BAGS.... - Graham Winter
The title intrigued me and then at the Fringe launch Graham Winter appeared in one of the said body bags, which given the temperature of the room was a bold step indeed! So I went to see what the rest of the show held in store.
On arrival you may well be given a small card with a number and phrase on it. Do not be afraid. They are part of the show and represent themes or stories Graham will dive into, and not all of them will be used in a single show. So each show will be different to others. One story which is common to all is the 500 body bags…
What transpires is the telling of humourous tales from the working life of a latter-day online Arthur Daley. Always looking for the deal, taking a risk or two and of course the chance to make a profit. Things don’t always go according to plan and if you’re thinking of trying your luck be warned, your living space may be reduced as a sacrifice to commerce.
It’s an enjoyable show and should appeal to many of you out there. Oh, and the props are for sale too! The show is on again tonight (19th) at the Palace Hotel.
Ian Parker Heath
ABC OF ONE-LINER JOKES - Kevin O'Brien
A comic has got to be a little bit mad to take to one-liners.
Bang bang bang… you’ve got to hit the audience’s funny bones two or three times per minute.
Can’t go on any long waffly detours while you get their measure, and working what might go down well.
Developing from a short warm up routine, O’Brien structured the show around the alphabet, with a series of one-liners for every one.
Each letter had a one liner all to itself (E’s my favourite kind of tablet, for instance) and a series of well crafted puns and gags.
Finding himself more at the dead-pan end of the comedic spectrum, O’Brien’s material centres around his own incompetence and often that of his family, not to mention the indignities he faces at the hands of the NHS.
Got to be difficult when many in the audience at a free show in a bar are not necessarily there to see you, so there are more quiet chuckles than loud guffaws, and it might have helped O’Brien if the two chaps behind me at the back roaring at some of the jokes had sat up front.
However, to his credit, he maintained that connection with the audience and as they warmed to him, the laughs came more readily the longer it went on.
In short, there is a lot to enjoy in Kevin O’Brien’s one liners, and more than a few that you’ll take home and try out on your friends and family.
Just go and see him on Saturday 12th 7pm for his one remaining show at Beer & Bean.
Kevin O’Brien, that is.
Stephen Walker
ABIGAIL ROLLING - SH*T LAWYER - Abigail Rolling
We were led gently into Abigail Rolling’s Sh*t Lawyer’s world but just as we settled down, she led us unsuspecting into some very sharp and insightful jokes. The one about Trump and his nuclear button led to a few explosions around me – not the nuclear kind thankfully.
In her 30 years as a practising criminal defence lawyer, there was a lot to talk about, myths to dispel and insights shared. Her jokes take you unawares. Just as you think you are beginning to understand a legal process, it dovetails into a witty punchline you weren’t expecting. Abigail did fumble a couple of these, but her cry of ‘oh god, I f**cked that one up', probably elicited more laughter than the joke would have done, and they were very good jokes.
There were entertaining tales too of habitual clients like serial shoplifter Mary who always snuck her booty outside to get money or an opinion from a non-existent ‘friend’. ‘I just wanted to know what the difference was between red and white cheddar’ was one defence offered for the 5 kilos of cheese under her coat.
Musings on the Criminal Justice System, magistrates, court backlogs and prison overcrowding cleverly mixed moot points with witty asides and the occasional vicious swipe.
What about delving into the past to seek solutions? If trial by jury is no longer an option, what about trial by ordeal, or even trial by combat?
Or how about an app? Swipe left for guilty.
Moira Kean
ALASDAIR BECKETT-KING: KING OF CRUMBS - Alasdair Beckett-King
Alasdair Beckett-King, visually striking with his long ginger hair and beard, and pale complexion (appropriately mirroring the orange and white branding of the Buxton Fringe), has become a familiar figure on comedy panel shows in recent years, his profile bringing a capacity audience to the Working Men’s Club for this terrific new show.
Beckett-King describes the show as ‘work in progress’ and he does consult notes occasionally, but this is a polished and very funny performance. He has a quirky world-view and ideas swirl around his imagination in ever more entertaining ways. Ducks, modern dads (and granddads), Cockney name-calling and Grieg’s Hall of the Mountain King all make appearances amongst the surreal observations of this talented and very funny comedian.
Even in it’s slightly unpolished format, this is still a great show, with flashes of brilliance, and one that proves the sheer class of this excellent comedy talent.
Robbie Carnegie
ALEX KEALY: THE FEAR - Alex Kealy
Alex gives a traditional stand-up routine rather than a themed narrative. He hops around subjects wildly: from his recent road accidents (and the hubris of ticking the voluntary excess box when applying for insurance) to US defence and the martyrdom of the president (martyrdom should be binary – there is no part-martyr), chest hair and the change from Twitter to ‘X’.
The fears of his shows title are:
Fear of judgement
Fear of death
Fear of audiences
The last of these was unjustified as the well warmed up audience (in both meanings of ‘warm’) was responsive from the beginning relating to his personal revelations about hangovers (14 units of alcohol per week: is it better to have one beer over seven nights or seven beers in one night?), anxiety, children, parenting and the Mull of Kintyre as a gauge for what level of erection is acceptable to be shown in the media.
A major point arises when he discusses stand-up comedy as a career choice: it is a triumph of confidence over content. There is no problem for Alex; he has a very confident persona and engages sharply with his audience.
A further show is on 19th July at 5.45pm.
Brian Kirman
ALEX LEAM: TONY SLATTERY AND ME - Alex Leam
In 2018 at the Edinburgh Fringe, Alex Leam cheekily tried to get comedy legend Tony Slattery to come on his Improv Provocateur show. To Leam’s shock, he did, and an unlikely friendship was born. Sadly, Tony Slattery died earlier this year and this show is in aid of the charities he supported.
Surprised as anyone at the turn of events, Leam points out that his usual slot on the comedy food chain didn’t usually see him hobnobbing with celebrities. While his awkward meetings with famous people demonstrate he’s managed to botch meeting everyone from the Queen to Roy Wood.
Leam is a self-deprecating host, but clearly funny enough to hold his own in company with Slattery, who returned each year to join him on his Edinburgh show, and after Covid, Leam was part of the team who went on the road with him as he returned to the comedy circuit.
The show has some lovely anecdotes about their time together. Though Slattery had a fine knack for embarrassing his friends, so for all the joy it may have been, I’m really rather glad I never had dinner with him in a public place.
This is a finely balanced show, Leam has some telling clips of Slattery to share, from the height of his fame on Whose Line is it Anyway? to a brilliant moment on Leam’s Covid online comedy show, and there are some very funny texts from their conversations. However, there is plenty of Leam himself in the show, with his own tales from the comedy circuit. He’s a funny man and great company.
Stephen Walker
ANGELA BRA: SECRET DIARY OF A BINGO CALL GIRL - Angela Bra
I'm no afficionado of either drag acts or bingo, but Angela Bra (Angel Abra, rhymes with candelabra) won my partner and I over on a rare sultry Buxton evening at Lightwood Road's Working Men's Club.
The debonair Angela, all gold high heels, glossy blond wig and flashing smiles, greeted us warmly as we entered the dimly lit Underground venue.
Singing along to a range of popular songs with wittily and saucily reworked lyrics, this former teacher used her classroom skills to get everyone (even this initially reluctant reviewer) in the audience joining in with gusto.
Interspersing her singalongs with actual bingo (I was given a suitably pink pen) the show climaxed with the three winners joining the glamorous Angela on stage for a final song - for once I was glad I was a loser, but the three lucky winners did themselves and Angela proud.
Terry Richardson
ANNA HALE: CONTROL FREAK (WORK IN PROGRESS) - Anna Hale
Introducing herself loudly offstage, Anna Hale then erupts through the audience and bursts onto stage with a blast of energy that only gets more intense as the show goes on. She is a veritable whirlwind, singing and playing her way through a packed hour.
She’s a control freak. She’s written the songs, sold the tickets, rigged the lights, balanced the sound, cleaned the loos…. A lot of that wasn’t true, she confesses blithely, but a lot of it was actually true. She can write brilliant comedy songs, she can sing very high notes really well and she can play piano, guitar and kazoo! Sometimes all at the same time.
