Reviews & features: Reviews
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- Reviews
0–9
3 Gaga Heads
(24 Aug 2009)
All quite barmy- 4 Poofs and a Piano
(24 Aug 2009)
A seemingly inexhaustible supply of sexual puns - 52 Man Pickup
(23 Aug 2009)
Party games and sexual history from Desiree Burch - 6.0: How Heap and Pebble Took on the World and Won (13 Aug 2009)
When sport, movement, poetry and comedy collide
3 Gaga Heads
A
- Aaron Barschak
(24 Aug 2009)
A monstrosity of a show - A Betrayal of Penguins (18 Aug 2009)
Penguin-based humour has never seemed such fun - A Big Trout in a Small Pond (11 Aug 2009)
Sketch show for the Skins generation lacks a wider outlook - Abi Roberts (24 Aug 2009)
Not much in the way of comedic writing - Abracadabra: German Humour Goes Global (18 Aug 2009)
Enjoyable, non-ironically zany knees-up - Accidental Nostalgia (14 Aug 2009)
The past is a foreign country music - Actions Speak Louder than Birds (18 Aug 2009)
Spends too much time apologising for his limitations - Actus tragicus (11 Sep 2009)
Bach in a dolls house - Adam Hills (18 Aug 2009)
An energetic musing on modern life - Adam Riches: Rogue Males (14 Aug 2009)
A rogue's gallery of male foibles - Adams & Rea (24 Aug 2009)
Music in their blood but only mildly amusing - Admeto, re di Tessaglia (11 Sep 2009)
Exit, pursued by a butoh sheep - A Fistful of Snow (21 Aug 2009)
The strange but amusing tale of an estranged writer - Afterplay (3 Sep 2009)
Haunting Chekovian elegy - Aindrias de Staic - The Summer I Did The Leaving (14 Aug 2009)
For fiddle-fanciers and Hibernophiles only - Alan Francis & Barnaby Power (10 Aug 2009)
Satisfying stings and filthy finales - Alex and Helen's Radio Nowhere (21 Aug 2009)
Silly, surreal and sarcastic fun - Alex Maple (18 Aug 2009)
The exit doors become an ever appealing prospect - A Life in Three Acts (21 Aug 2009)
A fascinating story, engagingly told - Alistair Barrie (24 Aug 2009)
Elicits chuckles rather than belly laughs - Alistair McGowan (21 Aug 2009)
Back to the 90s - All That Gomez (10 Aug 2009)
Brash bravado and thoughtful theatrics - Almost 10 (18 Aug 2009)
An absorbing portrait of childhood for adults - Almost Like a Virgin (19 Aug 2009)
Strikes an impressive pose - A Lot of Nerve (10 Aug 2009)
Cabaret in a world of its own - Alun Cochrane
(10 Aug 2009)
The weaver of dreams hits top form again - Amanda Palmer (23 Aug 2009)
Songs and stories from the former Dresden Doll - And All the Children Cried (19 Aug 2009)
Provocative stuff - Andrea Donovan: Regret Me Not (11 Aug 2009)
Meaningful character comedy - Andrew Lawrence: Soul Crushing Vicissitudes of Fortune! (13 Aug 2009)
A show about how luck can change our lives - Andrew Maxwell (24 Aug 2009)
Sparkles with charm and wit aplenty - Andrew O’Neill (18 Aug 2009)
Fast-talking, endlessly informative and inventive - Andrew Stanley's Comedy Mish Mash (16 Aug 2009)
The warmest welcome you'll get all August - Andrew Watts (18 Aug 2009)
Without any decent jokes - Andy and Mike's… Big Box of Bananas (9 Aug 2009)
Fun and frolics in the fun pad - An Evening with Psychosis (10 Aug 2009)
Maddeningly unfunny verbatim play - Anil Desai (12 Aug 2009)
Comedy impressions with improvised sketches - Anna & Katy (10 Aug 2009)
Inventive, anarchic, satirical sketches - Anomie (9 Aug 2009)
Energy and technology come together - Antoine and the Paper Aeroplane (10 Aug 2009)
Aviation fantasy - A One Way Street (25 Aug 2009)
Eco-friendly yummy mummies in sketch form - A Promised Land (26 Aug 2009)
Weighty dramatisation of post-Holocaust Europe - Ashley Hames (10 Aug 2009)
The queasy confessions of a sex reporter - The Aspidistras (18 Aug 2009)
Spreads the laughs a little too thinly - The Assassination of Paris Hilton (24 Aug 2009)
Rarely lifts itself above the obvious - A-Team – The Musical (14 Aug 2009)
DIY nostalgia for fans of the original - A Tribute – Gielgud’s Ages of Man (24 Aug 2009)
Good, but a poor fit for the Free Fringe - Austen's Women (24 Aug 2009)
If you aren’t a fan you’re unlikely to be converted - Ava Vidal (18 Aug 2009)
A refreshingly laidback, conversational style - Axis of Awesome (18 Aug 2009)
Spoof songs and inter-band bickering aplenty - A Year’s Hard Labour (25 Aug 2009)
Sound performances make this an engaging free show
B
- Baba Yaga Bony Legs (10 Aug 2009)
Disappointing multi-sensory adaptation of Russian folktale - Balloon Boutique (12 Aug 2009)
Big hearts and big balloons in a gentle story - Bamboozlement (1 Sep 2009)
Audience interaction with much charm and wit - Bane (23 Aug 2009)
Inspired film noir parody - Barflies (13 Aug 2009)
Smart, accomplished tale of schism’n’booze - Barry & Stuart (18 Aug 2009)
Mischievous manner and playful banter - Baxterbear's Tales: Storytelling for all (18 Aug 2009)
Globe-trotting bear with a tale to tell - Beachy Head (10 Aug 2009)
Suicide brings on many changes - Bec Hill (24 Aug 2009)
The banter and inventiveness of a burgeoning comic talent - Becoming Marilyn (10 Aug 2009)
Norma Jean and Marilyn Monroe become Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Bedtime Stories (3 Sep 2009)
A fun tribute to an essential piece of furniture - Been So Long (19 Aug 2009)
Great tunes, pounding voices and beguiling dialogue - Ben Dover (20 Aug 2009)
Penetrating tales of filth with dodgy jokes - Bethany Black: Love and a Colt 45 (11 Aug 2009)
Unwelcome self-indulgence - Birthing the Crone: The Crone Chronicles (12 Aug 2009)
