Fest 2011 Issue 2

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GOING SOLO

The sketch successes stepping out alone

COMEDY, THEATRE, MUSIC AND MORE: YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE FESTIVALS

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Fest

FEST IS YOUR FREE GUIDE TO THE EDINBURGH FESTIVALS Pick us up from venues across Edinburgh.

PUBLISHER Sam Friedman EDITORIAL Editor Evan Beswick Deputy Editor Joe Spurgeon Comedy Editor Lyle Brennan Theatre Editor Yasmin Sulaiman Music Editor Marcus Kernohan Books Editor Dan Heap Kids Editor Ruth Dawkins Editorial Assistant Ben Judge PRODUCTION Creative Director Matthew MacLeod Photography Editor Claudine Quinn Copy Editors Hannah Van Den Bergh, Sydney Tichenor Web Editor Marcus Kernohan Production Deputy Dan Heap Office Manager Marthe Lamp Sandvik SALES TEAM Sophie Kyle, Lara Moloney, Jan Webster CONTACT FEST hello@festmag.co.uk PUBLISHED BY FEST MEDIA LIMITED Registered in Scotland number SC344852 REGISTERED ADDRESS 30-38 Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh EH6 8RG

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4 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011

festcontents

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are quite a few at dubiously—that there We've been told—somewh , we're hauling ory the s thi t tes se parts. To creative types round the fill this page to and giving them free rein in some prime suspects as they see fit. ator Sam t—with the help of illustr In this issue, Luke Wrigh e almost tur pic a ile wh t tha tes tra Ratcliffe—amply demons e poem tells we a s plu words, a picture certainly tells a thousand a few more.

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festcontents 8 FEATURES 8 Going it Alone

Brian Donaldson meets up with sketch troupe veterans branching out with their first solo shows

12 Tim Key: A Slut Above

The 2009 Edinburgh Comedy Award winner talks to fest about joining the ranks of comedy royalty

16 Shakespeare at the Fringe

Breathing new life into old classics: Joe Spurgeon talks to three companies bringing the bard back to Edinburgh

19 COMEDY 26 Richard Herring

One of the UK's biggest and best goes straight for the heart, this time revealing a slightly softer side

27 Luke Wright

Passion, poignancy and lyrical dexterity in the poet-comic's vignettes of Broken Britain

29 Phil Nichol

The high-octane Canadian goes back to basics, hitting the spot with ease

34 DeAnne Smith

Having so far conquered everywhere but Edinburgh, "fearsome talent" Smith makes her mark on the Fringe

41 THEATRE 42 John Peel's Shed by John Osborne

This sweet, anoraky show from Aisle 16's John Osborne has something for everyone

43 The Girl With the Iron Claw

Wrong Crowd Theatre bring a Norwegian fairy tale to life in stunning form, and without a hint of Disney sweetness

55 Rose

Art Malik excels as a father hiding a secret from his daughter in Hywel John's new play

58 KIDS

58 Neil Gaiman

The acclaimed children's author lets us into his magical world

60 Press gang

Our crack team of kid critics give their verdicts

61 BOOKS 61 Sin Cities

Dan Heap looks at the contributions of Scotland's two biggest cities to crime writing

64 MUSIC

64 The Magnets

Sharp, stylish and smooth a cappella group deliver an hour of pop favourites

68 LISTINGS

Your essential what's on guide to the world's biggest arts festival

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August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 5

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ing that the ing to see or do everyth Face it: you're never go u can at least ing th a bit of plann , yo wi t Bu er. off to ve ha festivals perfect day e fest team plan your th let ll, sti r tte Be st. see the be

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um his Herring has made the podcast medi – simply own. No need for earphones here one of the come and see what spills out of most prolific comedic minds in town

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Lunch at Tempting Tattie 18 JEFFREY STREET

A popular, quick and tasty lunchtime haunt among Fringe comedians – indeed, Richard Herring has been raving about the place for years

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16 :10

An Instinct for Kindness

PLEASANCE DOME

Chris Larner accompanied his ex-wife to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland last year. This is his deeply moving, deeply personal account of that experience

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perfectday Sneasons of Liz

NEW TOWN THEATRE

22 :3 0

mixture of song, A bizarre but thoroughly enjoyable Merendino is one of comedy and acute allergies, Liz the Fringe’s true originals

Dinner at the Outsider

Within easy reach of Bristo Squar e, the Outsider combines high-qualit y cuisine with great value for mone y and spectacular views of the castle

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ut Britain One Million Tiny Plays Abo HILL STREET THEATRE

ian Adapted from Craig Taylor’s Guard collection of column of the same name, this vignettes is affectionate and well-observed well-written, tender theatre

19 :30

Andrew O’Neill ASSEMBLY GEORGE SQUARE Dude looks like a lady. Dude looks like a winner. Dude rolls out some top class material on the challenges of leading an alternative lifestyle

18 :0 0

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August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 7

GOING IT

ALONE Photos: Idil Sukan

In a remarkable crumbling of the old order, some of the Fringe’s biggest sketch show successes are coming alone to this year’s Fringe. Brian Donaldson catches up with performers blazing a new comedic trail for themselves

J

UST IN case the cynics out there have jumped to all kinds of hasty conclusions, rest assured: any reports of the death of the Penny Dreadfuls have been greatly exaggerated. OK, on the face of it, the future might look bleak. Having been a solid staple of the Fringe for the best part of a decade, the trio decided that simply going back up again and selling out every single night in front of their adoring fans might well lead to creative stagnation. But lo and behold, the three members, David Reed, Humphrey Ker and Thom Tuck, are all doing solo shows this month.

“We all agreed together around a table that, yeah, we’ll not go to Edinburgh this year,” recalls Reed in a bold attempt to cut off the conspiracy theorists at the pass.

“Then suddenly we all had this huge gap in our diaries and we all thought, ‘Oh god, life’s pretty empty’.

“So, seemingly independently, we all just thought ‘You know, I quite fancy just trying this on my own. I’ve never done a solo show, that might be fun’. It took about three weeks from us deciding that we weren’t going and us all saying, ‘Yeah, I’m going’ and the other two saying, ‘Yeah, me too’.”

The Penny Dreadfuls’ scenario is highly unusual, but it does reflect this year’s intriguing trend of current and former sketch troupe members going it alone. Since their 2006 Fringe debut, Pappy’s (and their original incarnation as Pappy’s Fun Club) have steadily gathered a cult following on

Far right (L-R) Joe Wilkinson, Dave Reed, Catriona Knox, Matthew Crosby, Tom Bell Right The Penny Dreadfuls Below Tommy and the Weeks

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a par with the Dreadfuls, but this year only Matthew Crosby (the small, bespectacled, beardy one) has made the trip Fringewards. Having performed standup for as long as he’s been a Pappy man, Crosby is used to going it alone on stage, but a whole month in Edinburgh is quite another matter.

“When we all lived together for a month, it really should have been a disaster,” reckons Crosby.

“If you had to go home every 

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August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 9

festfeature  night and the people in your office were also in your house, you’d go insane.

But fortunately we just get on very well.

When you go home to a house of comics who weren’t in the show you’ve just been in, they want a post-mortem. So, there’s a good chance I may become even more self-reflective and analytical than I am already.”

In 2008, Matthew Crosby was joined on the Comedy Bucket lineup by the thensimilarly hirsute Joe Wilkinson, another long-standing standup who has become better known as one half of a sketch duo – in his case Two Episodes of MASH. His co-MASHer Diane Morgan has other commitments this August, so Wilkinson decided to take the plunge.

“Being on my own isn’t unusual for me. It’s always been parallel to the sketch thing. But when you’re backstage and about to go on with someone else, you feel a little less exposed. And if 40 people turn their noses up at you, it’s good to have someone else there to just go and have a drink with.”

Alongside Ed Weeks, Tom Bell had been in Tommy And The Weeks for several years before he went out on his own, and has now done three solo runs on the Free Fringe. Now making his debut monoappearance on the not-free Fringe, Bell is also acutely aware of the stark contrasts.

“It is a different muscle you’re using, comically. Ed and I did an hour-long gig recently and I’d forgotten how much fun it was; you do feel lonely up on stage on your own. There are a few bits that I feel would be improved with someone else being there and other bits just work better solo.” But Bell acknowledges that the blow of a bad gig is immediately softened when you have someone there to share it with – or blame it on.

“It’s a bit like going on holiday, either with friends or on your own. You can do what you want but there are times when you want to just have a beer with somebody and see the sights. When you have a bad show and then have to pack away the set on your own, that is a bit grim.

But being solo, you’re never truly alone.

You always have a producer to moan to or your flyering team to beat.”

Catriona Knox made her solo debut at the Free Fringe last year, having done several Edinburghs (she’s lost count exactly how many) with the Boom Jennies.

Like last year, she is doing a set of her own making as well as sharing stage time with her gang.

"If this was a TV drama or some kind of reality show then two of us would get nominated, thus hurting the feelings of the third one!"

“When you’re doing your own show, you have to be the driving force behind it and throw your energies into that, but I’m very pleased to be doing stuff with the other girls because it does keep you sane. Comedians are pretty neurotic anyway, so when you’re on your own and left with those neuroses, you need something to keep it all light-hearted.”

For Knox, it’s not having a shoulder to cry on after a rough gig that counts, but being with someone right in the moment when the world is collapsing around her.

“When you are dying and the audience is just not coming with you, you can give other people on stage that look and buoy one another along. When you’re solo, all you have is an audience that you can’t bounce off. You can say that maybe I wasn’t on form on that day and give yourself a kick up the arse, but with character comedy there’s not much room for flexibility. You have to just trust that the script you’ve slaved over is going to cut it and that it’s a case of selling it better on the day.”

For those who are able to sell a show to audiences and critics alike, there is a good chance that some competition judges might take a similarly positive

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view. It’s easy to imagine your sketch show buddies patting your virtual back with congratulatory texts following a comedy award nomination – but deep down, would they really be feeling quite so generous? Especially in the case of the three Dreadfuls, all in town together: what if one (or worse, two) of them were to be nominated for the big prizes?

David Reed laughs the notion off, before musing: “If this was a TV drama or some kind of reality show then two of us would get nominated, thus hurting the feelings of the third one.

“And then,” he continues, clearly warming to the theme, “either one of us would win and the other would be bottom of the list, or neither would win and they’d then make up having fallen out.

But in reality, would it be wrong to say that I don’t really care about [awards]?

It would be lovely to get one, but I’m not chasing it. That would be like investing all your savings in lottery tickets. I think it’s a bit foolish.” f For show details visit festmag.co.uk/goingitalone or check the listings on page 68

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August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 11

TIM KEY:

A SLUT ABOVE Photos: Idil Sukan

After a year spent bumping shoulders with comedy royalty, Tim Key is back with his first batch of fresh produce since his 2009 triumph.

Brian Donaldson catches up with the poet laureate of the Fringe

C

OMING FRESH from hosting a Q&A with David Walliams at Stoke Newington Town Hall, Tim Key (Charlie Brooker’s poet, Steve Coogan’s sidekick) stumbles into what can best be described as a Dantean circle of Hell.

Few disasters can befall the unwitting interviewee more awkward than to conduct an interview only to realise that the person firing off questions is not his scheduled Fest interrogator.

“This guy caught my eye and came over; basically I thought it was you,” Key later tells me breathlessly over a lager in a boozer opposite the Town Hall. “He didn’t look too dissimilar to you and he did in fact know me: turns out I’d met him when I was doing a Strongbow advert about six years ago. So, I said ‘Hi, how are you?’ and we just started talking about children’s books. So, I’ve done about the first ten minutes of this interview already.

“Eventually he said, ‘I think you think I’m someone else’. I never got his name, so next time I see him I’ll just confidently go over and say ‘Mate, last time was a nightmare, wasn’t it?'”

Certainly a lot has happened to Tim Key in the six years since that last meeting with his anonymous admirer. He’s worked regularly on the Fringe with Mark Watson, Alex Horne and sketch group Cowards, and gained his first major TV exposure as Charlie Brooker’s resident poet on Newswipe, delivering typically astute comic verse on subjects ranging from Gordon Brown’s glass eye to the greed of contestants on Deal Or No Deal.

2009 can be viewed as a major turning point for Key. His second solo Fringe show, The Slutcracker,

won him the Edinburgh Comedy Award, beating off stern competition from the likes of John Bishop and Russell Kane, while he also appeared in Party, Tom Basden’s superb comic play about mediocre would-be politicos. But little could have prepared him for the epochal oddities of the last 12 months. Having been a massive fan of Steve Coogan and, in particular, Alan Partridge, Key says it was “overwhelming” to be cast alongside the North Norfolk Digital DJ as Sidekick Simon in the excellent online series Mid Morning Matters.

“It’s probably the most surreal job I’ve done, because Partridge is so deeply ingrained in my formative years,” says Key while crossing his arms across a dinosaur-themed shirt, brought back from Borneo by Mark Watson and his wife Emily Watson Howes.

“When I was in sixth form driving around to parties, we’d listen to Knowing Me Knowing You and The Day Today. They hit a sweet spot at a time when I was fleeing the nest and getting drunk and becoming interested in comedy. Being sat in such a confined space with that monster was a lot to take in.”

Equally surreal was being asked to pen ‘The Princess And The Frozen Peas’ ahead of April’s royal wedding, a cute-crude poem in which the Queen and the “D of E” assess Kate Middleton’s suitability to be part of their monarchic circle by applying a greens-based test straight out of a classic fairy story.