After emphasising several times that this show is ‘all about ME!’ she then goes on to prove this by asking several people in the front row their names and her completely uninterested monosyllabic responses say it all. She then apparently forgets their names but resurrects them brilliantly at several points later in the show. Poor Ian is all I can say.
The show then takes on a slightly darker tone as she explores her painful school and university days and how for someone with extreme anxiety it was much easier to say no, not go on a date and just stay at home. We all felt her pain. All this was done through comic song, so it was both moving and hilarious. The whole audience was entranced.
There followed a very funny version of her relationship with her Microsoft Teams therapist Jane. After the initial hilarious negotiation through the overcomplex voicemail menu of an anxiety helpline, through the CBT therapy, and finally to the realisation that she may no longer need help but how can she say thank you adequately? After running through various options in her head, she just says ‘Bye!’ She has never met Jane face to face but turns the light on the audience just in case Jane is there, proudly watching.
This was clearly a very painful and long journey for her but here she is now, on stage belting out her own brilliantly funny and insightful songs to the utter delight of the audience.
Well done, Anna. You smashed it!
Moira Kean
ARTIFICIALLY INTELLIGENT PROCRASTINATING PUNDIT - Denzil de Cristo
Denzil de Cristo is no stranger to fame, having appeared on Britain’s Got Talent some 20 years ago, only to be mauled by Simon Cowell. Fast forward 20 years and he’s here having given up his day job as a social worker to become a stand-up comedian.
Denzil plants his flag early on and we’re off into the world of AI, computers, religion and somewhere in there the first ever dad joke. We were treated to a long line of puns and one-liners some of which worked and some which didn’t. What didn’t work for me but did for the rest of the audience were the songs which were delivered totally off-key – and you won’t be surprised to learn that is the reason Mr Cowell gave him the thumbs down.
Denzil is off to Edinburgh next month and we wish him well!
Ian Parker Heath
BARREL OF LAUGHS - Underground
Barrel of Laughs is always a great chance to see four of the Fringe´s comedians strutting their stuff on one night. On this, the first evening of three, we opened with a set from the ¨Improvised Shakespeare Company', who, from random audience suggestions, managed to develop a variation of what slightly resembled The Tempest.
Next up was Edy Hurst, a favourite here in Buxton, with his unique and individual approach to comedy with music.
After a drinks break Dave Bibby gave us topical comedy riffing on his ADHD diagnosis - he wasn't content to simply sample from his main show (Hasta la Vista Bibby).
The evening was completed by a fast paced section from Nik Coppin who has a long (but not frequent) association with the Buxton Fringe.
The Barrel of Laughs returns on 18th and 25th with sets from four different comedians each time.
Brian Kirman
THE BEAUTY OF BEING HERD - Ruth Berkoff
Our Buxton Fringe certainly attracts the weird and wonderful. In recent years we have had an 'Ironing Board Man' - man telling a tragic story using ironing boards, 'Jane putting her finger on it' where Jane (almost) didn’t appear and now we have a women who decides to live as a sheep.
Ruth Berkoff presents her farewell party as a human and we are all invited. There was singing and dancing (frolicking*) and we learned the four rules of being a sheep:
1, Baaaa
2, Eat (and ruminate)
3, Look around
4, Stay together
That's all it takes; a very simple life, playing on the pun of the title. No complicated human rules or ‘conventions’ which are often unknown, unclear and easy to get wrong.
Having given us an introduction of ‘how’ to be a sheep we then learn what has brought Ruth to this decision and stories of her awkward and embarrassing attempts to be a successful human being. Unable to fit in or feel noticed in a social group setting.
We are taken on Ruth’s trials including office parties and even a sex party but none off these resolves her issues. She ends up at a Rave (we join in) where after dancing the night through she finds herself alone once more except for a field full of sheep where they all look so simple and fluffy.
Behind the frivolous title there is a serious discussion of social awkwardness and alienation told with a lot of charm and humour.
Our chorus:
The thing about sheep is they’re not deep
They’re basic and they know it
One more performance 12th July Underground Spring gardens
* Frolicking is optional, not a rule
Brian Kirman
BEHIND THE LAUGHTER & LIFE LESSONS OF A GRANDFATHER - Laugh For Life Comedy
As we all know, laughter is the best medicine and Laugh for Life Comedy (L4LC) has been running a comedy course in the community that helps participants improve their mental wellbeing by inviting them to have a go at stand up comedy.
The strategy might seem counterintuitive with one performer confessing that she had once jumped 15,000 feet from a plane and found it less scary than this. However, under the supportive tuition of comedian Henry Churney, this group of comedy debutants have clearly derived great satisfaction from the process and are even en route to the Edinburgh Fringe since it was announced that Laugh for Life Comedy & Care Merseyside clients have been chosen as recipients of Edinburgh Fringe’s ‘Keep it Fringe’ funding.
Against a banner featuring an enthusiastic quote of endorsement from comedian Jo Brand, and to a small but receptive audience at High Peak Bookstore and Cafe, the fledgling stand ups took to the stage with likeable material including observational comedy plus more than a hint of the surreal. Highlights included a Dr Who-style adventure in a car wash from Jane, marital woes and a string of relatable middle-aged jokes from Robbie, Carmel’s riveting tale of a tryst with a sexy man on a train, Victoria’s equally dodgy manoeuvres with a Spanish yoga teacher in full view of participants “tying themselves in knots like pretzels”, Frank with his quick-witted asides on subjects such as why so called multi-tasking women can’t have sex and a headache at the same time, and Sue with her bizarre comic tale about her son’s antics with a visiting moth.
After the interval, the experienced Henry delivered his Life Lessons of a Grandfather routine in which he opened up about his conflicted emotions seeing his daughter’s father-in-law’s face in the visage of his baby grandchild and delved into his own very vivid childhood memories, his earliest being aged eight days after a certain medical procedure related to his Jewish upbringing… We also learned about his more recent experiences with the NHS including lying in an MRI scanning machine listening to The Shape of Me and Wrecking Ball.
The whole evening proved a thoroughly worthwhile exercise with plenty of laughs, auguring well for the team’s Edinburgh Fringe debut next month.
Stephanie Billen
BLACK LIVER'S GAME SHOW SHOW - Black Liver
Black Liver return to the Fringe, always a good thing to say, and we weren’t disappointed with what we got. Their Game Show Show is a hoot and as you might imagine relies heavily on you the audience taking part!
Of course you’ll know the format, rounds of questions etc but its all done in a very silly way and Ruth & Keith have just as much fun as the audience they’re here to entertain. There are questions on home towns for example – so brush up on Buxton is my tip! No show these days is complete without advert breaks it seems and there are a few here, but nothing like you might be used to. There are props galore and even Bob Dylan makes a guest appearance, of sorts.
So, if you liked Vic & Bob back in the day get down to Underground Venues and catch the show on the 11th, 23rd and 24th and have some fun!
Ian Parker Heath
BLOODY MARVELLOUS: A COMEDY SHOW ABOUT THE MIDDLE AGES - Luke Connell
‘Bloody Marvellous; A Medieval Comedy Show’ was entertaining and belly achingly funny. The show was based around a funny tour of the medieval world with the fantastic Professor of Medieval Studies, Luke Connell. And in a short 45 minutes, he certainly covered quite a lot!
Luke Connell was engaging and interactive with the audience. Throughout he asked questions to different members of the audience and gave many witty replies. I really enjoyed the interactive nature of the show, especially the voting on which was the cutest medieval mole, all of whom had 'M' names!
Luke Connell was effortlessly funny and was an exceptionally knowledgeable guide of artifacts and stories of the medieval world that frequently made the auditorium bellow with laughter. The comparison of the modern world to the medieval world was a standout part of the set as the professor attempted to convince the audience that the medieval world was better, especially the medicine! He also proved that despite contrary beliefs; pilgrimage sites also sold ‘tourist tat’ and talked of silly stories from the medieval times.
