Reviews & features: Edinburgh Festival Fringe
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10 Dates with Mad Mary
(9 Aug 2010)
A simple but brilliant study about readjusting to life out of prison- 120 Birds (16 Aug 2010)
Glamorous homage to dance gone by - 2-Man No-Show
(16 Aug 2010)
Gurning in place of gags - The 80s Movie Flashback
(16 Aug 2010)
If you like self-aware tackiness, try it out
10 Dates with Mad Mary
A
- Abandoman (18 Aug 2010)
A hip hop celebration of everyday lives - A Corner Of The Ocean (8 Aug 2010)
Vibrant physical theatre that’s set to make waves - Adam Riches (10 Aug 2010)
Riches’ latest show is supremely daft - Adam Vincent (18 Aug 2010)
Enjoyably oddball - Addicted to Danger (24 Aug 2010)
Surreal and innovative sketch affair - Addy van der Borgh (23 Aug 2010)
Thoroughly engaging show themed around language - Against the Odds (9 Aug 2010)
One-woman show lets audience sympathize but is sometimes baffling - Aidan Bishop (12 Aug 2010)
Sounds more like he’s 50 than 30 - Aleister Crowley: A Passion For Evil (16 Aug 2010)
Theatrical monologue from the renowned occultist - Alex Horne (10 Aug 2010)
Clever maths, quantum mechanics and pleasingly lo-fi graphics - Alfie Brown & Ivo Graham (15 Aug 2010)
Rants and interruptions hamper this newbie duo - Alice in Wonderland (12 Aug 2010)
Fast-paced adaptation goes full throttle - Ali Cook (10 Aug 2010)
Cook’s magic is both slick and sick - Ali McGregor (12 Aug 2010)
A versatile diva, doing jazz this time - Allsopp and Henderson’s The Jinglists (23 Aug 2010)
Refreshingly outrageous jingle-based show - All the Queen’s Children (9 Aug 2010)
An impressive, unflinching piece of fluid theatre - Alun Cochrane (22 Aug 2010)
Making the world a cheerier place - A Midsummer Night's Dream
(25 Aug 2010)
More hood than wood (but still not good) - Amy, Fate and Me (19 Aug 2010)
Redemption on the open road - Anatomy of Fantasy (8 Aug 2010)
Impressive if unfocused journey through the subconscious - Andi Osho (23 Aug 2010)
Serious stuff, but Osho’s funny with it - Andrew Bird (11 Aug 2010)
Like being beaten with a roll of toilet paper - Andrew Clover’s Almost Famous Story Show (12 Aug 2010)
Free range storytelling - Andrew Lawrence gets a few things off his chest (6 Aug 2010)
The end result is some high-pitched and hilarious rantings - Andrew O'Neill (23 Aug 2010)
Comedic view of metal music and culture - Andy Zaltzman Swears to Tell the Truth, Half the Truth, and Everything But the Truth (16 Aug 2010)
Slightly patchy, highly politicized stand-up - An Evening with Dementia (19 Aug 2010)
Solo show raises big questions of our future with intelligence and understated humour - Another Someone (24 Aug 2010)
A quirky and colourful production - Anthony Burgess: A Clockwork Orange (27 Aug 2010)
Timeless novel given female makeover - A Perhaps-Too-Intimate Evening of Music and Hilarity (23 Aug 2010)
Music (certainly) and hilarity (hardly) - Arabian Nights (14 Aug 2010)
Tales from old Baghdad - Ardal O'Hanlon (20 Aug 2010)
Come in, come in! - Are You There? (14 Aug 2010)
Above-average student drama - Arj Barker (11 Aug 2010)
Disappointing gaggery from much-hyped actor - Asher Treleaven (16 Aug 2010)
Unpredictable and uneven routine - A Surprisingly Tasteful Show About Nudity (23 Aug 2010)
Well-intentioned schoolboy charm - At Home with Mrs Moneypenny (14 Aug 2010)
Smart and funny - Atrium (17 Aug 2010)
Theatre interrupted - Ava Vidal (23 Aug 2010)
Short-lived comedy lessons - The Axis of Awesome: Songs in the Key of Awesome (16 Aug 2010)
Fringe favourites deliver winning brand of daft ditties
B
- Babbling Comedy: The Perfordian Show (9 Aug 2010)
Slapstick, magic, juggling all lend to adequate family entertainment - Baby Wants Candy (23 Aug 2010)
Unappealing coldness between performers and audience - The Bacchae (9 Aug 2010)
A fast-paced production where some plot-twists may get lost amongst writhing - The Ballad of Backbone Joe (22 Aug 2010)
A noirish tale of murder and meat fruit - Bane (20 Aug 2010)
Schizo-frenetic film noir parody - Bane 2 (20 Aug 2010)
Slightly less-effective sequel to the classic noir pastiche - Bang Bang You’re Dead (13 Aug 2010)
Update to 1999 version lacks emotional force of original - Barbershopera: Apocalypse No! (7 Sep 2010)
A superb show full of dazzling vocals - Bare (15 Aug 2010)
Hard hitting drama - Barockestra: Rocking the Classics (23 Aug 2010)
Enthusiastic rock take on well-known classical pieces - Barry & Stuart (16 Aug 2010)
A hell of a compelling show - Beautiful Burnout - knockout collaboration a success on all fronts (8 Aug 2010)
Raging bulls come to the Fringe - Bec Hill (12 Aug 2010)
An endearing quirkiness - Be-Dom (14 Aug 2010)
