Fringe: Huge Davies - Confessions of a Mulatto Love Child

Huge Davies: Sleep Paralysis Princess
Monkey Barrel, Cabaret Voltaire 1 • Fringe 2026 ★★★★

With his grumpy style and hilariously absurd wordplay, Huge Davies takes the stage wearing a chef's hat for reasons than only become vaguely less unclear later. He starts by warning that old people in the audience won't like this show, and should just go to sleep. What follows feels like a fever dream that he makes up as he goes, although it's so well-structured that we know better. And he takes his dryly amusing contempt for his audience to startling new extremes this time.

The central joke here is that he hasn't been able to sleep for 10 years, which is affecting the way he sees everything. As he shares anecdotes from his life, he casually undermines homophobia, racism and xenophobia with close-to-the-bone jokes. Absurd stories from his childhood lead into a Henry VIII-style rhyme about his exes. One of these was a witch who placed a curse on him. And now he has discovered a profane ritual that will lift the curse, but at whose expense?

Huge's rapid-fire delivery keeps us thoroughly entertained, even as he snarls at us. He adds nonsensical twists to everyday situations that force us to look at them through new eyes. And his aggressive attitude is balanced by his snappy wit, which occasionally breaks the facade. Goofier moments include reenacting how he thought he was turning into a fly and listening to the audiobook of The Hobbit instead of sleeping, a gag that echoes and deepens right to the very end. It's unclear if he has a point here, but his caustic charm is thoroughly entertaining.

For more: HUGE DAVIES • 17.Aug.26

Confessions of a Mulatto Love Child
Zoo Southside, Studio • Fringe 2026 ★★★★

Directed by Maggie Soboil, this one-woman show is expertly performed by Bellina Logan, who walks the audience through her complex relationship with her mother. Bellina is such a skilful performer that every character in the story springs vividly to life with amusingly quirky details. Even though it's sharply well-written, the show only offers a glimpse of Bellina herself, leaving us wanting to know more about her too. But her mother Averil emerges as a larger-than-life figure who inspires us to embrace whatever life throws at us, although perhaps a bit less chaotically.

She launches into her quick-paced story describing her mother as a Maggie Smith-style Englishwoman, blonde and blue-eyed in striking contrast to her father, who looked like Shaft. They met in Los Angeles, and Averil hid her pregnancy from her two older daughters, heading to "Paris" then returning with a gorgeous brown baby. Over the years, they moved between London, New York and Los Angeles. There are several long-term friendships, plus an extended family of cats in Manhattan. And while Bellina was clearly raised to be independent and confident, her wedding and even the birth of her child are described in the context of her mother.

Bellina plays everyone using accents and distinct physicality, catching the most offbeat revelations about their personalities. Everyone is thoroughly colourful, especially her drama-queen mother. This is a funny and deeply involving show, peppered with lively breakout moments that add vivid textures of both musical joy and dark tension. In the final act, the show centres around Averil's slowly growing dementia and how Bellina had to "deconstruct the life of a lioness" to care for her. Even here, there's a terrific combination of real-life humour in the chaos of everyday events. Averil certainly had a very big life, and of course so did Bellina. Revealing more of herself here would make this even more powerful.

For more: BELLINA LOGAN • 18.Aug.26

Fringe: Maxx Eddy - Shane Torres

Maxx Eddy: Bi Meets World
Gilded Balloon Patter House, Blether • Fringe 2026 ★★★★

Charming the audience with his nervous energy, Maxx Eddy dives into his set with a flurry of anecdotes, taking on issues of masculinity and bullying from a refreshingly personal point of view, allowing him to make important points without ever feeling over-heavy. He's a terrific storyteller, adept at impersonating the people in his life with amusing detail. And the overarching narrative here feels like a journey of self-discovery, trying to understand important truths about himself and human nature.

As a small kid, Maxx was taught by his father to stand up to bullies. And he has always been especially sensitive to anyone who comes after his masculinity or sexuality. Sometimes this means that he is looking for a fight, for example ordering a piña colada with extra cherries just to get attention. The show is structured around three fights he got himself into, including a ridiculously physical showdown in a karaoke bar. And an extended narrative follows his online romance with a girl in Brazil, followed by a lively trip to meet her there, leading to a flatly ridiculous situation involving a PCP cigarette and a battle with the sea itself on a Rio beach.

Identifying as bisexual, he includes entertaining stories about experiences with boyfriends and girlfriends who have helped him find a sense of self. Insecurities follow him at every step, leading to him challenging anyone who confronts them, because he thinks that's the way a real man reacts. With hilarious asides and a witty perspective on the world around him, Maxx is hugely likeable. And it's impressive that he's able to keep the audience laughing even as he takes on some very serious themes and situations. So it's lovely to see how he brings all of the silliness together into a gentle note about how equating strength with masculinity only leads to isolation. And it's clear that he's still working on this.

For more: MAXX EDDY • 17.Aug.26

Shane Torres: Skinned Knees
Assembly Roxy, Downstairs • Fringe 2026 ★★★★

Using improvisation in a deliberately deadpan style, Shane Torres is a storyteller comic who embraces dark emotions and absurdity, but never gets silly. The humour emerges through what feels like a rather harsh worldview, so the show can often appear bleak, but witty observations make sure that it remains engaging. And the stream-of-consciousness narrative is thoroughly involving.

He opens with a brief confession about dropping Taco Bell into his mother's ashes, raising many questions, most of which will be answered over the next hour. Then Shane launches into his story about growing up in Texas with an Irish mother and a Mexican-American father, which made him fully Catholic. Anecdotes from his childhood have us imagining him as a chubby kid learning Irish dancing from his aunt, while his overworked night-nurse mother struggled to keep the family afloat after his vaguely unemployed father neglected to pay the bills, leaving them homeless. Much later, he recounts a haunting extended story, packed with amusing asides, about moving his father into a homeless shelter.

Because Shane simply chats to the audience, interacting with us, none of this seems scripted. So we genuinely feel his emotions as, for example, he becomes the "man of the house" at age 14. The masculinity theme is ever-present throughout this show, pointedly undermining expectations. And with each grim story point, he reminds us that it gets worse. Indeed, he circles back to comments about how both of his parents ended up as ashes in urns. It's an unusually serious show for a comic, and the way it takes on parenthood and mortality is both wryly offhanded and provocative on a surprisingly deep level.