The concept of the set was brilliant and was excellently executed. Luke was hysterical and captivating, and his comedy set is simply a must see while it is at Underground at the Working Men’s club. Connell is also taking his set to Manchester and then the Edinburgh Fringe and is certainly a comic to watch! You can also follow him on instagram and TikTok @luketheconnell .
It certainly was 'Bloody Marvellous'!
Isabel Fletcher-Shaw
CRUDI DENCH: SOMEONE HELP HER! (WORK IN PROGRESS) - Crudi Dench
Crudi Dench, the strikingly hirsute redhead, has become a firm Buxton Fringe favourite starring in award-winning shows Drag Queens Vs Zombies and Drag Queens Vs Vampires alongside Kate Butch. This time she is back recording her new TV show 'Someone Help Her', and she needs the audience’s help to help her help you (help her).
Someone Help Her is a wonderful hour of stand-up and audience interaction. Crudi is slick and professional, with clever misdirection in her stand up resulting in you never knowing where the joke is taking you.
Crudi has learned her craft and it shows in her command of the stage and the array of props she uses. This stand out performance had everyone in the audience on tenterhooks in case they were called upon to answer her phone. Crudi has such control and even with a much bigger audience she could have them do as she wishes.
Crudi’s not for the easy offendable with her topical jokes and quips, but she is fun and unthreatening with a gift for making the audience feel included. She is a true gem and l can't wait to see her again.
Mark Justin-Ford
DANIEL NICHOLAS: HAUNTING IN THE ARCADE - Ingenious Fools Ltd
Daniel Nicholas: Haunting in the Arcade was a lot of fun by a very accomplished performer. There was not a huge audience but Daniel got some of the Underground staff involved and made sure we all helped solve the paranormal activity in the arcade.
We all introduced ourselves then got down to the business of sorting out what was going on in the arcade but first we needed a name - Tipping Point was given - and then a dance and a noise. Then every time Tipping Point was said, we did the noise and the action. Then for some reason this reviewer volunteered to leave the room. Hard to review a show when you are not in the building...
When I came back in, I searched the stage for paranormal activity with the help of the Tipping Point gang.
We then went on a journey through a cavalcade of characters all played with great fun and enthusiasm by Daniel.
There was a story running through this and we helped to solve the mystery with some games along the way and a few beep and blips noises in the arcade.
Mostly I would say it the most fun, interactive hour you will spend on a Tuesday night or any night really.
It ended with an ingenious way to get instant publicity for the show by getting us all to use our phone cameras.
Go and see this show tonight - you may well end up on stage, you will all be involved but most of all you will have a lot of fun. It was a bit like a grown-up version of Scooby Doo without any pesky kids or a mystery machine.
It is on again tonight (July 15th) at Underground at Spring Gardens at 8.30pm - go and book yourself a ticket; you will not be disappointed.
Robert Harrison
DAVE BIBBY: HASTA LA VISTA... BIBBY! - Dave Bibby
What do you expect from a Fringe Comedy? A simple stand-up comedian, a situation comedy maybe?
Doesn’t sound particularly ‘Fringey’. Something more adventurous, off-the-wall perhaps?
Dave Bibby doesn’t dissapoint with his excursion in fantasy based on a recreation of the movie “Back to the Future”. Of course, a big budget film like that needs a big cast and this is where the audience came in. Dave was novel and effective in the way he had the audience participate and all members took part enthusiastically and even improvised their own lines to great effect. There were times when Dave appeared out of control of himself and his supporting actors (us) referring to his ADHD but his recurring theme of time travel enabled him to reclaim order and progress the movie.
‘Hasta La Vista Bibby’ depended heavily on audio visual support and this was seamless and perfectly timed. The overall result was a funny and bizarre evening – a perfect Fringe Comedy.
One more show 11th July, Underground at the Working Mens Club.
Brian Kirman
EDY HURST'S WONDERFULL DISCOVERIE OF WITCHES IN THE COUNTIE OF HIMSELF (WARM-UP) - Edy Hurst
It was a highly-imaginative, energetic, hilariously chaotic exit for managed venue Underground at this year’s Buxton Festival Fringe as it bowed out with Edy Hurst, who exploited rather then explored a tenuous ancestral link to accused Pendle witch Elizabeth Southerns. If Elizabeth Southerns had any talent for witchcraft then it became extremely tangled as it travelled down the ancestral line, particularly on encountering the Vengaboys’ round-the-globe concept album in Edy Hurst’s labyrinthine imagination. Throw in a bus ride to Pendle, an ingenious salt circle, a mysterious floating orb, a tarot reading, a birthday party for a three-year-old, squashed amphibians – and of course a cauldron, and the audience will have left non the wiser but certainly entertained and just about guaranteed to be grinning for some time afterwards.
Shame it was on the last afternoon and was therefore too late to be nominated for a Buxton Fringe award. This was a warm-up for the Edinburgh Fringe - well worth seeing if you’re going up there.
Curtis Bollington
EDY HURST: PICK UP THY BOW AND SWIM! OH MIGHTY KING OF ITHACA (WIP) - Edy Hurst
Biding for the prize of longest (and most obscure) show title of the fringe we have Edy Hurst etc. etc..
The story of of Odysseus’s return from Troy after a ten year war has been told many times but never before, I think, using electro-punk and a whoopee cushion. He also claims the horse was his idea. Amongst Edy’s bizarre show we are fed jelly babies from a fishing rod, we get to throw balls at him and part of the show is delivered with a full head mask – resembling Frank Sidebottom’s (for those of a certain age) except Frank Sidebottom’s head didn’t have a trunk; and one eye – this was after all Edy's Cyclops moment.
With Eddy Hurst there is always music which in this case was mostly an electronic-accompaniment but took centre stage with an extended experiment with reverb. His guitar seemed to be problematic but he got there in the end.
Edy covered other episodes in Odysseus’s journey in this eccentric presentation of the classic story of homecoming and life’s fulfilment.
We also were witness to Edy’s phone calls with his agent – who was pressing for something mainstream and commercial. We are grateful that this pressure was resisted by Edy otherwise we would have missed the trip to Hades and a malfunctioning fake head.
A further performance 26th July
Brian Kirman
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM - Leamprov
I've often heard the comedy sub-genre of improv roasted as the poor relation of stand-up: at best, a distant cousin, twice removed. However, this long-derided view is at odds with my experience of the literal fun and games provided by the elephant team from Leamprov (pronounced Lem, short for Leamington Spa!).
Coolly triumphant, like the fabled elephant, the shoot-from-the-hip hipster troupe gently encourage their audience to generate a series of unlikely japes and scrapes like a human video player in which time is fast-forwarded, only to be rewound and played again on several occasions.
Flitting from scene to scene creates a tingly atmosphere of palpable anticipation, which in turn creates the daftest one-off comic masterpieces involving such strange bed-fellows as racing snails, Sherlock Holmes and Morris Dancers.
Maybe improv works because of the risk involved: the audience coming up with bad ideas, or worse still, no ideas -none at all. Maybe.
Maybe improv works because the audience provides hellishly difficult scenarios like an alphabetical approach to packing for a camping trip. Maybe.
Or maybe improv works because it is blooming great family-friendly fun, and often very, very funny!
David Carlisle
GEORGE COPPEN - UNDER THE BOARDDWARF - George Coppen
The name of the show is a clue - Under the boardwarf – and what you get is…dwarf comedy!
Whilst some might object to the term and indeed the very subject of dwarf/s/ism George revels in it and has made a show out of his experiences and then some. He is not afraid to talk about the ups and downs of his size and neither should you be. To be fair, he does shine a light on the of the most bizarre things that people have thought, and sadly said on occasion, about his size.
The show is delivered at a gentle pace which befits the gentle style of often self-deprecating humour. You will indeed be surprised by some of what you hear and slightly saddened by other things. Go and support George if you can on his next visit to town as this was his only show this time around.
Ian Parker Heath
HAYLEY ELLIS: SILLY MARE (WORK IN PROGRESS) - Hayley Ellis
This is comedic presentation of the highest order. Joke-telling it is not, Haley is no sexist-described 'queen of quips' or 'princess of puns,' she's a consummate comedian.