Joyous fun with Portuguese drums - Belt Up's Octavia (12 Aug 2010)
Confused quest in a war zone - Beta Males’ Picnic (11 Aug 2010)
Preoccupation with death and sexual deviance - Bette/Cavett (15 Aug 2010)
Confessions of a Hollywood legend - Blackout delivers graceful and hard-hitting insight (8 Aug 2010)
Simple, brilliant, and in the second person - The Blue Lady Sings (11 Aug 2010)
A free cabaret-style show full of humour and skill - Bo Burnham
(14 Aug 2010)
How can a guy with an organ be so good? - Borderline Racist (19 Aug 2010)
A humorous discourse on xenophobia - Bound (9 Aug 2010)
Brimming with comedic talent, weaker on emotion, generally lovely - The Boy With Tape On His Face (12 Aug 2010)
A masterclass of mime - Brazil! Brazil! (8 Aug 2010)
Capeoira kicks, samba hips and footie tricks - Brendon Burns (10 Aug 2010)
Overly serious rants about killing paedophiles and getting religion - Bridget Christie (11 Aug 2010)
Dabbling around the unhinged fringes of stand-up - Broad Comedy (23 Aug 2010)
Horribly laboured songs about abstinence, tampons and penis size - Broderick Chow (16 Aug 2010)
Covers too much ground - The Brothers Streep (16 Aug 2010)
Displaying a total lack of chemistry - Bud Take The Wheel I Feel A Song Coming On (18 Aug 2010)
Resonant family drama in the heart of the English countryside - Burns: The Video Diary (25 Aug 2010)
Rabbie gets down and dirty in Auld Reekie - Burst (14 Aug 2010)
Atmospheric as a whole, but the script lacks polish
C
- The Cage (8 Aug 2010)
Gun play and fourth-wall rupturing - Call Mr Robeson (12 Aug 2010)
Inspirational story of legendary singer - The Call of Cthulhu (14 Aug 2010)
Perfectly captures this descent into insanity - Camille O’Sullivan – Chameleon (13 Aug 2010)
More of a purr than a growl - Carey Marx (22 Aug 2010)
Debunking some myths with craft and guile - Carl Barron (20 Aug 2010)
Restrained idiocy from Aussie manchild - Carl Donnelly (16 Aug 2010)
Getting his stand-up craft down to a fine art - Carole Jahme (23 Aug 2010)
Barren, baffling and humiliating for all involved - Caroline Rhea (13 Aug 2010)
Flirting with fame and audience patience - The Caucasian Chalk Circle (14 Aug 2010)
Entertaining production of this Brechtian classic - Celia Pacquola (10 Aug 2010)
A buoyant performance, surprising and cathartic - Charlie and Lola's Best Bestest Play (6 Aug 2010)
TV siblings take the the stage: utterly charming and engaging - Charlie Talbot (22 Aug 2010)
Gag-free life of a decent man - Charlyne Yi (15 Aug 2010)
Don’t believe the hype - Checkley Bush (18 Aug 2010)
A bawdy, musical realm - Chef! (23 Aug 2010)
Crazy dance, sight-gag comedy and lots of laughs - Children's show Twinkle Twonkle combines educational with entertaining (8 Aug 2010)
Adventure in the sky at night - Chris Addison (18 Aug 2010)
Freeform ranting in a show about nothing - Chris Corcoran (11 Aug 2010)
Corcoran makes his people sound rather lovely - Chris McCausland (10 Aug 2010)
McCausland meanders off on wildly varying tangents - Cirque de Legume (14 Aug 2010)
They must be aiming to be ‘so bad it’s good’ - Clarkson and Crouch (23 Aug 2010)
More clever than funny - Clever Peter (16 Aug 2010)
Generally very funny and always well-acted - Clint’s Reality (9 Aug 2010)
A spirited performance but somewhat lacking script - Colin Hoult (16 Aug 2010)
Creepy, disgusting and unsettling - Comedy Bitch (10 Aug 2010)
Intelligent, surreal and original - Comedy in the Dark (10 Aug 2010)
Well-known comics pitched out of their comfort zones - Conor O’Toole (12 Aug 2010)
Some good joke-writing - Continent (8 Aug 2010)
Barton finks too much - Could it Be Forever? (12 Aug 2010)
A bittersweet comedy will have you recall youthful emotion - Creatures (16 Aug 2010)
The humour is toe-curlingly awkward - Crumpets, Muffins and Afternoon Teas(e) (16 Aug 2010)
More unease than tease - The Crying Cherry (23 Aug 2010)
Oddball legends of Japanese psychological banditry
D
- Daddy Ate All My Easter Eggs and Never Replaced Them (23 Aug 2010)
One decent pun about Lidl - Dag Sørås (16 Aug 2010)
Sørås makes hilarious hay - Damion Larkin (11 Aug 2010)
Cuddly Loser has the feel of being hurriedly chucked-together - Dan Antopolski (10 Aug 2010)
Confidently entertaining - Dance Doctor Dance (11 Aug 2010)
Joining in with the lord of the dance - Daniel Rigby (16 Aug 2010)
A ragbag of facial gymnastics and titbits about ghosts - Daniel Sloss - My Generation (8 Aug 2010)
Teen comic hits home with the personal - Darcy’s Dilemma (7 Sep 2010)
A must for all Austenites - Dave Hill (11 Aug 2010)
Navigates a fine path between the crass and the classy - David Leddy’s Sub Rosa (9 Aug 2010)
