Jena Friedman – American C*nt

Jena Friedman

Dark, dangerous and unexpected. Expect yourself to be shocked by this performance, because Friedman’s humour takes dark, sharp turns and does not flinch from using the word cunt in its full Shakespearean crudity. Friedman apologises from the start about the offensive word in her show’s title – that word of course, she whispers, being ‘American’.…

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Jo Caulfield – Awkward Conversations

Well this is awkward… Jo Caulfield picked me out of the audience and lampooned my lovable, hangdog Humphrey Bogart / Droopy good looks. And then got other people to pick on me. And only later as I left did I whisper that I was reviewing her show. Awkward! But then, that’s what happens when you…

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Literary Death Match

This is not an ordinary Fringe show. Four writers read their own work for five minutes or less, and are then judged by three all-star Judges. Two finalists are chosen to compete in the Literary Death Match finale, a vaguely-literary game to decide the ultimate winner. And there’s of course a different line-up every night.…

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Bakersfield Mist – Arkle Theatre

Bakersfield Mist

Maude Gutman is an unemployed ex-barmaid who lives in a trailer park. Lionel Percy is a former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art who works for an art foundation to authenticate disputed works of art. Think for a moment about your first assumptions about those two characters. Then imagine them thrown together. This is…

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Much Ado About Nothing – Arkle Theatre

Much Ado about Nothing

All the boys are dressed as girls, and all the girls are dressed as boys. This is the first surprise from Arkle Theatre – they bend the gender of every member of the cast to add a twist to this Shakespeare classic, which was in its day controversial for challenging accepted gender stereotypes. The venue…

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Edith in the Dark – Harrogate Theatre

Edith in the Dark

A mixture of horror and hilarity, this deft and superbly acted piece balances humour and dark terror, with superb acting of multiple characters from all of the actors. The background to the piece surrounds children’s author E Nesbit, best known for The Railway Children, and reveals that not only does she write bleak and terrifying…

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Invisible City – Nova

Invisible City

When a girl’s conversation with a lemon makes you smile, you know you’re both seeing an unusual show, and one that’s performed with virtuoso skill and panache. Physical theatre is a terribly broad label, and it’s normally not a category that lights my fire. But I was surprised and delighted by this show. Invisible City…

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Tiffany Stevenson: Mad Man

Tiffany Stevenson - Mad Man

  God help you if one day Tiffany Stevenson decides to mock you. Her voice, whether it’s making Jack Daniels disappear the less acceptable aspects of the Deep South, it’s imitating Australian hipsters, or it’s mocking Jennifer Lopez’s ass-poking video antics, she absolutely nails the intonation, timing and tone. She appears onstage in a shocking…

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Viv Groskop: Say Sorry to the Lady

Groskop - at the top of her comedy game

Aug 7-16, 18-30, 20:20 at The Stand 4 (Venue 12) Book Online: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/viv-groskop-say-sorry-to-the-lady It’s not often you start a review with a story about what happened after the show, but I will here. As I was standing in the corridor after this show, waiting for my friends to join me upstairs at the bar for…

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Viv Groskop: Say Sorry to the Lady (Preview)

Viv Groskop. Say Sorry to the Lady.

Preview at The Stand Comedy Club, 30-Jun-2015 Edinburgh Festival Dates: Aug 5, 7-16, 18-30, Stand 3&4 (Venue 12) Book Online: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/viv-groskop-say-sorry-to-the-lady Fringe show previews can be perilous for performer and audience alike. As an audience, we’re pleased to be getting a sneak preview, but we know that the performance might not be polished and complete. For…

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