Reviews & features: Issue 686
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- Issue 686
5 star shows
WitTank
(12 Aug 2011)
A dazzling display of sketch genius
Luke Wright's Cynical Ballads
(8 Aug 2011)
Wonderful slices of fractured Britain
Silent
(8 Aug 2011)
Witty and moving portrayal of life on the streets
Tamsyn Challenger: 400 Women
(8 Aug 2011)
Stunning artistic memorial to victims of gender violence
Bagpuss
(7 Aug 2011)
Stage adaptation that’s just about purrfect
4 star shows
3D Hamlet: A Lost Generation
(12 Aug 2011)
Strong acting secures the Bard a place in the 21st century
Andrew Maxwell
(12 Aug 2011)
Blistering set from the mercurial Dubliner
Daniel Sloss - The Joker
(12 Aug 2011)
Ridiculously talented young comedy buck
Jen Brister is British(ish)
(12 Aug 2011)
Wonderfully madcap look at identity
Lee Camp Is: Yet Another American Mistake
(12 Aug 2011)
Rabble-rousing American gets mad at current affairs
Mark Thomas: Extreme Rambling (Walking the Wall)
(12 Aug 2011)
Following a dangerous tourist trail
Orkestra del Sol's Top Trumps
(12 Aug 2011)
Balkan, gypsy and polka sounds in a musical face-off
Tim and Light
(12 Aug 2011)
An ode to friendship for all ages
You Once Said Yes
(12 Aug 2011)
Exhilarating interactive experience
Allotment
(11 Aug 2011)
Sweetly observed play taking place on a real allotment with free cup of tea
Anton's Uncles
(11 Aug 2011)
Chekhov remixed as a highly entertaining divertissement
Belleville Rendez-vous
(11 Aug 2011)
Inventive adaptation of Gallic animated classic
Bones
(11 Aug 2011)
Honest examination of real life on the dole
The Girl With The Iron Claws
(11 Aug 2011)
A fairytale for grown-ups
The Incredible Book Eating Boy
(11 Aug 2011)
Quirky five-minute adaptation of much-loved children’s book
Lounge Room Confabulators
(11 Aug 2011)
Aussie troubadours paying home visits
Pinocchio: A Fantasy of Pleasures
(11 Aug 2011)
Adults-only retelling is decidedly not Disney
The Room
(11 Aug 2011)
Gloriously awful Rocky Horror-style particapatory film screening
Slender Threads
(11 Aug 2011)
Sensitive portrayal of a woman’s experience of cancer
Soy de Cuba
(11 Aug 2011)
Song and dance spectacular a real feel-good Fringe show
Ten Plagues
(11 Aug 2011)
Intense, moving Marc Almond-starring plague musical strikes a chord
The Wheel
(11 Aug 2011)
Innocence lost in war-torn Spain
Shylock
(9 Aug 2011)
Gareth Armstrong and Guy Masterson take us behind the mask of Shakespeare’s Jew
Colm O’Regan: Dislike! A Facebook Guide to Crisis
(8 Aug 2011)
Funny and informative social networking guide to Irish history
Des Clarke - Des Comedy Jam
(8 Aug 2011)
Hilarious patter will leave both locals and out-of-towners in a good place
Generation 9/11: So Far / So Close
(8 Aug 2011)
Captivating and quietly profound one-man show
Nick Pynn
(8 Aug 2011)
One-man folk orchestra
The Oh Fuck Moment
(8 Aug 2011)
Uneasily entertaining afternoon of reflection on human frailty
One Night Stan
(8 Aug 2011)
Excellent one-man show based on life of Stan Laurel