Atmospheric, immersive Victorian promenade horror story - David O’Doherty (23 Aug 2010)
Mild-mannered Dublin comic returns with less song and more chat - David Quirk (18 Aug 2010)
A worldview containing beauty and beastliness - David Strassman: Ventriloquism taken to a whole new level (6 Aug 2010)
Duality brilliantly wrong-foots audience and may blow minds - The Day the Sky Turned Black (9 Aug 2010)
One-man show tells the story of the 2009 Australian firestorms - Dead (14 Aug 2010)
Like an unintentional parody of bad plays - Dead Cat Bounce (23 Aug 2010)
Poised to go from cult hit to Minchin-like stardom - Decky Does A Bronco (12 Aug 2010)
Winning revival of site-specific coming-of-age drama - Delete The Banjax (13 Aug 2010)
Hyped foursome not quite there yet - Delilah Dix and Her Bag of Tricks (20 Aug 2010)
Queen Latifah's lovemaking secrets revealed - Derevo - Harlekin (9 Aug 2010)
Sinister, beautiful show from Fringe favourites - Des Bishop (13 Aug 2010)
My Dad Was Nearly James Bond - Dinner For One (8 Aug 2010)
Endearing skit pales in comparison to legendary film version - Dommett & Lapaert (13 Aug 2010)
Material tossed aside for engaging tomfoolery - Don't Run with Scissors (9 Aug 2010)
A Betrayal of Penguins can't quite regain of glory of 2009 - Doon MacKichan - Primadoona (8 Aug 2010)
Turning tragedy into comedy - The Door (11 Aug 2010)
An unexpected outcome to an ultimately un-engaging play - Dr Brown Because (15 Aug 2010)
Physical comedy for willing idiots - The Du-Rell Family (16 Aug 2010)
Death-country fo' y'all
E
- Edward Aczel (10 Aug 2010)
Somehow incredibly funny without even trying - Eirlys Bellin (16 Aug 2010)
Clichés abound and laughs fail - Elis James - Daytripper (8 Aug 2010)
Scruffy yet sharp show about obsessions - Elsie and Mairi Go to War (14 Aug 2010)
High on initial interest but short on the requisite drama - Emma Thompson Presents Fair Trade (11 Aug 2010)
Verbatim ad nauseam - Emo Philips (13 Aug 2010)
Over-familiar but still funny - The Emperor's Quest: Chinese folk tale with modern flavour (6 Aug 2010)
A balance of catchy songs, snappy dialogue and a satisfying moral - Eric’s Laws of the Land (18 Aug 2010)
Clichés about football, TV and women’s toilets - Everything Else You Always Wanted to Know About Life (But Didn’t Care to Ask) (23 Aug 2010)
Largely-poor material takes us back to the mid-70s - Expectations (12 Aug 2010)
An earnest, intelligent, and honest piece - Exploring the dilemmas inherent in Dicken's Oliver Twist (10 Aug 2010)
Setting the classic tale during World War II creates a convincing drama - Extinguish (13 Aug 2010)
One man stares down several abysses
F
- Farm Boy (8 Aug 2010)
Country tale in need of a jump start - Feels Good To Be Live (20 Aug 2010)
Glee-ful young rock kids break out of Mumbai - Felicity Ward (23 Aug 2010)
Has to inflate embarrassing mishaps into excruciating humiliations - Felix Dexter (10 Aug 2010)
Observational stand-up and nicely realised characters - Find Love Make Love Die (16 Aug 2010)
Young cast show maturity but fail to avoid cliche - Five Guys Named Moe (19 Aug 2010)
Feel-good musical that’s a cut above - The Flat (16 Aug 2010)
Spirited if amateurish production - Flawless - Chase The Dream (8 Aug 2010)
Streetdance – and a whole lot more - Flesh and Blood and Fish and Fowl (6 Aug 2010)
Look busy, it’s the end of the world - Flor de Muerto (14 Aug 2010)
Mexico City via Cambridge - The Fly in the Fridge (12 Aug 2010)
No flies on this - Foil, Arms and Hog (23 Aug 2010)
Sketches that start nowhere and then stay there for a very long time - Following Wendy (27 Aug 2010)
Unconventional take on the Peter Pan story - The Fragility Of X (12 Aug 2010)
Blurring the boundaries of behaviour - Frances Ruffelle: Beneath the Dress (23 Aug 2010)
Cheeky, sexy and surprising cabaret-esque show - Freefall (20 Aug 2010)
Take the plunge - Frisky and Mannish - The College Years (25 Aug 2010)
Not only hilariously funny, they’re also both brilliant musicians
G
- Gareth Richards (16 Aug 2010)
Quaint, bumbling stand-up and surreal, amateurish songs - Gary Delaney - Purist (8 Aug 2010)
The Basil Brush of stand-up - Gemma Goggin - Get Laid or Die Trying (8 Aug 2010)
Hilarious and graphic sex tales - The Gentleman of Leisure (25 Aug 2010)
Engaging and sharp - George Ryegold (11 Aug 2010)
A gloriously bleak worldview - Geraldine Quinn (10 Aug 2010)
Flash your flesh, your cash and your camel toe - Getting Over Milk Wood (25 Aug 2010)
Things go from the sub-standard to the ridiculous - Giacinto Palmieri (10 Aug 2010)
This stilted performance was a pile of sweaty meatballs - Ginger and Black (23 Aug 2010)
Wit and verve - The Ginge, The Geordie & The Geek (23 Aug 2010)
