Reviews Archive: September 2002 - August 2003

 EDINBURGH FRINGE 2003

 Lizzie Roper: Through My Keyhole, Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh

Lizzie Roper burst onto stage like a crazywoman, screwing up her face and making a lunge for a 20-year-old man in the front row.

Her mad girl persona - if it is indeed just a persona - was as frightening as compelling. You could imagine her doing almost anything, whether or not it was likely to get a laugh.

As Roper told of her failed relationships, pubic hair removal and dirty dancing sessions, she was tremendously emotive, contorting her facial features into the ugliest conceivable shapes.

The members of audience - once they had got used to being bellowed at - loved it. Even the young man in the front row gradually warmed to Roper's demands for sex.

Her characters were also strong, particularly the batty old woman, who abused all her relations, and sex industry worker who told her tragic tale while polishing sex toys.

Roper has found something really good here. She is a comedienne who is not afraid to reveal the negative side of her gender, portraying women in a manner few would find flattering.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****

August 2003
Chris Wilson



Jeremy Lion's Happy Christmas, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh

Drunken children's entertainer Jeremy Lion was extraordinarily funny. Played by Justin Edwards (the tall one from The Consultants), Lion burped and hiccupped his way through a truly hilarious hour of Yuletide comedy, assisted on the keyboards by the morose Leslie (George Cockerill).

Doing a Christmas show at the Fringe in August was hardly an original idea. Big & Daft did one two years ago and it is very doubtful they were the first. Yet Edwards brought such freshness and satiric energy to the idea with a creation so washed-up, hopelessly addicted but well-meaning you could not help but guffaw.

When he accidentally swallowed a pint of brandy butter at the end of one brilliant section of the show, members of the audience were crying with laughter. There were people who couldn't control their mirth and giggled for minutes after the joke was over.

This shambolic songs, self-dissecting snowman and the Twelve Days of Christmas finale, which involved him drinking more than 20 glasses of wine in five minutes, were all exceptionally amusing. The final applause nearly took the roof off the little Pleasance Hut.

You'd be unlikely to see a funnier show at the 2003 Fringe.

SHOW STAR RATING (out of five): *****

August 2003
Chris Wilson



Miranda Hart - 'It's All About Me', Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh

The premise of this show is that a VIP was expected and so Hart needed to hold up the start of the performance until he arrived. Meantime, she chatted to the audience about herself and gave foretastes of the entertainment to come.

A huge poshly-spoken woman in dance pants, Hart proved a commanding presence, flirting outrageously with a man in the front row, arguing with her technician Candice (capably played by Anne-Marie Draycott) and demonstrating her mime with added spoken words.

Her performance was strong and the laughs came thick and fast. However, the question remained: What was the show parodying? Was it taking the rise out of posh people, dancers, performers in general or the entire Fringe? Hart's persona somehow lacked the veracity to be truly hilarious. She made good comedic use of her big-boned body but relied too heavily on her desperate-for-a-man act to which she regularly returned.

Overall, the show was also rather ponderous. Although Hart is clearly an able and appealing performer, there is still work to be done on her material.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

August 2003
Chris Wilson



Topping & Butch - Take it Up the Octave, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh

This late-night camp cabaret show inevitably appealed to a predominantly gay audience.

On a straw poll conducted by the performers, two-thirds of the crowd were gay men and the other one-third straight women or "fag hags" as Topping & Butch so charmingly called them!

As the only straight man present, this reviewer was surprised how accessible the show proved to a heterosexual male.

Much of their chat was powered by gay sexual innuendo but the songs were very witty, superbly performed and universal it their appeal.

Both performers wore bondage gear but were in other respects remarkably different. Topping is fat and old and with Denis Healy eyebrows; Butch young and thin with radiant teeth.

The contrast worked in their favour, and there was something quaintly old-fashioned about their act. In a different time, Noel Coward might have penned some of the lyrics and Topping & Butch would not have looked out of place in dinner jackets.

But the hilarious finale was bang up to date - a mini-musical about gay internet dating which made no bones about the lies unscrupulously told in the gay man's hunt for sex.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****

August 2003
Chris Wilson



Tut Tut, Miss Simpson, Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh

Comedy poetry is an acquired taste, and, in the wrong hands, it can be a horribly painful experience.

Jude Simpson's poems are about her feelings and desires and particularly on the relationship between men and women. She has an engaging manner and, to her credit, recites from memory, without the need to clutch a tatty book of poems - the annoying practice of many comedy poets.

However, listening to her was like enduring the emotional angst of a hormonal teenager. Her work said nothing new about love or sex and, sadly, was not particularly funny either.

There was no denying she was able to charm her audience. As the show went on, you found yourself liking her more and more.

Unfortunately the experiences related in her poems struck no chord with this reviewer. To find the kind of success John Hegley has enjoyed, Miss Simpson needs to be more imaginative and - to put it bluntly - pen better and funnier poems.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

August 2003
Chris Wilson



Dara O Briain, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh

O Briain is phenomenal. His act goes like a bullet, ripping the audience along on a comedy adventure.

On it, you learn about the Irishman's balloon safari, his IRA grandmother and the pitfalls of working as a presenter on Irish TV - all told with an enormous dollops of charm and vigour.

O Briain is a tremendously impressive stand-up who is adept at getting humour out of audience members but still leaving them feeling good about themselves.

When a young man made a leap for the door to the toilet (hoping he would not be picked on), O Briain had a field day, turning the bloke's actions into a brilliantly spontaneous routine.

There is a child-like quality to O Briain. He can see humour in almost anything and cannot help laughing at some of his own jokes.

His enthusiasm for his work is infectious and wonderful. It is hard to imagine him ever dying on stage or facing an audience he could not leave worn out with laughter.

A comedy gem!

STAR RATING (out of five): *****

August 2003
Chris Wilson



The Consultants: Boss, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh

After being voted Best Perrier Newcomers last year, big things were expected of this trio of sketch-meisters. They did not disappoint.

The art of the mainstream comedy sketch has seemed, at times, in decline in recent years. The Consultants are doing their darndest to reverse the trend.

Their ideas are simple: merging management talk and nursery rhymes, using books titles in a love song about a librarian, dressing up as bumpkins for a yarn-spinning session, but the sharpness of the writing and the gusto of their performance are near perfection.

The audience generated gales of laughter at highlights such as the bristling competition between the absurd storytellers, the increasingly complex and crude bingo calls and the drunken love song.

My only criticism is that with their level of competence the Consultants could be more adventurous in their material and actually start to push the boundaries of comedy a tad.

As a piece of finely-tailored mainstream entertainment however, you could not fault this show.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****

August 2003
Chris Wilson



James Dowdeswell Explores Dowdesworld, Pleasance Courtyard Edinburgh

James Dowdeswell looks like a big kid, and has material to match.

He performs routines about cheese-rolling, Harry Potter and his school days in the West Country, and there's no doubt he is a competent comedian.

His regional accents are superb and his timing is good, but Dowdeswell is let down by the mediocrity of his stand-up material.

The punchlines of his jokes are often far too obvious, his gags too weak to be hilarious.

He is at his best when talking honestly about himself. However, as a comedian Dowdeswell cannot make a long-term career out of pretending to be 15. He needs more than fresh-faced looks, a silly hair style and a slightly lazy eye to underpin his persona.

His great strength is his skill at impressions. He might be better off going down the Rory Bremner route, focusing on his true strengths and not relying so heavily on his comedy writing.

But for all that, it was a fairly enjoyable performance. The small audience clearly liked him and that helped to bolster what was middling fare.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

August 2003
Chris Wilson



Fred Macauley, Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh

Through his TV work, MacAuley is a big name in Scotland, and known to a lesser degree throughout the UK. So it was no surprise to find his audience was predominantly Scottish, and he responded with a lot of Scotland-related gags.

It was good material. His yarn about the Scots working classes he had met on a low-cost flight to London was strong and his labelling of the characteristics of people from different parts of Scotland was very funny.

He made hay with a man in the front row who could not stop giggling and spun into a routine about things Scotland had given the world. One helpful punter shouted: "John Leslie" which was apt, as Leslie and his girlfriend happened to be in the audience, something MacAuley either did not know or, decently, decided to completely ignore.

There was nothing particularly special about his act. In many ways he could afford to be more adventurous in his approach. But this was a solid and amusing performance from an accomplished performer.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

August 2003
Chris Wilson



Dyball and Kerr- We Will Roof You, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh

As a character comedy double act, Dyball and Kerr appeared to have plenty going for them, at least on paper. The show's concept - two country roofers trying their hands at showbiz - looked attractive, and the publicity material was appealing.

In practice, however, the show was hugely disappointing. The script was weak, with gags about Chunky the landlord and his famous multi-meat platters stretched well beyond their natural lifespan. The songs also grew tiresome and the show developed a repetitive feel.

As performers, Dyball and Kerr were not bad but didn't look convincing as roofers. A few years back, Al Murray shaved his head to play the Pub Landlord. Dyball and Kerr could not even be bothered to grow their own sidebacks, sticking on what were plainly strips of false hair.

The entire show had a thrown-together feel, padded out by parodies of impressions. Their audience interaction was good, winning some of the biggest laughs, but it was not enough.

At the end, one punter loudly remarked: "Was that it?" You could understand his frustration.

SHOW STAR RATING (out of five): **

August 2003
Chris Wilson



Birds, Underbelly, Edinburgh

Comic Phil Zimmerman has hit upon the idea of doing an eclectic set on birds.

While his co-stars, principally stutterer Jaik Campbell (pictured) and Steve Williams, decided to base their material on the more traditional issue of getting laid, Zimmerman chose his personal obsession with and terror of pigeons.

The trio are an affable and talented bunch, but I believe Campbell should make more of his genuine stutter.

As it is, it has led to a hilarious observational routine about attending an event staged by the National Stammerers Association. Apparently the bar queues were horrendously long!

Campbell's material is first rate but he needs to sharpen up his presentation and make stammering his comedic raison d'etre.

Zimmerman was excellent as always - all made stares and off-the-wall asides. But, like the others, he suffered from the low audience numbers at this venue which is not doing its performers any favours.

That's a shame because Birds is a show well worth seeing.

SHOW STAR RATING (out of five): ****

August 2003
Ben Dowell



An Evening with Munn and Diamond, Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh

The publicity material for this show warned festival-goers to "expect the unexpected" which, perhaps, should have been an omen for what was to come. However, this reviewer did not expect to see two Welsh women screaming abuse at each other in the comedy equivalent of a headbanging session.

The concept of their show was not an unfamiliar one: a rich Sloanie woman vying with a working-class bolshie one. What marked out Munn and Diamond was their remarkable lack of script, terrible timing and thoroughly low production values.

Few Fringe flops could have been as painfully poor. Hearing them bickering about use of the Welsh language, S4C and rap music was like listening to a greatly-amplified recording of a thousand paint scrapers while standing naked in sleet. It hardly needs to be said they performed to a silent and shell-shocked audience numbering around half a dozen.

Munn and Diamond need to ask themselves a couple of tough questions: Should we continue with this double act? Are we cut out for comedy?

If they decide to carry on, it is vital they work much harder on their writing and performing before making a return to the Fringe.

STAR RATING (out of five): *

August 2003
Chris Wilson



Tommy Tiernan: Tell Me A Story, The Pod, Edinburgh

The King of Comedy is back! From start to finish, this show by the great Irish storyteller was outstanding, beautifully delivered and absolutely hilarious.

Tiernan's comparison of how Mass is said in Australia and Africa was wonderfully funny, and his description of his three-year-old son's world was magical.

His material sounds totally true to life - even though some of it may not be - and is told with tremendous energy and an infectious sense of fun.

He even talked dirty. His finale, on trying anal sex with his girlfriend for the first time, had an hysterically-funny punchline which you could not see coming.

Only one grumble: the mediocre sound on that night was annoying as occasionally you could not hear clearly at the back.

But you couldn't pick fault with Tiernan's comedy brilliance.

SHOW STAR RATING (out of five): *****

August 2003
Chris Wilson



Alfie Joey's Mini-Caberet, Alfie Joey's Red Escort, Edinburgh

Few comedians would be courageous enough to stage an Edinburgh show in their car.

But encouraged by Perrier Award winner Daniel Kitson, that is exactly what Alfie Joey has done.

And what a total delight it proved! An audience of four crammed into his Red Escort, parked a stone's throw from the Pleasance Courtyard.

Alfie sat in the driver's seat and got us all chatting before kicking off the show.