One-woman show proclaiming the menopause as more than the beginning of old age - The Bitter Belief of Cotrone the Magician (10 Aug 2009)
Package tour theatre is worth it for the scenery - Blondes (13 Aug 2009)
Denise has more fun - Bob and Roberta Smith: This Artist is Deeply Dangerous (21 Aug 2009)
Humorously subverting the relationship between artist and critic - The Bodega Brothers (18 Aug 2009)
Laconic, self-deprecating and funny - Boh (24 Aug 2009)
Moving dance exploration of women’s roles - The Bone House (27 Aug 2009)
No sleep tonight - Bongo Club Cabaret (16 Aug 2009)
Seduction, celebration and imagination - The Boom Jennies (11 Aug 2009)
Yummy mummies sketch out society's most awkward moments - Borges and I (24 Aug 2009)
Astonishingly accomplished young company - Bourgeois and Maurice (11 Aug 2009)
Sensual cabaret and acid wit - Boy in Darkness (19 Aug 2009)
A lot of ambition that hasn’t found the right vehicle - Brazilian Fever (23 Aug 2009)
Hot Latin moves fail to ignite a proper fire - Breakfast with Burns (1 Sep 2009)
Finally, a few words from the lassies in his life - Brian Gittins (18 Aug 2009)
Largely satisfying - Bridget Christie: My Daily Mail Hell (20 Aug 2009)
Flaws in the internal logic create an objectionable experience - Bristol Revunions: We Made a Funny (11 Aug 2009)
A hit and miss of student sketches - Broken Records (19 Aug 2009)
A dry atmosphere and a workmanlike performance - The Brothers Lionheart (18 Aug 2009)
Heavy tale of death and doom - Burglar Bill (9 Aug 2009)
Winning adaptation of kids’ classic
C
- Cabaret Whore (27 Aug 2009)
Sex, revenge and Katie Price - Cardinal Burns (10 Aug 2009)
Turkish delights amid the prop failure - Carey Marx (24 Aug 2009)
Everything from global warming to fisting cows - Carl Donnelly (18 Aug 2009)
A natural gift for spontaneity - Catch (1 Sep 2009)
Finding love is not as easy as buying it on the internet - Catwalk Confidential (10 Aug 2009)
70s fashion icon Robyn Peterson - Celia Pacquola (10 Aug 2009)
Laughing it up with a messed-up stand-up - Certain Dark Things (10 Aug 2009)
Deft and involving presentation of social claustrophobia - Charlie Baker (23 Aug 2009)
Schizophrenic jazz man should stick to one tune - Charlie Chuck (16 Aug 2009)
A rare audience with original comedy nutjob - Chauntecleer and Pertelotte (20 Aug 2009)
Bestiality and poultry fornication make for unexpectedly fun viewing - Chris Cox (18 Aug 2009)
One of the Fringe’s more mentally challenging shows - Chris McCausland (11 Aug 2009)
Shocking comedy, from lightning strikes to blinking - Chronicles of Long Kesh (12 Aug 2009)
Martin Lynch’s history of the infamous Irish prison camp - Circa (16 Aug 2009)
Bodies balancing, beautifully, breathtakingly - Clever Peter (18 Aug 2009)
Comes together to great effect - Cocorico (20 Aug 2009)
French mime duo breaks down invisible walls - Colin Hoult (11 Aug 2009)
Monstrously funny - Colm O'Regan (24 Aug 2009)
An effortless talent abounding - Comedy Bitch (18 Aug 2009)
Don’t lift the bar high enough - The Contest (10 Aug 2009)
Art school confidential - Controlled Falling Project (20 Aug 2009)
Australian act wows with an elegant mix of physical theatre and acrobatics - Craig Hill (11 Aug 2009)
The brutal coupling of a sharp wit and a queen bitch attitude - Crave (27 Aug 2009)
Raw and powerful from the very beginning - The Creative World of Alan Davie (8 Aug 2009)
Remarkable mix of the dark and the sublime from much-loved Scottish artist - Crime of the Century (9 Aug 2009)
Young lives on the edge - The Critic (23 Aug 2009)
R.B. Sheridan's final farce fails to translate - Crush (8 Aug 2009)
From hormonal teenagers to marriage: Paul Charlton returns - Cry From Underground (Tell Me Your Name) (23 Aug 2009)
Dostoyevsky-inspired play plunges the depths of desperation - The Cubicle (24 Aug 2009)
Riotous mix of comedy, dance and audience participation
D
- Daliso Chaponda (16 Aug 2009)
An unpreachy hour relating abuse and misery - Dan Antopolski (11 Aug 2009)
Daring comedy and the odd rap - Dan Atkinson: Death by One Thousand Pricks (1 Sep 2009)
Compelling and entertaining thesis on the current state of Britain - The Dandelion’s Story (21 Aug 2009)
The circle of life - Danielle Ward (23 Aug 2009)
Self-aware yet distinctive act - Daniel Rigby (24 Aug 2009)
Frenzied and wilfully bizarre one-man character sketch show - Daniel Sloss: Teenage Kicks (10 Aug 2009)
Teaching the older generation a thing or two - The Dark Party (16 Aug 2009)
Gothic sideshow for the Top Gear set - Dave Thornton (18 Aug 2009)
Nearly as hot as a shrimp on a barbie - David Ferrard: Scottish Folk Roots & Offshoots (16 Aug 2009)
A homecoming Transatlantic session - David Longley (12 Aug 2009)
Rants and political polemic from the intellectual comedian - David O'Doherty (18 Aug 2009)
Last year’s if.comedy winner consolidates - Dead Cat Bounce (24 Aug 2009)
The overall effect is enjoyable - Des Bishop (24 Aug 2009)
A show of empathy, if not quite originality - Des Clarke (16 Aug 2009)
Showbiz shine disappears with tired material - The Devoured (11 Aug 2009)
A harrowing tale of the Holocaust from one family’s point of view - Diary of a Madman (20 Aug 2009)
Gogol adaptation which hasn’t quite found its feet - Diaspora (17 Aug 2009)
Beautiful music, grand multimedia, but where’s the beef? - Die Roten Punkte (10 Aug 2009)