Well complemented titular trio - Girl Constantly Fucking Interrupted (11 Aug 2010)
Unnerving descent into madness - The Girl in the Yellow Dress (8 Aug 2010)
Challenging, intelligent exploration of neurosis, guilt and obsession - Gordon Southern (18 Aug 2010)
An enjoyable hour with a cheeky chap - Grainne Maguire (16 Aug 2010)
An engaging performer who would benefit from judicious writing - Granny's Gone Wild (19 Aug 2010)
Geriatric jokes and pensioner’s punch-lines - Greek Myths For Kids by the new Backhand Theatre (12 Aug 2010)
A bit too few tales of Kings, Heroes and Monsters - Greg Davies (16 Aug 2010)
Well-developed and magnetic set - Grimm Tales of the Unexpected (25 Aug 2010)
Crudely draws out the latent dark content of the Grimms’ fairytales - Gutted. A Revenger’s Musical (15 Aug 2010)
Elaborate but strangely poorly thought-out revenge - Gyles Brandreth (16 Aug 2010)
Anecdotes of a life in theatre, TV and politics
H
- Hairy Maclary and Friends (12 Aug 2010)
Canine capers - Hamlet for Girls (10 Aug 2010)
A swift, nicely performed, play about juggling work and relationships - Hannah Gadsby (23 Aug 2010)
Genuine warmth and heartbreak - Hans Teeuwen (22 Aug 2010)
Gloriously divisive absurdist fare - The Harbour (14 Aug 2010)
Folk tale’s inherent poignancy still manages to show through - Helen Arney (24 Aug 2010)
Sweet songs with a tender heart - Henning Wehn (10 Aug 2010)
German humour remains a joke in itself - Henry Paker (16 Aug 2010)
Sends out little constructs of the gleefully absurd in all directions - Henry Rollins (25 Aug 2010)
Fast-paced spoken word from the punk-rock raconteur - Hip hop parodist Doc Brown (6 Aug 2010)
Sometimes laboured, but poignant, moving, and convincing - His Eyes Were Like Oysters (18 Aug 2010)
Pop culture references, surreal concepts and non-sequiturs - His Name Is Tim (25 Aug 2010)
A melancholy understanding of first love, lust and desire - Holly Burn (16 Aug 2010)
Vivid, boundless and contagious - The Horne Section (25 Aug 2010)
Late night jazz comedy shambles – in a fun way - Hot Mess (8 Aug 2010)
Believable take on the hazy suspended reality of a messy night out - The Hunchback of Notre Dame (23 Aug 2010)
Critical commentary on mankind's hypocrisy
I
- Ian D Montfort (16 Aug 2010)
Some great shambolics and ad-libbing - Idiots of Ants (23 Aug 2010)
A patchy affair that works beautifully in places - Imperial Fizz (12 Aug 2010)
Fast-talking 1930s drawing room satire with a twist - I’m Still Here . . . (25 Aug 2010)
Ably flitting between genres - Inside features live score from 65daysofstatic (9 Aug 2010)
Dance: not just for girls, okay? - Interrobang? (25 Aug 2010)
Student-y question and answer improv - Intertwine (14 Aug 2010)
Works, and dancers, in progress - Israeli-Palestinian Conflict - A Romantic Comedy! (18 Aug 2010)
Israel and Palestine get it on - Italia ’n’ Caledonia (23 Aug 2010)
Unpretentious tales of the family history behind Valvona and Crolla - It’s Always Right Now, Until It’s Later (19 Aug 2010)
Achingly beautiful stories from a normal bloke - It's Like He's Knocking (23 Aug 2010)
The magic of coincidence revealed, with free vodka
J
- Jack Whitehall (11 Aug 2010)
Lacking real substance - Jacobite Country (10 Aug 2010)
Ramshackle action in the Pictish Free State - James Dowdeswell (23 Aug 2010)
Mediocre material and rather uneasy delivery - James Sherwood (23 Aug 2010)
Sporadically hilarious piano-led laughs - Jarlath Regan: Not So Common Sense (15 Aug 2010)
Musings on life approaching thirty - Jarred Christmas (11 Aug 2010)
Personal set from personable stand-up - Jason Byrne (16 Aug 2010)
Shouty, sweary, hyperactive man-child - Jason Cook (11 Aug 2010)
Well-crafted, life-affirming stuff - Jennifer Coolidge (15 Aug 2010)
A CV full of amusing titbits - Jeremy Lion (9 Aug 2010)
Soused kids entertainer goes green - Jessica Ransom (9 Aug 2010)
What would you do with a million? - Jimeoin (10 Aug 2010)
Low-key observations about the little things - Jim Jefferies - Alcoholocaust (13 Aug 2010)
Vitriolic rants from the bottom of his LA-based heart - Jimmy McGhie (16 Aug 2010)
A set of simple but funny observations - Jo Caulfield (11 Aug 2010)
Trademark snarky wit - Joe Lycett and Andrew Ryan (23 Aug 2010)
Good-humoured but weak double-header - Joe Rowntree: Peaceful Worrier (9 Aug 2010)
Paranoia revolves around this comic’s past - John-Luke Roberts (22 Aug 2010)
A decadent and deathly hour of brilliance - John Moloney (22 Aug 2010)
Stand-up crooner is a little out of tune - John Robins (24 Aug 2010)
A master of humour over jokes - Jollie (16 Aug 2010)
Charmingly silly piece of musical comedy - Jonno Katz - Cactus: The Seduction (8 Aug 2010)
