Temporary Fringe

I don't have a fringe.  I couldn't manage one if I tried. But this post isn't about Androgenic alopecia (also know as male pattern baldness, affecting most men at some point - thanks Wikipedia), it's about the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh.

I have wanted to visit the Fringe Festival for years.  I finally got the chance courtesy of a surprise anniversary gift, I finally got my fringe - but it was only temporary, consisting of just two nights.

Over the course of August there has been literally thousands of events taking place, all squeezed into a range of categories including theatre, cabaret and comedy, and also theatrical comedic cabaret.  In fact, the EdFringe website listed 3424 events!  Just about every type of genre was catered for, even zombies!  But I wasn't there for the zombies, or the deep-fried Mars Bars, I was there for the comedy (and the haggis).

Fringe 2014 - The Agenda

In amongst the required elements of drinking, eating and walking, I think we experienced some of the best and the worst of what the Fringe had to offer.  The agenda looked like this:

• 23rd @ 17:15, Andrew O'Neill - Mindspiders, FREE, 1hr, Whistlebinkies
• 23rd @ 19:55, Jerry Sadowitz - Card Tricks and Close-up Magic, £17.50, 1hr, The Assembly Rooms
• 23rd @ 22:30, Chelsea Manders - Don't Tell My Dad, £9.00, Assembly George Square Studios
• 24th @ 13:10, Derek Johnston's A Day Oot!, £8, 1hr, The Stand Comedy Club III & IV
• 24th @ 15:00, Mitch Benn: Don't Believe A Word, £10, 1hr, The Stand Comedy Club III & IV
• 24th @ 18:45, Tommy Rowson - Down and Out In Powys and London, £10, 1hr, Underbelly Bistro Square
• 24th @ 21;15, Jim Davidson: No Further Action, £15, 1hr, Assembly Hall
• 24th @ 23:00, Hate 'n' Live, FREE, 1hr, Laughing Horse @ Espionage

Andrew O'Neill - Mindspiders

This show wasn't actually on our agenda.  We just happened to be drinking in a pub where some guy's voice, who it turned out was Andrew O'Neill, replaced the music and some of the babble from around the bar. We never actually saw the stage (assuming there was one).  I can only confirm he had a voice and it was English. We had just finished our drinks and was hoping to find some food before our first actual agenda item.  And it was very clear that Whistlebinkies is not the kind of place you eat anything other than nuts, crisps and maybe some pork scratchings.  That place was primarily for drinking.

Review: Speaks good English.

Jerry Sadowitz - Card Tricks and Close-up Magic

A bit of magic and a bit of stand-up was what we were expecting - and to be fair, there was a bit of both.  There were lots of card tricks with impressive sleight of hand, all of which required immense talent and years of practice.  A few gags were thrown in to satisfy the comedy aspect - but what I will remember most is not Jerry's 'Alice Cooper-esque' trademark look, not the most offensive and racist language, insults and persecution of everyone on the planet - including most notably - people dying of cancer, it was that we literally bumped into to Rory McGrath in the bar on the way in.  And in person, he reminds me a bit of my dad.

Review: Shocking card tricks and some sleight of the mouth.

Chelsea Manders - Don't Tell My Dad

This was an excellent surprise.  We had no idea what to expect but the confidant and exuberant performance really helped us to get into the swing of things, just in time to help finish off our first day.  Chelsea played the guitar (and a tiny drum) and sang to great effect, a number of witty tunes.  It was a very personal and funny performance. I only wish I'd shouted "wobbly heads" as a suggestion for decidedly Canadian things, instead of someone else's suggestion of 'moose', which was too easy - but probably less offensive to be fair.

Review: Excellent. I can see big things in front of her (boob joke?).

Derek Johnston's A Day Oot!

We were scared when we took our seats in the venue - you never know at the Fringe what the venue will be like if you haven't been there before.  The venues ranged from the tiniest of rooms to large theatres and halls.  This room was very small and so it was very intimate, and the opening scenes - an argument simulating a real family road trip, was actually slightly terrifying.  However, things soon calmed down and through the power of honest, comedic narrative and cutting edge multimedia, we all managed to relate to the experiences and memories Derek was sharing with us.

Review: If you loved playing Red Lorry Yellow Lorry you will love this.

Mitch Benn: Don't Believe A Word

I have seen Mitch Benn before so knew exactly what to expect - not obviously in terms of what he would say, I don't know him that well! But I know his style and I'm aware of the kind of things he tweets and writes about - plus I read the description of the show.  It was quite accurate.

It was Mitch's usual mixture of great stand-up material fused inextricably to various songs which actually got some of the best laughs.  The highlight for me was his Logical Fallacy song.  When he takes this on the road is he really going to use the same material - and the same props?  I could imagine some people might be offended if they hold strong beliefs about religion.  But if you live in that world then I guess those same people would be offended on a daily basis by most things.

Review: No Star Wars sound effects but otherwise excellent.

Tommy Rowson - Down and Out in Powys and London

You can't help but find the Welsh funny.  Especially in Scotland.  They are hated less than the English by the Scots so perhaps they feel exalted there?

Anyway, this was another small venue but I felt, despite the very funny nature of the material, had it been a larger crowd, it would have worked better - it deserved a bigger audience.  I can't understand why more people weren't there.  It was great.  Perhaps the Scots don't like the Welsh after all?

He was a cross between Rhod Gilbert and Rob Brydon which is a very good thing.  Wales isn't that big a place - perhaps they are all related?  Great stories and even poetry.

Review: Probably Uncle Bryn's favourite comedian.

Jim Davidson: No Further Action

I probably have the least to say about the Jim Davidson show.  I don't know why, it was by far the best thing we saw.  Jim was an absolute professional and had everyone eating out of the palm of his hand (not literally).  His was the kind of performance only years of experiencing highs and lows (mainly highs), could bring.  I got the feeling not everything was new, but it was all craftily incorporated in to the performance.  Winning Big Brother saved him on a number of levels.

Review: Jim Davidson at his best.

Hate 'n' Live

A free show held in the second sub-basement of the Espionage club.  This should have helped us to manage our expectations or maybe even steer us away from the gig altogether - but I thought 'let's give it a go'...

The format was 'comedy improv', provided by comments from the audience about things they hate.  The comedians tried their best to hate these things and there was, at times, some good improvisation.  But I felt the whole show was undermined by the 'host', Darius, who was, of course, trying to be shocking.  He was interrupting the comedians, he was shouting a lot into the mic.  He was way OTT.  He criticised an audience member who left half way through.  He asked her why she was leaving and she had the balls to say "because this is shit".  He then proceeded to call her a string of entirely non-funny expletives followed by wishes that she was raped on the way home and eventually dies of HIV.  Nice guy.  At the end of the show, whereas some free gigs ask for donations, Darius demanded them and again kicked off on anyone who would dare consider not to.  Bullying your audience should not be necessary.

Review: An OK show (it was free) but ruined by the awful host.