He had devised a format in which each audience member asked him questions about his life from laminated cards.

The humour sprang from the stories attached to those aspects of his life and related experiences of the audience.

It was one of the few truly interactive experiences at the Edinburgh Fringe. For once, the audience had as much opportunity to talk as the performer, who brought out the best in them.

The hour flitted past. Former monk Joey's genius is that he brings out the best in people - because he thinks the best of them.

The audience, two Irish women - a mother and daughter - and shy young man from Bournemouth, clearly enjoyed the show enormously.

And they were highly amused by the occasional altercation between Alfie and a passing traffic warden who could not understand the car was a registered venue!

The event ended with Alfie giving everyone in the audience - all four of us - a souvenir key ring.

We left feeling we had made new friends.

Comedy magic!

SHOW STAR RATING (out of five): *****

August 2003
Chris Wilson



Andrew Clover, Supercub, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh

This has to be one of the maddest shows at the Fringe.

Although called Supercub and featuring a cub's uniform, it was all over the place. At times you felt Clover's material was totally random.

He is clearly a talented improviser, although it was hard to tell what was improvised and what, if anything scripted.

The audience numbered around a dozen in a cavernous venue but, far from putting him off, Clover seemed to enjoy his failure to pull a bigger crowd.

You had the impression almost anything could come out of mouth - creative, funny, obscene, profane.

And when Clover asked an American in the audience to squirt him with a giant watergun if he overstepped the mark, it was no surprise he ended up soaked to the skin.

Crazily funny!

SHOW STAR RATING (out of five): ****

August 2003
Chris Wilson



The Dinks, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh

This show has been a victim of the Fringe hype machine.

From the amount of fuss its promoters has been making about it, I assumed it would be very good, which made it all the more disappointing.

On the night I went, six members of the audience walked out - more than I have ever known quit a show during my six years covering the Fringe.

In fairness, it seemed slightly surprisingly. The show was somewhat less than mediocre rather than being an out-and-out stinker.

The Dinks - established stand-ups Tony Law, Dan Antopolski and Craig Campbell - are a kind of Big & Daft in search of a decent script.

Law has most of the funny lines and certainly is the star of the outfit.

His convincing performance bolstered a gang show desperately lacking a good plot and in need of a tough director.

The real problem with it was Dan Antopolski. He may be an accomplished stand-up, but he can't act for toffee.

Desperate Dan stumbled his way through his part, looking decidedly hesitant and uncomfortable in any dialogue with the others.

And when the gratuitious nudity started, you knew this was a production in deep trouble.

Overall the show had an over-confident and arrogant feel to it. But as the six who fled during the performance might testify, not everyone is taken in by bluster and hype.

SHOW STAR RATING (out of five): **

August 2003
Chris Wilson



Rob Brydon - Marion and Geoff, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh

This is a brilliant show.

Rob Brydon totally triumphed as he brought his Marion and Geoff TV character - divorcee Keith - to the Edinburgh stage for the first time.

Brydon is a very clever performer who managed to have his cake and eat it, denying his ability to respond quickly to audience comments while proving just the opposite.

The self-effacing and over-optimistic outlook of the character was itself funny, quite apart from the sharpness of his lines and occasional hilarious use of accents. It takes a great performer to do an American accent while still sounding Welsh.

The way he used slides was also very sharp. Even the way they had been written was true to Keith's character and won laughs.

All ages and many nationalities enjoyed a show that was popular but far distinctly quirky in its sense of humour.

A smasher!

SHOW STAR RATING (out of five): *****

August 2003
Chris Wilson



Die, Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh

Brand X Promotions' latest ghoulish offering is as compelling as it bizarre.

The puppetry, singing, acting and sickness of the humour are remarkable, as a story of life in hell is told.

It is chilling but, at times, hilarious experience. Dead Elvis and the Rotting Brat Pack spring to mind.

It is not for the sensitive or faint-hearted.

SHOW STAR RATING (out of five): ****

August 2003
Chris Wilson


Mark Felgate - Freelance Fool, Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh

Ventriloquist-without-a dummy Mark Felgate is without a doubt a talented performer.

His voice-throwing skills are superb and comedy timing is excellent.

Unfortunately he was let down in this full-length show by insufficient high-quality material.

Felgate had perhaps enough top gags for a first-rate half-an-hour show. Spinning it out to twice that time span was stretching the comedy envelope too far.

All the same, there were some strong ideas there and his use of slides was imaginative to the point of surreality.

What the genial Mark needs to do is the keep the best material from this show and enrich it with new gags throughout the coming year to make a triumphant return to the Fringe in 2004.

SHOW STAR RATING (out of five): ***

August 2003
Chris Wilson

  September 2002 – July 2003

Rob Rouse and James Holmes, Barnstormers Comedy, Lewes, East Sussex

What a marvellous club this is, bringing some of my favourite young comics to within a five-minute walk of my home!

The big cheeses on the Christmas bill were Rob Rouse and James Holmes - stand-ups with very different styles and equally innovative takes on their craft.

Holmes is a shock joker, hitting the audience hard with an account of his gayness and, curiously, details of what he won't do in bed.

His delivery is friendly and confident, so the crowd liked him, despite its clear discomfort with his material.

It seemed that would have gone down a storm down the road in Brighton is still able to shock slightly in-land.

Despite that, Holmes is a strong and original act - a showbiz-obsessed queen with a hugely-affable take on life.

Rob Rouse also has a pleasant and natural style which gives him a whooping headstart over many comics.

His substantial stage experience and gift for improvisation make him an all-weather comedian who is never likely to die on stage.

But he is at his strongest when doing his stand-up or musical routines and revealing the wicked streak behind the big grin.

A top night!

SHOW STAR RATING (out of five): ****

Chris Wilson

Barnstormers Comedy, Lewes, East Sussex  

 THIS monthly comedy club in a former church is coming on in leaps and bounds.

It pulled an audience of at least 70 people - all of whom were up for a Sunday night of comedy. Compere Kevin Precious warmed them up beautifully in his trademark deadpan style.

First act on was David Haddingham who is a very competent performer with some good jokes. Some of his material, however, seemed a little puerile and weak - and you were also left with the impression that he was not putting his all into the gig.

On the other hand, comedy magician Mandy Muden was really going for it. She raised the energy level in the room considerably with a high-pace succession of daft, failed tricks and silly gags.

Perhaps she overdid her persona - "slapper in desperate need of a shag" - and tried too hard to find gay men in the audience (why?) but it was an enjoyable performance all the same.

The undoubted highlight of the show was Hal Cruttenden.

Hal just gets better and better. . . he has fantastic delivery, a real feeling for its audience and superb material.

He lifted the roof of this creaky old church of a venue - and made it a memorable night. It becomes clearer by the day that Hal is going to be star.

SHOW STAR RATING (out of five): ****
Chris Wilson

Reviews Archive: December 2000 - August 2001

 2001 Edinburgh Fringe

Being Johnny Vegas, Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh

JOHNNY VEGAS is a phenomenon.

The fat lad from Lancashire does not such perform as gush hilarious material like a comedy fire hydrant.

And his fans love him for it.

The queue for his show stretched halfway down Cowgate even though everyone in it already had a ticket.

And when the doors opened, there was a rush by punters to sit at the front where it was most likely they would be picked on.

This would have been extraordinary enough in itself, even not taking into account the amazing ferocity of his banter with the audience.

When you are out drinking with Johnny Vegas, you could not imagine more pleasant company. But put him on stage and give him a microphone and it's like firing an Exocet missile.

Within a couple of minutes of starting, Vegas had back-boilered his scripted materal to round hilariously on a woman with a Bagpuss bag.

Next a man who had bought his T-shirt on the internet has his relationship ruthlessly dissected.

Then a bloke in the front row, whose party trick was shaking a defiant fist in the air, got Johnnied.

Vegas got him on stage for an arm-wrestling contest for the prize of a pint of Guinness.

Despite the man's bulging biceps and evident determination, the sheer bulk of the topless slob won the day.

Victorious Vegas jumped up and down and rubbed Guinness into his blubbery chest during a victory jig.

In between all this audience participation, Vegas did roll out some shockingly-memorable material: being raped by Welsh farmers while disguised as a sheep (as one does) and proving to be hermaphrodite and having and abandoning his baby.

Bizarrely, the show ended with Vegas singing an unaccompanied medley of Wham! and solo George Michael hits, until the entire audience congoed out of the room.

Comedy doesn't get much better.

STAR RATING (out of five): *****

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Rich Hall and Dave Fulton, the Terry Dullum Appeal, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh

NORTH AMERICA'S finest came and conquered.

Perrier Award winner Rich Hall, Dave Fulton (pictured) and guest Mike Wilmot - a Canadian - put on a world-beating display of the comedy craft.

Under the guise of raising cash for a young boy with Turette's Syndrome and a lobster claw instead of a hand (don't ask!), Hall and Fulton started with a bit of a double act, before inviting on the lad's dad.

Mr Dullum - Wilmot - delivered a thankyou speech to those helping his stricken son, ranging from calling them 'cocksuckers' to commenting on how amusing he found Turette's Syndrome to informing the audience about his work in a beer-bottling factory. It was brilliantly crass.

Then Fulton did 20 minutes of blistering, breakneck-speed standup, and Hall reappeared in a wrestling mask as the WWF's Rainmaker, young Terry's hero.

His ranting was a wondrous send-up of the World Wrestling Federation and all its hype.

Later, there was a cameo appearance by Boothby Graffoe, not really doing a Scottish accent, and a neat musical finish.

The packed crowd was ecstatic having seen a superlative show.

Simply sublime! STAR RATING (out of five): *****

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Small and Large Show, Tron, Edinburgh

SMALL AND LARGE SHOW was small on audience and large on silent spells of non-laughter which sadly was what it deserved.

Attempting to jump on the multi-media bandwagon of award-winning and nominated shows from last year's Fringe, the Small and Large storyline was a half-arsed attempt to find 70s TV favourites Sid Little and Eddie Large.

Pre-recorded clips show the search going on in Barcelona and South Africa.

The other 50 or so minutes sandwiched around them are smatterings of Rick Smallwood's and Nathan Cassidy's normal stand-up routines - but it is not enough to save this sinking ship.

Cassidy remarked that on August 27 he will be burning down the Tron.

I suspected he wished he could raze it down then and there to save himself the embarrassment of performing this atrocius show every night.

It begged the question: when was the time that this idea seemed a good one?

Hmm, itchy chin...

The original price of this show was seven pounds.

On passing the Tron four days later, I noticed the price had dropped to two.

No surprise there then.

STAR RATING (out of five): ZERO

Peter Merrett

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


The Giant Pineapple Boys Present Hollywoodn't, Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh

AT LAST! A show where the title actually reflects the content.

If you are a film buff, particularly on American blockbusters, but also think sometimes the whole Hollywood industry needs to be brought down a peg, you will enjoy this extravaganza immensely.

And if the idea of a gay porn movie directed by Woody Allen and Tom Cruise and starring Sly, Arnie, De Niro, Pacino and Connery sounds funny, seeing the off-set preparation was hilarious - as was the bathrobe scene.

Also slotted in was a premiere for Pineapple Boy's new Film, Live Cinema, which gives them additional opportunity to parody old favouritse such as Star Wars, the Bond movies, Armagedon and Grease.

These three talented performers and writers are sure to go far. The late night audience at the Gilded loved it.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****

Peter Merrett

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Standup Show, Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh

AS WELL as having the most orange publicity material at the Fringe, this show also had the roughest ride.

On the night I visited, the audience really did not take to the acts.

Sure, they quite enjoyed old trouper Brian Damage's oldie worldy comedy routine. It still makes me laugh, even though I've heard him tell those gags hundreds of times.

But the crowd did not take to good-looking Texan Randy Wilson.

At its best, Randy's act is a triumph of presentation over content. He looks a million dollars on stage and delivers his lines with unerring confidence.

But it is gentle and ultra-soft observational comedy that a crowd can easily choose NOT to laugh at.

I am also puzzled about how the TV theme tunes that he plays on his trumpet fit into the equation.

He might do better to link these musical interludes to the main flow of his comedy.

All the same, he kept his nerve and left the stage with his dignity intact, despite having played to a silent room.

Next on Phil Zimmerman is one of my favourite performers.

Unfortunately, he was a bag of nerves on this occasion and his pigeon-obsessed act was all over the place.

It was painful to see him die totally, although I dare say it was a character-building experience for him.

Headliner Barrie Hall is an excellent stand-up.

He has excellent material and a tremendous stage presence.