Pope Benedict: Bond Villain
(8 Aug 2011)
Provocative and brilliantly witty hour on religion and economic meltdown
Suitcase Royale in Zombatland
(8 Aug 2011)
Late-night, top-notch hour of blues music, B-list horror and slapstick
Tim Clare: How to Be a Leader
(8 Aug 2011)
Frequently inventive show includes rousing series of raps about iconic women
Tom Price: Say When
(8 Aug 2011)
Torchwood actor ebullient, warm and thoroughly engaging
Alma Mater
(8 Aug 2011)
Immersive, lovely look at childhood innocence and loss
Craig Campbell
(8 Aug 2011)
Natural observational storytelling
Korean Drum: Journey of a Soul
(8 Aug 2011)
Dance to the rhythm of life
Minute After Midday
(8 Aug 2011)
Pared-down performance based on Omagh bombing
Roar
(8 Aug 2011)
Stylish, sexy romp is frequently hilarious but not without emotion
Simon Callow in Tuesday at Tescos
(8 Aug 2011)
Transgender monologue that’s dressed to kill
Soweto Entsha
(8 Aug 2011)
South African songs from the heart
101
(8 Aug 2011)
Group hugs, cult chants and it’s all your fault
The Table
(8 Aug 2011)
Puppet show silliness backed up by serious skill
Uncharted Waters
(8 Aug 2011)
Homage to life on the waves told through aerial circus skills
A Slow Air
(8 Aug 2011)
Nationhood explored and deplored
Barry and Stuart
(8 Aug 2011)
Showing and telling their magical mysteries
Death Song
(8 Aug 2011)
Intense story of loss and secrets
Elegy
(8 Aug 2011)
Moving story of a flight from persecution
Fiona O'Loughlin: Spirited (Tales from an Angel in a Bottle)
(8 Aug 2011)
Bloody funny, just don’t show her the Bloody Marys
Ford and Akram: Humdinger
(8 Aug 2011)
Yin and yang do silly and surreal
Frisky and Mannish: Pop Centre Plus
(8 Aug 2011)
Wry ribbing of pop culture
Glenn Wool: No Lands Man
(8 Aug 2011)
Hobo comic’s killer dispatches
I Hope My Heart Goes First
(8 Aug 2011)
Remarkable young company delves into matters of the heart
James Acaster: Amongst Other Things
(8 Aug 2011)
Mixing up the comedy flavours
Matthew Crosby: AdventureParty
(8 Aug 2011)
A safe and hilarious haven for geeks and nerds
Mission Drift
(8 Aug 2011)
The TEAM achieve the huge, soaring size of their ambitions
Sheeps: A Sketch Show
(8 Aug 2011)
Confidence and skill ooze from Footlights alumni
Sink or Spin
(8 Aug 2011)
It’s gym life, but not as we know it
Spent
(8 Aug 2011)
Razor-sharp agit prop satire
Whistle
(8 Aug 2011)
Extraordinary true-life tale
3 star shows
Carey Marx
(12 Aug 2011)
The thinking man’s shock jock
Carl Donnelly 3: Carl Donnelier!
(12 Aug 2011)
Meandering tales that finally pay off
Christmas for Two: Friends With You
(12 Aug 2011)
Variable sketch show of audacious surrealism
Gavin Webster: All Young People Are C**ts
(12 Aug 2011)
Likeably profane and bitter hour
The Golden Dragon
(12 Aug 2011)
Global stories to take away
Keith Farnan: Money, Money, Money
(12 Aug 2011)
Well-informed monologue about money
King of Scotland
(12 Aug 2011)
Strong presentation of Iain Heggie’s second best monologue
Late Night Gimp Fight!