With the machine-gun delivery of motor-boat mouthed madness, Hayley teases away at the fabric of life's tapestry, pulling thread after thread until the guffawing starts. Like a misjudged innocent, she then turns on her sweetest serious smile and starts again.
The usual stuff gets the full Ellis treatment in an adult-themed tirade - relationships, aging, memory loss and body dysmorphia!
Like the virtual love-child of Victoria Wood and Ben Elton, she launches at the situational and observational with frightening speed, blending together Kylie, Sonic the hedgehog and true life crime with a hundred other things to create a soup of utter hilarity.
A work-in-progress show, which in its way might turn out to be a pre-TV show. She's going places: talented writing, blazing delivery and a comic credo that is summed-up in her final phrase: "enjoy the silly moments in your life!"
David Carlisle
I AM MYCOCK - Dr Andy Mycock
Well, let’s start with the fact that this show attracted the largest audience for a Fringe comedy show I’ve been in. Now it may have drawn a large audience because of the family connection with the area, or it might have been on the strength of a brief appearance at one of the Fringe’s Springboard event earlier this year. Whatever the reason the show was a sell-out. ‘I am Mycock’ was a part academic talk (rather than lecture), part comedy show and it worked perfectly.
The germ of this show came from living with the name Mycock and the years of torment, teasing and laughter it garnered from people he met. Who hasn’t already thought of something funny about the name? Andy slowly revealed some of his family history including people’s first names, such as his mum – Pat. See, there’s a smile on your face! There are variants of cock related names such as Woodcock and Growcock but none really compare to Mycock.
But this all begs the question why? What is it about the name that engenders such reactions? Well, Andy showed us. The serious, academic answers are related to male power and privilege, but in getting there we had to deal with the elephant in the room. The penis. Aka the cock, or if you prefer, the Cock and our (both men and women) relationship with it.
You won’t be surprised to learn that there’s an awful lot of material available on the penis both academically and less so out there in the world, and Andy skilfully navigated his way around the world of the cock. People can capitalise his surname differently – MyCock – and you do have to think why? It appears in so many ways and guises, is the foundation of much humour and comedy, as graffiti, as household decorations and more.
I think I can safely say that everybody in the room was laughing and we all enjoyed being a Mycock for the evening. If you missed the show don’t worry, it was recorded for Radio 4 and will be broadcast next year.
Thank you Andy.
Ian Parker Heath
IMAGINARY PORNO CHARADES - Sweet Productions
I can’t believe it’s just one year since I last saw this show and for the uninitiated amongst you, it's where the titles of songs, films, books and more are mangled into new and surprising titles with the emphasis on porn. Imaginary Porno Charades (IPC) is a show where just about anything goes.
Last night saw the return of reigning and undefeated world Champion Heather Rose Andrews to take on a new team captain, the redoubtable Dylan Howells – well known to the Fringe and Underground of course. Sadly, last year’s captain the humbled and hapless Ian David Norris had vacated the captain’s seat to become chair.
Team members this year were Steve Vertigo (Murmuration) and Mike Raffone (Daydream Extremer) with Heather, and they were opposed by Darren Poyzer (Fascist Regime) and returning from last year as if she hadn’t had enough already Ishi Khan
To be honest, it was a bit of a rout, with Heather and her team riding roughshod over poor old Dylan and his team. There were some tough titles to mime, but in Heather there is a truly worthy champion to behold!
The final score was 11-6 and Heather retained here title with ease. There is another bout tonight (21st) at the Underground WMC. There will be some bodily fluids mentioned.
Ian Parker Heath
IMPROMPTU SHAKESPEARE - Impromptu Shakespeare Improv Company
..or Death and the Squirrel, as we might perhaps call last night’s performance.
You know you’re in safe hands at a Buxton Fringe event when you’re handed a pingpong ball on the way in. Impromptu Shakespeare is the perfect way to kick off your Fringe experience, it’s joyous, silly and clever. But most of all, it’s very, very funny.
The Impromptu Shakespeare Improv Company is extremely good at this. Each show is guided by prompts from the audience (pingpong balls! Death! Squirrels!) but the whole thing is so beautifully crafted by the company that, despite the audience’s best efforts, the result will be a recognisably Shakespeare-y show, complete with star-crossed lovers, cross-dressing and - er - cardboard cutouts.
The format relies on the fact that we have all, love him or loathe him, grown up with the Bard. We recognise the patterns of speech and the plot devices. Such a safe and vast framework gives the four members of the cast plenty of room to riff on the multiple meanings of 'bear', or to spout silliness about Tudor breakfast cereal. Or simply to grin at us, en masse, from behind dodgy false moustaches.
It’s tempting to try and work out how it’s done. To try and spot the join between what is genuinely being made-up on the hoof and what has perhaps been pre-prepared. But why bother? Just join in and have a rattling good time.
There are two more performances of Impromptu Shakespeare. Get yourself along to one. In fact, why not get yourself along to both? As the company says, each one will be completely different.
Anna Girolami
IT'S NOT CLUEDO - Chris Neville-Smith
As a major fan of Cluedo, I was really looking forward to this one and Chris definitely didn't disappoint. At the same time, as noted in the title though, this is Not Cluedo. Instead, it's a creative twist on the cherished board game that so many of us have loved over the years.
The show began with the announcement that there had been a murder (!) and we had one hour to solve the mystery before the murderer got away. At this point, the game had to be set up. With Chris improvising and including audience participation, together we created six new suspects, six new weapons and nine potential murder locations for our poor, unsuspecting victim.
With our local dive bar as the setting, was it Reverend Fire in the DJ booth with the golf balls? Or was it Madam Ice in the gents loo with the trombone? Accusations were thrown, innocence was proven, and as time ticked on, we worked as a team, determined to find the killer!
A light-hearted, fun-filled show full of laughs and creativity, It's Not Cluedo has taken a well-known basis for a game and turned it upside down, resulting in a great show where, with only a few minutes left, we actually caught our killer! Job well done.
Mark Justin-Ford
JACOB NUSSEY: PRIMED - Jacob Nussey
There are many styles of comedy that storytellers adopt to amuse audiences in different ways. A comedian has to decide on his style and presentation. There are many to choose from: bubbly, wise-cracking, interactive, slapstick, parodic and so on. As we learn about Jacob Nussey’s job history it has inevitably led him to a ‘dour self-deprecating’ style.
He tells us about his string of ‘crap’ jobs culminating in a three and half year stint at Amazon – which, he says, was only 80% as bad as he thought it would be. Note the title of his show, “Primed”.
We learn much about the airport-style security and operating conditions ‘inside’ (he is told he can leave anytime – which was a concern as until then he had never thought there would be a restriction) and the loneliness where his mind wanders and drifts to fantasy. Sometimes he deliberately worked slowly so that he would be called into the supervisor’s office: it was a way of finding human interaction. His attitude to Jeff Bezos: “idle waster, hasn’t shown up for weeks”.
While Jacob is negative about Amazon he still uses them: ‘the convenience overrules the moral’.
The audience at Underground Spring Gardens venue thoroughly enjoyed Jacob’s show which was packed to capacity.
Brian Kirman
JAMES BECKETT: STUTTER ISLAND - ZFS Comedy
Twelve years ago, James Beckett was a rising star on the UK comedy scene. Then he stopped. This much you can gather from his blurb in the Fringe guide. During the course of his show last night, he explained that he stopped because he had become obsessed with the fact that he stutters.
Beckett does not sound like somebody who stutters. He is loud - very loud - and he talks a lot, very quickly. Nonetheless, stutter he does. At the beginning of the show, he described what we would see and hear and how he would deal with it. Which he did. His set was fast, scattergun and very funny. You will never be able to hear the DuckTales theme tune in the same way again. The show comes with an ‘adult themes’ warning and, unlike Beckett, it isn’t kidding.
There are visual jokes, word jokes and even musical jokes. The comedy is mostly situational but we bounce from situation to situation like gazelles around an outcrop.
I imagine Beckett wouldn’t want to be described as ‘courageous’. A comedian lives or dies by whether or not they are funny, not by how much resolve they have. But it was impossible not to at least imagine how much resolve is needed to get back on the comedy horse after twelve years away. Particularly since the reason you stopped is still there, just waiting to torpedo your delivery. But if you get it right, explosions can be funny too.