“I didn’t get any reaction from Buck House. Newsnight—or was it Channel 4 News?—somebody asked me what my opinion of the royal wedding was in the build-up.

I didn’t have one. Well, I do have a sort-of opinion: I think it’s fine. 

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 Carry on, guys. So, there was no fallout from that bitingly satirical poem.

I’m sure [the Duchess of Cambridge] does have a swear now and then. I’m pretty sure she’s more or less human, isn’t she?”

Another high-profile wedding Key wasn’t invited to was that of Charlie Brooker and Konnie Huq. But Key is also fine with that, given that his professional relationship with the seemingly grumpy one amounts to the odd nod of the head and a casual exchange of compliments.

Now, though, he has returned to the Fringe with his first full solo show since his award-winning outing in 2009.

Following up Slut In The Hut and The Slutcracker is, perhaps inevitably, Masterslut.

“It’s the third in a trilogy. It’s branding. It’s disappointing. The plan wasn’t to brand, but that came with the tipping point of the second show.”

“You don’t want to just sit down and think ‘I enjoyed that bit, how can I make that happen again?’”

Key describes Masterslut as a mix of poetry, comedy, avant-garde moments, a bit of film and possible “physical touching”.

The keen of eye will spot certain similarities here with The Slutcracker. “It’s a lazy reworking of my 2009 show,” he jests. “You don’t want to just sit down and think ‘I enjoyed that bit, how can I make that happen again?’”

Key still harbours hopes that the BBC (or anyone for that matter) will allow him to get back with his Cowards buddys (Tom Basden, Stefan Golaszewski and Lloyd Woolf) to write more episodes on top of the three shown on BBC4 two years ago.

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“There probably isn’t a future for Cowards, but it’s mortifying to think that,” Key sighs. “We wanted a proper six-episode series, but it feels like a raft that’s slowly floating away from the bank.

If we made another three now and put them together, we’d have some episodes where we look really young and in other episodes we’ll be really old. And one of us is dead. It would be a weird sketch show that starts off a bit like The Inbetweeners and ends up like Dad’s Army.” f Pleasance Dome, 9:45pm – 10:40pm, 10–29 Aug, not 15, £12.00 – £14.00

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festfeature

SHAKE

IT UP He may have been dead for 400 years but, as ever, William Shakespeare is all over the Fringe this year with everything from a 3D Hamlet to a Grand Guignol Titus Andronicus. Joe Spurgeon goes Bard-hunting

H

AMLET, ANOTHER Hamlet, Macbeth, comedy Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth again: as ever, you can barely turn a page of the Fringe programme without thumbing past another slab of Shakespeare. This year alone, you’ll find an all-female, Amazonian Julius Caesar, a hip-hop Midsummer Night’s Dream, a comic Othello, an Ophelia solo show, a vaudevillian Hamlet, Bardic bingo, Shakespeare for Breakfast, Shakespeare for Schools and a bonkers-looking sketch show called Shakespeare’s Monkeys.

“All the fun of the fair!” surmises Fringe favourite Tim Crouch, who returns to Edinburgh following last year’s babyabusing, audience cross-examining The Author. This year, he brings part four in his series of Shakespeare-skewering one-man shows for young audiences, each told from the point of view of a bit-part character previously dashed to the margins. Having tackled Midsummer Night’s Dream (I, Peaseblossom), The Tempest (I, Caliban) and Macbeth (I, Banquo), he’s now turning his attentions to the densely-plotted, multi-stranded Twelfth Night and its bullied, put-upon, puritanical steward Malvolio.

“In some ways, I, Malvolio is a young person’s version of The Author – it looks at the amount of pleasure taken in cruelty to others. In Twelfth Night, there is great delight taken at Malvolio’s misfortune, and so he places the idea of Toby Belch [his tormentor-in-chief] into the audience and provokes laughter at his own expense. Where do our ethics lie

when we watch it? How responsible are we? I’ve always felt the unfinished story of Malvolio very strongly. I often imagined him leaving the stage and picking up a semi-automatic and going back and killing everyone. So this is an opportunity to explore his reply.

“There’s a key moment when Malvolio enlists the audience to help him hang himself – and it’s a children’s show! The response is different each time: there has been some consternation, and I’m quick to console, and some kids are really up for it. But ultimately, it’s a funny show, it is a clown show, the contract is clear and established very early on.”

Prior to unfurling I, Malvolio, Crouch has been at Shakespeare HQ (Stratford) directing an abridged version of the notoriously prickly Taming of the Shrew, again for families and young audiences. Clearly, he’s got form. “This week I’ve seen The Merchant of Venice and Macbeth, one Rupert Goold [director] re-set in latter day Las Vegas, one Michael Boyd set in a traditional, almost Jacobean setting. The material is extraordinary, and the material will not diminish in its extraordinariness. Theatre rests in the moment of exchange between the audience and the performer. I always come back to: what is happening between us in this room? I don’t have an issue with the material – it’s what you do with it. If people walked out of Rupert Goold’s show saying ‘that’s not Shakespeare’ then that’s a desperately depressing thing to say.”

Elsewhere at the Fringe, a perceptible buzz is a-brewing around a certain Alec Baldwin’s sort-of appearance in transatlantic company Fundamental

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Above Titus Andronicus

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festfeature Theater Project’s Hamlet 3D: A Lost Generation. Owing to other filming commitments, Baldwin’s not actually appearing in the flesh but he is being beamed in via projected video for the role of Hamlet’s murdered father, the ghost. More than mere practicality, the three dimensional element is important, says artistic director Sam Underwood, because it shows “Hamlet keyed in to today’s world, so he uses 3D technology. Without making ‘Hamlet meets Avatar’, having a visual element was another way of engaging the audience and making them feel like a part of the journey.

The way we’ve staged the company within the space and around Hamlet also portrays a sense of a 360-degree attack, a constant compression of Hamlet that drives him forward in his mission.”

Underwood, who also lured Anthony Rapp (who headed up the cast in the original Broadway production of RENT) and 30 Rock’s Scott Adsit into the rotating, role-swapping cast, has cut the epic masterwork down to a brisk 100 minutes for Edinburgh (“Sacrilege? You have no idea…”) and it may shrink further still. “Well, traditional is not the first word that pops into my head. We decided to use Hamlet’s story as a way to represent the struggle facing today’s ‘Lost Generation’, the obstacles and corruption they come up against and the responsibility they have to take charge of their destiny by taking action.

“When does this feeling of misgiving and perplexity leave society? And who are the ones that are responsible for making that change? We are. Hamlet is. It is a call to arms. Defying augury. That’s the beauty of using Hamlet – you don’t have to force it or shoe-horn ideas into the play because it’s already brimming. We are still using purely Shakespearean text and by combining this with a multimedia backdrop, we hope to bring the audience on Hamlet’s journey in a much fuller, sensory way.”

Commenting on the feast of Shakespeare at the Fringe, Underwood adds, “to know that, as well as fresh new works being crafted, people are still paying homage to the literary legacy laid before us is thrilling. There is room for many visions.

Not everyone is going to love everything, but that is what art is all about. I feel that there must be an absolute awareness and understanding of the musicality of [Shakespeare’s] text, and as long as that’s

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there, an actor can use that and let the gut take hold. Do I think his work is open for constant reinvention? Absolutely. What better source material to use? Shakespeare did the same thing with his plays.”

“There is always something new to find,” adds Alexandra Spencer-Jones, company director of Action To The Word, who are behind the visceral Titus Andronicus.

“It’s a testament to him that his work is constantly reworked and reinterpreted.

Last year in London alone there were eleven productions of Macbeth, not one of them similar – all of them drawing in the crowds. Now that’s something isn’t it?

Five hundred years on, I should imagine Shakespeare would be dancing around Holy Trinity churchyard at the thought.

“Titus Andronicus, our production, is Shakespeare’s horror. It’s a total cavalcade of hate and slaughter. It’s not traditional at all and we’ve bought it right up to date with a banging soundtrack. The text is so violent and the acts that the characters perform on each other are atrocious. It’s laced with sex, violence, pain, nudity and all things nasty – so it’s not for the little ’uns!

“A lot of people hear Shakespeare’s verse and cower in fear. It too often proves a boundary for actors and audiences. So many people have told me that as children they sat bored stiff in English class not understanding a word, considering it ‘too posh’ or ‘too hard’. Shakespeare was the people’s writer of his time – if he were writing today, no doubt it would be for television and the masses. There is a reason the plays have survived. He has a talent for cutting a cross-section into humankind, portraying all aspects of life. It’s as if he lived everywhere and had friends from all classes, backgrounds and cultures.

"Shakespeare starts and ends my day, he’s the man in my life. I don’t believe that any group of people taking on a Shakespeare text could become a futile exercise.

One will always, always gather something from the experience.”

Titus Andronicus C venues - C, 10:15pm – 11:35pm, 10–29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £11.50 3D Hamlet: A Lost Generation theSpaces on the Mile , 8:40pm – 10:00pm, 10–27 Aug, not 14, 21, £10.00 I, Malvolio Traverse Theatre, times vary, 16–28 Aug, not 22, £11.00 – £17.00

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HHHH The man with utter commitment to the laugh Page 21 Photo: Claudine Quinn

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festcomedy

NICK HELM

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 19

festcomedy Chris Ramsey: Offermation

Tim Key – Masterslut

Despite his trendy coiffured hair and his low-slung jeans, South Shields lad Chris Ramsey wins healthy respect early on, not least by admitting what a terrible word “offermation” is. It means, according to the Urban Dictionary, “information that is given without being asked for; especially information that is useless or is unwanted.” Fortunately, Ramsey is guilty of neither and, furthermore, he is quite right to observe that there’s a lot of offermation about.

Engaging and genuine Ramsey’s theme is nice and broad, and allows him to roam over all manner of modern ills from Chat Roulette to Geordie Shore where he finds angles that are pleasing, if not massively insightful.

His various routines are bound between three newsletters addressed to him from his mother’s cousin and her husband, distant relations not seen by his mum in about half a century. What seems like an easy gimmick builds into something authentic and believable and, ultimately, to a well-executed finale.

Some comedians would have juiced even more out these letters by conjuring some extra, fabricated, examples. It is a credit to Ramsey and his down-to-earth integrity that he chooses not to, even if one or two more would have really helped emphasise his shift in perception of the missives from TMI (too much information) to something flawed but very warm and human.

With a solid hour building on last year’s debut, Ramsey is already a consummate crowdpleaser and he still has scope to grow. [Julian Hall]

Masterslut marks the triumphant return of Tim Key to the Fringe stage after a wellearned year off from writing in 2010.

The most carefully planned entrance (and exit) you’re likely to see in Edinburgh this year leads to a meticulously crafted set incorporating everything from oddly beautiful short films to slapstick comedy.

The surprise inclusion of a fully filled bath, complete with bubbles, into the otherwisesparse set adds yet another level to the proceedings and acts as a centrepiece around which the show’s structure can unfurl.

His trademark poems, many of which could be more accurately described as witty, pithy haikus, are still present and correct but if anything this is a more ambitious and satisfying show than its precursor, the Edinburgh Comedy Award-winning Slutcracker.

Swooning background music adds atmosphere while much of the more traditional standup is delivered without a

HHHHH

Pleasance Courtyard, 9:50pm – 10:50pm, 10–28 Aug, £8.50 – £9.50

HHHHH

Men Of War

HHHHH A new sketch group with a consistently high hit rate, Men Of War are a late-night treat brimming with ingenious setups, performed by a seasoned cast marshalling all their Fringe experience in wringing maximum laughs from their skits.

Assembled from other ensembles, Stephen Harvey, David Schaal, Cariad Lloyd and Gareth Kane nevertheless display a tight, intuitive understanding and finely honed sense of collective timing, their exaggerated character studies and embarrassing encounters pitched with just the right

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microphone, drawing the audience in and making for a nicely intimate experience.

Key starts the performance resplendent in a suit, brandishing a conductor’s baton and ordering audience members to do his bidding. His deadpan, high-status demeanor continues throughout, even when a desperate attempt to save a can of booze leaves him somewhat less than immaculate.

His love of language oozes from every line and not a single word is wasted. It loses a little pace in the last quarter and so is not quite flawless but, make no mistake, Masterslut is no more than a couple of tweaks away from comic perfection. [David Hepburn]

amount of initial seriousness. Their most memorable sequences have elegantly simple premises: the father meeting his daughter’s new beau with a grim hobby; an officious taxman ill-equipped for public speaking struggling to complete his lecture; a rock star so inebriated he can’t see a groupie for what she really is.

Drunkenness is a recurring theme, in fact, though it’s invariably a launching point for some elaborate surprises.

Elsewhere, their preoccupations are more familiar: the real identities of grooming paedophiles; a crass television shopping channel; a wannabe Jack Bauer-style fantasist. But there’s almost always a fresh

character angle or memorable line to maintain interest.

Their Mad Men spoof is self-reflexive and archly funny, remaining just the right side of self-indulgent. But elsewhere they’re daft simply for the sake of being daft, a none-too-complimentary portrayal of Pam St Clement being a case in point. The acting undoubtedly raises the material—Harvey is superb as an old buffer unwilling to acknowledge the sun setting on the British Empire—but this is a debut with huge potential.