Otto and Astrid aim to rock your world - The Discovery of Spain (5 Aug 2009)
Fascinating exhibition of British and Spanish art demands a long look - The Divine Comedy Hour (18 Aug 2009)
Two stand-ups dripping with niceness - Dixie's Tupperware Party (20 Aug 2009)
A hilarious and naughty time is had by all - Doctor Austin and Doug Safety's Time-Tastical Time Tale (16 Aug 2009)
It’s science Jim, but not as we know it - Dog-Eared Collective (10 Aug 2009)
An apocalyptic oddity about The End - Domestic Goddi 2 (11 Aug 2009)
Delicious sketches from the female duo - Don Juan in Soho (26 Aug 2009)
An energetic young cast but no Rhys Ifans - Don Quixote – Theatre of the Blind (19 Aug 2009)
Audio-aural experience works pretty well - The Doubtful Guest (20 Aug 2009)
The Gorey details
E
- East 10th Street: Self Portrait with Empty House (13 Aug 2009)
Three storeys of NYC stories - Edward Aczel (18 Aug 2009)
The dry meanderings of a new kind of comic - Elaine Malcolmson & Niall Browne: All Kinds of Everything (11 Aug 2009)
Cheeky N’Ireland pair do a video nation thing - Eleanor Tiernan: Trouble (11 Aug 2009)
Tommy's cousin lacks the family wit - Elis James (24 Aug 2009)
Sex, drugs and rock'n'rollercoasters - Elvis McGonagall (14 Aug 2009)
Poetically charming tartan chappie - Elvis Still My Heart (10 Aug 2009)
No, Elvis has definitely left the building - Emptymouthing (25 Aug 2009)
Doesn’t cohere into anything substantial - Eric's Tales of the Sea (26 Aug 2009)
Moving, humbling, and comic - Ernest and the Pale Moon (10 Aug 2009)
Spellbinding gothic horror - The Event (13 Aug 2009)
Brilliant deconstruction of stand-up - Everything Must Go (or the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles) (21 Aug 2009)
Dad, in drag, in memoriam
F
- Facebook Fables (12 Aug 2009)
A play with a status to 'like'? It may even make it in your 'interests'. - Fahrenheit 451 (19 Aug 2009)
Performances make up for in gusto what they can lack in finesse - Faith Healer (17 Aug 2009)
Faith, fate and chance - Faith No More (27 Aug 2009)
Massive shots of musical adrenaline that have the crowd and band pumping - The Fall of Man (12 Aug 2009)
Paradise Lost in a bedsit - Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience (21 Aug 2009)
Excellent impersonations but no Waldorf salad - Faust (20 Aug 2009)
Dark, thrilling and unsettling adaptation of Goethe’s classic - Faust in the Box (12 Aug 2009)
The music quickly becomes tiresome - Felicity Ward (16 Aug 2009)
Tales of poor Aussie upbringing lack bite - Fergus Craig Still Watches Neighbours (11 Aug 2009)
How soap can save your soul - Flhip Flhop: Everything Happens on the Break (16 Aug 2009)
Comic theatre gives hip hop the brush off - Foil Arms and Hog (18 Aug 2009)
Deliriously funny and at times unexpectedly dark - Footlights (18 Aug 2009)
A lukewarm and predictable set of sketches - Forever Young (25 Aug 2009)
WWI through letters, diaries, poems and song - Forgotten Things (13 Aug 2009)
Bittersweet, intelligent family farce - Four Quarters (10 Aug 2009)
Contemporary dance in shooter form - Fredrik Lloyd (24 Aug 2009)
Blessed with neither presence nor charisma - Frightened Rabbit (21 Aug 2009)
New material promises great things - Frisky and Mannish (16 Aug 2009)
Simply top of the pops - Frog (10 Aug 2009)
Amphibian tale that puts a spring in your step - The Funeralogues (19 Aug 2009)
Gently comic with genuine poignancy - Funny (12 Aug 2009)
An inability to see the potential in a great idea
G
- G3: The Ginge, the Geordie and the Geek (24 Aug 2009)
Brave and occasionally sinister - The Gadabouts (18 Aug 2009)
Their general affability is wasted on this largely disappointing show - Gagarin Way (10 Aug 2009)
Comics successfully revive Fringe hit - Gary Little (24 Aug 2009)
Storytelling is not his forte - Gavin Webster (16 Aug 2009)
Surreal banter with a strong accent - Gelabert Azzopardi Companyia de Dansa (23 Aug 2009)
Works of total theatre from Cesc Gelabert - Geoff Norcott (11 Aug 2009)
Former Nuts man on the more subtle differences between sexes - George in the Dragon’s Den (21 Aug 2009)
Bringing the Saint into the 21st century - George Ryegold (10 Aug 2009)
Bloody fare with a rash of silver linings - Geraldine Quinn (18 Aug 2009)
Cleverly bitter material - Gerry Howell (18 Aug 2009)
Just being weird for the sake of it - Ginger and Black (18 Aug 2009)
Charmingly noncommittal and curiously unpredictable - Giraffes Can't Dance (9 Aug 2009)
Warm-hearted moral in the jungle - The Girls of Slender Means (13 Aug 2009)
Adaptation of the Muriel Spark novel - Glenn Wool (18 Aug 2009)
Has never been funnier or more lustily discombobulated - God: A Comedy by Woody Allen (25 Aug 2009)
Deliberately unsatisfying, disposable feeling - Go to Gaza, Drink the Sea (21 Aug 2009)
Strong political drama - Graceless (11 Aug 2009)
Five women’s stories collide - Grandees (19 Aug 2009)
The mugging and gurning from the cast becomes migraine-inducing - Grandmother Waits For You (14 Aug 2009)
Oddly beautiful structure explores ageism, community and unconditional love - The Gravediggers (13 Aug 2009)
Gravedigging comedy that doesn’t dig deep enough - Greg Behrendt (24 Aug 2009)
Predictable material - The Grind Show (19 Aug 2009)
Carnival slapstick and profound questioning from the TBA Collaborative - Guy Incognito (24 Aug 2009)
A muddled execution that feels unfinished
H
- Hamlet (12 Aug 2009)