Unfortunately, the evening had so hit the rocks that Hall was not able to give it the kiss of life.

It was a shame because I would have liked to have seen all these striving comics enjoying success.

My final memory of the gig was seeing a pretty girl at the back flashing her tits at another woman as I was departing.

Crowds don't come much stranger.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Sam and Cy, Pleasance, Edinburgh

SAM AND CY have come on in leaps and bounds during the year.

Rather than appearing to have just a series of sketches, everything now gels and their show has a great cohesion.

The quality of their character comedy is excellent - whether playing sex-mad evangelists, an elderly couple or a psychotic and his counsellor.

It is beautifully crafted and suberbly performed show which brought tears of laughter to most of the audience.

The fact that two men at the back kept talking loudly and had to be asked to leave by the venue staff was strange.

But Sam and Cy got some good laughs out of their exit, overcoming that situation with ease.

They are at their best when they ad-lib. The spur-of-the-moment change roles (and accents) in the psychiatrist/patient sketch was inspired.

It was one of many high points of a show that did Sam and Cy great credit.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****and a half

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Aaaaaah Dominic Frisby, Pleasance, Edinburgh

KING OF COOL Dominic Frisby is one of the best character comedians in the business.

His range is fantastic - from the now-retired Upper Class Rapper to Morris the Morris Dancer to Ludwig the Bavarian.

This show contained a fair chunk of material from last year's but was a far better production.

The live character comedy was interspersed with pre-recorded clips shown on a large television.

There was plenty to laugh at.

His rendition of a posh playboy is outstandingly funny and the morris dancer was also brilliant.

The audience interaction with Ludwig was beautifully done - allowing the warmth of Frisby's personality to shine through.

The cueing gremlin with the video clips was irksome as was the rather overdone plugging of the Japanese electronics corporate giant that had lent him the television set.

But these are minor grumbles about a show that is a first-rate showcase for Frisby's versatile and profound comedy talent.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****and a half

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


The Devil's Drop: Kevin Hayes, The Stand, Edinburgh

KEVIN HAYES has a wonderful way of looking at life.

Rather than telling gags about dogs and cats or relationships, he researches a complicated topic and skilfully writes material about it.

A couple of years back, his Fringe show, The History of Ireland, was a great triumph, making a name for Hayes at the Festival.

The follow-up, his A to Z of religion, was not quite as sharp. But now Hayes is back - with a show about the history of alcohol that proved as entertaining as it was informative.

The UK-based Irish comic started by explaining he was looking at drink, rather than drinking, although as it turned out a great deal of the humour stemmed from the latter.

Hayes had dug up some wonderful stories about how booze was quaffed through the ages.

The smallish audience was falling about at the tale of the man who drank five bottles of strong port a day - and still lived to be 37.

And the punters loved the one about the upper classes, in one historical account, routinely drinking so heavily that within an hour everyone at a party had sunk unconscious beneath the table - whereupon a male servant went round loosening the guests' cravates to stop them from suffocating.

Hayes has a very sharp sense of comic timing and is highly accomplished at ad libs.

But he did not look entirely comfortable in the venue - a hot upstairs room next to a ladies' hair salon.

He kept rushing for fear of running over his time, which was a shame as the high quality of his material deserved better.

All the same, it was an excellent piece of work that left you wanting more.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Oram and Meeton, Pleasance, Edinburgh

THE SURREAL world of Oram and Meeton swings from the hilarious to the baffling - a journey of twists, laughs and dead ends.

The boys are highly original and extremely funny at times.

But, inevitably, what they do on stage is a bit hit and miss.

I loved the A Team-obsessed friends - West Country soulmates who became fixated with the German-dubbed edition of the cult American action show, contributing to the sudden and violent death of one of them.

But all the monkey material was perplexing, while the holiday in Swanage concept was funny, especially the holiday romance with a devil-possessed blackbird.

A weird but enjoyable trip to the surreal Purbecks.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Priorite a Gauche, Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh

OOO, LA, LA! C'est un formidable sho' de deux of ze worst - pardon, 'baddest' - young performers at ze festival.

Ze artistes formerly known as Ben and Arn are tres bien at ripping la piste out of ze French and ze British dans la maison.

I for one would love to see them on la bill double avec Al Murray's Le Pub Landlord. It would be a wonderfully incongruous spectacle.

Priorite a Gauche are supposedly French pop stars - almost an oxymoron.

As such, they end up teaching French to children at Butlin's, to hilarious effect, sleeping rough and going to a kicking bar for a good kicking.

The standard of wordplay is first-class, their rapping sharp and the rock-opera finale simply superb.

They bring in the audience very well and ab-lib with wit and alacrity.

Other than the observation that Ben loses his French accent when he sings, I couldn't fault this show.

Un arc de triumph? Un piss de excellence? Je crois que oui, mon sewer!

STAR RATING (out of five): *****

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


The Big and Daft Christmas Show, Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh

IT'S YULETIDE in Big and Daft Land - and the natives are restive.

Simpleton Rob is hoping Father Christmas will bring him a real dinosaur, bullyboy Ian is trying to convince Rob that Santa does not exist and Jon is hoping peace will break out by Christmas Day.

Resolution comes in the form of a surprise visit from the big fella himself - Father Christmas, who turns out to be profoundly evil and kidnaps the three brothers.

As the plot unfolds, the show gets funnier and funnier.

You are sucked into Big and Daft's surreal world where anything can happen and be totally misunderstood by Rob.

It is fantastically good comedy - these boys can act, sing, do puppetry and are bloody funny.

Ian Boldsworth's script is great but they allow themselves to stray from it with sparky ad-libs.

This is Big and Daft's best show yet; more fully plotted than previous offerings and with the extra attraction of two great cameo parts.

Andre Vincent was a revelation as Evil Father Christmas, a role originally earmarked for Johnny Vegas.

Vincent was hamming it up for Britain, first playing Santa as a posh Englishman, then as a Welshman and finally coming out as Camp Father Christmas.

Adam Bloom was also good, perfectly typecast as a neurotic elf.

Big and Daft are like a Goodies for the 21st Century and I am surprised no one has seen the TV potential in what they do.

Perhaps this wonderful show will change all that.

STAR RATING (out of five): *****

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Danny Bhoy, Pleasance, Edinburgh

DANNY BHOY has a way of putting his audience entirely at ease from the second he takes to the stage.

Maybe, it's his winning smile that does it. Maybe, his pleasantly-gentle Edinburgh accent. Or, maybe, the way he stops for latecomers to find their seats.

Whatever, his stage confidence is supreme and, as a result, there's never an instant that his audience doubts him.

His material is far from radical: drinking and religion, travelling on public transport, different uses of words in different countries.

Thousands of comedians have explored the same avenues, which in a sense is a double-edged sword.

Bhoy knows people can find these subjects funny but it is all the more difficult to say something interesting about them.

He succeeds because he is a supreme comedy writer, churning out material many stand-ups would kill for.

Coupled with his immense stage charisma - which makes you want to laugh at him - and an excellent delivery, he is an impressive talent.

Where will he go from here?

Television acting would seem the most likely option.

Danny Bhoy is just as talented and more handsome than Alan Davies, and look what happened to him.

STAR RATING (out of five): *****

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Damage and De Lacy, Holyrood Tavern, Edinburgh



BRIAN DAMAGE is a legend on the London comedy circuit.

The old pub rocker has a cracking deadpan musical act - and a kind word for everyone who plays his eccentric club, Pear-shaped in Fitzrovia, allegedly the 'second worst comedy club in London'.

For years, he was single and happy in his misery.

Then at last year's Edinburgh Fringe, something extraordinary happened: he fell in love.

The object of his affections was an Australian performer calling herself Vicky De Lacy.

And soon they were like teenagers in love, wetter than the Firth of Forth and married within months.

You see, Brian is at heart a total romantic.

And so it is not a total surprise that he is back at the Fringe - doing a double-act with his wife.

Damage and De Lacy are a weird mix on stage.

Brian does his usual deadpan gag routine, with some filthy songs thrown in.

Vicky plays a character - a brainless tart called Krysstal Klear, in uncomfortably high heels, low-cut top, leather mini-skirt and tacky jewellery.

Her performance skills are clearly not as well-honed as Damage's - but somehow she gets away with it.

On the night in question, the audience was small - just four people and myself from the start of the show.

But like the old trouper he is, Damage did not seem bothered, putting a huge amount of energy into his performance.

De Lacy - in character, I assumed - sat on the sidelines reading a women's magazine when she was not on stage pretending to be confused.

I had intended to skip out early to review a show at the Gilded Balloon but there was something enthralling about this shambolic act that kept me there till the end.

Even their guest comedian, local boy Lee Ness (the so-called Gay Bernard Manning), was a shocker.

Within two minutes of going on stage, the overweight campster had tried to pick up the two men in the audience - and called their girlfriends 'whores' and 'slappers'. Charming!

Then Damage came on in a floral dress which, strangely, rather suited him.

With his wife (also in a dress), they performed the Two Biddies - possibly the funniest part of the show - and plugged their CD, which they claim contains mainly clean songs.

De Lacy then did some stand-up, which was moderately-well received, as Damage went off to change into Elvis for the finale.

All things considered, this show was great fun and a refreshing break from the tiresome professionism of the Fringe 2001.

It was fringe of the fringe of the Fringe - the sort of entertainment you might expect in the backroom of a boozer off the Mile End Road in London's East End.

Full marks to them for chancing their arm with it in Edinburgh.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Big Value Comedy (Late Show), Cafe Royal Fringe Theatre, Edinburgh

THIS SHOW is just what it claims - big value.

Twice a night, it offers four comics and a joke contest - for the very reasonable price of £6.50.

There are also two intervals and some air-conditioning, which for a two-hour show in August is pretty important. (Take note, Gilded Balloon!)

But what of the quality of the comics in the late show?

Alfie Joey is one of the best comperes in the business.

The former trainee priest has a lovely nature which comes across in his work. Alfie is affable and funny. His natural sense of humour could melt the hardest of hearts.

James Dowdeswell is a fabulous impressionist, hitting the funny bone with his regional accents and wacky voices.

Former teacher Natalie Haynes (pictured) was very funny and edgy, with near-the-knuckle material about deaf rapists and seducing her pupils.

Natalie was as scary as she was sexy. I couldn't decide if she was really mad or just faking it.

I felt like asking her during the interval but my courage deserted me.

Headliner Howard Read was outstanding, with clever, good songs and an unforgettable, weird persona.

It was excellent, well-run cabaret - and, perhaps, also a wake-up call for some of the bigger venues.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


The World of Spencer Brown, Pleasance, Edinburgh



SPENCER BROWN is a besuited whirlwind of a man - an office worker gone insane, gushing inanities as if his life depended on it.

On this night, his audience of around a dozen people - most of them non-English speakers from Taiwan - was not likely to make the rollercoaster ride through his world a comfortable one for Spencer.

Manfully, Brown persevered, throwing every joule of his energy into the show.

He played the bongos like a crazy man, delivered streams of surreal and sometimes sick gags and let himself be judged on the full force of his personality.

Make no mistake, Spencer Brown is potentially a very great act.

But he has a long, long way to go to realise that potential.

His undoubted charisma currently just about carries - on a good night - much material that is too weak for words.

Brown finds hecklers hard to handle.

And he needs good direction to hone what he has; to sort the good from the bad, and help him to focus on selling his unique brand of lunacy to the comedy audience.

I'd love to see Spencer succeed and become a major comedy star.

At his best, he's hilarious. Yet at his worst, he throws it away.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Puppetry of the Penis, Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh

THE JOY of genital origami has evaded me until now. But eventually, I could not resist the challenge of going to see for myself.

And what a cult this show seems to have become.

A queue stretched hundreds of yards down from the Gilded Balloon II Debating Hall. On closer inspection, it contained mainly women, clucking away in anticipation.

It was one like one enormous hen night.

As the start of show came closer, you could almost smell the excitement.

I had been told in previous years that Puppetry of the Penis was not just two blokes playing around with their willies. They were allegedly great personalities - witty in their own right.

When eventually every seat in the large venue had been filled, dry ice smoke filled the stage and a man dressed as a Roman walked on to deliver a corny script about the history of genital origami.

The tone had been set for the night.

It turned out that the original two penisteers had been replaced by a couple of youngsters with medium-sized penises that they proceeded to twist and contort in all directions and manner of ways.

The so-called dick tricks were quite clever and amusing - but their script wasn't.

It was wall-to-wall cheese; really lame gags, delivered badly.