For more: SHANE TORRES • 17.Aug.26

Fringe: Ele McKenzie - Here Comes Almost - Rory Marshall

Ele McKenzie: Bringing It All Back Home
Pleasance Courtyard, Bunker Two • Fringe 2026 ★★★★

With a style that's almost unnervingly deadpan, Ele McKenzie tells the audience how privileged she feels to be here on this magical evening. And over the next hour, she continues to skilfully subvert social norms using material that catches us off guard with its honesty, revealing things about us even as she pokes fun at herself. It's a confessional show punctuated with her happily absurd observations and dryly hilarious punchlines.

There's a sense of childlike wonder to the way Ele talks, amazed at being here when her life seems so small. She speaks with a mix of annoyance and affection about her critical mother Jane and golden-boy twin brother Will. Her relationship with her father is even more complicated, leading to a lingering worry about housefires and questions about what it would take for them to bond. Each anecdote is peppered with witty references and twists, as little jaw-dropping details are dropped in casually. Both Spam and Bob Dylan make a number of appearances, returning for an extended bit at the end. All of this is seen through the prism of her own obsessive-compulsive personality, a trait she probably shares with her mother.

A wry smile is about as much emotion as she can muster, but Ele's turn of phrase is masterful. Punchlines are thrown away matter-of-factly, which cleverly adds a layer of awkwardness to the audience's laughter. Her big imagination finds emotion in unexpected places, including within some amusingly rude gags. And while the evidence seems to signal that her life has gone off the rails, she's so sanguine about it that we realise that maybe we're taking our own troubles too seriously. "But hey," she reminds us, "it's all good now."

For more: ELE McKENZIE • 16.Aug.26

Here Comes Almost
Zoo Playground, One • Fringe 2026 ★★★

The freeform nuttiness that infuses this show is surprisingly winsome, as clowning performer Noah Seltzer engages closely with the audience to take us on a journey out of loneliness. It's all rather jolly and otherworldly, like a Ted Talk delivered by a child in pyjamas to a lineup of cuddly toys. But the point is important, so even if it feels meandering and repetitive, Noah grounds the show in a consistent barrage of joy and positivity. And by the end we can't wipe the smile from our faces.

Wearing a dragon onesie, Noah high-fives every audience member before introducing himself as sent by the World Health Organisation to find a vaccine for loneliness, which he wants to reduce from a pandemic to an epidemic. Amid rather a lot of running around, goofy wordplay and disarming crowd work, he presents protocols designed to help us feel seen as individuals, as members of a family and as connected to the world at large. He involves each one of us in this process, creating a playful atmosphere that's strongly endearing.

The endlessly smiley Noah performs this with exuberant energy, using his full physicality as he throws himself around the room, striking dramatic poses and doing a brief burst of juggling. He also plays a silly prank on one audience member. Then as we come deeper under his buoyant spell, he gets us to sing and dance along with him, while wildly cheering each achievement. All of this may feel a bit chaotic and also rather simple, but the underlying idea is profound, allowing emotions to sneak in. And the hopeful look in his eyes is hugely engaging.

For more: NOAH SELTZER • 16.Aug.26

Rory Marshall: Thank You for the Opportunity
Pleasance Courtyard, Beside • Fringe 2026 ★★★★★

A gifted character comic, Rory Marshall playfully takes the audience along with him as he dives into a rapid-fire series of scenarios, interlinking them to create his own absurdly ridiculous universe. Accompanying him on this journey is a lot of fun, as each sequence is packed with witty gags, sharp references and knowing observations about human behaviour, including a lacerating pastiche of hyper-masculinity and win-at-all-cost business.

Bounding in, Rory introduces himself as the staff social manager, promising to up the schedule from 10 social outings a year to 10 per week. And he has lots of ideas, but perhaps not quite enough funding. Further sketches feature him trying to sell special promotions, making various attempts to connect, using swagger with the boys and charm with the ladies, although some of his metaphors get away from him. There's a speed dating bit featuring a range of hilarious participants. He also becomes oblivious surfing instructor Ed, a sweary celebrity chef, an invasive server at a posh party and a heckler at his own standup show. 

In character, Rory also has a riotously funny rant about the very real difficulties of performing at the Fringe, and as a climax appears he in his pants as a life drawing model at yet another staff social. Yes, all of these sketches are interconnected and packed with amusing asides, surreal humour and jaggedly outrageous touches that ground the comedy in profound ideas. It's impeccably written, boldly skating close to the edge while remaining thematically resonant, and performed with so much charm and talent that we won't be surprised by anything he gets up to next.

For more: RORY MARSHALL • 16.Aug.26

Fringe: Stamptown - Soft Spot

Stamptown
Assembly George Square Gardens, Palais du Variete
Fringe 2026 ★★★★★

Quite possibly the most exhilarating show on earth, Stamptown is an explosion of unbridled chaos as talented performers unleash their most gleefully hilarious mayhem. It's never the same show twice, so I was happy to revisit it at the Fringe, two and a half years after first catching them in London. Here, Assembly's spiegeltent gives the show an even bigger impact, orchestrated by first-rate clown Zach Zucker as our hyperactive host Jack Tucker. "It's a hurricane up here," he says ruffling his already sweat-dampened hair, "or maybe a himicane!" as tech expert Jonny Woolley's sound and light effects create a frenzy of improvisation.

Over the next 80 minutes, regulars keep popping up, including roller-skating DylanBrand®, who does one of the funniest pratfalls imaginable, entangled in Jack's mic cord. There's also the endearingly woolly Cory Peter Lane as a "creation" called Mungus and Steffen Haanes as sneering vampire The Master. Recurring appearances include crowd favourite clown character Mister Cardboard (Miles Calderon), plus a hilarious turn from Lucas Tamaren of Thumpasaurus as James Bond. Britain's Got Talent winner Viggo Venn is also in the mix, as the performers interact with each other and the audience, keeping everyone on their toes.

Tonight's guest turns include the staggeringly entertaining Siegfried and Joy, who keep us laughing while doing some impressive magic, plus burlesque acrobats who are the best in the business: Rowan Thomas on a Cyr wheel, sword swallower Jacqueline Furey, umbrella foot juggler Tara Boom and the heart-stopping pole aerialist Donna Carter. There are also two drag acts: Séayoncé and her deadpan accompanist Lesley Ann do a high-camp cabaret piece about ghosting, and raucous drag king Boots performs a filthy mime to Don't Stop Me Now. The uncontrolled energy of this show is almost impossible to explain, finely performed with skill and precision, but always on the verge of anarchy. The joy on-stage is electric, and the audience wants more.

NB. A filmed Stamptown performance is coming to Netflix later this month, but will it be possible to capture this singular vibe in a bottle?