(12 Aug 2011)
Fast-paced sketches are more smutty than obscene
Nick Helm - Dare to Dream
(12 Aug 2011)
Shouty Marmite musical act
Toby - Lucky
(12 Aug 2011)
Divisive duo spark a riot of tutting and scowling
Audience
(11 Aug 2011)
Ontroerend Goed slip out of the major league with cynical show
The Ballet Ruse
(11 Aug 2011)
Sneaking a cheeky peek at the secret lives of ballerinas
Blood and Roses
(11 Aug 2011)
Multi-sensory journey with history’s courageous women
Carmen Sylva
(11 Aug 2011)
Established artists take on a new and exciting identity
Cutting the Cord
(11 Aug 2011)
Tragicomedy exploring immigration via young Japanese woman in London
Forgetting Natasha
(11 Aug 2011)
Multimedia memories with excellent choreography
Norman McBeath & Robert Crawford: Body Bags / Simonides
(11 Aug 2011)
Mournful collaboration between photographer and poet
Pasta! Macaroni Puppet's Show
(11 Aug 2011)
Children's show where pasta comes to life
Snails and Ketchup
(11 Aug 2011)
Dynamic one-man Calvino adaptation
Turandot
(11 Aug 2011)
A radical completion of Puccini's unfinished opera
Lord of the Flies
(10 Aug 2011)
William Golding’s classic novel slightly adjusted for modern times
Thirsty
(9 Aug 2011)
Powerful physical evocation of the relationship between women and alcohol
Andi Osho: All the Single Ladies
(8 Aug 2011)
Confidently breezing through hour of self-deprecating enjoyable comedy
Anil Desai
(8 Aug 2011)
Fantastic audience rapport and likeable charm, but unchallenging
The Billie Holiday Story
(8 Aug 2011)
Enjoyable insight into a unique talent
Bring Me the Head of Adam Riches
(8 Aug 2011)
Provocative onstage antics not for the faint of heart
David Morgan: Triple Threat
(8 Aug 2011)
Show taking in musical theatre, childhood bullying and homophobia
Des Bishop - My Dad Was Nearly James Bond
(8 Aug 2011)
Largely funny, tender and acutely observed ode to late father
Dream Pill
(8 Aug 2011)
Poignant insight into the unsettling reality of sex work in the UK
Dregs
(8 Aug 2011)
Character-based sketches maintain constant audience engagement
Fear of a Brown Planet
(8 Aug 2011)
Audience-friendly jovial banter about Islam, Michael Jackson and Barack Obama
Fred MacAulay: Legally Bald
(8 Aug 2011)
For straightforward traditional stand-up, MacAulay’s your man
Guilt and Shame
(8 Aug 2011)
Sketches which get increasingly filthier and funnier
Hal Sparks - Evolution Overdrive
(8 Aug 2011)
Impressive delivery with theme of humankind’s ongoing evolution
Jason Cook - The Search for Happiness
(8 Aug 2011)
An hour of pleasant company, although lacking memorable friction
Jessica Fostekew: Luxury Tramp
(8 Aug 2011)
Observational humour with a confessional edge
Joel Dommett: Neon Hero
(8 Aug 2011)
Celebrity crush tale an from assured and skilled performer
John Robertson - Blood & Charm: Disturbing Stories for Disturbing Bedtimes
(8 Aug 2011)
Tightly-scripted surreal monologue full of fascinating true stories
Lady Garden
(8 Aug 2011)
Successful series of standalone and recurring sketches
Nobody’s Home: A Modern Odyssey
(8 Aug 2011)
Powerful portrayal of mental illness
One Under
(8 Aug 2011)
Energetic piece of devised theatre based on London Underground
Pete Firman: Jiggery Pokery
(8 Aug 2011)
Magic routines with an enjoyable line in potty-mouthed sarcasm
Ray Time in the Daytime: An Audience With Ray Green and Friends
(8 Aug 2011)
TV presenter character halfway between Partridge and Brent
Run, Deaf Boy, Run!
(8 Aug 2011)
Engaging, heart-warming tale told with skill from deaf comedian Steve Day
Stuart Goldsmith
(8 Aug 2011)
A pleasant romp, amusingly delivered, this is easy, assured comedy
Tom Stade: What Year Was That?
(8 Aug 2011)
Whimsy and shock humour make for easy, if not entirely guilt-free, laughs
Tony Law: Go Mr Tony Go!