[Jay Richardson]

Pleasance Dome, 9:45pm – 10:40pm, 10–29 Aug, not 15, £12.00 – £14.00

Pleasance Courtyard, 11:00pm – 12:00am, 10–28 Aug, not 16, £9.00 – £10.00

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festcomedy Nick Helm - Dare to Dream

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A blanket of dry ice chokes the Pleasance Beside. Hard rock thumps from the speakers. Nick Helm, the gorilla in the mist, looms from the darkness wearing his own name in lights and within moments has the whole room pumping their fists.

Such showmanship would usually entail some degree of charm, but not here. The St Albans psychopath roars abuse into the face of anyone still dithering after his gloriously cheap opening gags – it’s probably best you just go with it.

Like some Butlins Redcoat gone postal, Helm expends much of his stage time hyping up the party that’s about to start. Raised expectations make it all the more effective when his initial manic optimism careens off course and he ends up clinging for dear sanity to the hostage-cumhusband he plucks from the front row.

Amid Helm’s storm, moments of uneasy quiet are the most compelling. Be it his poetry or the letter of forgiveness addressed to a bully, it’s a thrill to hear his death metal growl crack with emotion as sweat pours down his bare gut and he pants like a pervert.

It’s a volatile, bipolar performance, spanning violent ebullience and convincing desperation; Helm knows there’s something horribly gratifying about watching someone else’s breakdown. Dragged-out musical numbers offer the only respite, creating all too merciful lulls in an otherwise relentless assault.

God save his poor larynx.

That the man will be mute

by September only confirms his utter commitment to the laugh. It should pay off – a show with this much heart cannot fail to make a big impression. [Lyle Brennan] Pleasance Courtyard, 4:00pm – 5:00pm, 11–29 Aug, not 17, £11.00 – £12.00

Josie Long: The Future is Another Place

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Last year Josie Long surprised everyone with a seismic shift from gentle whimsy to forceful political comedy. This year she picks up where she left off, progressing a refreshing brand of new left comedy that may pave the way for a generation of post-alternative political comedians.

Of course, Long hasn’t completely shed her whimsical skin, and tonight’s show is peppered with playful anecdotes. Highlights include a surreal mini-play about the Brontë sisters (with Long, of course, playing every part) and a window into the deranged minds of the Jedward twins. But for the most part this is an unapologetically

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political show, with Long railing against the Coalition cuts and making an impassioned plea to her cohort of complacent left-leaning hipsters to galvanise around new activist groups like UK Uncut.

Admittedly Long’s political project lacks a fully coherent manifesto – tonight she loses her place more than once – but she’s bright and articulate, and any shambolic moments only act to

limit the tone from becoming sanctimonious. Indeed the only weakness seems to be Long’s confidence in her own political convictions. Tonight, halfway through her set, she faces a faint heckle from a man cynical about her vision for higher education. It should be an insignificant moment, even a comic opportunity, but strangely it throws Long, who looks shaken by the vaguest prospect of confrontation. So

while it’s clear Long has all the makings of an excellent political comedian—and will probably be preaching to the converted for most of her Edinburgh run—she’ll need a thicker skin if she wants to go further and seriously challenge the skeptics. [Sam Friedman] Pleasance Dome, 7:00pm – 8:00pm, 10–28 Aug, not 15, 22, £10.00 – £12.00

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 21

22 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

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festcomedy Tom Rosenthal: Child of Privilege

Ruby Wax - Losing It

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Tom Rosenthal deliberately sets out to be all things to all men in his debut show–and trips over himself in the process. Cheekily he suggests he is ticking off all the boxes required to win a comedy award. One that wasn’t ticked off, however, was a coherent theme.

A butler offering half the room a Ferrero Rocher greets us at the door and heralds the titular idea of privilege. While it is never exactly abandoned it is certainly obscured by a number of ruses, for example, a life-meets-art section where the young comic uses various episodes involving his dad, sports presenter Jim Rosenthal, for material. This includes the times when Rosenthal

senior described former javelin athlete Tessa Sanderson as “a great spear chucker” and took Heston Blumenthal to court after a food poisoning incident at his restaurant. He must be so proud of his son for reminding us all.

Of course his father probably is proud of him, and why not? Rosenthal is, after all, a star of the Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner; he’s in the Royal Court Theatre’s production of Chicken Soup

Tuck offsets the whys and wherefores of Walt’s lesser works with scenes from his own undistinguished love life, and the two eventually conjoin for a hugely satisfying finale.

Unlike the denouement of Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata. Really, what were they thinking? [Si Hawkins]

Ruby Wax is the definition of a Marmite comic: you either love the brassy Yank in London shtick or you can’t stand it. It’s surprising, then, that this new show about her struggles with depression is such an ambivalent affair.

Early doors, the diminutive American informs us that Losing It was initially performed in mental institutions after she left the notorious Priory, where she received treatment for cyclical depression. Perhaps this rather unusual lineage explains the show’s format: accompanied by singer-pianist Judith Owen, Wax offers up a 70-minute confessional about the conditions that led to her mental illness followed by a couple of minutes for a Q and A session before the curtain closes.

Wax’s desire to highlight mental illness as a serious social issue is laudable—and the bulk of the sell-out crowd cheer her along every step of the way— but, as a performance, Losing It suffers from a terminal identity crisis. There are nowhere near enough gags for a comedy show, while the material is far too earnest and unsophisticated to pass as theatre.

At times the show feels like a gigantic self-help group, albeit one staged in an upside-down, inflatable purple cow. Wax bounces around the stage in a headset like Tom Cruise’s character in Magnolia, turning over flipcharts of the human brain and incanting in her trademark nasal voice that “life has no manual.”

Although Wax’s motives do seem genuine enough—and it feels deeply churlish to criticise a show with such a commendable goal—Losing It lacks the subtlety or finesse to pull off its noble aim. [Peter Geoghegan]

Pleasance Dome, 8:10pm – 9:10pm, 10–29 Aug, not 21, £9.00 – £10.00

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 4:10pm – 5:30pm, 10–29 Aug, not 15, £15.00 – £17.50

With Barley and he’s certainly a bright spark with some neat one-liners, albeit accompanying a few contrived notions.

The aim is, of course, to be a bright spark without being a flash in the pan and in order to ensure that Rosenthal has to divest himself of simply throwing good ideas together in an ad-hoc manner. [Julian Hall] Pleasance Courtyard, 9:30pm – 10:30pm, 10–29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £12.00

Thom Tuck Goes Straight to DVD

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It’s hard to believe that this genuinely is the real Thom Tuck who stands before us. In a fusty jacket and clutching a glass of red wine like it’s the arm of a girl who’s about to leave him, he looks like a youngish am-dram hopeful embarking on a one-hander about some bitter old divorcee.

Instead he does a one-man show about watching every Disney film that went straight to DVD. Tuck is best known as one third of sketch troupe the Penny Dreadfuls, and while the premise of his first solo show has clearly attracted a good few fans of, say, the Lion King trilogy (yep, turns out there were three of them) his diffident manner is clearly off-putting for some. One chap spends practically the whole show with his head in his hands, bizarrely.

Most are won over early on,

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though, as it swiftly becomes clear what a rich vein Tuck has tapped into here, and that his slight pomposity adds a whole extra layer of unearned gravitas to these hilariously daft, often clearly dreadful films. Imagine if Peter Ustinov was an enormous fan of the Black Eyed Peas, but only their b-sides. It’s a lot like that.

The Disney angle is only one strand of this surprisingly textured show; in fact,

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 23

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Alun Cochrane // Andy Zaltzman Ava Vidal // Bob Doolally Bridget Christie // Bruce Devlin Craig Campbell // Dave Fulton Damien Crow // Francesca Martinez Fred MacAulay // Gavin Webster James Dowdeswell // Joanna Neary Josh Howie // Lee Camp // Lloyd Langford Markus Birdman // Martin Mor Michael Legge // Mick Sergeant Mitch Benn // Omid Djalili // Paul Sinha Political Collective Gone Mad Phil Nichol // Phill Jupitus Raymond Mearns // Richard Herring Ro Campbell // Robin Ince Sally-Anne Hayward // Seymour Mace Simon Donald // Simon Munnery Singing' I'm No a Billy, he's a Tim Stephen Carlin // Steve Day Stewart Lee // Steve Gribbin Susan Murray // The Stand Late Club Tiffany Stevenson // Todd Barry Tony Law // Vladimir McTavish Wendy Wason // Wil Hodgson

festcomedy Richard Herring: What Is Love Anyway?

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After tackling the thorny subjects of fascism and religion respectively on his last two trips to the Fringe, Richard Herring this year takes aim at something close to all of our hearts but sufficiently intangible to be taboo – namely love, an “amorphous and poorly defined” concept he intends to “destroy”.

Isn’t love, like religion, merely hokum to help us through this “bleak and pointless existence”? Sure, parents love their children, but aren’t they just “sexual excrement” inadequately disposed of?

Nihilistic as all that might sound, the content is largely subtler and more heartfelt than Herring’s fans might be used to.

Perhaps the 44-year-old’s edge Ssc EdinburghGinAd 297x210:Layout 1

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has been softened by three years in a serious relationship – even if that relationship has necessitated a Ferrero Rocherrelated romantic gesture which, compounded by his poor grasp

of exponential mathematics, may in time force him to enslave the entire human race.

Herring’s reading of a poem penned by his 18-year-old virgin self greenly lambasting

a lothario mate is priceless. As is a toe-curlingly awkward anecdote about being forced to watch an old Fist of Fun sketch—in which he fantasised about keeping Julia Sawalah in a well—with his then girlfriend, Julia Sawalah.

He typically can’t resist skirting the edge of good taste – specifically with a routine about his Alzheimer’s-suffering granny. Yet its denouement is a serious and heartfelt statement about unconditional affection that has a few eyes welling-up. Of course Herring is softer-centred than all the cynicism suggests; material with trademark bite may be missed, but there’s an unexpected soulfulness to a show that’s difficult not to, yes, love.

[Malcolm Jack] Udderbelly’s Pasture, 8:50pm – 9:50pm, 10–28 Aug, £12.50 – £14.50

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festcomedy Luke Wright: Cynical Ballads

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Whoever said poetry was dead had clearly never seen Luke Wright. As he reinvigorates an age-old medium in the gloom of the Underbelly, sex and beer tear through the impoverished backstreets of London, the upper classes are speared with rhyme and the human condition is laid unflinchingly bare.

These eight tales of broken Britain are sometimes hysterical, sometimes sweet, sometimes poignant, but always mesmerising. The characters he invents are brought to life by Burtonesque illustrations flashing on screens as he stands alone, preaching to an utterly rapt audience. One particular tale has a woman crying

Lady Garden

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All-girl sketch troupe and Fringe favourites Lady Garden are a member down on previous years – they are now a quintet rather than a sextet. Sadly, it seems they have lost more than just a performer, as this largely laugh-free 60 minutes demonstrates.

A promising opening scene makes wonderful use of a very famous film score, transposing it to a bedraggled-looking hen night. Unfortunately this is very much the high water mark and leads to a baffling

in the row behind. Another provokes an old man to kiss his wife on the cheek. The world, as it turns out, hasn’t really changed and poetry is still as relevant and powerful today as it ever was.

It doesn’t matter if you can’t tell your Yeats from your Keats as Wright explains the history and tradition of the ballad, rightly aligning himself with the greats while never alienating his audience. The end tale, with its backing track and song format, is the only misfire in an otherwise beautiful hour. Wright keeps it simple and devastatingly effective throughout, so there’s no need to complicate things with the slightly misjudged melodies of the finale. In saying that, this does not detract from a rare find of a show.

Amid the chaos of the festival, Luke Wright is something unique and rather special. [Stevie Martin] Underbelly, Cowgate, 4:15pm – 5:15pm, 10–28 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £10.50

downward spiral in both tone and content.

Many of the sketches are odd rather than funny, jarring with a number of extended pun-based skits. These are returned to or explored in depth when they are only really worth a throwaway line or two. A pointlessly sexual take on a trip to the opticians is hugely misjudged and, despite a few nice sketches in the middle section, the team never manage to build up any comic momentum.

The show ends on a high with a nice unexpected callback but by this point it’s a matter of

damage limitation rather than finishing with a flourish. It’s a shame because there’s no doubt that all five members are massively talented and confident performers. Each of the comedians has a very particular role to play within the group dynamic and take on their individual characters with relish.

It’s telling that many of the best moments come not from the writing but from a furtive glance or aside by one of the five girls. [David Hepburn] Pleasance Courtyard, 6:00pm – 7:00pm, 10–29 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £9.50

Michael Winslow

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To call Michael Winslow the funniest thing in the Police Academy films would be rather like complementing his once-mulleted co-star Steve Guttenberg for having the best hair in a crowd of bald men. But as the “guy who made the funny noises” in that ubiquitous 80s guilty pleasure, Winslow makes his Fringe debut needing only to surf a wave of nostalgia to receive a standing ovation.

People are duly on their feet after his finale of mimicking the psychedelic guitar of Jimi Hendrix using just his freakishly malleable voice and a distorted microphone.

Winslow’s shtick might be strictly gimmick-based, but what a brilliant gimmick his is, relished with the goofy joy of an overgrown child.

Sadly, most else about his routine falls flat. Winslow’s no standup—his spoken material is nondescript at best—and his vocal dexterity is restlessly applied. He merely skims the surface of bountiful routines about surfing the airwaves of 70s AM radio and interfering in an argument between his upstairs neighbours when he could easily plunge in and swim the backstroke until your face runs with tears.