A new energy is brought to the Shakespeare classic - Hangover (11 Aug 2009)
The morning after the night before - Hannah Gadsby (10 Aug 2009)
Does mother really know best? - Harbingers (19 Aug 2009)
Unable to rein their natural exuberance into anything remotely amusing - Hardeep Singh Kohli (14 Aug 2009)
Laugh-lite Glaswegian gourmet - Helen Arney (19 Aug 2009)
Charming, witty and warm with great one-liners - Helen Keen (20 Aug 2009)
Underwhelming guide to Arctic survival - Heroin(e) For Breakfast (21 Aug 2009)
Glamorous, gritty drug drama - Holly Burn (18 Aug 2009)
A memorably awkward experience - Home (13 Aug 2009)
Fails to play to the company’s strengths - Homecoming at Henderson's (17 Sep 2009)
Graceful homecoming at a fine old Edinburgh powerhouse - Hotdoctors: The Downage (10 Aug 2009)
Slick DJs, slack comics - The Hotel (10 Aug 2009)
The suite smell of success - Hugh Hughes (11 Aug 2009)
Storytelling with humour and charm
I
- Iago (12 Aug 2009)
A one-man abridgement of Othello - Icarus 2.0 (13 Aug 2009)
The perils of flying the nest - Ice Cream Man and the Jelly Incident (16 Aug 2009)
Pies fight puddings in this chuckle-worthy children’s tale - Idiots of Ants (20 Aug 2009)
Glitches mar a slick show from comedy savants - I Don’t Live Here Anymore (21 Aug 2009)
Poignant rather than heavy - If That’s All There Is (24 Aug 2009)
Cynical piece of work - I’ll Always Think of You that Way (19 Aug 2009)
Fresh, zany and surprising - I'll Be Bert (27 Aug 2009)
Funny and touching one man show - Il Ritorno Di Ulisse In Patria (1 Sep 2009)
Austere, beautifully performed homecoming for a not-so-wily Ulysses - The Incompatible Otway & Barrett (16 Aug 2009)
Otway or any way possible - The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church (10 Aug 2009)
Epistolary tale is an exhilarating experience - Internal (13 Aug 2009)
Powerful, disarming exercise in human interaction - Isma Almas (16 Aug 2009)
Streams of gags keep this hour ticking over - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night (10 Aug 2009)
Engaging storytelling for all - Ivan Brackenbury (24 Aug 2009)
Often-amusing ailment-themed gags
J
- Jack Mink (19 Aug 2009)
A mesmerising spectacle - Jack Whitehall (18 Aug 2009)
A pedestrian set delivered with presence - Jamie Kilstein (18 Aug 2009)
US political comic veers away from obvious targets - Jane and Louise Wilson (14 Aug 2009)
Doubling, slippage and a mix of the personal with the historical - Janeane Garofalo (10 Aug 2009)
Hack material just about given the right twist - Jane Austen's Guide to Pornography (13 Aug 2009)
19th century literary superstar gives masterclass in romance - Janey Godley (18 Aug 2009)
Immensely likeable - Janis (13 Aug 2009)
Challenging the legend behind the music - Jarlath Regan, Man of Very Little Mystery (18 Aug 2009)
Ever-cheerful delivery and friendly style - Jason Byrne (24 Aug 2009)
Life-affirming offbeat madness - Jason Cook: Fear (14 Aug 2009)
The Geordie’s honest approach falls short with Fear - Jason John Whitehead (24 Aug 2009)
This rambling show needs a little more coherence - Jimmy McGhie (24 Aug 2009)
Crowd-repelling tartan, bagpipe and clansmen stereotypes - Jim Smallman (24 Aug 2009)
Barely a punchline that registers - Joey Page (23 Aug 2009)
A distinctive voice that belongs to someone else - John Bellany’s: A Celtic Voyage (24 Aug 2009)
Cramped but impressive selection of works by Scottish artist - John Bishop (18 Aug 2009)
Master of the familiar and familial anecdote - John Gordillo (24 Aug 2009)
Application of economic principles to heterosexual relationships - Jojo Sutherland (11 Aug 2009)
An autobiographical tale of a not very interesting life - Jollie (19 Aug 2009)
Story-based songs on various countries - Jon Holmes (23 Aug 2009)
Safe and silly hour of rock’n’roll nostalgia - Jonny Sweet (18 Aug 2009)
A hilarious PowerPoint portrayal of a dead brother - Jon Richardson (24 Aug 2009)
Very funny anecdotes - The Juan Maclean (18 Aug 2009)
A reminder of just how exhilarating live music can be - Julian Clary (24 Aug 2009)
Former Joan Collins Fan Club becomes national treasure - Justin Moorhouse (21 Aug 2009)
Brash comic’s storytelling mash-up
K
- Kataklo Athletic Dance Theatre's Love Machines (23 Aug 2009)
Athletic dance without depth - Katie Pollard: Passing (6 Aug 2009)
Photographer’s finer details speak strongly of the mourning process - Keith Farnan (11 Aug 2009)
A natural comedic talent - Kent Valentine (24 Aug 2009)
Pleasingly energetic - Kevin Bridges (18 Aug 2009)
Scotland’s rising star strikes on his Fringe debut - Kevin Tomlinson (24 Aug 2009)
Laughs and poignant moments - Killing Me Softly (19 Aug 2009)
Rhyming couplets that feel remarkably natural - Kim Noble (27 Aug 2009)
Unfettered lunacy? - King Arthur (10 Aug 2009)
Political reworking of the traditional legend - King of the Gypsies (23 Aug 2009)
The history of a persecuted people - King Ubu (12 Aug 2009)
Playfully robust take on power and its outrageous (mis)fortunes - Kiosk of Champions! (18 Aug 2009)
Deliberately flimsy sketches about pirates, cops and zombies - Kursk (24 Aug 2009)
Awesome voyage to the bottom of the sea
L
- Lady Garden (18 Aug 2009)
Acutely observed characters - The Lamplighter's Lament (23 Aug 2009)
Charming play about a lonely widower - Last Night Things Happened (8 Aug 2009)
Macabre tales excite but lack fluidity - The Last Witch (24 Aug 2009)
Sensual story of power and the state - Late Night Gimp Fight! (11 Aug 2009)