The drunken women in the audience loved it, but one of the guys kept tripping over his lines and the repartee between them was artificial.

And all the talk of the 'business end of the show' stank of greed.

The fact that two entirely-different people can be slotted into the show made me wonder how much more franchising could take place in the comedy business.

It would not be difficult, for instance, to clone Supergirly - training singers to do the nasty lyrics and wear the tacky costumes - so they could be playing at several different venues at once.

On reflection, I would say both Supergirly and Puppetry of the Penis are really downmarket variety acts - rather than comedy ones, as I understand it.

There's nothing per se wrong with that.

Appealing to people's base instincts to get to their wallets is an art almost as old as the penis itself.

STAR RATING (out of five): *

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Cyderdelic, Pleasance, Edinburgh

ECOWARRIORS BEWARE! Straight out of left-field is coming CYDERDELIC - a brilliant and inspired send-up of green crusaders, Swampies and New Age travellers everywhere.

This supposedly West Country trio kicked off their attack with a film clip from Sky TV, shot at last year's Fringe, and ending with the memorable line, 'We hope the Queen Mum hurries up and dies!'

Then they bounced on stage: two crusties in Parkers and rainbow hats and the non-speaking Frogga in a kind of red hooded coat, jumping around like Triggers on speed, and taking the piss out ecology like it's never been done before.

There's rap, street theatre, some stand-up and more extraordinary film footage.

The clip of them breaking into the London Studios to try to get on Richard and Judy's ITV show is absolutely hilarious - worth the ticket price in itself.

And tears of laughter were in my eyes as they kicked a football around at the Summer Solstice celebrations at Stonehenge, 'scoring a goal' between two of the stones before legging it.

The May Day clip, when they marched on London with a reading banner 'Replace capitalism with something nicer', was also brilliant.

And the Huntingdon Life Sciences protest - attacking toy animals with baseball bats and putting the word out that badgers were being tortured inside the building - was as funny as it was plucky. I am amazed no one has punched them.

On the night, technical problems cost them a political clip shot in Southampton but it hardly detracted from the high quality of what they were doing.

The street theatre send-up of Scrooge with a bit of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody was ace.

And their crap rapping was also excellent.

What Cyderdelic have found here is a rich seam of comedy that they are mining to the hilt.

And what a finale!

They led the audience out of the room and into the street, where Cyderdelic were picked up by their anarchic ambulance - 'the Ambience' - its sirens wailing.

It's a truly wonderful show that will prove hard for other comedians to match.

STAR RATING (out of five): *****

Chris Wilson

Boothby Graffoe, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh

BOOTHBY GRAFFOE makes it look so easy.

From the moment he stepped on stage, the gags flowed seamlessly in a totally-relaxed stream of comedy.

His face is wonderfully expressive and his comic timing impeccable.

Graffoe also milked humour from his partnership with Italian virtuoso guitarist Antonio Forcione. Boothby can clearly play the guitar well himself, but by teaming up with someone so brilliant at it, he was able to be amusingly self-deprecating about his own skills.

The banter between the two men was great, with Forcione coming out with some very funny lines to Graffoe's pretend annoyance.

'Would I turn up at your show and play virtuoso guitar? I don't think so!' quipped Boothby. There was also a good balance to the show.

Forcione performed an extraordinary solo using almost every part of his guitar, including the sides and the back of the instrument.

It was also amazing to see how he could fine-tune his guitar while actually playing a piece. Graffoe did his stand-up on his own, and together the two masters of their crafts performed Boothby's comic songs.

It was an hour of quintessential entertainment, well rounded off when another Italian guitarist and a beautiful cellist from south London joined Boothby and Forcione on stage for a rousing finale.

Graffoe really is a gifted guy: very funny, musical and handsome to boot.

It's enough to make you sick with jealousy.

STAR RATING (out of five): *****

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Grandmotherfucker, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh

PAT CANDARAS is an interesting character: one of 17 children, twice-married, New York grandmother and a fiercely independent woman.

And it is her great wealth of anecdotal tales, given sharp comic twists and red hot punchlines, upon which she relies in her hilarious monologue.

Like the Big Apple's answer to Victoria Woods, her stories come alive in the animated telling of them.

Key to this is that you instantly like her and relate to her predicaments, whether they involve children, relationships, sex or her sister, Helen.

Although they are many different types of comedy, most depend to some degree on truth. If an audience can buy into and believe what a comedian does on stage, his or her chance of success are greatly enhanced.

So it is with Pat Candaras. We know what she is saying is true and funny - and want to know more.

It is also a surprisingly gentle ride.

She is totally unlike the screeching crone you expect after seeing the provocative publicity material in which she sticks a finger up at the world.

And her material on authority is superb.

Rather than taking a one-track approach as most comedians would, Candaras is honest about both hating and needing authority figures in her life.

Here is a performer who has done a lot of thinking and come to some intelligent and entertaining conclusions.

It was interesting to see that youngsters in the audience related to her observations as much people of her own generation - a tribute to her skills as a comedy writer and performer.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Tom Gleeson's Pirate Copy, Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh

LIKE A time traveller from the 1970s, Gleeson has landed in Edinburgh with a box of comedy tricks so old it needs carbon-dating.

He shows video sketches that could have come staight out of the Dick Emery or Mike Yarwood shows of television some 30 years ago.

And the youngish comedian displays musical effects - like an echo pedal - as if he'd just invented them. It was like turning up at Microsoft's headquarters to show Bill Gates your pocket calculator.

It wasn't clear what was going on here.

Is Gleeson's show a clever self-parody? If that was the case, it needs to be made much clearer, because at the moment he comes across as a performer who is as naive as he is dated. And the pirate video theme wasn't fully explored or explained.

But it wasn't all bad.

Gleeson's repartee with the audience was sharp, although it was alarming to see him starting to lose his rag with a Scottish drunk who, inexplicably, kept shouting out the word 'cricket'.

And the Australian comic's routines were quite amusing and his delivery was confident and strong.

It was, however, hard to understand the thinking behind the show. It would have been a good idea if he had some research on the state of play in British stand-up and television - before dragging a UK audience into his timewarp.

There was a lack of attention to detail. For instance, his video sketches contained references to Australian dollars and cents, rather than British pounds and pence.

You simply can't come to what is probably the greatest comedy festival in the world and expect to get away with fare that looks antiquated and rehashed.

STAR RATING (out of five): *

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


The Midnight Show, Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh

THE SIGNS for this show were never good: four jobbing stand-ups, a very hot venue and poor sound insulation from the music event in an adjacent room.

Yet the crowd filed into the Gilded Balloon Backstage 1 - eager to make the most of it.

Geoff Whiting is a far-from-brilliant compere, a comedy hack who constantly says 'right' and uses stock lines beloved by mediocre MCs everywhere.

Put him in a suit and he'd be almost mainstream. All the same, he did a competent job at getting the audience going.

First act, Eddie Brimson, started with two jokes I'd previously heard told by other comedians. His performance got better but he was neither particularly original nor exciting.

Des Clarke was the only comic on the bill with any star potential - but his deliberately-confused, stream-of-consciousness style owed much to Lee Evans and Robin Williams. And his political material was a poor fit with the rest of his act.

Compere Whiting was becoming tiresome, dragging out the night with regular references to a lesbian couple on the front row.

Almost 90 minutes had passed by time the final act, Meryl O'Rourke, went on. The unventilated room was like the Black Hole of Calcutta and I felt more like a hostage than a reviewer.

O'Rourke is simply not a headline act.

Her friendly persona was OK but her material was too weak to close a show - and the audience clearly found it hard to believe her claims to great sexual promiscuity.

She also lacks comedy judgment. When people are hot and exhausted, to further irritate them with a Holocaust gag and passe material about sanitary pads is a bad idea.

It was a third-rate ending to a second-rate night.

STAR RATING (out of five): *

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Mark Little Is A Whingeing P.O.H.M., Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh

MARK LITTLE certainly has presence.

Like an Australian version of Al Murray's Pub Landlord, you cannot deny the power of his performance or the fearlessness with which he attacks taboos.

His show had much to commend it: plenty of funny routines, amusing poems and a lovely finish. Although a bit on the shouty side, Little comes across as genuine when he claims to have been a union rebel-rouser, general trouble-maker and urban anarchist.

And he knows comedy and how to shock an audience - unlike his former Neighbours co-star Lucinda Cowden whose Edinburgh show he gratuitously plugged.

The 'Mark in the dark' section of Little's show, in which he plunged the room into darkness and then detonated a loud explosion on stage, almost made me jump out of my skin.

Yet there were gentler passages, such as the phony barbeque scene, which were charmingly funny and made excellent use of background slides.

And he uses his Neighbours past well, winning maximum laughs with the way he expresses his hatred of Australian TV's most successful exports.

Little also knows how to play an audience, bringing them into the loop wherever he can, and using a guy from the crowd for a great finale.

He and the bloke did a silly Morris dance on stage while the punters stood and sang along - rounding off the show on the wonderfully jaunty note.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Lucinda Cowden's Bland Ambition, Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh

AUSTRALIAN ACTRESS and former Neighbours star Lucinda Cowden invited the audience into her simple world - a place of heroines and villains; over-confidence and presumed success.

Pretending to drink neat gin and smoke a joint during the performance, Cowden attempted to shock while maintaining her girl-next-door voice and manner.

It was an unmitigated disaster.

Long stretches of her supposedly comedy show were laughter-free zones while she patronised the audience with her facile and contradictory views on feminism, politics and economics.

With her homespun brand of pseudo-intellectualism, Cowden was totally out of her depth, confusing and boring rather than entertaining.

If Cowden wants to be a comedian, she needs to learn the basics of the craft - and write some funny material.

If she wants to be an academic lecturer, she needs to go back to college and do some serious research, so has something interesting and intelligent to say.

On the plus side, Cowden clearly has some performance skills that could be put to better use with a good script and professional direction.

And she clearly would like to do something thought-provoking, if only she could get her head round what it is.

But, currently, the irony is that she claims to dislike the soap opera that made her famous.

Yet without Neighbours, Cowden would be most unlikely to be playing the Fringe with a show that fails quality controls on most counts.

STAR RATING (out of five): *

Chris Wilson

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Jackie Clune: Bitchin', Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh

JACKIE CLUNE has a great singing voice.

Not great enough to make me part with £10 for her CD which she personally stood selling by the door as the 80-strong crowd left, but a great voice all the same and funny to boot.

Clune sings us through a history of lesbian divas, and, inbetween the singing, her stand-up reminds me of Jenny Eclair or Mandy Knight, dirty and deprecating. She could have a chip on her shoulder, if she could be arsed.

She does imaginative put-down and describes all type of lesbians, before telling us of her Yorkshire GB, that's Gay Boyfriend, not Geoff Boycott.

Bringing the act up to date, she slates the current crop of chart artists, reducing Steps, S Club 7 and even Gary Barlow to the level they deserve.

Her finale is the tongue-in-cheek track on her CD that she wants us to make Number 1.

Rating (out of five) ***

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

Peter Merrett

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Dara O'Briain, Pleasance, Edinburgh

DARA IS 29 and a half and is looking for suggestions of things to do before he is 30.

He may not take up many audience suggestions, especially from the well-travelled lady in the audience who can't keep up with the topics, but 'The Big Man' (as he is often called when in Scotland) is already well-travelled and knowledgeable, sharing many of his experiences with us.

These included attempting to surf in Australia and making his dad proud by crashing the car for the first time on Christmas Eve.

There is more audience involvement with 'the most famous person you've ever met', which turns into a bidding process among the audience (Jagger at an airport check-in beats Shaun Ryder and his parents in the pub.)

Dara's own most famous celeb moment comes when he is totally hung over and trying to post a parcel in New Zealand.

On describing his travels, he introduces the tale of the woman from Cork for the first time, getting photos by the volcanoes.

The funniest moment for me was getting George W. Bush to make an apology to the Chinese.

In what was fast becoming an invited audience of radio phone-in fans, Dara asks what is the worst thing a new sexual partner could tell you about themselves and what to do if attacked by various wild animals.

In a cool game of comedy tennis, O'Briain quickly returns humorous replies throughout the show.

The audience loved it - and so did I. Grand!

STAR RATING (out of five): ****

Peter Merrett

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Condition of The Virgin (by Boothby Graffoe), Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh

THIS IS an intriguing 70 minutes which opens with the explanation of how main characters priest Brendan Dempsey and gravedigger Peter Barry met 15 years before - in the graveyard where Barry was looking for dead people's names to use in his novel.