It’s a set-piece themed on Star Wars that provides Winslow’s best moment, when he uncannily overdubs the sound to the TIE-fighters vs Millennium Falcon shootout scene from episode IV, replete with Princess Leia whining about needing the bathroom.

In a show that’s all about folks of a certain age revisiting a staple of their youth, he might as well have done the whole movie. [Malcolm Jack] Udderbelly’s Pasture, 8:00pm – 9:00pm, 10–29 Aug, not 16, £12.00 – £14.00

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festival guide 2010 fest 27

festcomedy Wendy Wason’s Flashbacks

Sheeps: A Sketch Show

It’s hard to keep your show’s early momentum going when your first anecdote is interrupted by a chap wandering in several minutes late, sitting slap-bang in the middle of the front row then noisily searching his bag and creaking his chair throughout. Sabotage from one of the many exes who get a mention in Wendy Wason’s show, perhaps?

The Edinburgh-born comic is, as she admits before that rude interruption, “cutting it a bit fine” this year. Due to give birth just as the Fringe finishes, she flags up the likelihood of “pregnant brain” kicking in and sentences trailing off as she loses her thread, which does indeed happen more than once.

Flashbacks is one of the wider themes at this year’s festival—everything that’s happened in her life so far—but the anecdotes are rattled off without any great enthusiasm, or indeed response from the mid-afternoon crowd. There’s a sense that, entirely understandably given the circumstances, Wason might not have given the writing here quite the care and attention she normally would. Several promising setups are curtailed before their comic potential is fully explored, and the mother of two only really comes alive when she brings her story back to the present day and lets rip about her own kids.

Her off-the-cuff gags about pregnancy are also significantly sharper than the growing-up stuff, and you wonder why she went down the Flashbacks route when a more relevant theme was right under her nose. Instead, that glorious belly is the elephant in the room. [Si Hawkins]

Sheeps: A Sketch Show should probably be on TV. Slick and breathlessly paced, it plays like a pilot episode of a more consistent version of Mitchell and Webb. As the three Cambridge-fresh comics open their show with an amuse bouche of sketch fragments (“Like the extras on a DVD, only you have to watch them because they’re at the start”) it’s evident they have, quite reasonably, got their eyes on the small screen.

The greater herd of their sketches are riffs on television: incoherent foreign sportsmen endorsing incongruous products; arbitrarily epic quiz-show lighting schemes; football managers with cliché Tourette’s.

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The Stand Comedy Club II, 3:30pm – 4:30pm, 10–28 Aug, not 15, £8.00

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Kerry Godliman: Wonder Woman

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Kerry Godliman pushes her superhero analogy all the way in her second Fringe show, and by doing so she comes on leaps and bounds.

The 37-year-old comedian, mother and actor (her credits include BBC2’s Home Time and a part in Ricky Gervais’ forthcoming sitcom Life’s Too Short), is a woman who wants it all and, coming from a postfeminist family background, she was allowed to aspire to that aim. But the reality is somewhat different, and keeping a happy attitude— as personified by at least two of her favourite yoga teachers—is tricky when all you feel like doing at the end of the day is conking out with a glass of wine in front of YouTube videos of cats doing the funniest things.

In a beguiling and vivacious show Godliman discovers that aping her childhood superhero might

28 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

The trio clearly adore the box, right down to those absurdly long pauses in live news twoways, here pushed to their ludicrous logical limits.

The hitch is that their tightly constructed sketches are so packed with witty asides that they’ve hardly left room for a live audience.

A deft observation of that awkward “Is this my drink or yours?” moment descends instantly into an impressively choreographed brawl, then abruptly moves on. While it’s a joy to peek at their inside jokes—like how gangly Alastair Roberts conspicuously hogs all

the character roles—there’s a sense the audience isn’t quite involved.

Only their wonderful closer, “A look back over those special moments from the show”, plays like genuinely live sketch comedy. As the three shuffle clumsily between tableau positions from their previous sketches over swelling strings, it becomes clear Sheeps may be gunning for television – but at least they’re self-aware about it. [Catherine Sylvain]

not be that realistic for all sorts of reasons, from not having an invisible plane to being too emotional and wilful for crimefighting duties. That said, her conspiratorial children seem to be determined to give her something to think about on the home front – namely the theft of her sleep.

One thing that is certainly super is the cracking pace at which Godliman sets off and, as with so many eloquent acts, she has a lot to pack in. By and large she does this with aplomb and doesn’t tend to run over her punchlines, many of which are sharp, sassy and succinct.

[Julian Hall]

Pleasance Courtyard, 4:45pm – 5:40pm, 10–28 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £9.50

Pleasance Courtyard, 6pm – 7pm, 10–28 Aug, not 17, £11– £12

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festcomedy Phil Nichol: The Simple Hour

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Perrier award winner Phil Nichol may have labelled this The Simple Hour, but there’s nothing simple about delivering a set with enough energy to light up the New Town on a damp Edinburgh evening.

This year’s show sees the Fringe regular step back from his recent experimental character comedy and return to the raw standup and songs with which he made his name.

Still, as the comedian says, “it’s an Edinburgh show, so there needs to be a point”. The theme, introduced early in proceedings, is an attempt to create a set he could perform in front of his mother.

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Given the nature of much of the material, presumably Nichol’s mother is a pretty unflappable sort. If nothing else, it’s a handy way to introduce an ingenious running gag involving a clown horn.

The slightly spurious theme also provides a convenient jumping-off point for a greatest-hits set featuring riffs from previous solo shows, as well as

from his days with Corky and the Juice Pigs, the comedy band he used to front. New material stitches it all together seamlessly but, make no mistake, this is about the old favourites.

Nichol is so animated you half-expect to see an ACME label on the back of his guitar. He leaps about the stage and into the audience, swiftly changing accents and subjects to deliver one-liner after polished one-liner.

Those familiar with Nichol’s work will recognise the majority of the jokes but, like with a favourite band, sometimes you just want to hear the hits – something Nichol gleefully delivers in spades. [David Hepburn] The Stand Comedy Club V, 8:50pm – 9:50pm, 10–28 Aug, not 15, £10.00

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 29

festcomedy Josh Howie: I Am A Dick

Delete the Banjax: Pigs and Ponies

Josh Howie opens with the disclaimer that he is a dick. This immediately becomes self-evident from the titling dispute he endured with the Fringe office and the fact he’s allowed press into an early afternoon preview without fully comprehending how to convey his winceinducing subject matter.

Relentless in his dispassion and privileging the crafting of a gag over sensitivities, this particular hour became a war of attrition in which he bounced between racism, rape and 9/11 while the audience rarely stopped shuffling uncomfortably in their seats. He possesses a number of first-rate, quotable lines in his set and the notion of rating his various misdemeanours on a sliding scale from dickishness to arseholedom has obvious self-deprecating potential – though, tellingly, many in the crowd failed to give the process any consideration.

By requesting individual audience members deliver the rating, he directly engages them and makes them complicit in his grim setlist, something that for the most part they recoil from. He may yet succeed in this high-wire act however, if he becomes less clinical in his execution and a more playful salesman of his persona – or simply as gifted as Jerry Sadowitz in being as funny as he aspires to be outrageous.

Yet the self-destructive lure of fulfilling his dick vocation by being a clever one seems too attractive for Howie. He’s created a thematically perfect hour, but it is only sporadically funny. And the alienating subject matter can’t disguise the fact that some of the routines are too unfocused and rambling regardless.

[Jay Richardson]

Two years after they were the fois gras of the Free Fringe, the Banjax foursome retain their grassroots gaucheness with Pigs and Ponies; another Pappy’s-esque patchwork of silly sketches and banter.

Conspicuous PowerPoint slides sum up how the crowd can get past the pains of the year since their last show.

“I say ‘Tax!’ You say ‘Party!’” goads an authoritarian Gareth Cooper until the two actions mulch together disastrously with an image projected of Cameron and Clegg in a limo. This is by far their most topical gag – for the most part Banjax’s unsophisticated sketches spring from their cosy, quaint comedy bubble

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The Stand Comedy Club V, 6:20pm – 7:20pm, 10–28 Aug, not 15, £9.00

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Isy Suttie: Pearl and Dave

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Let’s get it out of the way early: yes, it is Dobby off Peep Show, which means she has a pretty good comedy pedigree.

But push aside your mental images of her grappling with David Mitchell in a stationery cupboard. Isy Suttie is a musician and standup comedian in her own right, and this teatime show is a definite winner.

Loosely based on the story of an internet romance between one of Suttie’s neighbours and a girl he met at a Butlins resort, the hour mixes a substantial dollop of 80s nostalgia (cue references to Gladiators and Grandstand) with explorations of lost love, painful breakups and growing up in a small town. The tales, told through a mixture of storytelling and song, see Suttie switch between characters with ease.

She may have a well-

30 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

but the audience is decidedly within it.

For every comedy convention that Banjax adhere to—a requisite Hitler skit, overliberal takes on Dress Down Friday, recurring snickers over a Cyndi Lauper song—some stuffy social convention gets shredded. A combative mock pub quiz is conducted from the lap of a second row female punter by the uninhibited Daniel Cook. By the end of the show everyone feels a part of Cooper’s winning team ‘The

Fellowship of the Quizlings’.

Only a couple of sketches approach any real substance – a version of 24-hour news reported by strained staff who have actually stayed awake for it, for instance, or two grandmotherly polite kidnappers. It’s really Banjax’s benign silliness that forms the underrated source of their mirth. [Catherine Sylvain] Pleasance Courtyard, 6:20pm – 7:20pm, 10–29 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

developed filthy streak, but it’s her sweetness that drives this show – she is almost impossible to dislike. She bounds onstage wearing baggy jeans and tripping over her guitar lead, and proceeds to win the audience over in about 10 seconds. Her cheeks must ache by the end of the hour; few comedians are so persistently smiley. It doesn’t grate, though: she has the air of someone sharing a stream of secrets that she knows you’re going to enjoy.

Pearl and Dave is anecdotal, charming and poignant. At its core it’s a love story, and as such it won’t be one for every comedy audience. But it is huge fun – wryly funny rather than side-splitting, but sure to put a smile on your face. [Sarah Stewart] Pleasance Courtyard, 5:00pm – 6:00pm, 10–29 Aug, not 15, £10.00 – £11.50

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August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 31

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festcomedy Alun Cochrane: Moments of Alun

Kai Humphries Bare-Faced Cheek

Alun Cochrane likes picking up on the little oddities in life. He finds it difficult to lose himself in ostensibly fun activities enjoyed by most people. In his own words, he can’t help but “see through the bullshit that you untalented people like”.

Well, if you spend most of the day on the couch you need to hold onto something to keep up the self-esteem.

Ironic gloating aside, Cochrane’s observations truly are top-notch. His capacity to elevate the mundane and the strange into coherent 15 or 20-minute set pieces attests to a natural comic talent. There is good reason why this man’s stock has been rising in recent years.

Tellingly, as Cochrane frets over paying off his mortgage

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on a new house, he complains that he is likely to be locked into life as a touring standup for the next 25 years. The problem is that he’s not sure he can be professionally funny for that long. A stadium tour would come in handy, he says, but his brand of comedy is too whimsical, too domestic.

One respectfully disagrees.

The appeal of observational humour like Cochrane’s is universal; one need only look to the stellar success of Michael McIntyre and John Bishop to

see that. With his blend of charm, wit and warmth, Cochrane has a Stand audience of all ages and backgrounds—from early twenties to late sixties, from eager office worker to cynical reviewer—eating out the palm of his hand. With the right luck, there’s no reason why Cochrane couldn’t sell out Wembley in the not too distant future. [Ben Judge]

just bemoan the waste of a good loaf. Either way, it’s strangely apt given the news elsewhere.

There’s a nicely ramshackle nature to this show, albeit as tightly choreographed as a Beyonce video, and the two principles combine well. Roden is the slightly posh straight man, while Shelton looks like a member of mock cock-rockers The Darkness gone contemporary dance. Their show shifts from wonderfully inventive to plain silly and eventually ends with

something of a whimper. But that first half-hour rocked.

Quiet Acts of Destruction is best avoided if you don’t like audience participation, or bits of bread in your hair (there are a couple of walk-outs early on).

But if you have any urge to riot, it might be an idea to let New Art Club exorcise it from your system. [Si Hawkins]

“Was it alright?” Kai Humphries asks his audience with a nervous look on his face, after an hour of fumbling comedic intercourse. It’s an ironic climax given that the young Geordie—who you’ll probably recognise from large posters plastered around Edinburgh displaying his arse-naked, tattooed body—is so given to puns of a smutty bent.

If he can squeeze in another wank joke—about wanking to Eurotrash, “danger wanking,” or wanking over red peppers (that’s an especially weird one)—well he just wanking well will. It’s his favourite subject, second only to the exploits of his brother, a funloving stoner who attempts to thwart some pocket-dipping townies by carrying a dog shit in a crisp packet, and who is tricked into confessing his infidelities to his girlfriend after she claims, as an April fool, to have caught an STD. It’s a shame it’s not his brother that’s on the mic – he sounds like a riot.

Humphries is an upbeat and likeable chap, and he does well to make a very small crowd feel relaxed and welcome throughout what could have been an awkward hour. But his punch lines are hackneyed, and while he ad-libs pretty well, you have to ask questions of a standup who’s beaten to the best joke of his own show by an audience member. “Does Julie talk in her sleep Mark?”