For more: STAMPTOWN • 15.Aug.26

Soft Spot
Zoo Southside, Main • Fringe 2026 ★★★★★

This riveting Swedish-Finnish circus act features the supernaturally steady acrobatic skills of Stina Otterström and Arttu Lahtinen as they interact with some 300 wine glasses. Working at an astonishingly controlled pace, these performers place themselves in poses that appear to ignore the laws of physics, and their movements certainly seem to be impossibly unwavering in the way they use balance and weight to dazzling visual effect.

Accompanied by a lovely tonal score, the hugely likeable Stina and Arttu silently take the stage balancing wine glasses on boards with simple elegance. Their sure-handed movements are slow and simple, and also absurdly difficult. Early on, a slight wobble results in a broken glass, which is carefully swept up to protect Stina's bare feet. And she cheekily breaks another one to make a point. Otherwise, their movement is intricate and exact, combining boards and glasses with bendy, gravity-defying handstands and manipulating the glasses with feet and slight-of-hand, sliding them from board to board and stacking them in elegant towers. We feel like we have entered Stina and Arttu's own surreal world.

All of this is achingly cool, performed with a playful, almost cheeky edge that vividly captures their close connection. They must work in perfect sync, supporting and also challenging each other. So when Arttu invites Stina to stand on the glasses, it's breathtaking. Seeing her shift her weight to stand on three glasses, then two, then one, is simply heart-stopping. As are the even more elaborate moves to come, as if this is a particularly perilous tight rope act. We feel we should applaud, but don't want to break the spell. And when they upend a container of broken glasses and use a broom to spread the shards across the floor, the setting becomes even more wondrous. It's a mesmerising show that feels magical as it unfolds with gentle precision. 

For more: OLO COMPANY • 15.Aug.26

Fringe: Sasha Nezbolin - Titclown - Burger and a Pint

Sasha Nezlobin: I’m Fine
Pleasance Dome, 10 • Fringe 2026  ★★★★

Much of comic Sasha Nezlobin's material comes from the fact that he was one of the top standups in Russia, then he made a pointed joke after Putin invaded Ukraine, and he had to flee the country to avoid prison. So much of this is culture-clash humour about relocating to Los Angeles with his wife and then 9-year-old daughter, then trying to relaunch his career. And it's been a struggle, having to perform in his second language and new cultural settings. Of course, this is also ripe material for comedy, and Sasha's delivery is ninja-like, as he secretly laces every sentence with a dryly hilarious punchline. It's so rapid-fire that it can be tricky to keep up with him. But the mix of brainy and silly gags is thoroughly entertaining.

Standing on a simple stage surrounded by cutout backlit flames, the sharpest jokes are grounded in topicality, with raid-fire throwaway references to Putin and the Trumps, ChatGPT and Grok, Russia, America and Britain. His offhanded style continually catches us by surprise, eliciting big laughs as he recounts his story. Much of the material connects to the generation gap between his Russian upbringing and his daughter's transformation into a LA teen who isn't thrilled to be living with an impoverished comedian with a "deportable accent". His account of how they left Russia is packed with riotously observant asides that sneak up on us. And his rendition of Eminem's Lose Yourself is blissfully ridiculous.

"I'm trying to be a good American," Sasha insists, "polite in public and racist at home." A long anecdote about a meeting with Kevin Spacey about possibly making a film together is twisty and surprising, with moments of absurdity and a playfully edgy inversion of homophobia. Parts this routine are improvised, and he also regularly crosses out gags in his notes when they don't work. So there's a real sense that we're watching him relearn a skill that once brought him fame, and might do again.

For more: SASHA NEZLOBIN  • 14.Aug.26

Titclown: Daddy’s Little Girl
Summerhall, Red Lecture Theatre • Fringe 2026 ★★★★

Almost impossible to describe, this unforgettable show is an unusual intersection of drama, clowning, standup and performance art. There are times when it feels like a theatre student's indulgent senior project, as it uses absurdity to explore astonishingly personal themes. But performer Jessica Aszkenasy, aka Titclown, has such a cheeky likeability that it's impossible not to be gripped by her offbeat storytelling. And the show is full of heart-stopping moments that point out some serious failings in society.

As we enter the lecture theatre at Summerhall, which still smells faintly of formaldehyde, there is a stuffed mannequin on a rocking chair with Jessica lying at his feet, both wearing oversized black suits. A voiceover chatters on in an entitled, self-absorbed way, while Jessica worms around on the floor. Then a title notes Chapter 1: Daddy, and she pops up, smirking as she charms the audience and displays a bulge in her trousers. What follows involves a couple of dildos and some nervy audience participation. The voiceover continues to reveal darker thoughts about toxic masculinity, and Jessica transforms into a woman in Chapter 2: Baby, with a burlesque costume change accompanied by words about relationship issues.

Her point is that men always require too much of her, when all she wants is to relax in safety with them. And in Chapter 3: Annihilation there are video clips of Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew, Donald and Ivanka Trump, Russell Brand and Johnny Depp, demonstrating how society is complicit, only questioning horrific behaviour after it's too late. Meanwhile, Jessica mixes up a batch of scrambled eggs and throws them at the screen. She also interacts with the mannequin in a variety of ways, affectionate and angry, plus an extended bit of crowd surfing. And there's a random bit involving the war in Yugoslavia. There's a lot to chew on in here. Ostensibly a show about hating men, she cleverly reveals much deeper, more complex feelings that will haunt us for a very long time.

For more: TITCLOWN • 14.Aug.26

Burger and a Pint: Treats for the Soul
Pleasance Courtyard, Cellar • Fringe 2026  ★★★★★

Relentlessly hilarious, the standup duo James Trickey and Ted Milligan, aka Burger and a Pint, keep the audience laughing steadily through a set that that is largely made up of sharply well-performed sketches that ripple with absurd wit. These range from extended set pieces to blink-and-you-miss-it quick jabs. And the punchlines fly in from all sides.

They introduce themselves by subverting a standard standup set with some heckling, which morphs into a silly gag. Ted notes that he's bisexual, while James is half Asian, so together they make up one whole minority. They quickly slip in and out of their sketches, including a gruff police interrogation interrupted by the birthday party next door, an Indiana Jones style adventure with a nasty twist and bonkers riffs on Deal or No Deal and Mastermind. There's also the contractually required James Bond bit, and its elaborate choreography is so delightfully ridiculous that we never want it to end. 