While preparing to dig a hole for Mrs Mannerman (who had died in strange circumstances, falling out of a sycamore tree while holding an apple), Barry sees - and thinks he is spoken to - by the Virgin Mary and this gives the previously unreligious Welshman the power of the faith.

Meanwhile, a junior reporter from the local paper is on her way to interview Dempsey about Mrs Mannerman - but on arrival she is not what the pair expected.

Dempsey and Barry demand to know who 'Susan' really is and for what reason 'she' is there.

This is a deep and at times dark tale from the mind of stand-up turned playwright Boothby Graffoe (pictured).

The performance is littered with laughs, such as the laying stilton cheese to attract a better class of mouse, and Barry taking the gravedigger job because there were no forms to fill in, only holes.

The show deservedly received a Fringe First Nomination.

Star Wars Trilogy in Thirty Minutes, Drummond Community Centre, Edinburgh

IN A galaxy far away from Princes Street in a school community centre 25 minutes walk from the main action on the Fringe, this fast-moving late-night show condensing the first three Lucas films into 30 minutes of dialogue and action attracted a surprisingly healthy crowd.

The scripts were well adapted and brought us the best lines from our favourite characters Skywalker, Obi-wan, Solo, Vader, Leia, even Chewbacca, R2D2 and Yoda plus many more in a 20-strong cast.

The action scenes and costumes were improvised well.

Spaceships were recreated by chairs and flashlights.

Meteorites were portrayed by bread crates.

Even The Force made cameo appearances to guide Luke in his battle with the dark side!

The speed of events brought laughs as did the props. If only all films could be condensed like this!

We were even warmed up by three songs before the show started: 'Living La vida Yoda', 'Her Name was Leia, She was a princess' and 'Hi, my name is, my name is Darth Vader'.

STAR RATING (out of five): *****

Peter Merrett

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Parsons and Naylor: Spin, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh

THE SHOW in a nutshell - to repeat the cliche that the duo use regularly - is a live, uncut best of their radio show that is currently airing its second series on Radio Two.

The two former Spitting Image writers perform topical sketches with running commentary on the characters' objectives, flaws, decisions and the scenes outcome.

The humourous format is applied to the troubles in Northern Ireland, the party political conferences and various stereotypical situations such as American movies, gangster movies, Top 20 chart music and proud Northern parent.

Naylor starts the show by asking who voted and for whom, and then delights in telling an American that elections in this country only take one day.

Amazingly, there was no Geri Halliwell mention (by name) but a great gag about Victoria Beckham's toilet, which was printed in the People's TV page.

It was an entertaining hour from two experienced comedians.

Even when Parsons thinks quicker than he speaks and makes a fluff, the ad-libs compensate and get a laugh.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

Peter Merrett

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


News Revue, Chambers St. Theatre, Edinburgh

THIS SHOW marked the 21st anniversary of the News Revue team - and what a splendid way to celebrate their coming of age!

An hour of slick and downright funny material matched to music. Even questionable subjects were made funny.

A few items were similar to other topical shows, but News Revue went further and threw in Chris and Billie ('I Got You Babe'), Denise Van Outen in Chicago, Charles and Camilla, George W on Mastermind, Sven Goran Erikkson's translator, Geri Halliwell (I'm Really thin) and Anne Robinson among many others.

It was the best-written topical show on the Fringe and excellently performed.

STAR RATING (out of five): *****

Peter Merrett

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


An Infinite Number of Monkeys, Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh



THIS WAS a neat sketch show performed by two male performers who were nominated for the Perrier Newcomers award last year.

No monkeys, but refreshing tackling of different topics rather than just recent news.

There was a fairly predictable opening sketch describing how man evolved from monkeys before moving to cavemen and through the ages, from Adam and Eve divorcing, Richard III and his 700 wives.

Funny sketches included the imaginary friend making other friends, the dictionary writers playing Scrabble and the shifty salesman selling space by the busload, and goods by the truckload.

I thought these were two confident performers who, if you threw in the three women from Lipstick On Your Teeth, could form the next Friday night television sketch show team.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

Peter Merrett

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Lee Dempsey: The Stand In, Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh

'EVER HAD a bad day at work?' asks the leaflet that promotes the show.

'Ever had a bad hour at work?' was my reaction.

I found there was no dialogue to the show. It's all visual with no deep message (says the leaflet).

Sadly, this Mr Bean wannabee could not hold my attention for an entire hour.

The sketches were mildly amusing, as Philip battled the different jobs he is sent to by the worst job agency in the world.

These included triangle player in an Orchestra, locating rare spiders at the zoo, fashion model and stripper at the Women's Institute.

I think the show might have been bearable if cut to half an hour.

STAR RATING (out of five): *

Peter Merrett

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Adam Bloom: And God Created Adam, Pleasance, Edinburgh

THIS WAS a strange show. Adam reassures us that he is not s**t.

In fact we are the wierdest audience he has had all year. He thinks we should be laughing more, belly laughing perhaps at his really good lines.

He runs through the mobile phone texting material that he performed on BBC1 for their Themed Text night in June.

He later tells us that he hates TV blondes, mentioning Anneka Rice and Vanessa but does not mention Ulrika who hosted the text night.

He claims his great achievement was changing the ringing tone of one girl's phone from Monty Python to normal ring mode.

Topics covered as he gets going are his likeness to Eminem because of the short peroxide blond hair and how to get the telephone number of the directory enquiries girl.

It still seems to be playing on his mind that it is not the greatest gig of his life, before a heckler gives him the chance to score some easy brownie points.

Three years ago, Bloom did material with a Rubik cube in his fringe show, and he claims his finale on this occasion is Part Two of that.

Overall, it was an off night of sorts for a comedian experienced enough to bounce back.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

Peter Merrett

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Bag It Up: Lipstick On Your Teeth, Chambers St Theatre, Edinburgh

A SMACK Your Pony-style sketch show from three talented young actresses with various theatre and television credits to their names.

The sketches included actresses researching being whores for a TV role, Jennifer Lopez backing dancers, builders in a cafe, rude receptionists at a surgery, a neurotic Irish mother, Hackney girls with attitude problems and weight watchers' local meetings.

Despite virtually ripping off a Harry Enfield sketch about fruit and veg sellers, these energetic girls are fun to watch, although I'm not sure why during sketches involving only one or two, the redundant member/s stood at the back, facing the wall.

At one point, the unused team member turned into an usherette, finding seats at the front for latecomers.

Not quite the updated gentleman’s relish as advertised.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

Peter Merrett

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Woods and Hide: Wild On TV, Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh

A PACKED venue with extra chairs added for an early evening show that some parents thought might appeal to teenagers.

We were even given sweets from a hyper member of the team while queuing up.

Yet this show was the wrong side of the watershed, and they were also short of their advertised claim of doing 60 characters in 60 minutes.

The show is fronted by an over-the-top Dame Edna-style lunatic and her co-presenter who looks like she has been dug up from the Les Dawson show.

They also introduce other acts, such as Ricki Lake, Judge Judy and Anne Robinson doing Eminem, and an annoying Geordie female TV presenter.

In between costume changes, they show spoof TV adverts on fairly easy targets like legal firms that get you £40 if you have a life changing accident and a type of colostomy bag which doesn't interrupt with your workday.

In a Stars in their Eyes moment at the finale, Jason Woods sings David Gray, and Pavarotti with the words he thinks they might use.

The shows claims to be what would be on TV if the performers were in charge of the scheduling.

But if this show makes it to TV, it won't be on cable or satellite.

Although it failed to live up to my expectations, I found it hard not to be somewhat entertained.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

Peter Merrett

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Far Too Happy by the Cambridge Footlights, Pleasance, Edinburgh

THIS WAS a strange, albeit well performed, sketch show using a wide spectrum of characters in unconnected sketches.

The main players were the Welsh grim reaper with gay tendancies who was kept fairly busy although some of his calls were hoaxes; Lee, the young Ford Fiesta driver who does his best to get in with the main gang at a party; the taxi driver who was expecting a child to 'just turn up' and the unhappily married couple struggling to get by and get on.

The large video screen backdrop helped to set scenery but was let down by the plot.

I was puzzled why the same characters were used in different sketches but not linked into a proper storyline. It seemed a bit messy and a wasted opportunity.

The main theme of the show seemed to be that not everyone can be happy - or happiness could happen at any time.

STAR RATING (out of five): **and a half

Peter Merrett

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Matt King Is A Child, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh

THERE WAS no mention of the title in this late night show, although he did mention his dad early on in reference to cryptic crosswords.

If anything the title of the show should have included animals, which take up a lot of the hour. Aardvarks, zebras, lions and Noah's Ark all get a mention.

With the look of Lofty from EastEnders (remember him?) and the mannerisms of Lee Hurst in stand-up, King rambles through the show and admits he doesn’t have a finish.

Although he could easily go on for an hour or more, at this stage of his career he is probably better suited to a 20-minute slot on a Friday night unless he can link the material to a theme and come up with a finale.

STAR RATING (out of five): **

Peter Merrett

Edinburgh Fringe 2001 issue


Jack Russell: I Prefer Dogs, The Stand, Edinburgh

JACK RUSSELL is a laid back sort of guy who is comfortable playing to the small number of people who have turned up to see him.

He even offers cushions to the last person laughing but only Simon in the front row manages to earn one.

The size of the audience means when we vote if we prefer cats or dogs, he can count the hands, rather than judge the voices.

Cats win, but only because the sound engineer votes.

Politics, religion and drugs are the subjects that Russell specialises in.

The current state of the Tory party and the leadership contest between Ken Clarke and Iain Duncan Smith get more attention that the Labour Government.

And he shows us two videos: the first one at the start of the show fairly mundane stuff just pulling a rope tug of war style with himself, but the second shows more inventive if not original efforts.

We even see in the background the boat that Russell tells us he lives on.

The videos were in Russell's own words, shambolic and messy but nice. I have to agree and think Russell could go on to bigger things if only he tightens up his material.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

Peter Merrett

June - July 2001

'Turtley Hilarious', Purple Turtle, London N1

THE GREAT debate on which is London's worst comedy club rolls on and on.

Some say it is the Pear-shaped or even the eccentric Joe's Comedy Madhouse or one of the countless, almost-unknown try-out nights run by new acts that plumb the depths.

But one name comes up again and again: the Purple Turtle.

It is certainly true that this Monday night try-out night in a bikers' bar in Islington was once virtually unplayable.

Bike gang members would throw ashtrays at the performers; acts could be threatened with physical violence.

But since Paddy Bramwells took over the MC-ing, it has improved to some degree.

When he's on form, Paddy is a goodish act and an excellent compere, and he says he's managed to drive out the worst of the trouble-makers at the Turtle to give the comedians a sporting chance of success.

You see, the Purple Turtle is like the spaceport bar in Star Wars - fulls of geeks, weirdos and mutants. If someone with two heads walked in, no one would give him a second glance.

All of which makes it an interesting experience for the acts who tend to be greener than grass.

On a blisteringly-hot night in late July, the standard was decidedly poor.

Brad - or Bradley - had a few funny lines and a passable presence but failed to really get the audience going.

Barry Kelly - a middle-aged bloke with kids - was pretty mainstream, showing only a glint of alternative promise.

Clive Kildour lasted only a couple of unintelligible minutes, before running off stage.

And superwimp Calvin Sharpe did not make enough of his looks to win laughs.

By this point, compere Bramwells was really struggling - it was as if the low quality of the fare had knocked the stuffing out of him. He was dying on stage and even struggling to remember the names of the act he was introducing next.

After the interval, it didn't get much better.

Peter Wood combined poor material with lacklustre performance, and Matthew Temple's Jeffrey Archer impression (his entire act) was sick rather than funny.

Strange but unamusing Simon Ring proved that rambling on about your day job isn't funny, even if you claim to be a lavatory attendant at Harrod's.

However, Ring's performance was so bad, his act was actually the most memorable.

By this stage of the evening, Paddy had completely lost the plot and was very lucky not to be punched by a homeless person who he'd insulted through the open door of the pub.

It was gig's only really fascinating moment as the man approached the stage with scared Bramwells desperately apologising for his behaviour to avoid a good thrashing.

The final act, surreal punster Gary Delaney, was probably the only one on the bill with any real talent.

But his performance was upset by a crazy person/alleged try-out in the audience who kept shouting out song lyrics and stupid comments.

Despite being a scripted one-liner merchant, Delaney bravely took him on, with the help of audience members who shouted down the idiot.