Humphries quizzes a couple from Leeds who he’s been bantering with throughout the show. “Julie does,” replies Mark quick as a flash, before pointing to his wife, “Jean doesn’t.”

[Malcolm Jack]

Assembly George Square, 6:20pm – 7:20pm, 10–28 Aug, not 16, £12.00 – £14.00

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 10:30pm – 11:30pm, 10–29 Aug, not 17, £9.50 – £10.50

The Stand Comedy Club, 6:50pm – 7:50pm, 10–29 Aug, not 15, £10.00

New Art Club: Quiet Act of Destruction

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While the hoodies have been revolting down south, New Art Club are creating their own riotous micro-climate at Assembly, pitting village against village and encouraging the throwing of missiles – albeit soft, flat ones.

Tom Roden and Pete Shelton have been choreographing comic dance pieces together since 1995, but after an early flurry of shape-throwing here they stick largely to less cultural matters. Quiet Act of Destruction is an interactive workshop about a sleepy Cambridgeshire village that inexplicably begins a war with its neighbour, represented here by the audience who are split into rival factions and encouraged to goad their neighbours like 1980s Millwall fans.

You could probably analyse the subsequent, very enthusiastic food-fight in a sociological sense—our innate tendency toward tribalism—or you could

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August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 33

festcomedy DeAnne Smith: The Best DeAnne Smith DeAnne Smith Can Be

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Long-form standup sets are fairly common on the Canadian circuit—after a 15-hour drive a 20-minute spot just isn’t enough—and another wellhoned act has now ascended from that fertile, maple-fuelled conveyor belt.

In her poster DeAnne Smith looks like an elfin Anne Robinson and that isn’t wildly off beam. She kicks off with a sweet, self-effacing ukulele ditty but goes on to reveal a sinister edge and a compulsion to talk about pretty much

anything, however much discomfort it may cause.

The Montreal-based comic was nominated for the Melbourne Comedy Festival’s Barry Award earlier this year and Edinburgh clearly holds no fears. She’s able to make even the tamest punchline fly with a clever vocal flourish, induces roars during her songs and happily gives a great chunk of her show over to the audience.

Smith forms an unusually firm bond with her visitors, affording us relationship-level status for an hour but also vowing to do a proper break-up when it’s finished. In between she takes her new partners on quite a trip, switching rapidly from likably smart to loudly

Funny for nothing

extreme and treading a waferthin line between the knowingly satirical and the genuinely offensive. One three-pronged gag about African adoption causes particular turmoil. “Is that joke racist?” she enquires, sweetly, as if the thought had never before occurred to her.

Ingeniously disingenuous,

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 8:15pm – 9:15pm, 10–29 Aug, not 15, 22, £8.50 – £9.50

take a few risks – Save a few pounds and y on offer for free there's plenty of comed

Liam Mullone: Down Robin Ince: to the Bone Star Corpse Apple Child HHHHH

Cariad Lloyd: Lady Cariad’s Characters

Down to the Bone is certainly that, with Mullone’s high-risk routine navigating the stormy waters of religion and class. His talent is undeniable and after a slow start the room is alive with laughter.

He freely admits the difference between a blank stare and a laugh is two units, and it’s unclear what proportion of the laughter is alcohol-enhanced.

Nevertheless, a well-crafted set successfully sells his distinctive brand of cynicism. Mullone makes no attempt to ingratiate himself to the audience, instead venturing bold views that are as amusing as they are astute.

Despite lambasting Scotland, Mullone’s honesty wins over even his most ardent critics. [Matthew Macaulay]

Cariad Lloyd is a very funny woman, never resorting to the lazy pitfall of the girlish, naïve and ditzy stereotype.

She is sharp, witty and fiercely intelligent.

Oscillating between silly and piercingly astute, her timing is always spot-on, with the few misfires neatly swept up by strong follow-up pieces that neatly hit the mark.

Naturally, some characters are more successful than others, but there are laughs to be had from all. Lloyd does not do “female-oriented” comedy, she does universal comedy, and it’s wonderful to see such a talented performer on the Free Fringe. Yes, it’s free and so there’s no excuse for you not to pop in. [Stevie Martin]

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 5:15pm – 6:15pm, 10– 28 Aug, not 15, 16, 17, free

Smith toys with her paying public like a housecat torments a newly captured mouse. And yet—let’s labour that analogy— they lap it all up. A fearsome talent. [Si Hawkins]

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There can’t be many standup shows in Edinburgh which open with a joke about infinity. That such a show exists is thanks to the fact that, in an infinite number of galaxies, we just happen to be lucky enough to live in the one occupied

by Robin Ince.

There are many reasons to go and see Ince, including finding out why Schrödinger and his cat are responsible for the collapse of the western economy.

Mainly, though, it’s just a joy to see such a highly articulate and intelligent comedian delivering a fervent sermon on life, the universe and everything. [David Hepburn] The Canons’ Gait, 7:15pm – 8:10pm, 10–17 Aug, free

34 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

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The Voodoo Rooms, 3:55pm – 4:55pm, 10–27 Aug, not 17, free

Sophie Alderson is Running for President

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In her solo debut Alderson leads a symposium with a difference.

Armed with a flip chart, a guitar and some notes prepared by her unseen assistant Rosemary, the comic attempts to distil what it is to be a great leader.

Whether she succeeds in this task is anyone’s guess, but both audience and artist have a lot of fun in the process.

Using a book entitled How to Win an Election as her inspiration, she outlines her campaign promises, transforming tedious policy areas into witticisms. Though lacking consistency in certain areas Alderson is nonetheless a talented performer who engages well with her audience. [Matthew Macaulay] The Voodoo Rooms, 1:30pm – 2:20pm, 11–27 Aug, not 16, 23, free

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August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 35

festcomedy John-Luke Roberts and Nadia Kamil: The Behemoth

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Nadia Kamil and John-Luke Roberts return from their respective, and critically acclaimed, solo offerings to reunite as The Behemoth.

With a simpler title than The Gently Progressive Behemoth in 2007 and 2008’s Wisecrackin Mindsqueezin Behemoth, their hour is of similar irreverence and delivered with trademark gusto.

Both Roberts and Kamil are undoubtedly talented performers, firing through the whimsical, silly and downright bizarre sketches at breakneck pace and with a chemistry that comes from having performed alongside each other for a whopping six years. Unfortunately this year’s offering, though showcasing moments

Jarlath Regan: Shock and Ahhh!

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Posters for Jarlath Regan’s latest Edinburgh effort vow “No silly promises, no stupid gimmicks, no cheap tricks”.

And—notwithstanding an admittedly adorable snap of his infant son at the show’s close—the Irish comic keeps to his word.

It is difficult to imagine Regan, who appears sporting

of comic brilliance, falls short of its predecessors.

Despite some strong material, the hour occasionally pushes into the juvenile, sacrificing

the duo’s usual cleverness for the more predictable punchline and a heavier reliance on props.

The audience interaction works well, but still doesn’t manage

the first pair of Reebok pump trainers I’ve seen this millennium, intentionally offending his audience or slaying sacred cows for the sake of it. Instead the affable, mild-mannered Fringe regular offers up wry, sharply observed gags, keeping the laugh count ticking over nicely without pushing too many boundaries.

With the birth of his first child—little Michael, the ‘Ahhh!’ of the show’s title—fatherhood is the main topic for discussion,

but Regan also turns his caustic wit to the economic crisis in Ireland, his own money worries and, er, Take Me Out. “We are going back to the Roman times in terms of entertainment,” he complains before launching into a hilarious skit on ITV’s egregious dating show.

Regan is at his most cutting when turning his ire on himself, not least concerning his spell as a presenter on Irish children’s television. If I’d ever wondered what Jedward

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to warm up the room. Sketches peter out, some skits feel more than a little confused and the oft-overused projector concept doesn’t appear to add that much.

Such flaws are covered well by the pair’s strong performances—from Kamil’s chameleon-esque physicality to Roberts’ immaculate timing—with both eking out laughs from what, in the hands of lesser comedians, would perhaps fall flat. It is, overall, a disappointment that the atmosphere in the room never lifts considering the talent onstage. Admittedly, this could be partly due to an especially cold audience but, regardless of this, these two really are capable of so much more. [Stevie Martin] Pleasance Courtyard, 4:45pm – 5:40pm, 10–29 Aug, not 16, £9.00 – £11.00

would look like in 10 years time (and really who hasn’t?), I don’t anymore.

Regan is a likeable comic with a strong stage presence and enough decent material to keep the crowd on his side.

When you’ve got that, there’s really no need for gimmicks, tricks or empty promises. [Peter Geoghegan] Gilded Balloon Teviot, 7:00pm – 8:00pm, 10–29 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £9.50

8:30PM

3 - 28 AUG (not 15)

36 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

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festcomedy Vladimir McTavish: A Scotsman’s Guide To Betting

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Asher Treleaven: Matador

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In recent years there has been a lot of great standup written in opposition to intolerance. One needs only think of Brendon Burns’s So I Suppose This Is Offensive Now, of Richard Herring’s Hitler Moustache or of Paul Sinha’s Extreme Anti-White Vitriol to see the examples of great political standup at the Fringe in the last five years. That said, Edinburgh has also played host to plenty of lesser comedians lazily preaching to the converted.

Which is why Asher Treleaven’s new set is such a breath of fresh air: its heart is in the right place, sure, but this isn’t moralising masquerading as comedy.

Indeed, it’s not really trying to say anything at all. True, it may be “a post-modern comedy about racism, featuring the world’s worst Spanish accent,” but its main ambition is only to

be silly – very silly indeed.

Treleaven’s sense of fun is infectious. He’s got a great face for comedy—which may be a terribly back-handed compliment—if for no other reason than his appearance seems ato attract a wide array of imbeciles, offering rich fuel for his comic fire. Matador is full of great set pieces, be it Treleaven’s Mary Poppins-inspired travels across the Australian outback, his drunken journey through the Singaporean jungle in only a pair of pants or his epic battle with Leighton the racist sheep. Treleaven barely puts a foot wrong and, at times, this set is masterfully daft.

After last year’s well received Secret Door, Treleaven’s brand of exaggerated physical campery and surrealist storytelling is developing nicely.

[Ben Judge] Pleasance Courtyard, 8:40pm – 9:40pm, 10–28 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £10.50

Known for his broad titles, veteran comic Vladimir McTavish returns to the Fringe with another “Guide To...” show. Last year it was whisky, a show that nearly begged the question of whether he could organise the comedy equivalent of a piss-up in a distillery – but this year is much tighter.

For this show McTavish (aka Paul Sneddon) set himself the convenient task of trying to win £7,000—about the average cost of putting on a Fringe show—by betting on events from football to the chance of a white Christmas.

The latter bet allows him to revisit some hackneyed material about news teams reaching snowed-in villages but the majority of the show is fresh, based as it is on recent events including the Labour leadership contest (a lost bet there then) and the phone hacking scandal. But the Scotsman’s topics are clearly areas he wants just to talk about as much as joke about.

Sometimes it feels like he just wants to make himself heard above the madness of it all.

Incidentally, making himself heard in the literal sense is as much an issue here too. Even in a small room, McTavish occasionally

struggles to compete with the air conditioning and he might well benefit from being mic’d up.

Clearly more effort has gone into this year’s show but, on the roulette wheel that is star ratings, McTavish still lands on red two. [Julian Hall] The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 7:05pm – 8:05pm, 10–28 Aug, not 15, 22, £8.00

“ ”

The Scotsman

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8:30PM

3 - 28 AUG (not 15)

Have you got your own Tiny Act? Use #tinyacts on Twitter richfulcher.com

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 37

festcomedy Jigsaw

HHHHH In the average sketch there comes a point—a third or two thirds of the way through— when the game is up, the laughs are done, and the rest is formality – a tidying up of loose ends. In a Jigsaw sketch this point almost never comes.

A supergroup comprising three established standups, Dan Antopolski, Tom Craine and Nat Luurtsema have made the transition into this new genre with aplomb. The trio piece together such a weird and unpredictable beast that untangling just how their combined brains work is like a Mensa-rated edition of the show’s namesake.

Antopolski, the alpha male of the group, operates as the aggressive salesman of Jigsaw’s absurdity. One sketch finds him playing a Stanslavskian actor giving

his all to internet telesales.

Craine, the character man of the trio, crushes boundaries. His fey Klansman wears a floral pillowcase to a rally.

Luurtsema plays as straight as one can while holding up a thumb wrapped in black tape to superimpose a Hitler moustache onto others’ faces. These form just a specimen slide of Jigsaw’s exhaustive laboratory of sketches.

Attuned to the attention span of the internet generation, folk who groan at any YouTube video that creeps past the 30 second margin, no sketch ofJigsaw lasts longer than a couple of minutes. Broadband-fast changeovers leave inevitable glitches, props malfunction and corpsing recurs, but that only makes them seem human.

[Catherine Sylvain] Pleasance Courtyard, 5:45pm – 6:45pm, 10–29 Aug, £8.50 – £9.50

38 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

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www.boundandgaggedcomedy.com

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August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 39

wordonthestreet

Vic Name: Vic From: Wisconsin First Fest?

This is my third time in three years. I love the festival.