Wrong sketches that feel so right - Late 'n' Live – Gilded Balloon (18 Aug 2009)
Ever-changing comedy cabaret - Laura Solon (23 Aug 2009)
Impressive but patchy follow-up to almighty glory - Lewis Barlow: Close-Up Magician (20 Aug 2009)
A magical hour in a safe pair of hands - Lighter Than Air (18 Aug 2009)
Balloon antics provoke belly laughs - The List Operators (19 Aug 2009)
Enthusiastic and frantic hosts rip through their material - Little Gem (8 Aug 2009)
Tale of three generations of Irish women produces theatrical Groundhog Day - Living Room (16 Aug 2009)
Improving on improv - Lloyd Langford (18 Aug 2009)
Obvious natural talent - Lola: The Life of Lola Montez (16 Aug 2009)
Biographical drama flamenco-style - Long Tooth (12 Aug 2009)
Comedy that proves both outrageous and dark - Losing Susan (10 Aug 2009)
Unpolished but moving Alzheimer’s drama - Lotte's Gift (10 Aug 2009)
A one-woman show over three generations, with music the main storyteller - Love’s Labour’s Lost (18 Aug 2009)
Unadventurous production of Shakespeare’s wordy comedy - Luck (10 Aug 2009)
Flashing, pinging, breathless Las Vegas confessional - Lucy Porter (24 Aug 2009)
A performance that is assured if a little safe - Luke Toulson (24 Aug 2009)
Frequently unexpected and inventive - Luke Wright (16 Aug 2009)
His concerns may be petty but the poetry is not
M
- Mackenzie Taylor (11 Aug 2009)
Painfully funny trip through mental illness - The Magnets - Gobsmacked (16 Aug 2009)
Take it to the Fringe - Manband – They’re Not A Boyband (12 Aug 2009)
Dad dance routines galore - Manolibera (16 Aug 2009)
Clever cartoons for all ages - Marcel Lucont (18 Aug 2009)
Devilishly handsome and devastatingly disdainful - Marcus Brigstocke (10 Aug 2009)
Preaching to the converted - Maria Tecce In Viva! (20 Aug 2009)
Seductive Spanish songs from Italian-American chanteuse - Marigold (24 Aug 2009)
An audible dearth of jokes - Mark Thomas (8 Aug 2009)
A spontaneous manifesto crafted with perfection - Mark Walker (19 Aug 2009)
Immensely likeable and dynamic - Matt Green (24 Aug 2009)
Hard to fault any specific aspect of his act - Matt Harvey (12 Aug 2009)
Love poems for household objects, and other unusual ideas - Matt Kirshen (20 Aug 2009)
The height of nonsense from accomplished comic - Matt Price (24 Aug 2009)
Cleverly constructed, highly personal story about love - Max and Iván (18 Aug 2009)
Great energy and slick audiovisuals - Mercy Madonna of Malawi (10 Aug 2009)
African adoption musical - Me Too – A Sideshow (24 Aug 2009)
Would play better somewhere more intimate - Micaela Leon: Kabarett Berlin (26 Aug 2009)
An underwhelming tribute to eight 'Weimar Girls' - Michael Fabbri (19 Aug 2009)
Destined for a bigger stage - Mick Ferry: Comedy Final (12 Aug 2009)
Split personalities telling the same jokes - Mick Sergeant (11 Aug 2009)
From the dole to the stage - Mike Bubbins (19 Aug 2009)
Lacks punch but a natural charm just about sees him through - Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen (16 Aug 2009)
Diabolically good comic gypsy cabaret - Mike Wozniak (18 Aug 2009)
Strained face-pulling and intentionally bad impersonations - Miles Jupp: Telling it Like it Might be (28 Aug 2009)
Mr Nice Guy is generous with the laughs - Milestone (6 Aug 2009)
Provocative exhibition accompanying a live stone-carving project - Monsieur Montpellier: Entertainer Extraordinaire! (24 Aug 2009)
Derren Brown he ain’t - The Montana Ranch (12 Aug 2009)
Conscience infected con-men lack real hustle - The Moonfish Rhumba (19 Aug 2009)
A jarring clash between the potential and the misfiring, crude reality - Morecambe (10 Aug 2009)
Show-stopping comic tribute - Moscow State Circus (27 Aug 2009)
Backbends aplenty; smiles and spontaneity in short supply - The Most Important Show of the Day (10 Aug 2009)
An interactive wake-up call - Mother/Son (10 Aug 2009)
How does a man come out to his Jewish mother? - Mould & Arrowsmith (18 Aug 2009)
Playful and ingeniously funny - The Muffia (19 Aug 2009)
Uncomfortable, unplanned and best avoided - Mumford and Sons (10 Aug 2009)
Furious energy from indie folk upstarts - My Life with the Dogs (10 Aug 2009)
Charming music and characters mask a flimsy tale - My Queer Valentine (8 Aug 2009)
Rick Lau sings the rainbow - Myriad (10 Aug 2009)
Dancing inside the mind
N
- Nashashibi / Skaer: Our Magnolia (5 Aug 2009)
Collaborators tackle controversial subject compellingly and powerfully - Nathan Caton (11 Aug 2009)
Modern life and race crop up in Caton's Fringe debut - Neil Delamere (12 Aug 2009)
Hilarious on and off his script - New Art Club (10 Aug 2009)
Balletic musings on the meaning of ‘now’ - Newsrevue (11 Aug 2009)
Easy targets are tackled with reliable aplomb - Nick Doody (10 Aug 2009)
Playing it safe with all-too reasonable show - Nick Mohammed (11 Aug 2009)
A gloriously silly and irreverent show - Nightfall (21 Aug 2009)
Experimental mime - Noir (8 Aug 2009)
Cinematic scenes on high - No Parole: Family is a Life Sentence (21 Aug 2009)
A true story of rocky relationships and career criminal mums - Nun the Wiser (13 Aug 2009)
Triona Adams picks up a new habit
O
- Odyssey (20 Aug 2009)
An old story well told - Oh, My Green Soap Box (19 Aug 2009)
Whimsical yet heartfelt - The One and the Many (26 Aug 2009)
Cliched and repetitive philosophical rom-com - One Man Lord of the Rings (10 Aug 2009)