Their humour often plays with cliches, inverting stereotypes to find new perspectives on familiar scenarios. Through all of this, their characterisations, accents and full-on physicality take us into scenes without the need for props. So even if a couple of sketches are more difficult to sustain (such as an extended Q&A with a dodgy puppeteer), their youthful energy and charm keep us thoroughly engaged. And it's also nice to see that they're not afraid to deliver very close-to-the-edge comedy along the way. This adds some pointed topicality that makes the show engaging on a level beneath the laughter.

For more: BURGER AND A PINT • 15.Aug.26

Fringe: Fempaths - Tom Neenan - Eric Lampaert

Fempaths: Transistor Radio Hour
Underbelly Bristo Square, Dexter • Fringe 2026 ★★★

There's a lot of great material in this quirky, important cabaret show, which mixes audio recordings and live performance in a variety of genres to explore the trans experience. Much of this is created using verbatim scripts, recasting people's words into songs by our host Fempath, aka Mari Moriarty, who sings and plays a keyboard, accompanied by Carolina on cello and Bevan on flute and sax. It's scrappy and tricky to follow, mainly due to the complex sound mix, but it's packed with seriously powerful moments.

Fempath wryly approaches a stage that is littered with camp iconography, including a giant plastic pink triangle pillow, a pair of drama masks and an oversized stuffed boom box (which she calls an old time radio). Her own voice comes through the speakers, narrating her story and describing the costumes and props before she dives into various songs, starting with one from the perspective of a child who says, "I knew I was trans before I ever heard the word gender." These kinds of honest expressions add a lovely sense of urgency amid the broader comical bits.

The uneven collection of songs range from the raucous anthem Throat Goat (props include a banana and a cucumber) to darkly moving pieces that use the words of victims of violence or Mari's grandfather speaking to his wife as she deals with dementia. These sit at odds with the wacky stage aesthetic, which is shiny and plasticky. But the profound moments are so beautiful that they continually take us aback. Yes, these are sharply political observations, rightfully angry that society is making vulnerable people feel like they don't belong. But as a defiant statement against transphobia, the show has real power, reminding us that everyone deserves to be here.

For more: FEMPATH • 13.Aug.26

Tom Neenan: Portrait of a Tom as a Young Neenan
Underbelly George Square, Bluebell • Fringe 2026 ★★★★

With a steady stream of goofy punchlines and clever wordplay, Tom Neenan tells an amusingly spiralling story about a specific period in his life when everything began to feel a bit overwhelming. So there are sharply pointed personal touches laced throughout this otherwise playfully silly show, remaining buoyant even while grappling with big issues like identity, legacy and mortality.

On a stage framed with, well, empty picture frames, Tom recounts being invited to a destination wedding in Seville, which of course brings a whole range of stresses. Meanwhile, he is commissioned to paint the portrait of an older man who wants the image to truly capture him. As he speaks, riffs are triggered on a variety of topics, starting with how monetising a hobby like painting can take the joy from it. He also diverts to discuss the intersection of Gaudi and Goya in Barcelona, an ambitious feature film he made as an overconfident teen, which sweet treats are better than others and his experience with not-so-helpful call to a suicide hotline. 

Cleverly, Tom holds all of this together by using witty callbacks, recurring gags and hilarious impersonations of the people he encounters. He's a vivid storyteller, and everything is, well, framed by his need to get his own portrait taken as a passport photo, so he can travel to this dreaded wedding with its "luxurious linen" theme. His patter is riddled with hilarious asides ("A portrait is just a landscape with someone in the way") and off-handed remarks, delivered in a way that's thoroughly present with the audience. So his awkwardness actually becomes charming. And the serious notes he makes have a surprisingly deep impact.

For more: TOM NEENAN • 14.Aug.26

Eric Lampaert: Zero Minus One
Just the Tonic Caves, The Wee One • Fringe 2026 ★★★★

Appropriately, I'm not quite sure what I witnessed here. Eric Lampaert opened by saying he would not be putting on the play as usual, but instead would sit with the audience and talk us through his harrowing experience of losing all of his memories. He said that the play was created with a deliberate fourth wall, to divide an intimidating audience from the scary things inside him. But he realises that he needs to build bridges instead, and find a better way to tell this story. So was I watching the show itself, a deconstructed reinvention of it or a workshop? Whatever, it was absolutely riveting, hugely involving and often jaw-dropping in its implications.

A gifted physical actor, comic and clown, Eric is an unfiltered performer who darts between personas Robin Williams-style, delivering lacerating jokes and mind-boggling insight. Dressed in an un-hooked straitjacket, he walks the audience through the day he woke up in 2019 with no idea who he was, reverting to a childlike, feral creature. But his constant sideroads offer telling glimpses into the nature of this breakdown, from hypnotherapy sessions to sleep deprivation to rather a lot of weed. At the centre is the salient question of what you are if you lose your memory. And even if everyone and everything you ever knew hasn't vanished, how much does our memory inform our identity? And how much do we impact the places and people around us?

These deeper, darker ideas emerge as he recounts anecdotes that are funny, scary and honest, laced with his relentless search for meaning. Most impressive is how the show encourages us to remain tapped into our inner child. He clearly is! Watching even his most frightening impersonations completely take over his body is remarkable. In Eric's situation, memories began coming back right from the start, but it took a couple of years before he rediscovered himself. He says that there are no words to explain what happened and how he still feels, but the way he connects with us communicates far beyond words.

For more: ERIC LAMPAERT • 14.Aug.26

Critical Week: On the road again

I'm taking a break from the movies over the next few days, and I've travelled up to Edinburgh to watch some shows in the Fringe. Reviews are incoming - watch this space! But before I left London, I caught a few movies. Nimrods is a rambunctious cross-country road movie following three dopey teens for a rendezvous in Los Angeles with Green Day. It's too messy to be a classic, but will definitely find a cult following. And Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor dive fully into the chaos of The End of Oak Street, as their suburb is invaded by voracious dinosaurs. This is a pure guilty pleasure, worth seeing on a big screen laughing and screaming along with the crowd.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Tony • Nimrods
The End of Oak Street
Songs of Forgotten Trees
ALL REVIEWS >

Claire Foy and Andrew Garfield lead a strong British cast in the colourfully quirky fantasy The Magic Faraway Tree, based on the beloved Enid Blyton novel. A blast of sharp wit makes this a lot more fun than expected. Agniezka Holland's Franz is an impressively artful, fascinating but too-fractured biopic about legendary author Franz Kafka.  The queer Australian horror Leviticus has an unusually romantic undercurrent that evokes very deep emotions amid some terrifying grisliness. And Anuparna Roy's award-winning Indian drama Songs of Forgotten Trees is a beautifully observed story of two young women facing challenges in the big city. 