What are you most excited about this festival? Camille O’Sullivan, she’s wonderful, one of my favourites. And we just saw the stand-up comedian Diana Smith who was fabulous. She’s so open, she really puts the human condition into question and makes you laugh at it and go “wow, I know that”. The humour is in that shock of recognition.

What do you make of the fest launch party? This launch party has been absolutely smashing. From the Edinburgh Gin, to seeing The Magnets performing and then Shlomo. What a party! I’m telling you, we don’t throw parties like this in the States!

barnie

rachel

Name: Barnie

Name: Rachel

From: Auckland, New Zealand

From: Sligo in Ireland originally

First Fest? Yeah it is. I saved up for two years. I had to move into my mother’s house for a while to afford it.

First Fest: No, I’ve been here for the last six years

What are you most excited about this festival? I saw Alvin Sputnik today and that was really great. It’s beautiful. It takes what you can do in your bedroom, with a laptop that’s not sexy, to a whole new level. And he’s got a really awesome tool belt as well. I love tool belts.

What are you most excited about this festival? Well, just went to a free thing and saw some great lads. Free show at the Banshee – James W Smith it’s called.

He’s only 25. Seriously good. He played Boggle at the start, I mean c’mon? If that isn’t a winner I don’t know what is! And he’s bald.

Top Edinburgh-insider Fest spot: I went to the Forrest Café where there was an amazing poetry signing by a deaf lady.

It was amazing and I got an enormous great meal and left feeling really awesome.

What’s your most bizarre fringe experience to date? Well I did once kinda get nearly semi-molested on a bus at the Fringe five years ago. It was quite special.

Special in a “Last Three Ladies at the Gig: Two Bad Stand-ups” kind of way.

40 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

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A stunning production as engaging for adults as it is for children Page 43

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Photo: Claudine Quinn

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festtheatre

THE GIRL WITH THE IRON CLAW

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 41

festtheatre A Clockwork Orange John Peel’s Shed by John Osborne HHHHH Action to the Word’s sweaty and glistening A Clockwork Orange has all the components of an archetypal hit Edinburgh show: slick movement sequences, gorgeous performers, a stonking soundtrack and a charismatic lead. But whilst audiences are sure to come flocking, one question still arises: is there anything more to this production than being a poor man’s version of Matthew Bourne’s A Clockwork Orange?

Anthony Burgess’ infamous tale of Alex and his Droogs is one that has been marked by many a problematic adaptation. It is always a dangerous thing to take on a classic and Burgess’ rich text is perhaps more of a challenge than most.

Superficially, director Alexandra Spencer-Jones has made the appearance of striding into this thorny territory bravely. There is plenty of action to be devoured here, solid tableaux and fight scenes are mingled with comedy cameos and some nicely textured delivery of Burgess’ delicious linguistic creation Nadsat.

As the viciousness that shines from Alex’s eyes flashes within the Minister of Interior’s (all that separates them is a tie it seems), Spencer-Jones powerfully communicates Burgess’ commentary on the endemic nature of violence in our society.

But it soon becomes clear that claims of reworking this literary classic for a new generation simply boil down to a contemporary score and a rather incongruous dollop of homo-eroticism. Too often the movement feels flashy, the campness affected and if there is an excuse to get these toned boys topless, a savvy Spencer-Jones takes it. Ultimately this Clockwork Orange runs too mechanically to be real horror show. [Honour Bayes] C venues, 7:15pm – 8:30pm, 10–29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £11.50

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Writer/performer John Osborne’s Fringe debut will speak to some folks more than others – specifically those with an anoraky love for the independent end of rock and pop music. But even if you think Belle and Sebastian is the name of a fancy delicatessen, there’s a loveable honesty to John Peel’s Shed—as uncontrived and gently heartwarming an hour as you’ll spend on the Fringe—that anyone can connect with.

As a student in 2002, Osborne entered and won a competition on the late John Peel’s Radio 1 show which earned him a box full of obscure vinyl records from the legendary disc jockey’s shed. From the comfort of a living room-style stage set, the shaggy-haired 20-something recounts how it led him on a journey – from presenting his own show on Norwich community station Future Radio to penning a book about the simple pleasure of listening to the wireless.

My Filthy Hunt

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Horizon Arts—led by Artistic Director Philip Stokes—have garnered the reputation of being able to pack a paralysing emotional punch.

Their previous visits to the Fringe—most recently in last year’s Über Hate Gang and 2009’s multi-award-winning Heroin(e) for Breakfast—left sell-out audiences weeping through close cross-examination of tragically flawed characters as they plummet towards some heart-wrenching conclusion.

This year, Stokes revisits his 2007 show My Filthy Hunt.

On a striking, simple set – five upstanding strips of mirror and some ever-puffing dry

42 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

Selections from Peel’s shed are given a spin, among them Oizone (an oi punk Boyzone covers crew) and Atom and His Package, a DIY synthpunk project by a “nice man who had to retire because he had asthma.” But the play’s not about music per se: rather how a great DJ can foster a special bond with his listeners capable of fulfilling all kinds of needs, be it a laugh, a cry, a rant, mindless distraction

or simple company.

Osborne’s no natural performer—he reads some of his lines as if from the floor—but it barely matters. Don’t expect fireworks, just a fuzzy, contented glow in your stomach – as perfect an outcome as any show inspired by John Peel could hope for. [Malcolm Jack]

ice – four figures strip to their undies and deliver extensive eulogies for Marvin, a benevolent friend-cum-pseudo-philosopher, on how he changed their lives. Thus follows an energetic précis of each of their personal torments—tales of sexual abuse, failed suicide attempts, crippling self-doubt and nihilistic hedonism—and Marvin’s life-changing advice.

These dynamic monologueathons reveal exactly why Horizon Arts are regarded as top-of-their-game in Fringe theatre. Whilst each character details their life’s story, the company become those that moulded it, using vibrant, almost grotesque physical theatre and voicework.

Stokes possesses an enormously talented cast, care-

fully directed, and the show’s primary flaw is in its script, not in performance. Once we’ve heard their stories, Stokes throws these four characters together; actions, reactions, and interactions develop, but these feel, though engaging and well-drawn, superfluous to any dramatic conclusion.

The action seems to hint that something more will happen— the deified, aphorism-spouting Marvin seems ripe for a shock twist—but in the end, we just come full circle. The play is purely an exploration of characterisation but a quite beautiful one nonetheless. [Joe Bunce]

Underbelly, Cowgate, 5:30pm – 6:30pm, 11–28 Aug, not 15, £9.00 – £10.50

Underbelly, Cowgate, 3:55pm – 4:55pm, 11–28 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £10.50

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festtheatre The Girl With the Iron Claws

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The Girl With the Iron Claws sees Wrong Crowd Theatre re-imagine the story of the white bear king, a Nordic myth with more than a passing resemblance to the story we know as Beauty and the Beast. This version, however, charmingly told by a subtle and adaptable cast of four, is free from the sickly sweetness and misogyny that Disney brought to the latter tale.

A young princess, bored of uneventful palace life, meets a bear in the forest. In his possession is the object that she has been seeking: a beautiful band of gold that appeared to her in a dream. At first she is afraid, but so desperate is the princess for the band of gold—and for the adventure that this encounter will bring—that she agrees to go away with the bear. The engrossing love story that follows

does not shy away from adult themes, with the princess bearing three children during her time and relishing the physical aspect of her relationship with the bear (who turns into a man by night). All fairytales are filled with sexual metaphor and it’s refreshing to see an adaptation that acknowledges this without putting it crudely at the centre of the show.

It is rare to find a piece of theatre that genuinely engages both children and adults, and even rarer to find one that does so without patronising either audience. Integrating stunning puppetry, well-observed humour—Laura Cairns deserves special mention for her flawless comic delivery across a range of characters—and just the right amount of physicality, The Girl With the Iron Claws does just that. [Jo Caird] Underbelly, Cowgate, 1:35pm – 2:35pm, 11–28 Aug, £8.50 – £10.00

David Leddy’s Untitled Love Story

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For a show that oh so earnestly wants the audience to feel something, anything, David Leddy’s Untitled Love Story is criminally distant and ice cold.

Set amidst the echoing canals of Venice, four different lives in four different decades overlap. The characters tell their stories of loss, pain, loneliness and longing. Despite never meeting, their stories interweave in a similar fashion to David Mitchell’s Russian Doll style narrative in Cloud Atlas.

Leddy’s writing sparkles like the early morning sun on the lagoon, and the staging makes effective, if fussy, use of a giant red cloth. But the production becomes decidedly soggy when it gets to its central trick and tries to lift the bonnet of the artistic process.

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On four occasions the audience is asked to meditate in the darkness, to think of a time “when you missed somebody so much it physically hurt” or “when you had bodily fluids glistening on your skin”. Each character then shares when the same thing happened to them.

It foregrounds the inner

workings of how we consume art and it’s an interesting, ambitious, idea – but it backfires.

By telling the audience what they should be feeling, Leddy is indulging in an emotional control-freakery that leaves the characters moping around the Campos of Venice disengaged and aloof.

The final image is

unwittingly poignant: a small gondola standing in the immensity of the stage. Like the play, it is a work of art dwarfed and lost amidst the ambitious platform it has built for itself.

[Edd McCracken] St George’s West, 6:00pm – 7:30pm, 11–29 Aug, not 17, 24, £15.00 – £17.00

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 43

festtheatre Forgetting Natasha

7 Day Drunk

A blend of emotive poetry, striking digital media work and dynamic dance, Forgetting Natasha deals with issues of identity and memory. The piece examines the life of an ordinary woman suffering from dementia-induced memory loss, and gently poses questions about the role that memory plays in making us who we are.

Anna Mae Selby’s script takes the form of a book of memories that the eponymous Natasha has written in an attempt to stop things slipping away from her. It charts her life, from childhood to senility, with the three performers stepping into Natasha’s shoes to recall the moments that the character feels are most important to her.

The company are better dancers than they are actors, but the dance and digital media elements of the piece are strong enough to make up for any weaknesses in the delivery of the verse. Having the three elements playing simultaneously—with the performers sometimes interacting directly with the projections—creates an impressive multi-layered effect that provokes a visceral response in the audience.

Dementia is a cruel affliction, robbing its sufferers of their memories and setting them adrift on a sea of anonymity. By placing this heartbreaking story of forgetting in the hands of three vibrant young performers, dance company State of Flux brings this affliction, and those who suffer from it, vividly to life. [Jo Caird]

An interesting idea lurks at the heart of Bryony Kimmings’ show: are drunk artists more creative than sober ones? To explore this, Kimmings undertook an experiment earlier this year that harsher critics might accuse of pissing public money up against the wall.

With an Arts Council England grant, she underwent a seven day experiment, in which scientists increased her blood alcohol levels and then monitored her creative output.

A select audience then judged the standard of her work. The week was filmed and 16 of the 31 finished pieces—monologues, songs, interactive routines, outrageous outfits—made it into the show.

It is fitting, really, as the whole show is as fun and inconsistent as a drunk friend. It shifts from sincere introspection to hilarity, anger to salaciousness with the deftness of a flaming sambuca. One moment she is doing a stand up routine; the next she is having a sobering conversation with her alcoholic flatmate.

At several points Kimmings flirts with actually exploring and undermining the dark, ro-

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Zoo Southside, 12:30pm – 1:15pm, 11–27 Aug, not 17, 24, £12.00

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Constance & Sinestra

HHHHH Heavily inspired by Tim Burton, Constance & Sinestra is a suitably weird little vignette. Encased happily in a permanent room in C soco, the setting is fantastic. Action To The Word have been able to turn this turret space into a sweetshop come taxidermy.

Treats are strewed around and candy-stripe wallpaper covers two walls. Two cellos are perched on stage and there is a keyboard to the side, promising the potential of a live musical accompaniment.

44 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

mantic image of the substance abusing artist. But then she reverts to just flirting with the audience.

Ultimately her experiment revealed that, like a pool player after two pints, her work got better the drunker she got. But she goes no further than this.

She shies away from revealing what this means about the relationship between art and liver damage. There is a lack of

confidence in this area, uncharacteristic for a show gestated in alcohol.

The ultimate message is muddied, leaving a nagging feeling that Kimmings has decided to dodge the big answers and just have a good time. [Edd McCracken]

Quirky illustrations and jars full of screams hint at a dark fairytale world just ready to be revealed.

But in a story that never hits its stride the full potential of this imagination is not reached. Instead, we see this musical resting too often on established subplots (a child catcher, a poor mad father and his loving daughter) to be truly unique and character threads seem hurriedly tied up. True, there is no happy ending but this too is no great surprise. It feels disappointing because the will for this to be good is high.

There are some nice

touches here, though. The performers give it their all, relishing their pantomime characters with gusto and their voices are universally strong (in particular their stuffed mother who occasionally leaks formaldehyde). The harmonies are melodic and on occasion complex. To write a new musical is no mean feat and Alexandra Spencer-Jones and Patrick Gleeson have given it their best shot, but Constance & Sinestra could have been so much more. [Honour Bayes]

Assembly George Square, 8:00pm – 9:00pm, 10–28 Aug, not 15, 22, £12.00

C venues - C soco, 3:35pm – 4:25pm, 11–29 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £10.50

www.festmag.co.uk

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August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 45

festtheatre Falling Man/ Decreasing Infinity

HHHHH

The first show in this double bill, Falling Man, is inspired

by Richard Drew’s iconic photograph of the same name, which captured an unidentified New Yorker falling to his death from the North Tower of the World Trade Centre during the 9/11 attacks. A single performer dances and describes the man’s tragic fate, his words suggesting the perspective of an outsider, his movements implying the presence of the man himself.