(8 Aug 2011)
Surrealist joyride is brash, loud and joyously raucous
Totally Tom
(8 Aug 2011)
Impressive range of comedic prowess and accents
Zeus’ Pamphlet
(8 Aug 2011)
Enjoyable show combines familiar with the more inventive
2401 Objects
(8 Aug 2011)
Remarkable neuroscience story
At The Sans Hotel
(8 Aug 2011)
A sophisticated exploration of the form/content dichotomy
Belt Up’s The Boy James
(8 Aug 2011)
Well-executed drama based on JM Barrie's childhood
David Reed: Shamblehouse
(8 Aug 2011)
Great lines but lots of filler
Diane Spencer: All-Pervading Madness
(8 Aug 2011)
Don’t judge a comic by their gentle demeanour
Katri Walker: North West
(8 Aug 2011)
Intriguing exploration of Scottish/Wild West links
The Magical Faraway Tree
(8 Aug 2011)
Multi-character comedy not really based on Enid Blyton tale
Pop-Up! The Amazing Adventures of Moo-Dong
(8 Aug 2011)
The art of entertaining
Slavery to Star Trek
(8 Aug 2011)
Autobiographical show taking in Martin Luther King and Malcolm X
Dance Marathon
(8 Aug 2011)
Sweat-slicked endurance test
Francesca Martinez
(8 Aug 2011)
A charmingly caustic look at ‘normal’
Somewhere Beneath It All, A Small Fire Burns Still
(8 Aug 2011)
Monologue that’s less than straightforward
A Celebration of Harold Pinter
(8 Aug 2011)
Pinter wonderland manages not to sink beneath the hype
Catie Wilkins: A Chip Off the Odd Block
(8 Aug 2011)
Enthusiastic and wry story about parents
The Chronicles of Bitter and Twisted
(8 Aug 2011)
Charming and cheeky fairy tale sequel
Comedy Club 4 Kids
(8 Aug 2011)
Heckle-happy crowd nearly stump the pros
Dave Gorman's Power Point Presentation
(8 Aug 2011)
Inspired PowerPoint presentation from the genial everyman
The Infant
(8 Aug 2011)
Absurdist comedy with a Gothic feel
John Peel’s Shed
(8 Aug 2011)
Intimate musings on the joy of radio
The Just So Stories
(8 Aug 2011)
Colourful and engaging adaptation of Kipling’s well known tales
Katherine Ryan: Little Miss Conception
(8 Aug 2011)
An edgy story of pageant culture
Laurence Clark: Health Hazard!
(8 Aug 2011)
Uncovering the truths about US health care
Margaret Cho
(8 Aug 2011)
San Franciscan in town to have lots of sex, please
My Name is Hannibal: The Hannibal Montanabal Experience
(8 Aug 2011)
Intelligent dissections of comedy and life
Paul Daniels
(8 Aug 2011)
You’re going to like this . . .
Sanderson Jones
(8 Aug 2011)
Pleasingly foppish semi-shambles
Scary Gorgeous
(8 Aug 2011)
Girls gone wild
Under The Baobab Tree
(8 Aug 2011)
Animal tales from Africa
What Remains
(8 Aug 2011)
Plenty of creep, not enough deep
Who Are The Jocks?
(8 Aug 2011)
A multi-faceted tale of love and loss
Ahir Shah
(7 Aug 2011)
Stars in his eyes
Bridget Christie
(7 Aug 2011)
Slapdash slapstick sloppy stand-up
Rock the Ballet
(7 Aug 2011)
Pop-rock ballet makes for pure entertainment from Rasta Thomas’s Bad Boys
The Tim Bat Trick Show
(7 Aug 2011)
Slickness and silliness in equal measure
Wedding Band: A Comedy by Charlie Baker
(7 Aug 2011)
Crooner delivers a gentle comic play
2 star shows
Benny Boot: Set-Up, Punchline… Pause for Laughter
(12 Aug 2011)
The secrets of comedy remain a mystery here
Eric Lampaert
(12 Aug 2011)
An engaging but ultimately flat Eric
James Galea: I Hate Rabbits
(12 Aug 2011)
High on production values, low on magic
Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov
(12 Aug 2011)
Depressing tale of decay of the upper classes in Russia
Mark Twain Abroad
(11 Aug 2011)