Finally, there were two more films that are premiering at the Edinburgh International Film Festival this week, including Queen at Sea, a powerfully involving British drama featuring devastating performances from Juliette Binoche and Tom Courtenay. And the entertaining documentary The Mad World of Harvey Kurtzman traces the life of the creator of Mad magazine. It's also a remarkable look at the emergence of comic books and mid-20th century pop culture.

Coming up this next week, after I get back to London, I'll be watching Hugh Jackman in The Death of Robin Hood, Andrew Scott in Pressure, the comedy Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, the Bolivian drama The Condor Daughter and the documentary Super Nature.

Fringe: Josh Glanc - Michelle Brasier - Two Hearts

And here's my final roundup of reviews from Fringe 2024. It was a lively and very busy week, with 23 terrific shows and far better weather than expected. Some have asked how I choose shows to see out of nearly 4,000 in the programme: because it's so overwhelming, I ask a press officer to work out my schedule. This means that I never quite know what I'm about to see. And it's been a fun mix of stand-up, comedy, drama, music, circus and clowning.  And then it's back to movies, with Critical Week below...

Josh Glanc: Family Man
Monkey Barrel 1 • Fringe 2024 ★★★★

Overflowing with goofy charm, Josh Glanc bounds onto the stage in a crop-top and begins singing an earnest song about being reminded of the beautiful day when he met his wife, as she gave him a breathalyser test. His act is a spiralling flurry of music and crowd work, peppered with jokes that are hilariously absurd, continually catching us aback with their clever observations and nutty perspectives. Each extended gag is underscored with a musical track, to the extent that if he presses the wrong button, the show takes off in a direction that's unexpected even to him.

He also continually repeats musical numbers with amusing variations. For example, each time he decides to restart the show and launches into his opening number, the circumstances around meeting his wife are dramatically different. Meanwhile, he deploys puppy-dog expressions and playful accents expertly, most notably when switching back and forth between old and young versions of himself. Everything is blissfuly bonkers as he searches the crowd for fellow silly billies, cheeky monkeys and, well, sluts, which leads into an explosion of evangelistic zeal.

While the jokes feel like they are coming in at random, there's still a wonderful flow to the show, a kind of deranged internal logic that finds underlying resonance. Bits involving threatening letters, lanyards and Domino pizza deals spin in riotously messy directions, as does a moment when he gets a bit overeager to take photographs of three hot, up-for-it guys from the front row. Best of all, Glanc peppers the show with personal anecdotes, relatable details that offer a glimpse into his soul. So it's a joy to get caught up in his escalating mayhem.

details: JOSH GLANC  • 13.Aug.24

Michelle Brasier: Legacy
with Tim Lancaster
Gilded Balloon Patter House, Downstairs • Fringe 2024 ★★★★★

Even when a show spins wildly out of control, Michelle Brasier is one of the funniest comedians working today, completely owning the stage with her larger-than-life personality, lightning-quick wit and monster talent. As in her 2023 Fringe show https://shadowsontheweb.blogspot.com/2023/08/fringe-michelle-brasier-monet-x-change.html, she takes the audience on a hugely entertaining journey through an extended story that spins off down various sideroads while also tapping into some surprisingly meaningful themes. Not that she ever appears to be taking this seriously.

At the centre of this show, Brasier is imagining the versions of herself that she could have been if she made different decisions over the course of her life. This is sparked when she discovers another Michelle Brazier (with a z) in Melbourne and tries to sort out a misunderstanding while travelling to America for a comedy festival and dealing with an excruciating and very personal physical issue (which she describes in outrageous detail). She also realises that she would like to leave some sort of legacy to a little girl, even though she doesn't want a child of her own.

As before, Brasier is joined on-stage by partner Tim Lancaster, who plays guitar and expertly voices other characters in her stories (including himself). Meanwhile, her punchines are flying so quickly that many are lost in her exuberance, which makes the entire show panic-strikingly funny. She also has a belting singing voice, and her songs are both amusing and knowing, most notably a power ballad about being a proud millennial until a new generation came along ("What about Y2K?" she laments). With each frantic narrative layer, she pulls us in deeper, leading to a gorgeous payoff.

details: MICHELLE BRASIER  • 13.Aug.24

Two Hearts: Til Death Do Us Hearts
with Laura Daniel, Joseph Moore
Pleasance Courtyard, Two • Fringe 2024 ★★★★

From New Zealand, pop duo Two Hearts (aka Laura Daniel and Joseph Moore) arrive on-stage still celebrating their marrweddingiage a few months ago back home, singing about how fabulous the big event was. They've even repurposed the decorations to create the set for this show. And they note that nothing about their lives has actually changed since they got married. What follows is a cleverly constructed journey into their relationship, which is sweet, silly and just a little bit dark, all accompanied by boisterous songs and comedy antics. This is a full-on party of a show.

With huge smiles and seemingly boundless energy, their earnest joy begins to reveal flickers of other emotions along the way. A kiss-cam roves joyfully through the audience until Joseph spots someone kissing Laura (full disclosure: it was me) and explodes with jealousy. Their sharp banter continually adds offbeat angles on their relationship, with razor-sharp throwaway gags and a series of properly banging tunes, choreographed to perfection. All of this moves at a blinding pace that keeps them (and us) slightly out of breath. And we never have a clue what's coming next.

Laura and Joseph speak about how they fell in love while performing the only love song they've ever sung together, creating a problem with HR ("I'm HR," Laura chirps). And they use other songs to travel through their past eras, including Laura's under-dressed winter club nights and Joseph saving money by avoiding the dentist. Another number triumphs their valiant efforts around climate change ("Dolphins, you're welcome"), although they can't resist a holiday in another country, especially one with a good war museum. These songs are almost criminally catchy. But it's their messy affection for each other that really wins us over.

details: TWO HEARTS  • 13.Aug.24

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~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~
C R I T I C A L  W E E K

Because I spent most of this week in Edinburgh, I saw very few films this week. The big screening was the UK gala presentation of Alien: Romulus, attended by director Fede Alvarez and stars Cailee Spaeny, Archie Renaux and Spike Fearn. The film is fantastic on an Imax screen, wonderfully suspenseful and freaky. The silly action comedy Jackpot is a frenzy of hilariously nutty mayhem starring Awkwafina, John Cena and Simu Liu. And the documentary Apollo Thirteen: Survival is a stunningly immersive archival narrative of the harrowing 1970 moon mission that's definitely worth seeing on a big screen. And I'm still watching FrightFest movies. This coming week, I'm starting a two-month job that will require very long days, so I won't be attending many screenings for awhile. But I'll catch what I can. 