A manic one-man love story - Jonny Sweet - Let's Just Have Some Fun (9 Aug 2010)
Derailing a show about a boat - Jon Richardson (16 Aug 2010)
Fewer laughs per hour than previous years - Josh Howie (24 Aug 2010)
A gag-happy clown tests his crowd - Josie Long (18 Aug 2010)
A joyous kickback against disillusionment - Julien Cottereau - Imagine-toi (10 Aug 2010)
Former Cirque du Soleil performer conjures a spectacle from nothing - Justin Moorhouse (23 Aug 2010)
A likeable show that marries invention with nostalgia - Just Macbeth! (8 Aug 2010)
Slick, accessible and boisterous adaptation of classic tragedy
K
- Kafka and Son (8 Aug 2010)
Goodies and Daddies - Kai Humphries (10 Aug 2010)
Desperately needs an injection of sharper gags - Kate Fox - Kate Fox News (8 Aug 2010)
A slow news day - Keith Farnan: Sex Traffic (9 Aug 2010)
Facts to gasp at and jokes to die for - Kerry Gilbert (24 Aug 2010)
Talent is wasted on charmless creations - Kevin Bridges (9 Aug 2010)
Rising star effortlessly wins over the home crowd - Kevin Eldon (24 Aug 2010)
Where hard graft meets titting about - Kim Coleman and Jenny Hogarth: Staged (5 Aug 2010)
Edinburgh-based artists stage a cultural land grab from August’s invasion
L
- Lach (16 Aug 2010)
Minutely referential and full of pithy asides - Lach’s Antihoot (12 Aug 2010)
Open stage night from NYC - Lady Garden - Top Secret Gig (8 Aug 2010)
Slightly too fast-paced sketch show - La Lutte (18 Aug 2010)
Contemporary meets combat in a strong male duet - The Lasses, O (19 Aug 2010)
Scots narrative by the Scottish Bard’s women - The Last Miner uses puppetry to profound effect (8 Aug 2010)
Moving, melancholic puppet show - Late Night Gimp Fight! (25 Aug 2010)
Padded out with mediocre offerings - Laura Solon: The Owl of Steven (9 Aug 2010)
A curious show about owls and oddballs - Lee Kern opens with Filthy Raucous Soul Bitch (12 Aug 2010)
Promising debut from cheeky Londoner - Lee Nelson (11 Aug 2010)
If his game is satire he keeps it well hidden - The Leftovers (16 Aug 2010)
Promising if underbaked sketch show - Legend of the Card Ninja (25 Aug 2010)
Flinging playing cards like throwing stars - Lesbian Bathhouse (8 Aug 2010)
A feminist comic romp - Lights! Camera! Improvise! (16 Aug 2010)
Movie-centric improv from the Scat Pack - Like You Were Before (13 Aug 2010)
Home movies and movies about home - Lip Service (25 Aug 2010)
Matter of fact and moving study of human emotions - Little Black Bastard (19 Aug 2010)
Moving and shocking story of abuse - Lockerbie: Unfinished Business (12 Aug 2010)
Capturing the human story behind the headlines - The Lonesome Foxtrot (14 Aug 2010)
While imaginative, lacks precision - Lorca is Dead (13 Aug 2010)
A lament in the key of surrealism - Loretta Maine (16 Aug 2010)
All a bit one-note - Love Bites (9 Aug 2010)
A show about food, love, and sex blurs the lines between reality and fantasy - Lovelace: A Rock Musical (10 Aug 2010)
Respectful tribute to the Deep Throat porn star - The Love of a Clown (23 Aug 2010)
Clever combination of sentimental storytelling and traditional clown - Luke Toulson (16 Aug 2010)
Plenty of bonhomie, but not much els - The Lunchtime Club: Class of 2010 (23 Aug 2010)
Largely uninspiring line-up on lunchtime lads
M
- Maeve Higgins (12 Aug 2010)
She could talk all day and keep you smiling - Maff Brown (11 Aug 2010)
You probably had to be there - Magicians (25 Aug 2010)
Thwarted ambition and misplaced idolatry - Magnus Betnér (9 Aug 2010)
Cult comic in the making - The Man Who Was Thursday (14 Aug 2010)
Injects some far-fetched fun into a light-hearted romp - Mark Allen (23 Aug 2010)
Confident delivery often resulting in pleasing set-ups - Mark Nelson - Offending the Senses (13 Aug 2010)
A jolt to the comedy system - Mark Watson (23 Aug 2010)
Playing on his own inadequacies - Martin Creed: Ballet Work No 1020 (8 Aug 2010)
Oh, do try harder, disgruntled of Sadler’s Wells - Mary Barrel is Really Good at Things (23 Aug 2010)
Over-excited, part-improvised but tediously goofy life skills ‘seminar’ - Mary & William (14 Aug 2010)
Intimate rendition is by turns humorous and poignant - The Master and Margarita (12 Aug 2010)
Atmospheric and exciting, yet a difficult to follow and rough performance - Matt Green (23 Aug 2010)
Preoccupations with paedophilia and scatology - Matthew Hardy: Willy Wonka Explained (13 Aug 2010)
Nostalgic trip back to a time of Veruca Salt and Everlasting Gobstoppers - Matt Tiller (16 Aug 2010)
Uninspired musical comedy - Max and Iván (18 Aug 2010)
High energy, fast-paced sketches - Memory Cells (10 Aug 2010)
Exploring the machinations of power - Meow Meow - Feline Intimate (12 Aug 2010)
Cabaret will never be the same - Michael Fabbri (23 Aug 2010)