It was an anarchic end to a chaolic evening, which had more to do with voyeurism than comedy.

So is the Purple Turtle really London's worst comedy club? Yes, I am afraid it probably is!

STAR RATING (out of five): *

Chris Wilson

July 2001 issue


Comic Discipline, Camden Head, London N1

THIS SADISTIC comedy game show instantly makes a visual impact when you enter the Camden Head's top room which has been bedecked in red and black drapes, S & M posters and the equipment of torture.

Mistress O - the comedienne Karen O - holds court surrounded by an array of weirdos: her gimp on a leash and in full head mask and black bondage gear (played by Danny Hurst); the ancient butler Bentley; a Third Reich pianist and diminutive female assistant Pandora who looks rather like a permed poodle.

On this occasion, the contestants in the comedy dungeon were stand-up and former Teletubby Dave Thompson, surreal storyteller Paul Foot and Jeremy O'Donnell, apparently 'the returning champion'.

Their performances were mixed.

Thompson had, perhaps, put most thought into what he was going to do on stage, creating a nerdy comedy persona in old college tie, dowdy jacket and slacks.

His replies were the most amusing, although towards the end of evening he became rather too scatological for my liking.

Paul Foot took his usual camp and surreal persona into this context and also did well.

While unfortunately the eventual winner of the night, Jeremy O'Donnell, wasn't very funny at all.

The real stars of the show were Mistress O and her team.

They looked comfortable and relaxed, and the old crone Bentley tended to come up with a better quality of quip than the comedy contestants.

It's great to see a promoter put some real effort into a show. All too often these days, you see small clubs without so much as a microphone.

But in his venture, Karen O has worked on and invested in a concept that both is refreshing to the eye and, potentially, very funny.

Comic Discipline, which is now turning weekly and moving to Wednesday nights, richly deserves success.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

Ollie Wilson

June 2001 issue


Driscoll & Message at The Canal Cafe Theatre, Delamere Terrace W2

THIS HAS to be the most deranged comedy show I've ever seen!

The premise is that two talentless wannabes make a desperate final attempt for fame by hosting their own tacky satellite TV show.

The Tasmanian characters hosting the show - Rita the Maneater and Kylie - are played by Steve Message and Julie Driscoll.

Rita is an alcoholic transsexual who dresses like Margarita Pracatan (imagine Johnny Vaughan in drag) and Kylie is a washed-up 1980s pop sensation (Sound familiar?)

They showcase a number of guests in their so-called Mobile Video Lounge which actually gives them an opportunity to run through a plethora of characters and demonstrate their knack for doing flawless accents.

We are introduced to the Brummie National Express driver who resorts to extreme measures for keeping his passengers in order and the girl who believes she could be National Express Hostess of the Year if only she had bigger breasts.

And we meet the country-singing trailer park trash who try to make a living from their daughters vocal talents, who they keep in a trolley suitcase: their intimation that they voted for Dudya Bush indicates their mentality.

They are followed by a deranged Welsh Couple who are lost in London trying to find the Key Collector's Convention.

Lastly, a boy-girl Irish pop band who run a fish and chip shop during the day, take to the stage.

The incestuous pair insist their style of pop is a cross between Eminem and The Corrs. This gives Message an opportunity to enact some Rapstar posturing, which brings the house down.

All this, and some near-guest appearances from famous celebrities too.

There is no doubt that they are talented performers, Driscoll has a fine singing voice and the characters are well observed and well acted.

However, the script lacks bite, and apart from the finale, needs more comic surprises. This may be due to there being too many characters, which haven’t been developed fully.

Mostly, one wishes that the hapless character of Kylie would at least get one over Rita the Maneater and his bullying attentions.

Bearing in mind this is still a work-in-progress show, I'm sure this will improve by the time it reaches Edinburgh.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

Ivan de Mello

 March - May 2001

 

Laughing Cows, The Vespa Lounge, London WC2

WITH the title 'laughing cows', I approached this venue with some trepidation.

Disinfecting hay hadn't been put down and neither had any of the comics.

Luckily, foot and mouth disease hadn't contaminated the performance of the MC, Karen Cockfield whose boisterousness went down well.

And on the face of it, the bill looked strong, featuring Shappi Khorsandi (pictured), Shazia Mirza and Amanda Baker.

Drawing attention to herself with a shock of blonde hair, first act on Baker was confidence on legs.

Her set comprised tales about her oddball parents: her father apparently bought her a gun on National Rifle Association Day when she was a little girl, and her mother told her of her father's death only after the funeral.

But, sadly, her observations about the girl-pulling techniques of British men fell flat on the predominantly lesbian audience.

But Baker used the interactive skills she has gained as a compere to get the crowd back on her side.

Donna Withers didn't fare as well. You could see she was trying a little too hard.

Her stuff about the Out Back induced silence at first, but then impelled an aggressive woman to shout, 'Get your tits out!' - the most memorable comment of the night.

What Donna does well, though, is naivety, especially when she talks about relationships.

Now here's a revelation: the deadpan delivery and persona of Shazia Mirza worked the crowd into a frenzy.

She exposed common misconceptions about Muslims in a very subtle way.

My only worry is that her material, about the culture clashes she faces, may date quickly.

She should remember the Goodness Gracious Me team and plenty of other Asian comics cover the same ground.

This is where Shappi Khorsandi - recently featured in The Sun - is ahead of the game.

Whilst she does mention her Iranian roots, she also chatted about broader topics, which appealed to everyone.

It was her enormous charm that won people over, and her natural delivery helped to make her a fine headline act.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

Ivan de Mello

May 2001 issue


Mothers Comedy Club, Round Table, London WC2

THIS cosy club in the West End lived up to its reputation for attracting a comedy-friendly and cosmopolitan audience and booking a good standard of act.

Compere Teresa Hellen warmed up the crowd with some entertaining material about her life, and kept them percolating throughout the evening with episodes as bizarre as seeing Eddy Izzard's cock and fainting on a famous singer's tits.

Hellen's compering skills have improved immeasurably over the time she has been hosting this club.

Opening act Amanda Baker struggled a bit.

It was good to see her deviate from her usual routine to try to play around with the audience.

Unfortunately, it didn't work very well.

Baker's stage presence is good but she can be let down by the quality of her gags.

And the material about the breakdown of her marriage was, perhaps, tainted too strongly with a feeling of nastiness.

David Adams came across as very much a new act.

But he had some interesting ideas about his childhood and his stammer that could be built into something really funny.

Experienced comedian Rolly Moe - who runs Mothers - rounded off the first half of the show with an excellent 20-minute set.

He's honed the weirdness of his unnamed character to near-perfection and now employs three separate sets of 20-minutes that work for him.

If an audience buys into the character, he is an unstoppable comedy force.

After the break, Mark Dolan - a grinning beanstalk of a man - was also first-class.

It was great to see him take the audience on surreal flights of fancy.

And shaggy-haired Rohan Agalawatta also hit the target with some strong gags, delivered almost deadpan.

Overall, a good night of comedy.

This is one free-on-the-door stand-up club that's definitely worth a visit.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****

Ollie Wilson

May 2001 issue


The Chuckle Club at the LSE, London WC2.

AFTER having suffered Eugene Cheese's warm-up for the third week running - 'The Chuckle Club Anthem' to which the audience response is 'Balls!' and a song taken from the The Blues Brothers - the acts of the night came as a huge relief.

Thankfully, the 'immature' humour of Steve Best (sort of pictured) provided entertainment.

His act is slapstick, uses props and is reminiscent of eighties American comics like Carrot Top.

He has a cartoonish quality about him and an infectious, nervous energy.

Just don't expect any clever insights or observations - this act is strictly switch- your-brain-off stuff!

Hackney New Act Runner-up Rob Deering has a novel way of entering the stage, and offers some unique perceptions into song lyrics.

He has a confident personality and a powerful enough voice to do an impression of Tom Jones, which serves him well.

Perhaps, if he cast his comic eye towards more compelling topics, a possible career in television and further awards would not be beyond him.

I don't know what it is about northern comics, but their accents seem to lend a fluidity and rhythm to their routines, which is perfect for stand-up.

This is the case with Anvil Springstien.

His material is definitely politically incorrect - and there are plenty of stereotypes to boot but it's hilarious.

I think his attack on farmers is misguided but one cannot fault his passion.

A rousing finale was given by the main act of the night, Dave Fulton.

The straggly-haired American has a fast delivery, which means he gets through a mountain of material in a relatively short time.

He has intelligent things to say about relationships, and some acerbic comments on the current U.S. president.

Fulton is the kind of act that you want to see again and again to fully appreciate the content and style.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****
Ivan de Mello
April 2001 issue


Ivan's Comedy Gaffe, London W1.

ANOTHER MONDAY NIGHT at Ivan's Gaffe. Another bunch of newish comedians.

Opening act Rue Barrett was a bit too quirky for his own good.

There was comedy potential here, but much was lost in the cascade of words.

His shambling image is comedic, but the foreign language obsession was a tongue too far. Rue needs to work on his script.

Chris Gilbert was something of a cliche: a red-headed stand-up banging on about being a redhead.

Gilbert put a lot of energy into his performance but his observational material was weak.

Double act Guided Missile - sister who slagged off each other - lost the plot.

They missed their target by a mile, performing to each other rather than to the audience.

Rambling on, they were more like unguided missiles.

But how could they get their act together? Well, they look way too similar on stage.

They need to quickly establish a comedic divide between themselves, without having to laboriously explain it to the audience.

Guided Missiles could also do with tightening up their material.

It's no good running through childhood memories, unless there are some funny bits.

Still, they should persevere.

They clearly want to succeed, and if Mel and Sue can make it big, hope really does spring eternal.

New Zealander Jarred Christmas was undoubtedly the act of the night.

A natural performer, he zipped through material about medical drug testing and a very funny surreal tongue-twister.

Deadpan Irishman Harvey O'Leary won some laughs with his static one-liners, but desperately needs more quality gags.

American Caitlin Miller moved well on stage and came up some interesting ideas that need working into better routines.

Headliner Gary Delaney's puns had a slightly rough ride. The audience laughed at the best ones, but groaned at the rest.

Overall, it was an interesting workshop in front of a small audience.

But if it hadn't been for compere Ivan Steward's high-quality performance as the Comedy Ref (pictured), it would have looked a bit limp.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***
OllieWilson
April 2001 issue


Amused Moose New Act of The Year - Final 2001, London W1

THE LISTED bill for the final listed was an all-male affair, but on the night there was one woman performing.

The missing act was John Bishop, replaced by Karen Bailey.

The new venue for the Amused Moose - beneath Barcode in Archer St, London W1 - was completely packed, with standing room only, when we arrived.

The compere was Lee Mack, who was excellent, almost stealing the show from the finalists.

Opening act was softly-spoken Kiwi Terry Frisby, who centered his act on a story about meeting a Belgian girl. He was good but did not generate enough excitement on the night to get placed.

Next up was Timber, who couldn't decide whether he was Marylin Manson or Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet.

He was 'in your face' with material about growing up in Glasgow.

Inder Manocha did some clever reflective stuff on the differences between England and India, and used a few props, including alternative road signs.

He was unlucky not to be in the top three.

Rob Deering (pictured) was next, but spent most of his five minutes off the stage, demonstrating why he didn't run on the stage in true showbiz style.

Deering did show great confidence, and immediately seemed in the frame for the 'spectacular' prize (A small hand-held plastic moose face).

The final act of the first half was Henrik Elmer, a Swede who reminded us of magic tricks that Swedes can do, particularly on the England football team.

Elmer appeared to be nervous when starting and part of his act described himself as dull, but his one-line material and stories were as zany as Harry Hill's.

After the interval, we had the very tall and balding Alex Horne, who in persuading a cute American girl to feel his shaven head, looked to have picked up something, if not a comedy award.

Fresh-faced Graham Anthony denied he was in a boy band and told us the trouble of being a comic with a hearing aid.

Not unique material, but quite funny, and he is young enough to learn and improve immensely.

Penultimate act was John Gill, who spoke in a monotome and didn't link his material, preferring to hit us with one-liners.

They were fairly funny, but he appeared to be a very slowed down version of Jack Dee.

Finally came Jarred Christmas, completely opposite to the previous act, bursting on stage, pumping his arms and interacting with audience members.

But sadly his material about the sperm breaking out was hard to follow.

My choice for the top three was Henrik Elmer, Rob Deering and Inder Monocha.

The judges - including Eugene Cheese, Ricky Gervais and Malcolm Hay - went for Rob Deering as winner, Henrik Elmer (runner-up) and Alex Horne (3rd).