Fringe: I Sell Windows - Larry Dean - Rita Lynn: Life Coach - Erin Farrington

I Sell Windows
written and performed by Kacie Rogers
directed by Jaquita Ta'le
Assembly George Square, Studio Four • Fringe 2024 ★★★★

Theres a lyrical quality to this one-woman show, as writer-performer Kacie Rogers grapples with her sense of self as reflected in a series of relationships. It's strikingly well written, using poetry, music and shadow projections to drive home the deeper ideas that ripple through her story. This makes it hugely resonant on a variety of levels, even as it's also a powerful comment on her own specific reality as a young Black woman. And she performs it in a vividly open-handed way that pulls us in, providing sharp moments of insight and some dark jabs of emotion.

Told through a fractured series of scenes that flow in and out of each other, the central narrative follows Rogers' journey to understand her own aspirations. To her therapist, she recounts a disastrous trip to New York to audition for an acting role, after which she gave up on acting and took a job selling windows at a farmer's market. And to her boyfriend, she is surprised when she reacts violently to his dismissal of her feelings. As she faces her grandfather's funeral, her dreams take her on a journey into who she is, where she comes from and perhaps where she should go next. 

Running through this is a gorgeous a capella rendition of Tracy Chapman's Fast Car, which reverberates intensely with elements of her story. And several sections of Rogers' monologue are written as poetry. Clever lighting and projections add strong kicks along the way, as does her sideroad discussion of women from history whose names haven't been recorded, such as her ancestor who is only listed as "crazy woman" in an account of her 4-year-old son being sold as a slave. And Rogers' inner journey carries just as strong a kick.

details: OUTSIDE IN THEATRE  • 12.Aug.24

Larry Dean: Dodger
Monkey Barrel 3 • Fringe 2024 ★★★★★

Almost absurdly likeable, Larry Dean bounds onto the stage and immediately has us in the palm of his hand, reeling off one hysterical joke after another. His stand-up feels effortless, as if he's simply speaking off the cuff, naturally funny in the way he recounts stories and makes knowing observations about the world. He also clearly enjoys clowning around on stage, and his glee is infectious. 

Dean's humour stems from who he is, so he speaks about how he wishes he could be as smiley and positive as American comics, because if a Scottish person is smiley, "someone's getting stabbed". But he doesn't think he's Scottish, gay or autistic enough for those to define his act. Mainly he speaks about his hero, his 98-year-old grandmother, who died late last year. He continually circles back to his experiences with her over her final months, as she travelled deeper into dementia, and he just went with it.

Relentlessly funny, this is sharp and relatable humour that never takes the expected route through a joke. Dean is a terrific mimic, making hilarious physical transformations to quote a variety of people from his life, including his demonic inner voice. The stories he tells are personal and revelatory, so easy to identify with that we feel like we're hanging out with an unusually entertaining friend. And in stories about his boyfriend and his grandmother, he also beautifully captures the tension and balance between fame and real life. 

details: LARRY DEAN • 12.Aug.24

Rita Lynn: Life Coach
written and performed by Louise Marwood
Pleasance Dome, Ace • Fringe 2024 ★★★

There are multiple intriguing layers to this one-woman show, which is essentially an exploration of how addiction affects identity. Louise Marwood writes and performs with very high energy, so the show has remarkable intensity that punches its themes in meaningful ways. It's also very full-on, with sharply written wording that is likely to trigger our minds to wander off and miss something, simply because it resonated in an unexpected way. Which might be a problem when the story moves this quickly.

In a repeatedly cocaine-fuelled buzz, Imogen (Marwood) appears on stage talking about how her drug of choice is "more". And she and her East End barber boyfriend Dexter are each other's enablers. Annoyed that life's rules apply to her, she decides to become a life coach under the name Rita Lynn. And she's surprised that it's so easy to lie so confidently to her clients. But she also knows that her dependence on cocaine is a problem, so she attends addict group meetings. The question is whether she's anyone without the drugs.

Well worth seeing as a display of Marwood's considerable talents, this is a cleverly written show that's performed to the hilt. Marwood slips easily between the various characters in the story, including a couple of cross-cutting moments that have an electric charge to them. And her performance encompasses a variety of styles, such as a scene in which her homelife with Dexter is played as a sitcom, complete with canned laughter. Watching her shift between roles is dazzling, especially with in several physically demanding moments. But even with its comical flourishes, this is a pitch-black drama that we watch with interest, rather than connect with on a deeper level.

details: LOUISE MARWOOD • 12.Aug.24

Erin Farrington: Think Better
Manifesting Money, Real Estate and Hot People
Pleasance Courtyard, Bunker Two • Fringe 2024 ★★★★

A breath of fresh air in a lineup of deliberately edgy, cynical comics, this unapologetically silly show makes us feel like we're inside an immersive Saturday Night Live sketch. Erin Farrington is almost too in tune with her alter-ego character as she leads us through a new-agey seminar designed to help us manifest our dreams. She's so perky and over-involved that we can't help but laugh at virtually everything she says. And she's definitely feeling the energy in the room.

She begins with a guided meditation that becomes increasingly outrageous and surreal. "This is meditation, not hypnosis," she stresses. "I lost two years of my life to hypnotism." She works with specific audience members to develop mantras or manifestations based on tarot cards. There are continual reminders us that it's OK to be nervous about facing the truth. And she has some cautionary rules to help avoid bad cults, because good ones can be sexy. 

All of this is performed dead straight; Farrington is earnest with big emotional expressions and frequent chirpy giggles, even as her infectious smile sometimes betrays some internal strain. She fabulously digs deep into the role, so her improvisational crowd work is seamless. In the end she shouts, "I did it," declaring that she has helped us achieve our dreams. The question is whether she will ever see hers realised. And we certainly hope she does.

details: ERIN FARRINGTON • 13.Aug.24

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Fringe: Messy Friends - Eddy Hare - The Weight of Shadow - Zoe Brownstone

Messy Friends
with Ginava, Flynn V, Skye Scraper, Bobby Knox, Mary Lamb O’God
Assembly George Square Gardens, Piccolo • Fringe 2024 ★★★★

A gentle explosion of joyfulness, this performance group from Australia have terrific camaraderie as they perform a series of outrageously colourful musical numbers. They are embracing their gender-queer identities through costumes, movement, humour and dance, using both puppetry and burlesque to blur the lines between what's often considered as family friendly. And it's impossible to watch what they do without smiling, simply because their message is one of pure positivity, even if it's also rather deranged.