Anna Girolami
JEANNIE JONES: APHRODISIAC - Jeannie Jones
How do you keep the magic in a relationship? How do you continue to kindle a fire in the bedroom? Why was this reviewer selected for this show? Learning that people in long-term relationships are having less sex than ever, Jeannie Jones set out to address some of these questions in an entertaining late-night set.
Jones is a GP as well as a stand-up comedian, so it’s no surprise that she comes at the issues from a medical point of view, but her effervescent personality never lets it seem too serious. The show has its share of technical terms, but certainly not overwhelmingly so, and there are plenty of anecdotes and jokes to leaven the mix.
What worked best was when she engaged the audience, particularly in a drawing challenge. It was a lot of fun, and also a barometer of how much they were willing to participate. Jones is a natural communicator, and more elements in the show that involved her in dialogue with the audience would be a good thing.
Aphrodisiac was a fun hour late at night in a hot room, maybe we were all a bit past our best, but Jeannie Jones got us in the mood.
Stephen Walker
JEST JULIA: SONGS OF JOY AND JUSTICE - Pepita Productions / Sweet Productions
Julia Knight opened the evening’s entertainment with a joyful ditty based on a 17th century song but with a very contemporary theme. The overall themes of the show were joy and justice, some her own and some for others. We were treated to a range of styles and instruments which added to the feel of the show, which didn’t take itself too seriously, which is good for a comedy isn’t it?
Most of the songs were her own compositions, but she did do a couple of Victoria Wood’s lesser known tunes and wildly adapted a few Queen favourites into a medley taking aim at billionaires and their way of life at others expense. The Guardian reader’s favourite George Monbiot also found himself in the crosshairs of her sights though not nearly as critically as those dashed billionaires.
Julia loves avocados, so much so that we had not one, but two songs extolling their virtues and some of the vices associated with their production. It sounds serious, but the whole show was easy-going fun. Julia will be playing her songs again on the 23rd and 24th for your pleasure
Ian Parker Heath
JIM DALY: MATCH OF THE DALY - Jim Daly
Jim Daly’s viral comedy football songs have made him an internet superstar, and for this brand new show he is pulling together some of those songs along with some stand-up and audience interaction featuring heckle comebacks for each of our teams.
The songs are what made Daly famous, and he shared a few, including one impressively listing all 92 teams in (last year’s) league – rewrite incoming! There were also hilarious tributes to Roy Keane’s grumpiness and Steve McLaren’s hair, both accompanied by montages onscreen. I’m not sure which was scarier.
Daly is a funny man, and a great communicator with an encyclopaedic knowledge of football. Throughout the show he was chatting to the audience members, finding out their teams, even allowing us a ‘second’ team - as long as they were non-league.
I loved his interaction with two youngsters in the audience, particularly when he forgot that Oscar supported Man City not Man Utd and his bafflement when given Carlos Tevez as the lad’s favourite United player. While his chats with James had enough patter and football knowledge to fill the entire show.
Jim Daly stepped in at the last minute with this work in progress show to fill a vacant slot, and it was great to have the opportunity to see this show as well as an accomplished stand-up set at Barrel of Laughs later. Let’s hope we get to see the finished version next Fringe.
Stephen Walker
JOZ NORRIS: YOU WAIT. TIME PASSES. - Joz Norris
Tonight is the big night, the night when Joz Noris reveals his life’s work. Thirty five years in the making and now we get to see the result but first we have to learn something about his life and some of what we learned we wish we hadn’t. ‘Getting his finger out’, for example. And his relationship with an ‘AI sex chat bot’. Better if we don’t go there.
Joz lives in a world of ‘created reality’, not fantasy: understand the difference. And after several phone calls and dialogue involving audience reaction, and distracted monologues we get what he has been teasing us with:
The big reveal.
But first another pause while he considers moving on into a life no longer with a driving purpose but he can’t put it off any longer, he opens the box, literally and metaphorically. Not sure I should give away his life’s work in this review but I wouldn’t know how to describe it anyway.
Joz is a confident performer and welcomed the audience individually at the start. Despite the bizarre theme and an even more weird ending the audience was not made to feel uncomfortable and responded well.
Joz has only one show at this Fringe but there is only one life’s work to reveal and there is nothing more. Maybe in another 35 years?
Brian Kirman
LATE NIGHT DIRTY SCRABBLE - WITH ROB ROUSE & FRIENDS - Rob Rouse & Underground
The old cliche 'it does what it says on the tin' is an eminent fit for this show. It's late night, it's scrabble and it's dirty. The ever genial Rob Rouse sets the mood with a summary of the other smutty ideas he's had for gameshows (mainly unrepeatable) before introducing us to his fellow guest scrabblers who then embark on a game where anything can be put on the board as long as it's mucky. This does lead to much creativity in terms of word invention and interpretation. Some seemingly quite banal words were endowed with unprecedented levels of innuendo. And some very filthy words were invented that will probably, and hopefully, never be seen again.
It's impossible to put spoilers in this review as scrabble is of course a random game and the changing roster of guest players means literally anything could happen. As such, the show relies completely on the interaction between Rob, his guests and the audience, but we are in safe hands with such an assured performer. Like the best of gameshows, humour came from the most unexpected corners. Even the reviewer got roped in at one point due to his biro failing (don't ask).
Much was made of the fact that one of the panellists was the son of a Methodist Minister. But in truth, despite the extreme levels of dirtiness, there is a strange innocence about it all, probably because everything is so utterly silly and good natured. You could probably have taken Mother Theresa along and she would likely have had a good laugh.
So if muck and laughs is your thing, then this is the show for you.
Fred Rolland
LESLIE BLOOM'S NO MORE MURDERS IN THE VILLAGE - Sweet Productions
The village of Toddingham has a problem, but no one wants to mention it. There may have been (whisper it) murders taking place – or certainly that’s what village tour guide Leslie Bloom believes. Leslie is a vision in blue velour, introducing us to the scenes of her various amorous encounters with celebrated film stars, before handing over the stage to a few more colourful characters – an officious council employee, a kleptomaniac ghost, Leslie’s young son Craig masquerading as the local vicar, and a certain A-list Belfast-born actor-director, who has in recent years made his own entries in the classic whodunnit canon.
All these characters interweave to create a list of suspects in a possible murder in the village, aided and abetted by much input from the audience. No More Murders is a pleasingly daft take on the cosy crime genre, and Leslie Bloom is a very likeable guide to its surreal goings on. The show is still a work in progress and, it’s fair to say, a little raw at this performance – at times descending into agreeable chaos – but there are the germs of a very funny show here.
Robbie Carnegie
ME TIME - The Feather Fixer
Building on last year’s More O Me, Maura Jackson was back in Beer and Bean for another round of highly colourful self-deprecating anecdotes. This set was a bit of a mixture of ‘Me Time' interspersed with weird stuff that happens now that we would have laughed at in the 70s. Gender reveal parties? In our day, that was the birth!
Most of the audience in the packed (and very hot) venue could definitely relate to the 'things were better in the olden days’ vibe. ‘Eating out used to be a Greggs’ sausage roll but now it has become a seafood platter where no-one knows how to deal with the seafood’ did elicit some laughter.
Now a self-confessed Middle Class Wanker, there were some tales around dog breeds: Aren’t labradoodles and cockerpoos just mongrels? Why do dogs have private healthcare, and I don’t? They used to be called Spike now they’re called Alan, and we spend a fortune on them. Wellies for dogs? Come on!
Me Time anecdotes were around frankly terrifying spa treatments and Blackpool beach horror experiences. A far cry from her mother’s me time of fags and bingo. Is Me Time now too stressful?
Maura is a practised storyteller and rattled off all the anecdotes at a fair pace which didn’t really leave room for audience interaction.
This reviewer was left disappointed that she didn’t start with her usual my name is Maura not Moira routine, but hey you can’t have everything!