An amiable and engaging storyteller - Mike Keat (13 Aug 2010)
A massively talented and very entertaining tool - Mike Newall (23 Aug 2010)
Effortlessly likeable - Mike Wozniak (11 Aug 2010)
A frustrated and edgy figure - Miles Jupp (18 Aug 2010)
Wonderful, funny and moving - Miranda (23 Aug 2010)
Bollywood meets Shakespeare in this twist on the Tempest - Mission of Flowers (1 Sep 2010)
The life adventures of aviator and dare-devil - The Mole Who Knew It Was None Of His Business (8 Aug 2010)
Making a song and dance about poo - Monster of the Deep 3D (16 Aug 2010)
An amiable and tight performance - More Light Please (9 Aug 2010)
In search of further illumination - Movin' Melvin Brown (12 Aug 2010)
Tap dance and song homage to African American music - Mrs. Bang: A Series of Seductions in 55 minutes (23 Aug 2010)
An arrogant persona backed up by a powerful and diverse voice - Mussolini: A One Man Political Farce (9 Aug 2010)
Fascinatingly detailed piece about the man to keep audience intrigued - My Romantic History (8 Aug 2010)
Inventive, funny observations of contemporary relationships - Mysterious Skin boils Heim's novel (8 Aug 2010)
Bleakly powerful adaptation of bestselling novel
N
- Naked Live and Never Again: My Last Discourse on Dramatic Method (23 Aug 2010)
Witty monologue about an acting guru - Nathan Cassidy (23 Aug 2010)
An over-egged, utterly boring hour - Nathan Caton (11 Aug 2010)
Tackles issues of race with refreshing ease and sensitivity - Nat Luurtsema (24 Aug 2010)
An agreeable debut with a twist - The Nelson Twins (17 Aug 2010)
More groans than laughs - New Art Club (11 Aug 2010)
Original, charming and very funny - Nick Helm - Keep Hold of the Gold (24 Aug 2010)
You’ll get on stage – whether you want to or not - Nick Mohammed (11 Aug 2010)
Fantastically irritating and inappropriate - Nick Sun (23 Aug 2010)
The most gloriously disconcerting experience you’re likely to see - The Night Heron (25 Aug 2010)
An interesting watch, but is a bit too broad - Nina Conti (22 Aug 2010)
A vast talent for voices and timing - No Child ... (18 Aug 2010)
One-woman performance schools the school system - Noise Next Door (10 Aug 2010)
It’s very rare to see improv comedy so consistently hit the mark - No Son of Mine (9 Aug 2010)
Family secrets uncovered amid a heap of gags - The Not So Fatal Death Of Grandpa Fredo (9 Aug 2010)
Frenetically-paced Vox Motus show lets fly with the satirical dartboards - Now is the Winter (25 Aug 2010)
Confusion abounds
O
- Of People and Not Things (11 Aug 2010)
An examination of break-up as apocalypse - Of Women and Horses I Have Known (23 Aug 2010)
A life in English eccentricity through comedy, theatre and music - Opera Bohemia (23 Aug 2010)
Talented new company's Fringe debut - Operation Greenfield (10 Aug 2010)
Teenagers getting Christ, no kicks - Others (19 Aug 2010)
Impressive piece of verbatim theatre exploring the modern media - Our Share of Tomorrow (11 Aug 2010)
Strong performances illuminate study of love and loss
P
- Pappy's (13 Aug 2010)
Bringing you sketch sunshine - Pas Perdus (19 Aug 2010)
Delightful family-friendly clowning - Paul Chowdhry - Not PC (13 Aug 2010)
Self-censorship blunts some impact - Paul Foot - Ash in the Attic (9 Aug 2010)
"Comedy connoisseurs" only for divisive yet invigorating hour - Paul Sinha - Extreme Anti-White Vitriol (9 Aug 2010)
Handling some hot political spuds - Paul Sweeney and Tom Webb (23 Aug 2010)
An hour of average comedy with a respectable laugh ratio - Paul Zenon - Lounge Wizard (8 Aug 2010)
Old tricks with some new twists - Pedal Pusher is a journey inside riders’ heads (8 Aug 2010)
Physical theatre show takes on the Tour de France - Pedestrian (12 Aug 2010)
Fishy tale from an engaging performer - Penelope (9 Aug 2010)
Enda in the ascendant - Penguin (12 Aug 2010)
Puppetry and song for young ‘uns - The Penny Dreadfuls (17 Aug 2010)
Hard to see exactly what the mad fuss is about - Pension Plan (23 Aug 2010)
A pleasure to see a middle-aged lady dicking about - Pete Firman (18 Aug 2010)
A cross between Paul Daniels and Vernon Kay - Pete Johannson's - Pete's On Earth (9 Aug 2010)
Solid stand-up as it was meant to be - Pete Jonas (23 Aug 2010)
Just about straddles the right side of offensiveness - Phil Nichol (23 Aug 2010)
Delightfully silly succession of unhinged underworld creeps - Plague! The Musical (12 Aug 2010)
Vibrant musical with sassy humour about a quest for fame and fortune - Poem Without A Hero (8 Aug 2010)
The first stage production of a Russian masterpiece - Poignant (14 Aug 2010)
Three Argentinean stories are narrated consecutively - Poland 3 Iran 2 (9 Aug 2010)
Merhdad and Chris share the political football - Productivity (18 Aug 2010)