After they introduce themselves to the audience, a video clip shows the group's leader Ginava at home in Perth, chatting to the camera about art and life. Then in between each number, the others get a chance to pitch in as well, sharing their thoughts, feelings and inspirations. This adds underlying personality and connection to each performance piece, and it leaves us feeling like we are part of this colourful family of artists, each of whom has a distinct way of looking at the world and their work together.

The songs themselves are bouncy and uplifting, choreographed with cheeky movement that feel both relaxed and sexy. They're also drop-dead gorgeous to look at, with fabulous costumes and a seriously talented group of performers who are clearly loving every minute. Their enjoyment is infections especially in striptease pieces like Bobby Knox's Human Behaviour, Mary Lamb O'God's hilarious Blind Date and Flynn V's smouldering Fire Starts to Burn. And in the end, as they bounce exuberantly while being masked in bright-hued frills, we wish we were up there with them.

details: MESSY FRIENDS • 11.Aug.24

Eddy Hare: This One’s on Me
Pleasance Courtyard, Cellar • Fringe 2024 ★★★★

Super likeable, Eddy Hare has no trouble making us laugh at his hilariously deadpan running commentary. He keeps us right with him as he weaves hugely relatable real-life observations into hyper-surreal nuttiness, and also includes a couple of terrific songs. The show centres around his experience as an uncle, a role he takes very seriously, provoking the audience to wonder if maybe we're looking at everything from perhaps the wrong perception.

He also speaks a lot about his obsession with developing a bald patch, which he discovered at 20. He likens pattern baldness to coastal erosion, because both happen so slowly that people prefer to ignore them. Meanwhile as an uncle, he feels a responsibility to his two young nieces, hoping he doesn't turn into one of his own rather useless uncles. An extended anecdote about competing with a magician at a child's birthday party grows increasingly ridiculous as he tries to prove that he's the fun uncle.

Hare's dry, chatty delivery makes the most of his confident punchlines. And his songs are solid toe-tappers that are packed with amusing twists and turns. Through all of this, he continually puts us at ease; we can relax knowing that each joke will be smart and funny, and perhaps even surprising now and then. Although for toddlers, everything is a wonderful surprise. Indeed, nothing can compete with the laughter of a child ("No offence"). 

details: EDDY HARE  • 11.Aug.24 

The Weight of Shadow
with Sasha Krohn
Assembly Checkpoint • Fringe 2024 ★★★★

This mesmerising and often haunting mix of dance, acrobatics and mime is pure theatre, resonating strongly as it explores loneliness and the daily battles and triumphs we all experience. It's performed with astonishing physicality by Sasha Krohn, and was inspired by the experiences of his partner Ciana Fitzgerald. This adds an intensely personal kick to Krohn's jaw-droppingly impressive movement as he uses his entire body to express complex emotions.

It opens as Krohn wakes from a deep sleep, and struggles to get his body moving. He drags himself around the stage with some effort, eventually looking at himself in a mirror. And he doesn't like what he sees. But his hoodie won't cooperate as he tries to put it on, and his coat is an even more epic battle. Finally he fights his fears and goes outside, waging war with the elements themselves. Back home at night, his dreams send him spiralling into the air, dangling from a leg or an arm, then wearing a ruffled collar in bright flickers of spotlight. The routine repeats the next morning, but this time a few details are different.

Krohn's performance requires enormous physical strength, as he shifts and holds his weight in ways that seem to defy gravity. This includes the aerial segments, each of which is intensely demanding. Yet even if it's fairly impossible to imagine having this much skill and power, every movement is designed to convey easy-to-understand inner thoughts, feelings and frustrations, including brief moments of despair, triumph and hope. The final section may feel a bit repetitive, but small things have shifted just enough to offer the promise that depression and anxiety don't need to be the end of the road.

details: SASHA KROHN • 12.Aug.24

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Fringe: The Screen Test - Dan Rath - Graham Kay

The Screen Test
written and performed by Bebe Cave
Pleasance Courtyard, Below • Fringe 2024 ★★★★

Hilariously silly and viciously pointed, this one-woman show is bracingly well-written and performed to the absolute hilt by Bebe Cave. So even if it's deliberately hammy, the show is underscored with powerful subtext. It's also fiendishly clever theatre, often painfully funny as it traces a young woman who is willing herself to stardom in 1930s Hollywood. Absolutely jam-packed with barbed one-liners and physical schtick, the show's frenetic energy is so far over the top that it becomes enjoyably cartoonish. 

Betsy Bitterly is sure she is going to be the top movie star in the world. In her mind, she already is, demanding adoration from her audience and confidently throwing herself into auditions for roles like "peasant whore number three". She's overexcited when she gets a tiny part in a film starring her idol Katharine Hepburn, then of course worries that another extra will upstage her. But fate seems to be on her side. Progressing through the years, she gets slightly larger roles and marries a producer who offers a studio contract ("Sure, the studio owns you, but in a fun way"). Indeed, dealing with predatory men is the key thing she needs to navigate.

"I'm an empty vessel," Betsy shouts. "Fill me up!" This is a remarkable showcase for Cave's talent as both a writer and performer, offering the chance to sing and dance, engage in pratfalls and wrenching melodrama. The monologue is so dense that there's barely a moment when we're not out of breath along with her. And even if it never feels very personal, the humour and topicality are dazzling. There's also a fascinating meta-message here about the quest for stardom, or perhaps we just have an innate need to be seen by someone, anyone else.

details: BEBE CAVE  • 11.Aug.24

Dan Rath: Pariah Carey
Underbelly Bristo Square, Friesian • Fringe 2024 ★★★★★

From Australia, self-described neurodivergent comic Dan Rath delivers one hilarious zinger after another at a rapid pace, revealing a lightning-fast wit as he interacts with the audience in his own distinct way. He darts from topic to topic, dropping sharp punchlines everywhere, often with wildly surreal flourishes. And because we are watching this on his terms, we never quite know what will happen next. This slight discomfort makes it even funnier.

The disconnected approach often feels random, almost too quick for us to catch everything. And comments touch on so many topics that the mind begins to truly boggle. He speaks about the trend for taking ice baths before launching into an extended riff on the sinking of the Titanic ("Those people were in peak physical condition, but only the survivors got the full benefits"). His stream of consciousness touches on AI, ADHD and being diagnosed as bipolar and prescribed lithium ("I take the same dose as an AA battery"). 