Moira Kean
MJ HIBBETT: DATA AND DOCTOR DOOM - MJ Hibbett
You wait 20 years for comedy based on academic research to appear here in Buxton and then two come along in the same Fringe, what are the odds?!
Dr MJ Hibbert – for this research was for his PhD – gave us that rarest of treats, a really fun way of understanding serious research. Now, I know that doesn’t sound appealing but trust me, I and the rest of the audience loved it.
Facts and figures were just worked into jokes, songs and banter with the audience. Just who was Dr Doom and his various appearances in the world of Marvel comics was clearly explained, but I suspect a good number of the audience knew a thing or two about him beforehand.
The result was that we understood the complex world of comic character creation and transformations over time, including how a change in editorial input can lead a serious villain like Dr Doom to become wildly unstable in just a few short years.
So, if you like the world of comics, superheroes and supervillains get down to the show that has it all and even some statistical tests thrown in!
Ian Parker Heath
MOVING ON... REALLY REALLY SLOWLY - Stephen Catling
Stephen's warm energetic performance had a strong gastropodous start, 'slugging' in by way of introduction with interesting facts sprinkled throughout and some excellent one-liners gaining many laughs from the small audience. Some hysterically so, and with some delightful twists and turns along the way.
How might it be to hold a pint of beer (or lager) if you were a horse, and hoofed?? Suffice to say, we all found out!
Loud, raw and political at times. Dark, emotional and more intimate at others, and wonderfully absurd throughout with some great mis-direction thrown in, it would be fair to state this is work in progress, and was a show that did have an exorcism or two as promised with some wonderful audience exchanges who mostly engaged beautifully with Stephen's performance.
The emotional depth of this show became apparent in the latter half, and was particularly interesting in how it related to Stephen's relationship heartbreak through a neurodivergent lens, with some deeply personal elements covering mental health and the effects of medication proving to be too uncomfortable for one or two of the audience.
Stephen however brought a very real element to his performance at the Fringe this year, and was laid bare for all to see... and in many more ways than one!
Brian Lutchmiah
NATHAN CASSIDY: IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD - Nathan Cassidy
Nathan Cassidy, serial award nominee... No, that was the last review. His new show here in town was It’s Not The End of The World and as ever the germ of an idea came from real life.
Much of Nathan’s comedy takes you on a wild meander around, to paraphrase those immortal words of The Bonzo Dog Band, ‘the canyons of his mind’. It's bizarre at times, convoluted at others, but always engaging. Snippets of his life story conjure up images that lead you to wonder just how sane he really is, but then you remember it’s all part of the story.
Last night we had women scaffolders, Nobby Stiles, 'remember the majority', running through fields with sticks, Leave/Brexit and more. In amongst all this was the origin of the show’s title – a phrase often spoken by his step-father as a platitude when life got tough. And also in there was a serious note, about the army of carers hidden from public view and for the most part missing from political debate - a subject clearly close to his heart.
So, a bittersweet show to a sold-out venue. What more do we need?
Ian Parker Heath
NATHAN CASSIDY: PIRACY - Nathan Cassidy
Fringe award winner and serial nominee Nathan Cassidy returns to the Fringe. No surprise there then. What we got was what Nathan is good at – starting with an acorn of an idea and taking the audience along as it grows and grows into an often very surprising finale.
The theme of this show was Piracy. Nothing at all Caribbean related. No, the other kind – the nicking of an idea and passing it off as your own. Plagiarism, pure and simple. Who knew it happened in the world of comedy? Well it does apparently. And so we have a tale of hurt, loss and love. Not necessarily in that order and to differing degrees. A famous yet unnamed rival in the world of comedy – not Bobby Davro, although he does get a mention – ‘allegedly stole’ and the hurt is there for all to see.
Music, a partial striptease (steady now ladies) and pathos all delivered in Nathan’s own inimitable style. What’s not to like? Well, see for yourself with two performances on Sunday 13th, this show at 3pm and a different show at 5:30pm.
Ian Parker Heath
NIK COPPIN'S COMEDY WORLD - Art of Comedy
Nik Coppin had the unenviable task of doing a comedy show on Carnival evening, when you can never be sure what kind of audience turns up. As it happens it was a good one and they readily joined in the fun.
There was so much interaction with the audience from the off. Nik teed up subjects and the mainly female audience responded, and sometimes not quite in the way that may have been intended, but therein lay a lot of the fun. It’s good to watch the star of the show get side-tracked into rabbit holes and then try and get out again. But Nik managed admirably to steer the ship back on course.
We had an hour of mixture of observational humour, jokes, one-liners as well as old and new material. You can even get to rate the new ones! He’s a well-travelled comedian and the range of his experience and jokes stretched from Brighton to Perth – the Australian one - so it truly is a comedy world.We should glad he calls in to Buxton now and again.
Nik is on again on the 13th.
Ian Parker Heath
PHIL GREEN: A BROKEN MAN'S GUIDE TO FIXING OTHERS - Phil Green
In a follow up to his previous show, 'Guilt' in 2024, Phil brought his new material to a small, yet engaged, audience this year. Part way to being fixed, this reviewer highly enjoyed Phil's set on a balmy summer's evening with a frequently funny and moving set spanning obsession, elephants, Lycra...and some edgier content. Many more will surely identify with much of Phil's warm offering when he takes to the stage in Edinburgh later this summer.
His take on life in middle-age covers the tell-tale signs of a broken man in motion, with a call out to the audience to join him and spread the word...I won't say the word (or more accurately acronym) though if you were there, you will remember!
I suspect this show will be very well received this summer, with some slick and very funny visual aids, charts, quotes and observations to get the crowd giggling, some great timing and a wonderful narrative. I urge others to look him up! Be prepared if you do, as Phil covers the dark and real side of men's mental health with aplomb, sensitivity and a wry and cheeky eye...and it is more than '100% fine' for him to do so in this reviewer's humble opinion.
Brian Lutchmiah
PHILIP SIMON: SHALL I COMPERE THEE IN A FUNNY WAY? - Philip Simon
Philip Simon’s off the cuff show Shall I Compere Thee In A Funny Way? can offer an up to the second view of what’s happening in the world around us. Anything is up for grabs. A QR code is on screen when you enter, inviting you to suggest any topic you’d like to discuss. A few internet access issues caused some hilarity, but such is the nature of this show, we could probably just have shouted them out.
The topics – along with a couple from Philip – were projected onto a large spinning wheel and we discussed whatever came up. There wasn’t a huge amount to pick from as the audience numbers were low on this rainy afternoon, but Philip’s skill is to make the most from these potential lean pickings and so the conversation flowed as he tried to get everyone in the audience involved in each conversation, whilst pointing out any perceived common elements. We were all one big Venn diagram really!
The couple caught on camera at the Coldplay concert provided much fodder for amusement. Happily, there was no Jumbotron camera in the Underground venue as Philip sought to find out if any of the couples present were in a similar situation. There was some shifting around in the seats, so I’m not quite sure what to make of that.
The pros and cons of wining and dining on a first date were discussed as were toy boys, cougars and archaeology. It’s pretty certain that exact combination has not come up before in this show and that’s why it remains fresh every time.
Moira Kean
A POLITICAL BRUNCH - Jesters Dublin
On a soggy Buxton afternoon Jesters Dublin entertained with a mixture of pre-selected topics as well as audience inspired ones for their annual comic take on anything newsworthy.
As the brunch really relies on the people in the room having a take on whatever is being discussed, it did occasionally fumble a bit, but Chris has his three comedic sidekicks – George, Paul and Liz – to fall back on.
Their pre-selected subjects – Ireland v England, Trump and Brexit - were never going to match up with the outright serendipity and sheer madness of the ones emanating from the audience. Finding out you have 47 cousins you didn’t know about via ancestry.com, and that you and your sister have different fathers and that neither of those were who you actually thought was your father. You just can’t write this stuff and as Chris O’Neil said, that was worthy of a show of its own.
There was a lively discussion around Japan, where developers are apparently tearing down gaming arcades but whose super-efficient rail system was back on track just 90 mins after an earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter Scale. Very impressive said Chris, that would have taken four years in Ireland. But do they have rail replacement buses quipped Paul?
