Fringe for (around) a fiver: Comedy

The best cheap shows in Edinburgh this August

This article is from 2011.

Baby Wants Candy

AAA Stand-Up/Late

A trio of dandy comics for much less than the normal price of three in this annual not-late/late line-up. The earlier bill includes Joe Rowntree while the later roster has Matt Price.
Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 7.15pm/11pm, £5.

Alison Thea-Skot

AKA The Human-Tuning Fork with a surreal, ear-splitting character comedy extravaganza.
The Caves, 556 5375, 4–6 Aug, noon, £5.

Baby Wants Candy

Want to see a musical made up right in front of your very eyes and ears? The US BWC crew are the go-to guys and gals.
Assembly George Square, 623 3030, 3–5 Aug, 8.15pm, £6.

The Beta Males

A sketchy storytelling affair from the chaps who brought you The Bunker. This one is The Train Job. Does not feature actual choo-choos.
Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 4.20pm, £5.

Chris Martin

Before you ask, no it’s not that one. And look, that’s what he’s called his show. Not so much cold play as hot laughs. Or something.
Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, 4 & 5 Aug, 7.35pm, £6.

Claudia O’Doherty

After last year’s charmingly daft Monster of the Deep 3D, the Aussie comic wonders, What is Soil Erosion? Asking the big questions, as ever.
Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 3–5 Aug, 8.45pm, £5.

Dead Cat Bounce

The Irish rock supergroup crank it up to eleven with some Caged Heat. This could well be their big breakthrough year.
Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 3–5 Aug, 10.30pm, £5.

Dregs

Max Dickins and Mark Smith are yet another of this year’s intriguing-looking sketchy double acts. They’ve been on Dick and Dom’s Funny Business and everything.
Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, 4 & 5 Aug, 9.30pm, £6.

Eric Lampaert

Last year, he shared stage time with his pal Joel (more of him later), now young Eric divulges solo tales of globetrotting. Expect a little lunging.
Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 6pm, £5.

Fiona O’Loughlin

The true story of how this comic hit rock bottom and dragged herself up to sobriety, sanity and stability. Funny, mind.
Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 3–5 Aug, 9pm, £6.

Footlights

Want to see the next Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, Mark Watson or Tim Key? The Cambridge lot are in a Pretty Little Panic for this year’s sketch affair.
Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 5.20pm, £5.

The Gentlemen of Leisure

Directed by Penny Dreadful Thom Tuck, messrs Kumar and Neenan are happy to announce The Death of the Novel as their show this year.
The Caves, 556 5375, 4 & 5 Aug, 3.20pm, £5.

Hal Sparks

With Evolution Overdrive, the Sparkster (as no one is calling him) of Hollywood fame makes his Fringe debut.
Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 3–5 Aug, 10.45pm, £5.

The Hamiltons

Neil and Christine get up to High Jinks with much chitter and chatter as they greet some Fringe stars into their lair.
Udderbelly’s Pasture, 0844 545 8252, 3–5 Aug, 12.45pm, £6.

Imran Yusuf

The gangly chap who captured a Best Newcomer nomination for his Free Fringe show last year opts to Bring the Thunder this time around. Think Edinburgh had enough of that in July, ta very much.
Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 7pm, £6.

Joel Dommett

Cut asunder from his buddy Eric (that’ll be the lad Lampaert from earlier), JD insists that he is or will be a Neon Hero. Given his cheeky charm, there’s no reason to doubt he won’t succeed.
Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 6.50pm, £5.

John-Luke Roberts and Nadia Kamil

The Behemothers are back after a mighty long absence.
Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 4.45pm, £5.

Jollygoodlarks

They’re in a Union Jack-bedecked scratcher in the publicity shot à la Patsy ‘n’ Liam but Greg Haiste and Marie Lawrence will hope this comedy partnership is in it for the long-term. Less scowling going on here, too.
The Store, 556 5375, 4–6 Aug, 2.40pm, £5.

Kai Humphries

The Geordie comic follows up his ’10 debut with some Bare-Faced Cheek. To underline this, there’s a lot of flesh and tattoos on show in his press image.
Udderbelly’s Pasture, 0844 545 8252, 3–5 Aug, 10.30pm, £6.

Kurt Braunohler

No Ms Schaal around for this solo show (though they will be sharing a Hot Tub later in the month) as King Kurt talks relationships.
Assembly Hall, 623 3030, 4 & 5 Aug, 9.15pm, £5.

Lady Garden

The quintet of terrifyingly talented comics who make up Lady Garden do their ever-wonderful sketch thing.
Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 6pm, £5.

Laurence Clark

A new hour (well, 55 minutes) from the estimable Mr Clark as he tells the tale of how he tried to sell the idea of free healthcare to the USA. Good luck, fella.
Udderbelly’s Pasture, 0844 545 8252, 3–5 Aug, 6.40pm, £6.

Matthew Crosby

The small, spectacle-wearing, facially-fuzzed one from Pappy’s delivers a debut solo affair with his AdventureParty. Let the balloon-popping fun commence.
Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 4.45pm, £5.

Meryl O’Rourke

Another show which Thom Tuck has got his directorial mitts upon as Bad Mother speculates on just what it takes to be an appalling parent (female).
Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, 4 & 5 Aug, 2.45pm, £5.