Baffling speeded-up Middle Earth affair - One Up One Down (21 Aug 2009)
Single consumerist satire, GSOH, seeks breathing space - Opening Night of the Living Dead (12 Aug 2009)
Zombies - not huge fans of amateur dramatics - Ophelia (Drowning) (12 Aug 2009)
Sorrow in a swimming pool - Optimism (17 Aug 2009)
Lazy and ill thought out stage version of Voltaire’s Candide - Or[f]unny (1 Sep 2009)
Sibling power games with willies and mustard - The Origin of Species (10 Aug 2009)
An odd interpretation of Charles Darwin's younger days - Orphans (14 Aug 2009)
Rivetting exploration of urban fear - The Other Side (27 Aug 2009)
Hefty political issues and rational solutions - Ousia (16 Aug 2009)
Atmospheric illusion - The Overcoat (20 Aug 2009)
Warm and beautiful visual theatre - The Oxford Revue: Etch a Sketch (10 Aug 2009)
Punchlines are disappointingly predictable
P
- Paddy Lennox (12 Aug 2009)
Tackling this family tree isn't as interesting as Who Do You Think You Are? - Pajama Men (10 Aug 2009)
Strangers on a train with gags - The Palace of the End (13 Aug 2009)
Caught between Iraq and a hard place - Pappy's Fun Club (11 Aug 2009)
Sketch favourites achieve cohesion through chaos - Parents’ Evening (21 Aug 2009)
Interactivity brings the fear of parents' evening to life - Party (10 Aug 2009)
Thrusting politicos, talented comics - Patch Hyde & Adam Tempest (19 Aug 2009)
A sweet way to spend an hour - Patrick Monahan (24 Aug 2009)
Would be a pleasant quarter of an hour - Patrick Monahan's Stories and Fables for Kids That Like to Sit at Tables! (16 Aug 2009)
Fringe stalwart ups the ante in lovely kids comedy - Patti Plinko and Her Boy (11 Aug 2009)
Husky vocals from an endearing songstress - Paul Foot: By the Yard (10 Aug 2009)
What a comedic meltdown looks a lot like - Paul Sinha (11 Aug 2009)
The former GP continues to disappoint his parents with his stand-up show - The Penny Dreadfuls (16 Aug 2009)
A quality spoof from hammy trio - Pete Firman (12 Aug 2009)
Jaw-dropping tricks with fast and furious gags - Pete Johansson (11 Aug 2009)
A perfomer comfortable in his skin - Peter and Wendy (17 Sep 2009)
A Caledonian Pan with puppets - Peter Blake: Venice (21 Jul 2009)
Poptabulous exhibition of screenprints inspired by La Dominante - Peter Duncan’s Dark and Dangerous (19 Aug 2009)
Safe, dated, yet surprisingly humble - Phil and Phill (19 Aug 2009)
Toe-curling awkwardness - Philberto (18 Aug 2009)
Enjoyably silly - Philip Escoffey: Six More Impossible Things Before Dinner (10 Aug 2009)
How to read and blow a crowd’s mind - Phil Kay: London Aye! (24 Aug 2009)
The crowd are in hysterics from the start - Phil Nichol (16 Aug 2009)
Fringe favourite hits all the right notes - The Pineapple Chunks vs The Leg (10 Aug 2009)
Confusion Is Sex, The Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Fri 7 Aug 2009 - Pippa Evans (16 Aug 2009)
Wicked musical comedy in every conceivable way - Plagiarismo (19 Aug 2009)
Pootles along without anything much happening - Plane Food Cafe (20 Aug 2009)
Living the high life down low - The Play About Charlotte (26 Aug 2009)
Emotional story of mental illness told from different perscpectives - Porn: the Musical (19 Aug 2009)
Misses the money shot - Power Plant (14 Aug 2009)
Hallucinogenic sound and light display at the Botanics - Precious Little Talent (13 Aug 2009)
No slight return from award-winning playwright - Private Peaceful (14 Aug 2009)
All’s not fair in love and war - Pythonesque (14 Aug 2009)
And now for something completely different
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- Rachel Rose Reid: And They Lived (18 Aug 2009)
Charismatic and engaging - The Rap Guide to Evolution (21 Aug 2009)
Combining Chuck D and Charles Darwin - Rapunzel and the Tower of Doom (10 Aug 2009)
Puppet king still rules the Fringe - RAW (16 Aug 2009)
Aerial spectacular that never quite takes off - RE (26 Aug 2009)
Strong performances and an over-ambitious script - Reginald D Hunter (21 Aug 2009)
Consummate stand-up disappoints with weak material - The Return of Ulysses (23 Aug 2009)
And they all lived happily ever after. But what happened next? - Reveal/Reset (14 Aug 2009)
Ingenious web-based creations that sadly lack the ability to connect - Rewind: Artists’ Video In The 70s & 80s (14 Aug 2009)
Audience-unfriendly presentation of a tricky medium - Rhod Gilbert (18 Aug 2009)
A breakneck litany of hilarious disasters - Rhys Darby (10 Aug 2009)
Crafty characters and weird sound effects - Richard Herring: Hitler Moustache (10 Aug 2009)
Reclaiming symbols and raising standards - Rich Hall (20 Aug 2009)
Cynicism in his well-loved irascible, undermining way - Rich Hall’s Campfire Stories (18 Aug 2009)
Jokes are too few and far between - Ritter, Dene, Voss (21 Aug 2009)
Torment amongst siblings - Rob Brown (10 Aug 2009)
Comedy straight outta Kabul - Rob Rouse (11 Aug 2009)
Randy dogs stories - Room on the Broom (9 Aug 2009)
Musical storybook adaptation hits the right note - Rosie Wilby (18 Aug 2009)
Wry and naughty - Ross Lee (24 Aug 2009)
Sometimes entertaining but mostly depressing - Rough Cut Nation (18 Aug 2009)
Graffiti warriors v neo-Gothic architecture - Rudi Lickwood (18 Aug 2009)
Old-fashioned delivery and desperately prosaic observations - Russell Kane (18 Aug 2009)
A natural jester - Russell Kane: ‘Fakespeare: The Tragicall Saveings of King Nigel’ (27 Aug 2009)
More bard theory than he's letting on?