Voting at 16, driving over 80 and conscription all provoked lively debate in the room. It felt like a discussion between mates in a pub and was not a bad way of spending a rainy hour during the Fringe. We were just missing the pints!
Moira Kean
RICHARD PULSFORD: THE SHORT JOKE TELLER RETURNS - Richard Pulsford
What a show! More than a hundred jokes!
So Richard Pulsford is back at the Fringe with yet more one-liners, puns and rapid-fire jokes. In in other words The Short Joke Teller Returns! Boom boom! *I’ll get my coat*.
Richard played to a really appreciative audience who know what they were getting from the get go. There was no holding him back and there were so many jokes, and of course you try and remember them but you can’t then put them in the review to spoil it for others. But take it from me there indeed some crackers in there.
As Richard himself said, they didn’t all land, but it would be foolish to expect them to. What we had was a good night out with a comedian who knows his trade and an audience who loved him doing it.
He has two more show at the Fringe on the 15th and 16th. Do yourself a favour and go and have a laugh!
Ian Parker Heath
ROB ROUSE & TOM WRIGGLESWORTH: THE UNLIKELY WEIGHTLIFTERS - Rob Rouse & Tom Wrigglesworth
I must confess to having had second thoughts about trekking through a stormy Buxton night to the Working Man’s Club to hear two blokes talk bollocks, and when the first subject was the relative merits of Vimto versus Barley Water I was beginning to wonder if I had made the right decision. However the two blokes in question were Rob Rouse and Tom Wrigglesworth and this was no ordinary Vimto v Barley Water chat. It was clear that at no point in their preparation (did they do any?) had they thought how this could work but, helped by an audience member, who was inadvertently funny himself, it was hilarious. To their credit the audience member was invited on stage without any mocking or humour at his expense.
There wasn't much about weightlifting and the show will appear somewhere as one of their regular podcasts.
Something Tom had prepared (?) was a quiz about Royal Warrants; again not immediately apparently fertile comedy ground. This brought a nostalgia for products past and present; ‘Terry’s Chocolate Oranges’ proved to be controversial. Next they dealt with ‘soil stacks’ (sewage down pipes) prompted by the rear of the building across from the WMC. The practicality of soil stacks in Burj Kalifa in Dubai was discussed. They made Soil Stacks funny.
Somehow Rob moved the subject on to sex toys being sold in his local Tesco. This led to a fantasy of women getting aroused in the pork pie isle (or was that just me?). Rob continued with readings of some of the published reviews of the sex toys (so, he had done some preparation then). Some of the reviews were read out with one user giving a ‘pleasure sleeve’ four stars but he said he might increase this after he had tried it.
A very funny show to a full house; five stars in fact (if we gave stars), and I might have increased this had I won the Vimto.
Another show 21st July
Brian Kirman
SAMANTHA DAY: THE GREAT BRITISH MENU (OF PETTY COMPLAINTS) - Samantha Day
Samantha Day bought her show to town last night and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Of course you know from the title what you are likely to get, and as is so often the case, it came to pass.
The show was pretty much a contest between two teams who could provide examples of true British pettiness over a range of themes – mobile phones, the media (social and other), all the usual suspects we know and love/hate/do. These challenges were interwoven with tales of pettiness in the Day family, the derring do of leaving online baskets in online checkouts and not actually buying anything and the immortal question of why would anyone need two penises.
Our host took us confidently and gently along with her soft south Oxfordshire burr and encouraged our participation in yet more pettiness by stealing the other teams points. The audience fully entered into the spirit of the show and we all had a great time.
Sadly this was here only appearance at this year’s Fringe but I do hope she returns next year with more pettiness than ever!
Ian Parker Heath
STUART THOMAS: BAD FATTY (WIP) - Stuart Thomas
It’s a brave performer who sends out a quarter of his audience at the start. A group had said up front that they couldn’t stay for the full show, so he said go now.
Stuart Thomas is clearly a bold performer who takes no nonsense from his audience. He welcomed passers by (the window to the street was open) in, just as easily as he told them to leave.
In spite of (or perhaps because) of this he had an immediate rapport with the packed audience in the Beer and Bean bar. He improvised well, picking on the audience without getting too personal. He was tempted to pause the show for a ‘food break’ when a couple up front had their meal delivered.
It was half way through his show before he got to the point of being a ‘fatty’. He is a big lad and he is self deprecating about this. The ‘bad’ part of this was how he used his size to intimidate people. For example when boarding a plane he takes great pleasure in walking the full length of the isle to see the fear on the peoples faces who had a free seat next to them.
Being Welsh there were a number of sheep jokes: when a sheep is stolen it’s not rustling but ‘sex trafficking’, a ‘Welshman living on a sheep farm was like living in the Playboy Mansion’. You get the idea.
The format of the Beer and Bean is such that people come and go throughout which could have been disconcerting but Stuart handled it well.
Brian Kirman
SUNDAY SERVICE - Matt Drapper
Matt Drapper had an unconventional upbringing, home schooled, along with his nine siblings, by his preacher father, and brought up on a diet of the Bible at its most fundamental. This is the backdrop for Sunday Service, Matt’s stand-up show in which he gently pokes fun at fundamentalist beliefs.
Being as well schooled in biblical studies as he is, Matt definitely knows what he’s talking about, and as he says, sometimes that can bring on a pedantry that can be a curse (‘It’s not a whale, it’s a big fish!’). He wrings laughs from the logical convolutions that some people go through to explain the unexplainable in biblical stories, such as how Noah managed to fit two of every animal species into the Ark.
Matt is a likeable personality and played to a capacity crowd at the Lee Wood, and while some of his observations at this stage need a bit more of a punchline, this is a very agreeable show. He is careful not to offend anyone’s beliefs, looking more at the danger of believing the literal truth of any religious text. This is something we are seeing happening more across the world, which makes this show timely as well as entertaining.
Robbie Carnegie
THE TOTALLY IMPROVISED MUSICAL - The Totally Improvised Company
The Totally Improvised Musical was presented with aplomb by the Totally Improvised Company, and for one performance only we were treated to The Phantom Gnome! If you weren’t there, tough, you’ve missed your chance.
The premise is simple, the group are given a number of titles by the audience, they choose one and off we go! So we were treated to a tale of love and lust between humans, between gnomes and between a human and a gnome (ok, it was human sized and stood on a really small balcony, and had half it’s face made up from the recycled remains of a forlorn gnome who fell foul of the lead gnome and who was languishing in the reduced bin), so it all made perfect sense.
Now it’s not in every Fringe show you hear the word trebuchet uttered, but uttered it was. I was impressed. The audience perhaps less so, but they loved the show and gave a rousing round of applause at the end.
This never to be repeated show is on again on the 25th, so if you like musicals and improv – go!
Ian Parker Heath
TOUSSAINT DOUGLASS: DIVER GENT (WIP) - Toussaint Douglass
‘I’m a bit odd really. Odd, but always true to myself.’ If ever you’ve thought like this, or better still, even said it out aloud, then you’re not alone and you are about to meet your comedy hero. Toussaint thinks like this pretty much all the time and often has more than one voice in his head speaking it.
His neurodivergence is what makes his comedy wacky and abstract. It is the vehicle he uses to explore hard-formed concepts like death and religion and relationships. It is his superpower, his probing tool and microscope that brings things sharply into focus with giggles along the way.
Toussaint’s view is somewhat different, exemplified by his ranting jokey dialogue questioning the need for easy-peel oranges and their place in the world.
A show mostly featuring pigeons could easily be the ticket to failure, but not this time. Love them or loathe them, pigeons are always miserable – you’ll get to know why in this humorous off-the-wall show. At times open-heart psychotherapy, fond recollections about his Nan Nelly, and therapy with boxing puppets.
David Carlisle
TRISTAN WOLFE: BREAK:OUT - Most Curious Productions / Sweet Productions
Tristan Wolfe’s Break:Out is a bittersweet affair, the autobiographical story of one boy’s journey and travails through adolescence and beyond.