A production about a product - Pros from Dover (9 Aug 2010)
Sketch comedy from accomplished trio inject form with inovation
Q
R
- Radio Hoohah (17 Aug 2010)
Very occasional glimpses of humour - The Railway Children (12 Aug 2010)
A classic revisited - Ray Bradbury’s 2116 (12 Aug 2010)
A dreamy fairytale about the perils of creating perfection - Ray Green (9 Aug 2010)
The 3D adventures of a two-bit character - The Real MacGuffins (8 Aug 2010)
Deliciously daft sketches - Red Cello Electrified (8 Aug 2010)
South African cellist plugs in - Reel-to-Real: The Movies Musical (14 Aug 2010)
Less chat more dancin’ and singin’ please - Reginald D Hunter - Trophy Nigga (9 Aug 2010)
Funny but familiar material - The Regretrospective (14 Aug 2010)
The tiger who came to tea with his ex-lover, the horse - The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (19 Aug 2010)
Hitler and the Nazis - with jokes - Reykjavik (19 Aug 2010)
Get on the next flight - Rhythm Of The Drums: Song Of The Cicada (11 Aug 2010)
Show but no tell - Rhythms With Soul (8 Aug 2010)
Foot-stomping romp through flamenco history - Richard Herring - Christ on a Bike (9 Aug 2010)
A disappointing retread of past glories - Rich Fulcher (24 Aug 2010)
Smutty drag act comes on a little strong - Roadkill (18 Aug 2010)
Relentlessly bleak, necessary drama about sex trafficking - Roam (8 Aug 2010)
Fast-flowing contemporary dance laced with breakdance and martial arts - Roaring Boys (11 Aug 2010)
Enjoyable, surreal character comedians - Robert White (18 Aug 2010)
Get him on Shooting Stars - Rob Rouse (11 Aug 2010)
Spinning the mundane into the finest yarn - Ross Sutherland - The Three Stigmata of Pacman (9 Aug 2010)
Life’s daftness exposed via poetry and music - Running on Air (12 Aug 2010)
Charming road show in a camper van - Russell Kane (23 Aug 2010)
Acutely observed and deeply personal insight
S
- Sammy J (25 Aug 2010)
Transgressive flights of fancy - Sam Simmons (11 Aug 2010)
Somewhat lacklustre - Sarah Bennetto (17 Aug 2010)
A thoroughly engaging and charming storyteller - Sarah Millican (17 Aug 2010)
A consistent pleasure - Sara Pascoe (24 Aug 2010)
Disappointing debut from Freud-studying comic - Scott Agnew proves himself as storyteller with eye for absurd (8 Aug 2010)
Devilish entertainer with broad appeal - Sean Hughes: Ducks And Other Mistakes I’ve Made (16 Aug 2010)
Extremely embittered ranting from ex-Buzzcocks man - Seann Walsh (16 Aug 2010)
Making the humdrum hilarious - Sex Idiot (9 Aug 2010)
Enjoyably loopy journey through Bryony Kimmings’ past loves - Sex, Lies and the KKK (23 Aug 2010)
One to keep an eye out for - Seymour Mace (25 Aug 2010)
Odd, witty and unexpected gags galore - Shakespeare the Man From Stratford (12 Aug 2010)
Spellbinding mix of thundering speeches and historical storytelling - Shappi Khorsandi (23 Aug 2010)
Falls disappointingly short of expectations - Sharp-suited sextet The Magnets a solid night out (8 Aug 2010)
Acappella group cover pop hits - Shazia Mirza (20 Aug 2010)
Atheists, parental pressure and sex chronology gone wrong - Shirley and Shirley (12 Aug 2010)
Dark twists on familiar sketch topics - The Silver Darlings (9 Aug 2010)
Strong, unflashy retelling of classic Scottish novel - Simon Evans (16 Aug 2010)
Tightly written and carefully delivered - The Sing-along Glee Club (7 Sep 2010)
Hilariously silly, ridiculously twee and delightfully camp - Smiler (19 Aug 2010)
Heartfelt story of friendship over disability - Smith and Smith (11 Aug 2010)
Dry self-deprecation and an irreverent take on immortality - Soap! The Show (10 Aug 2010)
Water-logged circus show leaves the crowd open-mouthed - Some Gorgeous Accident (14 Aug 2010)
Overlong travesty - Sophie Black (18 Aug 2010)
A character show with little in the way of actual characters - Sound and Fury - Private Dick (8 Aug 2010)
Playful postmodern romp with knob gags - Speechless (17 Aug 2010)
Giving voice to a powerful story - Speed... Mating... (16 Aug 2010)
Zoology meets comedy in this lecture on sexuality - Stephen Carlin - The Podium of Unconditional Surrender (10 Aug 2010)
Airdrie wag refuses to get tough - Stick Man brings Julia Donaldson's children's book to life (8 Aug 2010)
Lively adaptation hits the spot - Sticks, Stones, Broken Bones (12 Aug 2010)
Your plastic friends - Storm Large - Crazy Enough (9 Aug 2010)
A musical memoir with bawdy tales - Stripped (23 Aug 2010)
Insightful, not salacious - Strong and Wrong (23 Aug 2010)
Lame sketches fall an awful long way short of the music - Stuart Goldsmith (11 Aug 2010)
On the road to proper glory - The Sum of it All (11 Aug 2010)
Ghostly tale of grief - The Sun Also Rises (15 Aug 2010)