S
- Sammy J: 1999 (20 Aug 2009)
Swapping puppets for pubescence - Sammy J in the Forest of Dreams (20 Aug 2009)
Aussie puppeteers pull our strings - Sam Simmons (19 Aug 2009)
Lacking in spontaneity but his methods are inventive - Sarah Bennetto (24 Aug 2009)
Rarely sparks hilarity - Sarah Millican (8 Aug 2009)
Facing up to gender politics and the elements - Scala (10 Aug 2009)
Going Dutch, and possibly mad - School for Scandal (13 Aug 2009)
School for vandals - Scott Agnew (21 Aug 2009)
Award-winning stand-up with a debut which just about delivers - Scottish Paintings: Old Masters to Contemporary (26 Aug 2009)
Great works undermined by staid and debilitating presentation - Sean Hughes (24 Aug 2009)
Sex, anti-depressants and rock’n’roll - Sea Spray and Cuckoo Spit (24 Aug 2009)
Some very good performances - Sea Wall (8 Aug 2009)
Pray silence for an exquisite performance - Self-made Cavalcade (8 Aug 2009)
Playful, engaging group show by international artists - Serate Bastarde (19 Aug 2009)
Subversive, shocking, clever and utterly nuts comedy - Seymour Mace (10 Aug 2009)
Weird and wonderful game show antics - Seymour Mace and Peter Slater: Sundayland (23 Aug 2009)
Fake news, wacky characters and biscuits - The Shape of Things (20 Aug 2009)
A love story with added politics - Shappi Khorsandi (21 Aug 2009)
Making stand-up look a little bit too easy - Shed Simove (24 Aug 2009)
Intriguing subject, awkward performance - Shirley & Shirley (24 Aug 2009)
Can't fault either of the performances - Short Circuit Comedy (21 Aug 2009)
Short of comedy - Shut Up, Play! (23 Aug 2009)
This multimedia performance finds art in simplicity - Simon Amstell (20 Aug 2009)
How to Do Nothing in a very funny way - Simon Donald and Maff Brown (24 Aug 2009)
The funniness of the sketches quickly faded - Simon Feilder and Sy Thomas (11 Aug 2009)
Slick and affable comedy from the flatmates - Simon Munnery (18 Aug 2009)
A comfortingly familiar Fringe fixture - Sirqus Alfon (24 Aug 2009)
An hour of sheer lunacy - Snatch Paradise (12 Aug 2009)
Satire on plastic surgery proves skin deep - Socially Retarded (11 Aug 2009)
And comedically challenged - Something About Others (8 Aug 2009)
Thoughtful moves delivered on a big ideas soundtrack - Sound and Fury: Sherlock Holmes and the Saline Solution (10 Aug 2009)
American comedy trio take on Victorian London - The Sound of My Voice (24 Aug 2009)
A dark and powerful piece of entertainment - Spaceman (13 Aug 2009)
Solar endurance test - Sparrow and the Workshop (21 Aug 2009)
Pure to the core and pure class - Spectrum (10 Aug 2009)
Late-night telly turns hip hop fantasia - Sporadical (21 Aug 2009)
Sea shanties and your long-lost auntie - Stand By Your Van (8 Aug 2009)
An endurance test . . . for the audience - The State We’re In (12 Aug 2009)
The power of protest - Stefan Golaszewski is A Widower (13 Aug 2009)
Follow-up to mercurial performer’s 2008 Fringe hit - Stephen Carlin (19 Aug 2009)
A fierce invention at play - Stephen K Amos: The Feelgood Factor (10 Aug 2009)
Or maybe not... - Steven Severin: The Trials of Dr Caligari (10 Aug 2009)
1920s silent classic gets new score - The Sticky Bivouac (12 Aug 2009)
Ill-judged, inconsistent variety - Still Breathing (18 Aug 2009)
Impressive but joyless contemporary dance - The Stranglers (10 Aug 2009)
HMV Picture House, Edinburgh, Fri 7 Aug - The Stronger (12 Aug 2009)
Two women in one - Stuck in a rut (17 Sep 2009)
Utter nonsense - Suckerville (20 Aug 2009)
Short and not that sweet - The Sunday Defensive (12 Aug 2009)
Unfulfilled geek potential - Super Situation (19 Aug 2009)
An engaging physical performance - Susan Calman: The Last Woman on Earth (13 Aug 2009)
A warm show from a friendly talent - Susan Harrison (19 Aug 2009)
The writing and chosen subjects let her down badly - Susurrus (19 Aug 2009)
A triumphant reworking of David Leddy’s boundary-pushing piece - Sweeney Todd: His Life, Times and Execution! (26 Aug 2009)
Enjoyable, atmospheric adaptation - Sylvia Plath - Three Women, The First Revival (12 Aug 2009)
Rare production of the poet’s play, with fine performances
T
- The Tale of Lady Stardust (26 Aug 2009)
Meditation on religious extremism - Tap and Chat with Lionel Blair (26 Aug 2009)
Does exactly what it says on the tin - Tap Kids (16 Aug 2009)
Tapping the light fantastic - The Tartuffe (10 Aug 2009)
Belt Up makes the impossible possible - TeakShow (19 Aug 2009)