The performance, set to a stirring soundtrack by Max Richter, is emotive without being hackneyed. Choreographer Thomas Small and performer Tom Pritchard succeed in evoking both the violence and the dislocation of those worldchanging events, leaving the

audience lost in a whirl of horrified remembrance.

Less affecting than Falling Man, but an impressive piece of work nonetheless, is Decreasing Infinity, a performance by two duelling male dancers featuring live tabla and beatbox. This abstract piece sees traditional Indian kathak and contemporary dance brought together, the

46 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

dancers and musicians in absolute synchronicity throughout.

The performance is at its most compelling when tabla and beat boxer play together, their furious rhythms driving the dancers to ever more energetic bursts of physicality. Motifs from both forms of dance pepper the choreography without ever dominating it, the dancers sometimes mirroring each

other’s movements, sometimes dancing independently. This dual has no clear winner—it ends in an exhausted, almost amiable stalemate—but the audience are satisfied by what they have seen: the creation of a vibrant hybrid form. [Jo Caird] Dance Base - National Centre for Dance, times vary, 11–21 Aug, not 15, £7.00

www.festmag.co.uk

festtheatre One Million Tiny Plays About Britain

HHHHH

First things first: there are certainly not one million plays crammed into this 75 minute three-hander. Taken from Craig Taylor’s Guardian column-turned-book of the same name, in which snippets of conversations from a cross-section of British life are laid bare in print, Ros Philips’ adaptation takes some of the best from the collection and turns them into theatrical vignettes.

Starting on the beautifully old-fashioned corridors of Hill Street Theatre, the audience is led to the White Stuff boutique on George Street and then up a gorgeous wooden staircase, playfully adorned with coloured patterned tiles, to a wondrous room above the shop. We’re then cosily

An Instinct For Kindness

HHHHH

When the end comes, it comes with neither sentiment nor saccharine, but with snot, poison and a paperback novel in a blue-gray portakabin.

Last year, former London’s Burning actor Chris Larner accompanied his ex-wife Allyson to the Swiss assisted-dying clinic, Dignitas. On November 9, she swallowed a cocktail of chemicals and died. She had suffered from Multiple Sclerosis for decades, and the last years of her life were spent in pain, housebound and in a wheel chair.

In the re-telling of this traumatic and controversial incident Larner has fashioned a humbling, moving one man show. Its power comes from its restraint. Larner is alone, bare feet, on stage. The only prop is a chair.

There is very little grandstanding or preaching on the

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arranged around the astro turf-covered stage, which is painted like an archery target.

The sketches that come after land, for the most part, like arrows right in the centre.

They’re not all perfect – one about an anti-animal testing demonstration in Manchester, for example, drags. But there’s so much tenderness and hilarity in this production, which says more about British social, economic and ethnic relations

ethics of euthanasia. The only words about the morality of her choice come from Allyson herself, whom Larner plays with an admiral lack of gloss. On God, or his nonexistence, an aching Allyson says: “If I ever meet my maker I want my money back – faulty workmanship”.

The script is tight and lucid— his son comes into the world as a “miraculous wriggling aubergine”—and it is funny too.

Without the frequent asides and humorous vignettes, Larner’s tale would sink under its own sadness. It is a warm story, told with the honesty of a family member.

Quiet sobs pepper the audience. Those that resist are crushed with a final gesture of the hand at the curtain call. As Larner bows, he simply points to the empty chair. And darkness falls. [Edd McCracken] Pleasance Dome, 4:10pm – 5:20pm, 11–29 Aug, not 17, £9.00 – £10.00

in a fleeting glance than some plays do over several hours.

The cast excel, deftly switching between their multiple, multi-accented roles. Pauline Turner is particularly moving as an elderly lady who tries to engage a man delivering takeaway menus in conversation. She and Taqi Nazeer (who appeared in last year’s lauded Beautiful Burnout) offer one of the most emotional scenes as a father and son covertly sitting

Dirt

HHHHH Fleeing personal tragedy on the other side of the world, Ada and her lover Martin go camping, hoping to get to know each other better. However, when the Outback starts seeping into the New Forest, and Ada’s dead mother turns up as an earwig, they discover the dangers of digging too deep into the past.

The script treads the line between surreal comedy and disturbing psychodrama. It’s frequently very funny but can be over-reliant on its humour, substituting narrative for running gags. Despite this, it’s an effective, refreshingly straightforward examination of how unearthing the past can drag us back down with it.

The cast are uniformly solid, if slightly prone to silly voices. This means they

in a First Class train carriage because the standard seats are overbooked. It’s a familiar situation for most people in Britain but told with the kind of well-observed detail and extraordinary affection that runs through almost every minute of this very special work. [Yasmin Sulaiman] Hill Street Theatre, times vary, 11–28 Aug, not 16, 23, £12.50 – £15.00

can struggle with shifts in tone, while Ada suffers from being the only ordinary person among grotesques.

Nevertheless, by the end the cast and script are playing to each other’s strengths perfectly.

Special mention must be made of the puppetry, which goes a long way to establishing the play’s nightmarish tone. Like the rest of the production, it successfully twists the images of childhood into something degraded and rotten.

Confident, witty and memorable, this is impressive work from the young Airborne Theatre, the Leeds University Union Theatre group. More than that, Dirt is a mature and affecting approach to the past and people we try to bury. [Jonathan Holmes] C Venues - C eca, 9:05pm – 10:05pm, 10–29 Aug, not 16, £7.50 – £9.50

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 47

festtheatre Sex, Lies and Eurovision

HHHHH

Practical Magic are the Scottish theatre company behind last year’s visceral and effective Trainspotting. By comparison, Sex, Lies and Eurovision presents a considerably lo-fi addition to their repertoire. The comedy-drama tells an ambling and reassuring tale of the mild mid-life crisis of likeable journalist Neil, leading him to reunite with old flames, investigate suspected love children – and apply to represent the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest with his once-promising ‘80s pop band.

Sequins and lycra make inevitable cameos but forget the kitsch. Writer Alan Bayley’s best achievement is accurately transcribing the cadences of friendly banter midst crowdpleasing one-liners. “If I’d let go of my dreams, I would never have got to meet Barry Chuckles,” Stevie, the ‘mental’ one, spouts philosophically.

Modern living for the band’s four 40-year-olds may offer the joys of Ikea meatballs and dehydrated raspberries in breakfast cereals, but there’s also that odious “sort of person who likes to take his laptop to coffee shops.”

The acting never falters and though accents are at times impenetrable you can tell from the intonation when to emit a chuckle of “Aye, those were the days.” It’s to the cast’s credit also that the creepy subplot in which teenage Gemma dates her mother’s male friend only seems sweetly ludicrous.

Gently appealing right to its predictable uplifting musical finale, Sex, Lies and Eurovison is rather less rip-roaring than its title suggests – more like a comfortable pair of leopard-print slippers. [Catherine Sylvain] Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 7:10pm – 8:40pm, 10–13 Aug, £10.00

Fleeto

HHHHH Premiered in 2007 at Glasgow’s Oran Mor as part of its lunchtime theatre programme A Play, a Pie a Pint, Paddy Cunneen’s knife-crime drama Fleeto is revived at the Fringe this year as part of a double bill with its sister piece Wee Andy. It’s a dark, visceral and highly intelligent production that parallels a story from The Iliad, couched in the violent street code and brutally coarse language of gangland Glasgow (if you’re troubled by the ‘C’ word, stay well clear) told in the dramatic iambic pentameter of

Wee Andy

HHHHH Paddy Cunneen’s sequel to the outstanding Fleeto—which is being performed in the same venue on alternating days—runs parallel to the first play and deals with its fallout, as a surgeon in a Glasgow hospital attempts to salvage the life of a knife-attack victim while shouldering a weight of middle-class guilt. We’re bluntly confronted not just with the gory damage that a blade can inflict on a young face, but the way in which the authorities are powerless—perhaps even reluctant—to halt a vicious cycle

48 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

a Shakespearean tragedy.

After his mate is slashed by Asian youths, Mackie (Jordan McCurrach)—a teenager from the wrong side of the tracks—is cajoled by alpha-Ned Kenzie (Neil Leiper) into taking random revenge by stabbing a white student. It sends him on a sickening downwards spiral towards a cathartic meeting with the murdered boy’s despairing mother.

The first half-hour races by rhythmically with frightening pace and intensity. Then the play settles into a more thoughtful and reflective groove, taking aim at both the societal ills of slum Scotland

and middle-class ignorance of problems they too rarely need confront.

Where so much ‘issue’based theatre can be staid and preachy, Cunneen and a uniformly outstanding cast— particularly McCurrach and Leiper, young actors with very exciting futures both, and Steven McNicoll as the sorrowful Falklands vet CID officer—turn this into an elemental tale of angry young men that will resonate widely. [Malcolm Jack]

of eye-for-an-eye violence.

The titular Wee Andy (Neil Reynolds) has been slashed by an unknown assailant, leaving him gruesomely deformed.

As his friend furiously exacts random revenge, his mother (Pauline Knowles) grieves by his bedside and pleads with his surgeon (Steven McNicoll)—a native of their impoverished scheme come good—to thwart the looming presence of gang-leader Kenzie (played with unnerving brute presence by the excellent Neil Leiper). Angrily mindful of a time when neighbours were to be trusted, not feared, she’s determined to stop the rot no matter the consequences.

The use of elastic bands and cling-film pulled across the actors faces to simulate wounds is a cleverly simple and effective device. As in Fleeto, the dialogue flows with a rhythmic, fluid Shakespearean flourish that lends the story an almost mythical feel. Even if it wants for quite the same pace and intensity as its sister-piece, Wee Andy is every bit as compelling.

As half of a thoroughly intelligent and provocative whole is to be strongly recommended.

[Malcolm Jack]

Pleasance Courtyard, 2:00pm – 2:55pm, various dates between 11 Aug and 29 Aug, £9.00 – £10.00

Pleasance Courtyard, 2pm – 2:55pm, dates from 12 Aug and 28 Aug, £9.00 – £10.00

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August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 51 th Sou

festtheatre Leo

HHHHH Before Lionel Richie started doing it, there was an easy way to dance on the ceiling.

Take a small mirror. Hold it underneath your eyes, facing upwards. Now start walking around your home.

Circle of Eleven, who hail from Berlin, apply a similar degree of low-fi gravity defiance to Leo. The simple magic comes from a video camera tilted at 90 degrees. It films a room on one half of the stage.

In it, a man—the silent, eponymous hero—lies on the floor, his feet against the wall.

On a screen on the other half of the stage, the video image is projected. The simple tilt renders Leo standing up. Over the next hour he gymnastically explores this new world where gravity has woozily shifted. He moves from simple tricks with hats, testing the limits of this new world, to breakdancing up walls.

Having two things happening on stage at once, both slightly different from each other, can take some getting used to. The trick is to concentrate on the video screen. Let your mind, like Leo’s, accept these new laws of physics. An occasional peek into the real world is worth it, however, to appreciate the physical dexterity needed to create the illusion.

It is a simple conceit, and in many ways the wonder is rather one note. Like walking around your home with a mirror on your face, there is only so much you can do. But Circle of Eleven manage to wring an hour of material, not to mention a few ounces of emotion, from what in effect is one man, no script and a wonky camera tripod. [Edd McCracken] St George’s West, 8:30pm – 9:35pm, 11–29 Aug, not 17, 24, £11.00 – £13.50

Bones

HHHHH Mark is 19 years old and he is not a human being. He is a label. Scum. Filth. Ned. Chav.

Thug. He’s a member of the vast swathe of human detritus rotting on a hellish housing estate in a dying city. And he is standing over a tiny, defenseless baby, covering its little nose and mouth with his hand.

So that it can’t breathe.

Bones is the explosive debut production from playwright Jane Upton. Set in contemporary Nottingham amid a backdrop of profound

Thirsty

HHHHH Six months ago Jemma McDonnell and Kylie Walsh, two thirds of Fringe First-winning company The Paper Birds, set up a ‘drunken’ hotline and invited strangers (often inebriated) to phone in and recount their drinking stories. Their aim was to create a play that explored the frank reality of British drinking culture, but at the same time circumvented the knee-jerk hysteria that stifles most public debate about alcohol. The result is Thirsty, a simple but intelligent production, which deftly combines physical theatre with social commentary.

52 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

social deprivation, this short monologue is a dark, unremittingly hopeless exploration of family dysfunction, violent youth culture and a very real, very much ongoing, human tragedy.

And yet for such a bleak piece, it is a surprisingly compassionate play. But it’s not naïve. Mark, our protagonist, is a nasty piece of work with absolutely no redeeming features. The world wants nothing to do with him, and for very good reason. What Bones seeks to do is explain him: to show why he is violent, why he is angry. Its central premise

is the idea that no child is born evil. It asks us to care about Mark and it does so in a way that is believable, powerful and quite genuinely heartbreaking.

Moreover it succeeds, which is in no small part due to a superlative performance from Joe Doherty. Despite spitting rage and skinhead aggression, Doherty makes Mark vulnerable and small.

Behind the mask, he shows Mark for what he is: a helpless little boy who’s lost his mother.

[Ben Judge]

Melding real-life anecdotes with their own autobiographical stories, the play follows Jemma and Kylie from university through to the present day, highlighting the ubiquitous presence of alcohol in their evolving friendship.