STAR RATING (out of five): ****
Peter Merrett
April 2001 issue


Mirth Control 2, West Hampstead, London

IT'S often a unpredictable night at this venue, with the Hampstead crowd either choosing to sit in silence, arms crossed, or rip right into the night and produce an atmosphere rarely matched - regardless of the standard of the acts.

On this occasion, for once the audience was somewhere in between.

First act Peter Tennant burst on stage with his camp cabaret set.

The crowd was slow to respond but, by the end of his set, he had them singing along to the chorus of Down Town, and they were all fired up for the next act.

Ian Boldsworth's new character Ray Peacock stormed it. Apparently this character is bound for the small screen. I predict big things, because of its great catchphrases, audience banter, and solid material. Brilliant!

The second set began and the crowd had decided it was ashamed at how excited they got during Ray Peacock's set.

Next act on Shelley Cooper felt their full wrath. A couple of chuckles a few smiles and a sea of folded arms.

Silky then took to the stage and wasn't having any of it.

This confident northerner worked them back into a frenzy with his set of insults, cheek, charm, wit and music.

The headline act Phil Davey then rode them on but never really reached the peaks of Boldsworth and Silky nor the low of Cooper.

Davey's act was a solid workman-like, albeit unspectacular, finisher.

The night overall felt like a battle between the crowd and the acts with the comedians winning on a split points decision.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

April 2001 issue


Comedy Cafe, London EC2

WHEN A CLUB of this size puts on a free show and you still walk away feeling you haven't had value for money, then the night has been a shocker.

Compere Martin Davis trundled out jokes older than the hills and had the audience merely waiting for him to either shut up or bring on the next appalling act.

Davis started just about OK, with the tried and trusted technique of picking on the large guy at the front (using every compere cliche in the book).

But as the night went on, the audience's patience with him wore very thin.

Of the acts in the first two sections, only Jimmy Carr displayed any style and generated actual laughter.

Comedy Cafe regular Ninia Benjamin still does open spots here despite her great confidence, unfortunately misplaced.

Her entire set revolved around her being fat and the word 'cock'.

It was, at best, third rate and boring.

With the time already past 11pm and at least four acts still to go, I took the path of 80 per cent of the crowd and left.

A club as large and established as the Cafe should do a heck of a lot better than this.

STAR RATING (out of five): *
'The Kritik'
March 2001 issue


Ian Stone, James Dowdeswell, David Caruana, Simon Happily and Alfie Joey, Comedy at SoHoHo, Soho, London.



IT MAY JUST be a room above a pub, but the magic of showbiz seemed to descend on this friendly Soho venue on this particular Saturday.

Geordie compere Alfie Joey must be one of the friendliest people in London.

The skill in what he does is to make it look easy, and that must take a lot of hard work.

First act of the evening was James Dowdeswell.

If success is not so much about how good you start out but about how you can continue to get better, then Dowdeswell is going to the very top.

Every time I've seen him, he's been better than before, and he was pretty good before.

His act centres on well drawn and precisely executed vocal characterisations in absurd situations.

Examples on this night included New York rappers ordering a drink in a west-country pub, Samuel L. Jackson working in Burton's Menswear, A Star Wars obsessed Swansea policeman and a Brummie Tarmacker unable to find creative inspiration for his work.

The characters were spot-on, and Dowdeswell's twenty-minute set flew by.

It's not, perhaps, the most challenging stand-up ever, but if it's funny, who cares?

Simon Happily was next - a very chatty, at-ease-with-himself young gay man.

Happily's best material is about inverting the usual 'I don't mind gays but I don't want to know what they get up to' line.

There are times when you wish there was less chat and more gags but his amiable persona just about carries him through.

David Caruana was next up to the plate.

Caruana is a true gag-teller with rat-a-tat one and two line gags in quick succession.

Most of them hit the mark.

But when the audience didn't catch the bus, it was not a problem because there was always another one coming quickly behind it.

Headliner Ian Stone was much funnier than he looked on his appearence in Alan Davies stand-up documentary on BBC1 last year.

Stone is a cheeky story teller and topical gag-merchant all in one.

He has a broad range of targets, from his Jewish upbringing to the latest topical issues and much more.

Intelligent observation and the nerve to put the knife in when required are equally apparent.

He was a fitting headliner to a very good night of comedy.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****
Cloth Ears
March 2001 issue


King of Comedy, Brixton, London.

ON THE FACE of it, this was not a promising gig - a seedy pub down a back alley in South London with an audience who hadn't paid to get in and, presumably, weren't asked if they wanted comedy in the first place.

Compere Dave Griffiths is nice and natural, though straying too far and much too early into self-deprecation.

His 'I'm shit, the acts are funny' routine was immediately proved false by opener Jeremy O'Donnell, and again by second act Matt Cooper.

Neither really managed to engage the audience.

Third act Sabrina George is something of an oddity.

She has a nice relaxed stage presence, and is not lacking in likeability but there is just something in her material that needs tweaking.

I think she needs some jokes.

The second half of the show soon kicked things into life, however.

Jon Torrens made good capital from his close resemblance to Lenin, and then had an inspired and 'only he can do it' little cameo as a low-budget alien from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The audience warmed to him, and there was a comedy buzz in the room at last.

Closing act Marcus Birdman showed why he is being talked of as a star of the near future.

He has a very funny comic persona with a hilarious habit of interrupting himself with tangential asides to the main thrust of his material.

A friendly and chatty act, Birdman has an underlying authority and control with some brilliant gags seemingly just tossed in.

The evening ended on a high note, despite the bad signs initially and the dodgy sound system.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***
Cloth Ears
March 2001 issue


Jongleurs, Bow, East London.

ANOTHER BIRTHDAY - not mine - meant another group trip to Bow Wharf with a mixture of old and new comedy faces performing.

Compere Keith Fields is a poor man's version of Brian Connelly in appearance and voice and kept the audience ticking over, performing magic tricks with props you can buy in a joke shop.

I first saw veteran stand-up Mark Hurst in 1997 with his northern outlook on life including material about other people's kids and the visual 'exclamation mark' in conversation.

And he's still peforming the best bits of that set.

Hal Cruttenden is an exciting performer, graduating through the comedy ranks with strong material about being married with a young child and how some people assume he is gay because of his slightly camp voice.

Harry Denford - a 'fat boy from South-east London' character with roll neck and gold chains - makes out he's the sort of geezer you'd see in Bermondsey pubs on the day of Millwall football matches.

His act is a well-observed stereotype. With Ricky Grover doing more TV work, I suspect the comedy bookers have found a similar style performer, who even does a musical ending.

Finally, the great Al Murray - The Pub Landlord - back on familiar territory.

The last time I saw Murray at Jongleurs around three years ago, he was a one-time Perrier Award nominee, not a Perrier winner with sell-out West End shows and Sky TV series behind him.

He has done very well, satirically preaching the gospel of a Little Englander.

The newest material I saw centred on the name 'John', and how the British have allowed it to be used abroad for a fee by the Spanish, Germans, Dutch and Italians.

The perfect headliner.

OVERALL STAR RATING (out of five): ****
Peter Merrett
March 2001 issue


Tut Club, Islington, London.



THIS IS A SMALL but friendly club where newish comics do eight to ten minutes and more established comedians test new material.

I saw Donna Withers - a bubbly Australian - who jokes she is living in Cockfosters for the Fosters.

She said she had seen fellow Aussies 'Puppetry of The Penis' perform their show, and was thinking of doing a similar act with her body. Apparantly, her breasts have different agents!

Lanky Martin Inglish told us of Jesus, bank holidays and the Bible scriptwriters.

We had a double dose of Daves - the self-deprecating Dave Part who doesn't mind dying on stage, but is determined to take the audience with him, and Dave Hill gave us lists and 10 commandments.

A recurring topic of discussion was the garish shirts worn by compere Andy Fox.

His purple shirt was discussed and dissected by the audience.

Fox has promised to bring in seven shirts he has worn in the seven years he has been hosting the club and display them on a rack so the audience can choose which one he will wear.

Well worth the £3 entry fee. Watch out for the shirts!

STAR RATING (out of five): ***
Peter Merrett
March 2001 issue


Boothby Graffoe, Jim Tavare, Jeff Innocent, Simon B. Cotter, Kevin McCarthy, The Comedy Store, London

SOMETIMES YOU GET what you pay for, sometimes you don't. The Comedy Store was charging twelve quid to get in, but this was a line-up that still looked like good value.

Compere Kevin McCarthy has huge likeability combined with ferocious wit and had the audience falling about within two minutes.

Next came Simon B Cotter, a solid Canadian gagster who certainly knows how to tell a joke but will, in all probability, never be accused of taking risks in his desire to advance the art of comedy.

Cotter's opening gambits relied heavily on his 'fat-bloke' appearence, but he was undone here because, perhaps unusually for him, the compere was even fatter.

Jim Tavare then took over for a hilarious half-hour of double bass related humour.

Tavare's act is as polished as the oversized stringed instrument on which he spends most of it leaning.

The deadpan gags come thick and fast and there are some delightful barbs in among the silliness. A top act!

Jeff Innocent looks scary. If someone asked you to draw a picture of a gangster, you might come up with something that looked like him.

With scariness as a given, Innocent is thus free to surprise the audience with extremely intelligent material full of mature contemplation that's laced with terrific punchlines. I thought he was great, though who would dare give him a bad review?

Boothby Graffoe closed.

Boothby has long been one of the best stand-ups around, so long in fact that he's taken to playing the guitar on stage instead.

He's good enough to do just what he wants and get away with it.

Here was the best line of the night - 'I've fallen out with my girlfriend. I misunderstood her when she told me she'd like to take up the sittar.'

With a good open spot from up-and-coming Kevin Sherwani, the evening was a well rounded comedy experience. Twelve quids' worth? Probably.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****
Cloth Ears
March 2001 issue

 December 2000 - January 2001

Pear-Shaped in Fitzrovia, The Fitzroy, London W1.

BRIAN DAMAGE has really done something good with this club.

It has come a long way since it started in this venue - and a lot farther still since it was called The Oval and staged in a barn of a rough house in darkest Stockwell.

The Pear-shaped now has a small-club atmosphere and an appreciative audience that gives even the worst of acts a sporting chance.

This night's fare was typical of the breadth of skills and styles the Oval encompasses.

Jo Romero has been doing comedy for a good few years and has acquired some stage presence and confidence.

But the strained, laboured way in which she delivers her corny lines can be painful, even if the audience let her off lightly on this occasion.

Brian Damage is quite the opposite - a polished professional who delivers his gags perfectly in persona and has a good pace to his act.

Sadly, his comedy skills have not yet rubbed off on his wife, Australian actress Vicky de Lacy, who performed her set to near-silence.

The typical comedy hack gagster style does not suit her at all. Vicky might be better off being more honest with the audience, telling genuinely funny stories from her own life.

Best act of the night was Paul Foot - now a seasoned pro whose move into the humour of cruelty is a shrewd and effective one.

He had the crowd in fits with his new material about smashing up presents.

By contrast, some of the new acts he introduced in his section of the show were unutterably bad - all part of the charm of the Pear-Shaped.

Overall, it was a most entertaining night.


STAR RATING (out of five): ****
Ollie Wilson
February 2001 issue


The Tut Club, London N1

THE TUT lived up to its reputation of providing one of the most receptive and encouraging crowds on the open mic circuit.

Compere Andy Fox is a superb foil for the acts and has the knack of loosening up a crowd and getting them to like him no matter how hard they try not to!

It was his assured and unassuming performance which enabled the newish acts to excel.

Best of the night was Ava who had to battle the first-on syndrome.

She was funky, original, fresh and funny.

If she drops the tacky big boob gags and gets a solid 20-minute set, then prepare to catch her at a pro club soon.

Another highlight was David Ward who has some great gags but just needs to work on his delivery, as it would benefit from a better flow.

Simon Happily also had a great night, and is at his best when ad-libbing with the crowd.

But he seemed on autopilot with his material and needs to inject some of his abundant energy into the material as well as the banter.

But, overall, it was great to see some acts on their way up the comedy ladder.



STAR RATING (out of five): ****
'The Kritik'
February 2001 issue


Mitch Benn, Andrew Pipe and Steve Keyworth, Comedy Cavern, Bath

A RAINY night in Bath - but the Comedy Cavern was full to the brim with stand-up fans.

Compere Steve Keyworth was original and off-beat, though it took a little while for the people of Bath warm to him.