Because he's so disarmingly likeable, he gets away with floating very close to the edge with his jokes, and he knows full-well when he tips over the top, relishing the audience reaction. And what's most impressive is that virtually every gag hits the target. Even when he goes around the audience members, asking about professions, his improvised reactions are quick and hilarious. When something feels a bit off, he opts to "Etch A Sketch that sentence". And when he asks whether any of this is relatable, we all know the answer.

details: DAN RATH  • 10.Aug.24

Graham Kay: Pete and Me
Gilded Balloon Patter House, Dram • Fringe 2024 ★★★

Opening with a montage of photos of two brothers growing up together, this show focusses on Canadian comic Graham Kay's relationship with his brother Pete, who has autism. Kay uses witty observations and anecdotes to add humour alongside a warm exploration of the quirky bonds within families. He's a great storyteller, pulling us in as he describes the people in his life with amusing detail. And he's so open and honest about everything that we can't help but root for him, because the audience isn't quite as big as it should be.

In his early 40s, Kay is feeling the pressure to have children, because his only brother never will. And he has a strong bond with Pete, deepened during the pandemic when they began making daily video calls to each other speaking as Burt and Ernie. Kay shares stories about Pete's more problematic impressions like Apu from The Simpsons ("I have to let him do a hate crime") and his love for the now badly dated Power Rangers. But even though Kay often wants to ignore Pete's calls, he's always glad when he answers, because it's so much fun to play together like they are kids.

The way Kay weaves amusing punchlines through these relatively serious stories is impressive, including accounts of his family history and chaotic scenes with his parents, which led to his own issues with OCD as a teen. Kay is terrific at mimicking his family members, and audio clips add Pete's voice into the mix too. So their connection becomes vivid as this show continues, a complex mix of responsibility, affection, playfulness and guilt. He loves how Pete, by his very existence, reveals who's cool and who's a jerk. And that they're always there for each other.

details: GRAHAM KAY  • 10.Aug.24

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Fringe: Paly & Jay - Derek Mitchell - Sid Singh

Pali & Jay’s Ultimate Asian Wedding DJ Roadshow
with Tez Ilyas, Viraj Juneja
written by Viraj Juneja • directed by Ameet Chana
Assembly George Square, Underground • Fringe 2024 ★★★★

A knowing attention to detail and extremely likeable characters combine to lift this immersive two-hander into something thoroughly entertaining. With the theatre set up as a wedding venue, we are offered a glimpse into the lives of the DJs on stage through a series of hilarious conversations and clever flashbacks. And it's strikingly well written and played by playwright Tez Ilyas and Viraj Juneja as loners from different generations who are finally beginning to understand the connection between them.

Even if others are dubious, Pali (Juneja) is proud of the business he has built up as a lively DJ at Asian events in Southall, West London. Fiercely protective of his equipment, he is thinking about promoting his enthusiastic young roadie Jay (Ilyas) to a DJ so he can book more gigs. But Jay isn't taking this very seriously. As they host a wedding reception, they begin to explore their past, including the DJ competition that made Pali afraid to take the mic himself. And now with his wife filing for divorce, Pali is feeling very alone.

Things are off-balance from the start, as the guests have arrived before they're ready. The set is a riotous barrage of technical equipment and colourful lighting rigs, adding to the authenticity of the characters, who are played with strong comical timing and real emotion by the engaging Ilyas and Juneja. The script is funny and knowing, flickering through witty slapstick as well as much darker drama. And it's deepened by character details and revelations that pull us in to the evolving relationship between this uncle and nephew. We root for them to sort things out and move forward. And in the end we want to get onto the dance floor ourselves.

details: RIFCO THEATRE • 10.Aug.24

Derek Mitchell: Double Dutch

Pleasance Courtyard, Baby Grand • Fringe 2024 ★★★★★

Bounding on-stage in a Dutch milkmaid's outfit, complete with bonnet and wooden clogs, Derek Mitchell uses his huge smile and slapstick physicality to great effect as he explores the immigrant experience through his own personal history as a guy from the American Midwest who lives between the Netherlands and Great Britain. This allows him to get very silly as he pokes fun at his own cultures while also making some pointed comments about the bigger issues. For example, he recognises that he is a "business class" immigrant as opposed to an "economy" refugee.

All of this is framed by his desire to make everyone feel comfortable, so he gleefully pokes fun at cultural differences, linguistic quirks and the tricks all of us use to put each other at ease. Mitchell is an expert storyteller, hilariously throwing in pitch-black asides as he skilfully switches accents. He isolates the primary difference in the way the Dutch are unsentimental and unapologetic, as opposed to how the English are never honest about their feelings. And he skilfully interacts with the audience on a very personal level.

Along the way, Mitchell continually provokes us to think about things from new perspectives, drawing out elements from audience members that he can juggle seamlessly into his patter. One of his more intriguing observations is about how closely we cling to the gibberish that identifies us, like a flag or an accent, superficial things that give us surprisingly deep feelings. This leads into a hilarious riff on pronouns ("I'm a millennial and I'm so tired of this!"), hostile airport architecture and more riotous true anecdotes about colourful people he has met along the way who have added something to his story.

details: DEREK MITCHELL • 9.Aug.24

Sid Singh: American Coloniser

Just the Tonic Cabaret Voltaire, Liberty Room • Fringe 2024 ★★★★

Smart and loose, Sid Singh's stand-up is gleefully transgressive, constantly pushing the boundaries of enormous issues like racism and colonisation. So we often feel like we should be shocked by the things he is saying, especially as he criticises artists who deliberately evoke their ethnic identity in their work. But his delivery is so offhanded that, even if we feel like we need to disagree with him, we are willing to hear him out. And it of course helps that he keeps us laughing with his sharply pointed punchlines.

He begins by talking about how most countries in the world are in political turmoil at the moment with the annoying left and evil right, and he should know because he moonlights as a human rights lawyer. As an Indian-American, he feels like he has re-colonised himself by moving to Great Britain. So he launches into a series of hilarious gags about all three cultures, weaving in lingering historical issues from British imperialism to Nazi violence to the seriously dodgy antics of his own ancestors in India. And he reminds us that "I'm here to insult you, not teach you." 

Singh's main target here is representation, which is often used to excuse horrific crimes or to exploit history for personal gain. A performer who centres work around their background culture is selling it, simplifying it and playing into dehumanising stereotypes. And this creates false ideas about the real issues in the world, sidelining truly urgent things like climate change and refugees. So in between the laugh-out-loud jokes and rambling anecdotes, Singh is reminding us that what we do now is more important than our past. And that we are more complex than what's repeated in those politically correct narratives.

details: SID SINGH  • 10.Aug.24

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