Overlong and unsympathetic Hemingway adaptation - The Sunday Defensive (16 Aug 2010)
Decent-enough chemistry - Susan Calman (23 Aug 2010)
A vitriolic manual in self-loathing - Susan Murray (23 Aug 2010)
Interesting and intelligent - Suspicious Package (11 Aug 2010)
Immersive fun on the streets of Edinburgh
T
- Tabú - I Will Be Bad (14 Aug 2010)
Contemporary circus flying in the face of fear - Taking Liberties (22 Aug 2010)
A witty and warped look at freedom - Tales From a Cabaret (25 Aug 2010)
A series of increasingly sinister jokes and songs - Tales from a House of No Windows (18 Aug 2010)
Why you definitely shouldn't get stuck in a lift - Tales From The Blackjack (14 Aug 2010)
Following three people’s descent into addiction - Tap Ole (8 Aug 2010)
Tap dance meets flamenco guitar with a sprinkling of razzle dazzle - Tara Flynn (23 Aug 2010)
Varying styles from 80s electro to French folk - Terry Alderton (16 Aug 2010)
There’s probably a joke here for all tastes - That Moment (11 Aug 2010)
Endearing and comic one-woman performance - The Three Englishmen (16 Aug 2010)
This might be as good as it gets - Threshold (14 Aug 2010)
Disturbing examination of ritual and primality - Tiffany Stevenson - Dictators (8 Aug 2010)
Top Trumps of despots - The Tiger Lillies (8 Aug 2010)
Sideshow inspired death-gypsy tunes - Tim Clare's Death Drive (24 Aug 2010)
A road trip with a difference - Tim FitzHigham (11 Aug 2010)
Irrepressible, energetic and nutty self portraits - Tim Vine: Joke-a-motive (25 Aug 2010)
Quickfire pun-slinging and silly songs - Toby Hadoke (16 Aug 2010)
Well-trodden paths of 80s small-screen nostalgia - Tom Allen (20 Aug 2010)
Navigating social dilemmas with confidence - Tom Craine (10 Aug 2010)
Achingly upper middle-class meanderings - Tommy Tiernan (24 Aug 2010)
A passionate man taking glorious risks - Tom Williams (16 Aug 2010)
One wishes the humour was a bit sharper - Tom Wrigglesworth (18 Aug 2010)
A disconnected dispatch about nuptials - Tony Law (10 Aug 2010)
Some laugh-worthy material - Tony Tanner’s Charlatan (8 Aug 2010)
Russian Ballet’s controversial founding father brought to life - Too Middle Class for Chlamydia (25 Aug 2010)
Fairly pedestrian – not to mention misogynist - Touching the Blue (9 Aug 2010)
A wonderfully constructed character story leaves you hanging - Toulson and Harvey (24 Aug 2010)
A not-so slight return for Perrier-nominated duo - Transformation (24 Aug 2010)
Harrowing but uplifting tale of survival - Twelfth Night (27 Aug 2010)
By my troth, an afternoon delight (if you’ve got the energy) - Two (12 Aug 2010)
Uneven play about a succession of couples packs a powerful punch - Two Bloody Queens (25 Aug 2010)
A noble, but shambolic attempt - Two Episodes of MASH (10 Aug 2010)
Offbeat charm and wit
U
- The Ukulele Project (8 Aug 2010)
Charming folk take on modern classics - Underneath The Lintel (24 Aug 2010)
A little treat for Dan Brown fans - The Unexpected Items (25 Aug 2010)
A spirited rabble of punning linguists - Unshakeable (11 Aug 2010)
Paul Betney jokingly describes his life with Parkinson's - Up 'n' Under (12 Aug 2010)
Enjoyable revival of John Godber’s lively romp - Up to Now (25 Aug 2010)
Of limited appeal
V
- The Vanishing Horizon (11 Aug 2010)
Idle Motion stick to their winning formula - The Virtuous Burglar (11 Aug 2010)
A clever and lively performance and beautiful design: a winner - Vive Le Cabaret (27 Aug 2010)
Fascinating Aida, Meow Meow and The Penny Dreadfuls head up quality cabaret package - Vladimir McTavish (16 Aug 2010)
Thoroughly entertaining crawl through the national beverage
W
- The Wake (23 Aug 2010)
A nifty, audience-aware caper - The Wau Wau Sisters (16 Aug 2010)
Chaotic, messy, Benny Hill-style slap and tickle comedy - Wednesday (15 Aug 2010)
Some interesting observations about violence - Wee Willie Gray (14 Aug 2010)
Magical adventure for Burns’ wee boy - Wendy Wason (16 Aug 2010)
Intelligent, heartfelt and entertaining - Whenever I Get Blown Up I Think Of You (8 Aug 2010)
Rich, lyrical personal account of the 7/7 bombings - Where Did It All Go Right? (14 Aug 2010)
Passion and fun in the nightclub - While You Lie (12 Aug 2010)
Brave exploration of identity, the body and sexuality - The White Dalmatian (12 Aug 2010)
Fairytale musical with a twist - Winner By Submission (25 Aug 2010)
Self destructive ethos - WitTank (20 Aug 2010)
High-octane/high-brow character comedy - Wolf is a innovative and well-imagined piece of theatre (9 Aug 2010)
Engaging exploration of human/wolf relations
Y
- Yianni Agisilaou (16 Aug 2010)
A lovely hour with some fine, funny company - Your Days Are Numbered (23 Aug 2010)
Somehow making maths funny