He won them over with cleverly-entwined observation and whimsy which tickled the funnybone in unexpected ways. Opening act Andrew Pipe was an experienced and accomplished comic and, as one might expect, gave an accomplished performance.

It was hard, however, to shake off the feeling he was running on autopilot and could have done his set in his sleep.

There was still plenty to admire, though, including the story of a gig he had done in South Africa where an audience member had brandished a gun at him - 'I don't mind heckles, but a gun?' he reflected.

Nobody at this gig in Bath had a gun. Perhaps if they'd had we might have seen Pipe making more effort.

Musical headliner Mitch Benn comes in one size only and that's Extra Extra Large.

He's not just physically big. Benn's presence is also huge and could fill any stage. Indeed, at first he seemed almost too big for the intimate Comedy Cavern.

His suprisingly deft and often hilarious songs, however, quickly bridged the performer-audience divide.

And the rapid-fire gags in the monologues between songs had the audience laughing heartily.

The songs came thick and fast and were very funny. Musical highlights of his set were the self-aware 'Singing Comedian' and the self-explanatory 'Crap Shag'.

The only downside was the commercial break he inserted in the middle of his set to flog his CD compilation.

Overall, it was a good night, and by the end even the rain had stopped.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****

'Cloth Ears'

January 2001 issue

Craig Campbell, Comedy Cellar, Huddesfield.

HERE'S a little comedy secret. Craig Campbell, already a cult TV star in his native Canada, is currently gigging around the UK circuit and if this performance is anything to go by is in danger of becoming a star all over again in this country.

Taking the stage of the packed Comedy Cellar club at Huddersfield's Lawrence Batley Theatre, Campbell's huge skill and comic artistry took a vocal West Yorkshire audience on a mesmerising world tour of the imagination.

With enjoyable anecdotes about the way North Americans are perceived in Asia and Europe, why Continental Europeans are so much fun to punch, and how news of the crash of Concorde was greeted so differently in Canada ("Oh my God it could have been me") to that in Great Britain ("A bunch of Germans, riding a French plane, on the way to New York").

Campbell's skill lies in telling extremely funny jokes that contain a truthful story.

Add to this a quick-fire imagination that can rap with the audience and seemingly be able to just take off on any subject into realms of truly original comic invention, and what you have is a truly world class comedian.

STAR RATING (out of five): *****

'Cloth Ears'

January 2001 issue


Omid Djalili and Arj Barker, The Red Rose, Finsbury Park, London N7

THIS was the first of a new format of show at the Red Rose - with two comedians performing longer sets of 40 minutes each.

Arj Barker ambled on stage looking like a drugged-up desperado out of a spaghetti western.

Is this man famous? Well, he is certainly seriously funny. He said that someone outside had told him they did not recognise him - because they had never heard of or seen him before.

Barker's casual, rambling and shambling style is in itself funny.

Just when you think he is wandering into a dead end, he hits you with something really hilarious.

Like: 'I went to a party. I nearly had a threesome. All I needed was two women.'

It was interesting that he was not approaching the 40-minute set any differently from a 20 minute one, but simply making the jokes twice as long.

Great stuff!

I think Omid Djalili suffered a touch for having to go second.

And by the end, he claimed to have run out of material, winning a huge laugh.

The first 20 minutes of his set were the funniest, as he went through his Islamic Fundamentalist stuff, pulled silly faces and generally did Godzilla impressions.

He electrified the crowd with the audience participation racial stereotype game, which produced a truly side-splitting moment.

So if his new material failed to hit the spot, what did it matter? Djalili is an outstanding talent.

Overall, it was an enjoyable evening, but the jury is still out on the new format.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****

Comedy Spy

December 2000 issue


Amused Moose Central, London W1

IT was a mixed night at the Moose.

The punters were a strange lot. Having paid their money to get in, they seemed content to sit rigid and let rigor mortis set in.

And it very nearly did.

Cocky Jennifer Brister managed to draw out some energy from the grim room but got the best reaction from having a pop at the audience with remarks like, 'Just checking for a pulse'.

She performed with great confidence but some of her material was weak.

And you cannot get away with a dull rant about the Millennium Dome by dressing it up as something that is not funny but you needed to get off your chest. Remember, Jennifer: Not funny is not funny.

Rohan Agalawata was cool, laid-back and stylish, as he ran through his set of clever gags, not bothering with smooth links but leaning more towards bizarre juxtapositions that hinted at a Harry Hill influence.

His material is good but it did not hit the mark on this night. His biggest laugh came when he messed up a gag, totally destroying his cool persona in the process and becoming lovable. And funny.

Alex Zane is also likable, despite being something of a pretty boy.

But is he funny? Well, he has a nice line in self-depreciation and shows a welcome, though as yet undeveloped, tendency to reveal embarrassing stuff about himself. For instance, he was the only child in his school forced to carry a briefcase. Humiliating!

But Zane committed a cardinal sin, almost unforgivable in comedy, by doing a Sean Connery impression (Brister had already done one earlier) and an Ikea joke in the same act.

When will comedians realise that these topics have been hung, drawn, quartered, minced and turned into dog food that not even a famished mongrel would sniff at? Please stop this outrage now and put us out of our misery!

Ninia Benjamin has been known to storm it with her big woman without a boyfriend act, and perhaps expected to on this occasion.

How else would you explain the fact that she burst into laughter at her demise on stage.

Her laughter eventually became infectious and she got her best response from the observation that 'you lot are not so impressed'. If there was any doubt that Francesca Martinez is succeeding because cerebal palsy gets her sympathy laughs, she blew the notion away.

And if she can storm in front of the audience on this night, she could do it anywhere.

Of course her condition gives her endless comedy potential, but she is funny because she has the courage to totally be herself on stage, her struggles magnifying the absurdity of life.

One of her biggest laughs came from the revelation that she has a set twice as long. It is the same material but she makes her way on and off stage without a chaperone.

Martinez is a refreshing breath of air in a stale comedy scene.

Off-the-wall Terry Frisby's nerdy New Zealander also went down well.

He has a penchant for self-mockery. Could there be something in this?

The bulk of his act was an anecdote about meeting a wild English girl. The yarn got increasingly unbelievable, as it featured Frisby actually being invited back to her place and getting down to carnal activities, which he acted out for us, before finishing with a killer punchline. Ridiculous!

Jason John Whitehead - winner of the BBC Comedy Awards - tried out a lot of new material, much of which failed to hit the mark.

You sense that Award may be feeling like a millstone around his neck.

Whitehead squirmed when it was mentioned in his introduction.

But he was likable and built up a good rapport with the dead people at the front of the room.

It is a shame his story about getting mugged went on for ever and was not funny.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

Comedy Spy

December 2000 issue


The Comedy School's Funny Festival, Cecil Sharp House, London NW1

THE School of English Folk and Dance provided the unlikely setting for the Funny Festival's Comedy Showcase and, thankfully, there was not a weirdy-beardy bloke on descant recorder in sight.

The warm-up man for the evening, Eddie Nestor from BBC 2's Real McCoy, tried to gauge the mood by telling a neutral joke and then asked the punters if they would like the tone to be heightened, kept at a medium leve, or lowered.

Surprise, surprise - the crowd opted for it to be lowered.

He went on to do some bog-standard observational stuff about toilet seat etiquette and the contrasting habits of men and women.

Not exactly groundbreaking but passable, Nestor got some titters and nods of recognition from the crowd.

Kojo, at 20, is young indeed, but with his 100-watt smile and genuine charm he draws the crowd in instantly.

He paces up and down the stage, exuding confidence and works the room well.

His set draws heavily on his family life where he recreates living with Nigerian parents complete with authentic accents.

A talent for the future.

Resembling the Karim character from the TV adaption of the Buddha of Suburbia, Paul Chowdhry, hit everybody's funny-bone with the re-telling of his upbringing in an Indian household.

The audience particularly related to his description of his father listening in on his telephone conversations with his girlfriend.

The dad responding to the ensuing flirtatious talk with abusive remonstrations (with Indian accent) had me in tears.

He the went on to do impersonations of famous people having sex, a comic device that has been used too many times by other comedians in my view, famously Robin Williams who did a take on Elma Fudd.

He gets away with it though, on the strength of his impressions, notably that of Arnold Schwarznegger.

I shot out of my seat when I heard the announcement for 'Tina Turner'.

With the familiar opening of Let's Stay Together, I knew we were in for a treat.

Miming every word with powerful emotion, Sandra B screwed her face up like a spent crisp packet, and her lip quivered more than any American Soap Star upon hearing terrible news.

This wonderfully exaggerated performance managed to steal the show and, in my opinion, would have blown the real queen of flamboyant pop off the stage.

Fine stuff!

STAR RATING (out of five): ****

Ivan de Mello

December 2000 issue


Mothers Comedy Club, London W1
 

This show was hosted by Teresa Hellen, the Catholic compere with no surname!

First up was Welsh comic Alison Cannon who has a timid manner and is softly spoken but has well-constructed surreal material. To quote her: "Thank you for groaning. It confirms the inventiveness of my jokes."

Mark Lucero gives you a choice of political satire or high-quality knob and bum gags. You can guess which people choose.

Gay comic Simon Happily does not mind you being straight. He just does not want to hear about what you get up to!

He found a young victim in the front row of the audience and worked him well, which was enjoyable to watch.

Mandy Muden performed comedy and magic. Flames, cards, rope cutting and turning a tatty fiver into a fifty pound note. And she was also outstandingly funny.

Oddball pigeon man Phil Zimmerman finished the show with bundles of energy. He gets better every time I see him.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

Peter Merrett

December 2000 issue


Sunday Up The Creek, Greenwich

THIS was a Sunday night special to celebrate the 10th anniversary of this infamous London comedy club.

Up The Creek is run by Malcolm Hardee and, despite his legendary drinking, it has gone from strength to strength.

The club's South London crowd is notorious for its rough treatment of try-out acts.

I have to say the majority of the evening was spoiled for me, because I sat behind a group who constantly talked throughout the show.

Heckling is something that can be answered by the acts, but these people were just ignorant and impossible to handle.

First act up was established George Egg from Brighton.

He stirred schoolday memories for most of the audience with his material about the speak-and-spell machine and the beloved Spectrum 64.

He had a suitcase full of props and ended the performance by strategically stripping off with just a coat hanger to protect his modesty.

Steve Best was next up. He says he gets lonely so he changed his phone number to 1471.

After that was try-out Eric who has the hair of Jesus but, sadly, not the presence.

After this performance, he was lucky not to be nailed to a South London building. Hopefully, he will be reborn at a comedy venue some time soon.

Then came Chris Newby who has an extraordinary talent of making high-powered military aircraft noises, rather like Al Murray did before he created the Pub Landlord.

Apparantly, Newby also played the opening night 10 years ago. Expect to see him back in another decade!

With his own Channel 5 series, big-name act Jim Tavare has the experience to handle Up The Creek.

But he acknowledged how hard it is for the up-and-coming acts, as he had started out at Up The Creek 10 years ago.

Exploding musical instruments might not have been in his set when he started out, but he really is 20 minutes of hilarious entertainment.

And, finally, Malcolm Hardee and the gang made it famous and TV people like Chris Evans and Jonathan Ross could only copy.

Yes, it was the Naked balloon dance. Steve Bowditch and 'Charles' assisted - until the balloons burst.

STAR RATING (out of five): ***

Peter Merrett

December 2000 issue


The Legendary Polowski, Canal Cafe Theatre, London W2

TWO inept East End comedy crooks, Jack and Terence (Gareth Tunley and Phil Brown) plan a diamond heist - but they're not going to do it alone.

Enlisting the help of members of the audience who are suddenly called upon to assume roles such as safe-cracker, a getaway driver and, mysteriously, a woman called Angela who insists upon recording everything for a docu-soap called 'Crimewatch'.

These mockney rebels carefully plot their scheme despite the warnings of an Italian ex-con called 'Mr Scary' and the long arm of the law.

The dynamic duo have excellent timing with Gareth Tunley acting as a foil to Phil Brown's more energetic character.

Brown's flashy patter and 'Eastender's' Mike Read mannerisms are a particular treat.

Rather than being a series of disparate sketches, the search for the sparkler provides a hook on which to hang the various comic set-pieces.

It, also, works as a fine pastiche of the glut of Brit gangster movies that have recently hit our cinema screens.

You won't be wanting to make a quick getaway when you see these two diamond geezers putting in an arresting performance.

STAR RATING (out of five): ****

Ivan de Mello