More absurd than funny - Telepathe (14 Aug 2009)
Old-school synths and discrete artistry - The Testament of Cresseid (1 Sep 2009)
Classic Scots poem, recited with a modest touch of theatre - Thankless Child (11 Aug 2009)
Amusing tales are found amongst the wackiness - Third Breast (25 Aug 2009)
Hampered by ham-fisted direction - This is Now: From Drawing to Contexture (6 Aug 2009)
Well-stocked ragbag from a new wave of textile artists - Tiani Ghosh (24 Aug 2009)
Deeply irritating sketch show - Tiernan Douieb (11 Aug 2009)
Unthreatening, inoffensive stand-up that also lacks a punch line - Tiffany Stevenson (12 Aug 2009)
Promising stand-up debut from the one-time wannabe actress - Tim: Against All Odds (1 Sep 2009)
Truly entertaining and adventurous show - Tim Key (20 Aug 2009)
Poetry corner gets kind of busy - Tom Basden (24 Aug 2009)
Damn fine, damn funny show - Tomb to Womb (23 Aug 2009)
A woman's life told in reverse - Tom Craine (18 Aug 2009)
One of life’s worriers - Tom Deacon (20 Aug 2009)
Fairly ordinary romp through an indecisive mind - Tom Tom Crew (11 Aug 2009)
Hip hop acrobatics and human beatboxing - Tom Wrigglesworth (11 Aug 2009)
Anecdotes from a comic who cares - Trevor Lock: Some Kind of Fool (10 Aug 2009)
Mischievous, circuitous, bumbling affair - The Trial (13 Aug 2009)
Disorientating, triumphant nightmare from Belt Up - Trilogy (10 Aug 2009)
Feminism in ‘relevant again’ shocker - Twine (18 Aug 2009)
Moving tale of twine-made being brewed in a teapot - Two Episodes of MASH (18 Aug 2009)
Little substance to turn good ideas into a worthy show - Two Left Hands (11 Aug 2009)
Experienced TV types lack a live touch
U
- The Umbrella Birds (18 Aug 2009)
Sketches set in the changing room of a clothes shop - Under Milk Wood (26 Aug 2009)
Visually appealing production of Dylan Thomas's 'Play for Voices' - Unit 46 (13 Aug 2009)
Thin walls and solitary frustrations - Unknown Album (1 Sep 2009)
New play promises much but delivers little - Unsupervised Detention (19 Aug 2009)
Tight sketch comedy by gifted young players - Up (26 Aug 2009)
Crisp and elliptical with a killer closing line - Up and Over It! (23 Aug 2009)
Irish dance finds a new direction
V
W
- Walden (20 Aug 2009)
In praise of life lived at a different pace - Ward No. 6 (3 Sep 2009)
Entertaining and tragic adaptation of Chekov's work - Warehouse 364 (3 Sep 2009)
Clichéd and flat - Warren & Hanbury: All to Bare (13 Aug 2009)
Comedy sketch show in the flesh - Weepie (25 Aug 2009)
Remarkably assured piece of theatre - White Tea (10 Aug 2009)
Emotionally dense, textually nuanced journey through time and space - Who’s Afraid of the Brothers Grimm (23 Aug 2009)
Modern-day take on fairytale characters - Wil Anderson (11 Aug 2009)
Australian comedy striving to find the good in us all - Wil Hodgson (18 Aug 2009)
The nicest pink-haired ex-punk on earth - William Andrews (24 Aug 2009)
A techno treat and funnybone fondling fiesta - Will Self - Liver And Other Stories (17 Sep 2009)
Moments of brilliance are too often lost - Wilson Dixon (24 Aug 2009)
Wryly amusing and peppered with plain silly songs - Wind in the Willows (18 Aug 2009)
Beastly adaptation uses its loaf - WitTank (18 Aug 2009)
Badly in need of a rewrite - Wolfboy (21 Aug 2009)
Unintentionally funny, with unmemorable songs - Wondermart (21 Aug 2009)
Avoid the security guards on this inventive supermarket exploration - Words of Honour (21 Aug 2009)
Lifting the lid on the Italian mafia - Words with AL Kennedy (25 Aug 2009)
Meanders delightfully - The Works of Fate (25 Aug 2009)
Makes up for its rough edges with major gusto - The World is Too Much: Posthuman Satire Slash Romance (10 Sep 2009)
Fresh writing taking on stale language - The World's Wife (13 Aug 2009)
Poetry in motion - Woyzeck (10 Aug 2009)
Creative adaptation that disregards the fourth wall entirely - Wrecked (A Guardian Reader’s Quest to Save Africa) (18 Aug 2009)
Memories and musings at sea
Y
- The Yalta Game (1 Sep 2009)
Love story in duologue - The Year of the Horse (13 Aug 2009)
Frightening vision of a vacuous consumer society - The Yellow Wallpaper (12 Aug 2009)
A Goth story that lacks in menace - Yianni Agisilaou: MP3some (12 Aug 2009)
Nick Hornby influenced trawl through the soundtrack of romance - You Fancy Yourself (20 Aug 2009)
Evocative immigrant experience - Your Number’s Up (11 Aug 2009)
A gritty tale of north London knife crime