Nathan Dean Williams

Skirting along the edges of the absurd, NDW offers up a barely palatable Buffet garnished with his rather odd characters.
The Store, 556 5375, 4–6 Aug, 8pm, £5.

Neil Cole

Directed by the Mighty Boosh’s Dave Brown (he plays Bollo), Neil By Mouth (ha!) will no doubt be one for the cool comedy kids.
Cabaret Voltaire, 226 0000, 4 & 5 Aug, 6.15pm, £5.

New Art Club

With a Quiet Act of Destruction, the physical NAC boys hit a Cambridgeshire village where chaos lurks in the most unlikely of spots.
Assembly George Square, 623 3030, 3–5 Aug, 6.20pm, £6.

Olver: Portrait of a Serial Killer

Comedy buddy of Russell Howard and Wil Hodgson returns with a sinister-sounding stand-up scenario.
The Caves, 556 5375, 4 & 5 Aug, 3.35pm, £4.

Pajama Men

This year, the buttoned-up comedy duo find themselves In the Middle of No One. All will be revealed, my pretties.
Assembly Hall, 623 3030, 4 & 5 Aug, 9pm, £5.

Paul Foot

With Still Life, the arch Dadaist comic bemuses, befuddles and bedazzles his flock. ‘Performance art’ says the Fringe programme? I suppose it could be described thus.
Underbelly, 0844 545 8252, 4 & 5 Aug, 7.40pm, £6.

Pete Firman

Some Jiggery Pokery on the way now from the Middlesbrough magic man.
Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 8.30pm, £6.

The Real MacGuffins

Year two for the MacGuffins as they launch more Skitsophrenic material at us.
Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 4.30pm, £5.

Richard Sandling’s Perfect Movie

Expect the popcorn to fly as the VHS advocate presents a film-based comedy gig.
Cameo Cinema, 226 0000, 3–5 Aug, 6.45pm, £5.

Ronnie Golden

Barry Cryer’s mucka gets puntabulous with First a Fender, a cute slice of music and storytelling.
Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 3–5 Aug, 4.30pm, £5.

Sara Pascoe

The Campus actress wonders what life would be like after the end of the world has gone way beyond being nigh.
Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 7pm, £5.

Scott Capurro

A possible shift in gear from the San Fran comic with Who are the Jocks? as he recalls his late mummy. Or an excuse to let absolute rip?
Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 8pm, £5.

Sex You (I’m Gonna)

This could be either great or slightly icky. Its description in the Fringe programme as ‘improv’ and ‘interactive’ does little to settle the nerves.
The Store, 556 5375, 4–6 Aug, 9pm, £5.

Sheeps

Another heavily anticipated sketch show with Liam, Alastair and Daran delivering some cuddly fare.
Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 4.45pm, £5.

Shirley and Shirley

Can they be considered veterans of the Fringe yet? Surely not, though here they are presenting The Wonder Years. Voiceovers may be included.
Assembly Hall, 623 3030, 4 & 5 Aug, 6.45pm, £5.

Sink or Spin

Mr Donal Coonan lets his endorphins go ballistic with a clowning extravaganza while you get a chance to exercise your muscles and your funnybones.
Bannatyne’s Health Club, 226 0000, 3–5 Aug, 2.15pm, £5.

The Squiffy Journals

Musical sketches and farcical set-ups are the very thing here.
The Caves, 556 5375, 4–6 Aug, 2.30pm, £5.

Suitcase Royale

‘Tom Waits meets the Mighty Boosh’ is quite a claim. Zombatland chucks the Aussie outback vividly into your auditorium.
Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 11.10pm, £5.

Terry Alderton

The art of impressionism may seem long and lost but while the likes of Tezza is around, there’s hope. You’ll Be Glad to See the Back of Him is the somewhat ambiguous title of his ’11 show.
Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 9.20pm, £6.

Tom Allen

Accompanied by a nice cuppa, Afternoon Tea has the erudite Allen chitting some affable chat.
Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 3–5 Aug, 3.15pm, £5.

Tom Deacon

The jaunty Radio 1 chap bulldozes his way into all of our affections with Can I Be Honest? Ain’t that the truth.
Pleasance Dome, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 8.20pm, £5.

Tom Rosenthal

The star of Friday Night Dinner and son of telly sports pundit Jim reflects on his upbringing, but in a funny way, of course. Lot of Toms about this year, eh?
Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 9.30pm, £5.

The Two Wrongies

Expect some gloriously wrong stuff when Avis Cockbill and Janine Fletcher get into their synchronised stride.
Assembly George Square, 623 3030, 3–5 Aug, 10.30pm, £5.

Unexpected Items

The people who brought you the YouTube-tastic ‘Gap Yah’ skit deliver more bite-sized bits about being young and that.
Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, 3–5 Aug, 4.30pm.

WitTank

Naz, Kieran and Mark brandish their sketchy thing in front of an ever-increasing fanbase.
The Caves, 556 5375, 4 & 5 Aug, 6.15pm, £5.

Zoe Lyons

The Bush-esque Clownbusting is the ex-Survivor participant’s new one. Bush as in Kate, not the long-haired rockers.
Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 3–5 Aug, 7.30pm, £5.