As you might expect in such a show, there are lows and highs and lows, with Tristan keeping score along the way. He recounts episodes from his school days and early adult life when once he’d accepted he was gay, he quickly found out others didn’t. Of course his parents loom large in the tale, as does James, his first and unrequited love. School was difficult and challenging and it wasn’t helped by his parents turning to religion in order to 'pray the gay away' – a lovely turn of phrase.
The show is in part comedy, part confession and in part a cathartic exercise. Ther are some slight issues with the use of tech – isn’t there always – and the timing isn’t quite there, but the audience warmed to Tristan’s story, laughing and singing along with him.
Tristan tells his story again tonight (22nd) at Underground Springs.
Ian Parker Heath
WE'LL LET YOU KNOW - Dreamshed Theatre
Whilst once nearly the face of Stannah Stairlifts, it is fair to say that ‘resting’ actor Bobby Roberts (Bill Cronshaw) is down on his luck as he turns up for an audition for which no instructions have been given…
It turns out that we in the audience are also auditioning and Bobby successfully builds some camaraderie using the disarmingly simple technique of sharing his Jelly Babies and Hobnobs. Put on the spot, we all manage to answer his questions about our particular areas of theatrical expertise, one person cunningly suggesting mime. If that is intended to preclude her participation in the audition, it doesn’t work!
A show of the same name and from the same company came to the Fringe a few years ago exploring the audition process, but this isn’t it, taking a more broadly comic approach and with co-star John Martin Stevens taking the role of the full-of-himself impresario Roy Docker who is slow to put his trousers on but eventually makes a flamboyant showbiz entrance in which he bows to everyone including quite possibly the royal box.
In real life Bill Cronshaw has produced a book of potential audition monologues called Speak the Speech and there is some lightly educational, masterclass content here as Roy demonstrates how to make the most of even the most simple bit-part line in a play. But nothing gets too serious especially as by now Bobby is sitting with us and proving a disruptive presence with his mutterings and Jelly Baby sharing.
Eventually - and it is a long time coming - we get to learn more about the unconventional, fully immersive show in which we hope to star but no spoilers here. In any case, as we say in showbiz circles, it is more about the journey and particularly for those of us of a certain age there was much hilarity in this show thanks to both stars’ interaction with the audience and references to their past career ‘highs’ - Roy waxed lyrical about playing a milkman to Terry and June’s June Whitfield (“I could see she was a bit over-awed”).
The production’s actor/writers are actually seasoned pros so their comedy always rings true and feels, to some extent at least, born of experience. There are two more performances (July 25th and 26th at 7pm) so catch it if you can. With this degree of improvisation in evidence, every show will be different, making the comedy particularly impressive.
Stephanie Billen
WILL & NOAH: TOO MUCH TIME ON THEIR PHONES - Will & Noah
Young men and their phones eh? What can they get up to on their devices? Well Will & Noah took the subject and ran away with it and gave us a real treat last night.
It’s a sketch show with lots of elements to it, jokes, one-liners and even song & dance which is impressive given the size of the stage. There was a good relationship with the audience with a participation spot thrown in for good measure.
I can’t remember many shows as funny as this at the Fringe over the years and they made all the audience laugh out loud. I must say they are a great double-act. A couple of tweaks in the show and it will be prefect.
So, do yourself a favour and get down to seem them tonight (19th) you will not be disappointed.
Ian Parker Heath
WILL BF: MOON TEAM IIIV - Will BF
Boy, what a show! This was the comedy equivalent of a fairground ride – we set off at breakneck speed and never stopped!
Now as I didn’t see his show Last Gun last year, it was pretty much like nothing I’d ever seen. It had jokes, gadgets, audience participation, puppets, even an OHP! It was an absolute riot of a show and was so much fun from start to finish.
It has a theme, reboot of a movie, but it moves on swiftly to create it’s own world of characters and they tell the story with a little help from the narrator/star and you, the audience.
There’s interplay between pre-recorded bits which work very well and Will BF is a non-stop ball of action on stage. It’s a great hoot, everybody was laughing and despite, or even because of the occasional glitch, I think we all had a fabulous time. It was a great way to end a Saturday night!
The show is on again tonight (20th) at Underground at Spring Gardens and it will be a great way to end the weekend!
Ian Parker Heath
THE WORST RECORD COVERS IN THE WORLD! - Steve Goldman
The worst record covers in the world or what the organiser, Steve, is calling the trail of travesties...
So you can do a lot with 12 inches of a record sleeve to make a classic album memorable. These are not those classic albums and although some well known names are included, David Bowie's Toy sleeve is no Ziggy Stardust in Beer & Bean and I'm not sure what Barbra Streisand is about to do on her Best Of album cover in Scrivener's Books.
Some might say its a shame the records are not all in one venue but if you don't know the town, it gives you a great little tour of the whole town or you may just stumble across parts of it while attending a Fringe show at Beer & Bean or the Pump Room or buying a coffee at Coffee#1 in Spring Gardens.
Some of the sleeves are of their time such as old twinkle toes himself, Lionel Blair's 1980s' work out album with him in his shell suit displayed in Beer & Bean.
Others are far more disturbing like Paddy Roberts's Songs for Gay Dogs in Beer & Bean. Meanwhile you will have to visit Coffee#1 one to see for yourself Jesus Use Me by The Faith Tones.
The sleeves are fun and show the true spirit of the Fringe though many have to be seen to be believed. I'm not sure whether the venues will be playing the music as well - the records are probably best kept in their sleeves...
The sleeves are displayed at six venues: Scrivener's Bookshop, The Crescent Heritage Experience, Book Folk, The Pump Room, Beer & Bean Café and Coffee #1.
Steve Goldman who curates this weird and wonderful trail is raising money for Different Strokes charity - look out for the QR codes in the windows to donate. He also has a book, The Art of the Bizarre Vinyl Sleeve, which is for sale in one of the venues, Book Folk on the Market Place.
Be disturbed and be entertained but most of all, go forth and explore the trail of travesties. It is on for the whole of the Fringe - you will not be disappointed.
Robert Harrison
WRITERS' BLOCK - Dreamshed Theatre
Ever had that "I don't know what to write" feeling? If so, spare a thought for this show's actors whose longstanding professional association is being put to the ultimate test. Having booked a place in a Fringe festival, our intrepid duo decide to take the opportunity to out-perform their comedic contemporaries, the only problem is their lack of an inspirational script. Well actually, the lack of any script, and the clock is ticking.
Reminiscent of the Morecambe & Wise sketches of yesteryear, which were centred around the theme of little Ern's "a play what I wrote" , conversations and debates between the pair often descend into ridicule but with comedic effect. An excellent and original use of props and a lesson in how to adopt and use a regional accent keeps the audience amused whilst the characters obsess about aspiring to reach the high standard of their previously NOMINATED ( but not awarded !) productions.
This comedy is brought to the Fringe by Dreamshed Theatre and takes its audience on a witty, fast paced and gloriously entertaining theatrical journey about competing thespians in an unforgiving world. Well written and equally well delivered this hour long production comes highly recommended promising plenty of laughs interwoven with touching and poignant moments about life in provincial theatre.
There are two further shows on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th July 4.30pm to 5.30pm at St Anne's Community Centre.
Julie Alexander
ZOE BURY: IT'S NOT STRAIGHT-FORWARD - Zoe Bury
Zoe Bury returns to the Fringe to tell us It’s Not Straightforward, and you know life isn’t, don’t you? Well Zoe sheds some light on how unstraightforward hers has been and so it begins.
It’s a gentle amble, not at all a linear progression, through the life and wreckage of a middle-aged, often well-meaning middle class woman. There are the usual stopping off points, Catholic nuns (they have a lot to answer for, don’t they?), Poundland, cheese, mother & toddler groups, other mums and Grandma’s tat. Of late this has been compounded by an eye condition which has left her with mainly peripheral vision, allowing her to eat model houses with ease.
Her show unfolds at a gentle pace and is gently humorous. The jokes aren't necessarily of the laugh out loud variety, but the audience had knowing smiles of recognition, because we’ve all been there haven’t we?
Zoe is on again on Saturday 12th at Underground Spring Gardens. Mosey along for a smile or two.
Ian Parker Heath