Dramatic recreation of a lecture by the famous author lacks panache
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
(11 Aug 2011)
Children’s adaptation that’s hard to follow
Alistair Green: Outpatient
(8 Aug 2011)
Entertaining riffs in illness-themed show not for the squeamish
Bob Downe: 20 Golden Greats
(8 Aug 2011)
Lively hour of high camp, but with only a handful of gags
Brett Goldstein Grew Up in a Strip Club
(8 Aug 2011)
Endearing personality wins over crowd despite lacklustre material
Catriona Knox
(8 Aug 2011)
Signs of promise but dialogue lacks punch
Clare Plested: Vegas, Jesus and Me
(8 Aug 2011)
Nicely observed impressions from adorable lady but comedy is patchy
Colin Hoult
(8 Aug 2011)
Talented and energetic performer targets UK provinces
Indoor Fox Hunting
(8 Aug 2011)
Some lovely ideas, but tightening up of content and delivery required
Jeff Leach: A Leach On Society
(8 Aug 2011)
Energetic gross-out comedy with possibly divisive material
Joe Wilkinson: My Mum's Called Stella and My Dad's Called Brian
(8 Aug 2011)
Underpowered affair from BBC Three’s Him & Her
The Life Doctor
(8 Aug 2011)
Channelling of the most irksome of TV lifestyle gurus disappoints
Matt Rudge
(8 Aug 2011)
Natural warmth let down by meandering dialogue
Nathan Caton: Get Rich or Die Cryin'
(8 Aug 2011)
Glimmers of brilliance from likeable comedian
Rayguns Look Real Enough: Balls Deep
(8 Aug 2011)
Thematically-arranged medleys from emphatic performer with laboured set of puns
Ro Campbell: Uttering Bad Shillings
(8 Aug 2011)
Some nice stuff from Scottish Comedian of the Year, but few genuine laughs
Sex You (I’m Gonna) – featuring Nathan Phillips
(8 Aug 2011)
More sophisticated than it advertises itself to be
Sideshow
(8 Aug 2011)
Freakshow-themed one-man show lacks pay-off
Toulouse-Lautrec: The Musical
(8 Aug 2011)
Japanese one-man show dedicated but lacking in pace and musical gravitas
Dr Apple’s Last Lecture
(8 Aug 2011)
Energetic acting, but ultimately without a point
Remembering Annabel
(8 Aug 2011)
Edgar Allan Poe adaptation feels messy despite flashes of humour
The Seagull Effect
(8 Aug 2011)
Enthusiasm and visual techniques let down by overdone score and direction
Shhh: The Musical
(8 Aug 2011)
Enthusiasm let down by unoriginal script and forgettable songs
The Curse of Macbeth
(8 Aug 2011)
Great staging, shame about the acting
Doctor Brown
(8 Aug 2011)
Silent and vulgar tedium
Free Run
(8 Aug 2011)
Heavily padded parkour spectacle
It’s Uniformation Day
(8 Aug 2011)
2001: A Space Odyssey got weird
Man of Valour
(8 Aug 2011)
Mime and punishment
Nathan Dean Williams
(8 Aug 2011)
Twisted pick ‘n’ mix
Robert Burns: Not in my Name
(8 Aug 2011)
Tracing the final years of the Bard
Roisin Conaty
(8 Aug 2011)
‘Dickhead’ on a mission to achieve zen
Tom Green
(8 Aug 2011)
Porn and meat-fuelled non-event
Wondrous Flitting
(8 Aug 2011)
Absurdist parable that doesn’t quite work
Neil by Mouth
(7 Aug 2011)
Energy and whimsy but far too many groans
1 star shows
Alice in Wonderland and Other Adventures With Lewis Carroll
(8 Aug 2011)
Badly sung songs, ill-fitting costumes and stilted delivery
Brown and Corley: Born in the 80s
(8 Aug 2011)
Like bad school drama production
The Dipper
(8 Aug 2011)
Utter nonsense misses the mark completely
Terezin: Children of the Holocaust
(8 Aug 2011)
Fictionalised account of a concert fails to convey emotional weight
Radio Deluxembourg
(8 Aug 2011)
Parodic retro-kitsch with utterly unfunny script and weary cast