For them, alcohol cannot be reduced to simple panacea or folk devil. Instead it is a tool, an instrument that acts to alter or enhance their mood, a means of escaping the stresses and strains of everyday life – and, sometimes, a vehicle for avoiding deeper emotional concerns.

The pair are skilled actors, and a combination of onstage chemistry and physical humour keeps Thirsty from appearing too earnest or

sanctimonious. The only weakness is a melancholic melody that needlessly flanks the production, pulling on the heartstrings when the script speaks for itself. Nonetheless, this is a brave production that should be applauded for using real research to delve beyond the moral panic about bingedrinking. Rather than judge or pathologise, Thirsty chooses instead to simply examine why we drink, accepting that whether we like it or not, drinking is an integral part of British cultural life. [Sam Friedman]

Zoo, 4:10pm – 4:55pm, 11–28 Aug, not 22, £9.00

Pleasance Courtyard, 5:45pm – 6:45pm, 11–28 Aug, not 15, £10.00 – £11.00

www.festmag.co.uk

festtheatre 

‘A genuinely new musical every time.

Has to be seen to be believed.’ TIME OUT

THE AWARD-WINNING WEST END HIT AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO FOUR Gilded Balloon Teviot, Bristo Square 5-28 Aug 10.50pm (not 17) + Tuesdays 3.20pm  0131 622 6552 ShowstopperMusical.com

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August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 53

CaLARTS Festival Theater - 8th Season on the Fringe!

16:00

CalArts Center for New Performance

19:00

Daugh t e r of a Cuban Revo l u t iona r y Written and Performed by Marissa Chibas

‘s

14:45

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11:45

by Am y

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20:30

Hôtel de l’Avenir CaLARTS Festival Theater @

Broken Wing Hôtel de l’Avenir Daughter of a Cuban Revolutionary Flesh Eating Tiger Little Eyolf

11:45 14:45 16:00 19:00 20:30

5-20 August - not 8,15,16 Aug

On Lochend Close Just off the Royal Mile 100m past Cannongate Kirk

General £5 Concessions | tix: 07074 20 13 13 | www.venue13.com 54 fest £8 edinburgh festival- guide 2011 | August 12-15 www.festmag.co.uk

festtheatre Debbie Does My Dad

Singing ‘I’m No a Billy, He’s a Tim’

What must it be like having a porn star for a father? One man who knows this all too well is playwright Bobby Gordon, who brings this surprisingly intimate portrayal of a unique father and son relationship to the Fringe.

Debbie Does My Dad intelligently explores issues of contemporary masculinity.

We follow Bobby’s development from childhood as he has to grapple with feelings of inadequacy, of failing to meet up to an image of manhood that he doesn’t even like in the first place, and with sexual immaturity.

But it’s when Bobby starts to question why his father became a porn star that the play becomes really quite poignant. It just doesn’t make sense why this genuinely loving man would chose to make a living out of an industry reknowned for its cynical, exploitative and mysogynistic view of women.

However, Debbie Does My Dad does fall down a bit when it strays away from the personal and into the political.

In this realm, it is a little over reliant on the types of cliché that have been bandied about ever since David Beckham first put on a sarong and popularised the term “metrosexual.” While its heart is undeniably in the right place, during these segments the play feels a tad too preachy. It also suffers from a little overexhuberance, both in terms of the writing and elements of Gordon’s performance, but not to the extent that it infringes upon one’s enjoyment of what is ultimately a very charming and very personal piece of confessional theatre.

[Ben Judge]

Des Dillon’s brilliant satire of 90-minute bigotry in Scotland and its inextricable connection with the nation’s two biggest football teams first scored critical acclaim at the Fringe in 2005, and has since been a near-constant fixture in theatres north of the border. It’s to Goldfish Theatre Company’s credit, then, that they manage to keep it feeling fresh and uproariously fun. Not to mention vital, with off-field tensions between Rangers and Celtic having recently hit a sinister new low, reigniting the national debate about sectarianism and how to tackle it.

On the day of a crunch Old Firm clash, a fan of each team winds up sharing a jail cell from which their only hope of escape is cash raised by bets on the match to pay their fines.

While taking turns to watch the action on a TV visible

HHHHH

Bedlam Theatre, 11:00pm – 12:00am, 10–27 Aug, £8.00

www.festmag.co.uk

HHHHH

through their cell door, the pair bicker their way through every entrenched cliché of “Scotland’s shame” from religion to politics and national identity.

But aided by their kindly turnkey Harry—whose worries for his sick grandson help put their petty quarrels into perspective—they’re forced to reach a grudging understanding.

The beauty of Dillon’s play is the timelessness of its format: stick Blues fan Billy and Hoops fanatic Tim in their respective club’s latest home

strips, tweak some of the details and insert a few new jokes (a cracker about “sweatin’ like Neil Lennon’s postman” among them) and it feels bang up to date. It mirrors how teams, shirts and context may change over the years but the absurd quarrel between “huns” and “fenian scum” remains tediously the same. [Malcolm Jack]

Arthur is dying following a severe stroke, Hywel John’s play explores issues of identity and belonging, looking back at Rose’s relationship with her father from a moment in their lives after she has grown frustrated by his evasions and left him for good.

Malik savours the delicious wordplay of the piece, old-fashioned phrases like ‘blow me down’ and ‘blasted’ peppering his speeches.

Arthur’s pain, when describing his wife’s death in childbirth,

is palpable and it is impossible not to feel for this damaged man, however many mistakes he has made. Keira Malik is less assured as Rose, her performance tending to heavyhandedness in places. This shortcoming, however, does not do too much harm to what is an otherwise engaging and thought-provoking piece of theatre. [Jo Caird]

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12:55pm – 2:35pm, 11–28 Aug, not 15, £10.00

Rose

HHHHH There’s something very strange about watching Art Malik and his daughter Keira playing out a fraught father/ daughter relationship on stage. Rose, the play they are performing, is a piece of fiction and nothing to do with either actor’s experience, but it’s all too easy to picture them inhabiting these parts in real life. Given the emotional barbs the pair fling at each other, performing this show every evening must be a testing experience for them.

Arthur is a Middle Eastern immigrant with a passion for Englishness. His London-born daughter Rose wants to know who she is and where she comes from, but Arthur is unwilling to delve into his painful past to satisfy her curiosity.

Set in the hospital room where

Pleasance Courtyard, 5:25pm – 6:25pm, 11–29 Aug, not 16, £13.50 – £14.50

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 55

festtheatre Phys Ed

Dust

Neville Trellis (Nicholas Osmond) is a school rugby coach obsessed with King Arthur and other heroes of legend. Meanwhile, his identical twin brother is a real life rugby superstar. However, with the upcoming interschool rugby championships, Neville finally has a chance to shine.

While his character idolises the honed statues of Greek Olympians, Osmond uses his own Easter Islandesque facial features to great effect. Reflecting the gym teacher’s focus on ‘poise’, Osmond uses his general physicality and bearing to impart character, modulating between humour and pathos with ease.

It must be said, the idea of a frustrated PE teacher working out childhood traumas is hardly original, and Neville is heavily reminiscent of the unpopular Arnold Rimmer from Red Dwarf. He’s too sympathetic to be truly funny as a caricature. Nevertheless, Osmond makes his whistle-clad, rugger-mad creation enormously likeable.

The story he tells is entertaining, if generic. It builds to a satisfying crescendo on the field, and is stocked with broad characters and emotions. In many ways, this is appropriate. Not only does the show take place in the hyperbolic world of sport, it tries to show how we construct our own private myths.

Phys Ed doesn’t tell the great deeds of great men.

It’s about achieving glory wherever you can find it. It celebrates the small, everyday legends, starring a small man who, in his own way, is a hero. [Jonathan Holmes]

A retired, elderly Arthur Scargill is pottering around his flat. He sits down at his computer, clicks onto the BBC News website, turns to his publisher and asks: “Have you seen the news? Thatcher’s dead!”

Set in the not too distant future, Dust is an insight into the lives of some of the key protagonists (or, indeed, antagonists) of the great miners strike of the 1980s. It’s a story of the defeated remnants of the old trade-union movement and their struggles not only for relevancy but for a mere place in the world.

Although Dust focuses on the lives of the ex-miners and paints Scargill in a much more positive and sympathetic light than is perhaps fashionable these days, it’s not a commentary on the events of the 1980s. It doesn’t set out to depict the battle between the miners and Thatcher, nor does it try to decide who was right. Instead it examines the social consequences of the mass unemployment that faced the miners in the after-

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Assembly Hall, 4:15pm – 5:15pm, 11–29 Aug, not 15, £10.00

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Bane 3

HHHHH Formulaic, choked with stereotypes and heavily indebted to its predecessors, film noir Bane 3 is a decadent waste of celluloid. Except it’s not filmed and not a penny was spent on props or costumes never mind CGI and stunts. Rather it’s an astounding one-man crime parody told through the body, exhaustive haul of accents and cinema-sodden imagination of Joe Bone.

Performed in sequence on consecutive nights, Bone brings a second sequel to his 2009 Fringe sensation Bane and debuts the trilogy in full this year.

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math of the strikes. Moreover, Dust doesn’t care to paint the miners as glorious, noble, hardworking men: they are flawed, stubborn, vulnerable and proud. In many ways, they are quite unsympathetic and captured perfectly by a first-rate experienced cast.

Dust is not a leftist propaganda piece, and is all the more compelling as a result.

Ultimately, in spite of

the fact that it is steeped in politics and history, Dust is a story about domestic and family tragedy set against a backdrop of contemporary social upheaval. It is balanced, nuanced, passionate, understanding, humane - and really quite brilliant. [Ben Judge]

However, Bane 3 requires no more context than an idling knowledge of action flick narrative. The sexily amoral ex-gangster Bruce Bane is shot in under a minute and must stagger across New York pursued by idiosyncratic heavies. His risible attempt to settle down in the stock idyll of Sunnyview meets with a gleefully gruesome end.

Hammy jokes that would draw groans in the cinema are met with applause when Bone’s empty hand animates them. The scene-stealing French maitre d’ (played by Bone) is greeted, “Je m’appelle Bane”, (by Bone’s Bane) before being blasted with a shotgun (Bone’s arm).

But Bane’s slickest bullseye is to reveal just how entrenched cinematic tics are into our minds; a single gesture can recall a flashback sequence, a switched point of view or jump in time.

Bone spends much of the hour demonstrating this moxie at mimed filmic method to the discount of his wonderful referential one-liners. Still, the biggest joke in Bane is on Hollywood: they’ve drastically underrated people’s imaginations and could be saving millions with a low-fi auteur like Bone. [Catherine Sylvain]

New Town Theatre, 3:30pm – 4:50pm, 11–28 Aug, not 16, £11.00 – £13.00

Pleasance Dome, 5:20pm – 6:20pm, 11–28 Aug, not 15, £10.00

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2011

Photo: Youngmo Choi Supported by the City of Edinburgh Council and Creative Scotland. Charity No SC004694.

Princess Bari Eun-Me Ahn Company Scintillating and highly original dance theatre.

Sponsored by

Friday 19 – Sunday 21 August 7.30pm The Edinburgh Playhouse

Tickets from ÂŁ10 Book now at eif.co.uk/bari 0131 473 2000

Supported by

festkids

DREAM

WEAVER

Stevie Martin waits in line with awardwinning author Neil Gaiman and finds a man determined to channel his inner child

“W

HEN I was younger I made a promise that I would remember what it was like to be a kid. I’m not sure if I’ve kept it, but I definitely tried...” If you’ve ever read Stardust, Coraline or The Graveyard Book you’ll know that Neil Gaiman certainly kept this promise. With his floppy mop of black hair and a boyish grin, Neil may be a grownup but he knows exactly what it’s like to be young. “It’s not easy,” he says, waiting in the ticket queue for a musical at the Fringe Festival’s C Venues, “I remember feeling powerless, stuck doing things I didn’t want to do. Like sitting in double Geography lessons. Time would drag on forever and there was nothing you could do to stop it.” He’d escape through books, spending his summer holidays travelling to the library and working through the shelves from A-Z. Now, millions of children and adults alike escape into the weird and wonderful worlds he creates - full of families with buttons for eyes, boys raised in cemeteries and sailors with ships among the clouds. One thing’s for sure, these are not stories for toddlers, unless they’re the sort who don’t mind monsters, murder and malevolent spirits before bedtime.

As I talk to him, three fans come up, wide-eyed and awed, to tell him how much they love his books. It happens a lot, but he chats to each one as if they were old friends. In fact, during book signings, he’s been known to stay until the small hours of the morning just to make sure nobody gets left out. “I only really get recognised in Edinburgh, but it’s great to talk to people who’ve read my books. I’m never too busy to have a chat, or sign something.” He has, after all, been writing for a long time - the first story he can remember penning was at the ripe old age of seven. “All my stuff was about time travel. I think time feels different when you’re a kid,

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festkids

"Maybe we’ll have a go at writing some stuff, maybe I’ll just burble for an hour. The kids will dictate what happens. They can pick my brains. It’s a way of giving something back and putting the power in their hands." the summer holidays stretch on forever and a few weeks can seem like ages. I loved the idea of travelling back in time.” His obsession paid off, and that young boy scrawling away, decades later, was writing an episode of Doctor Who. “That was brilliant,” he beams, “such an exciting thing to do… an absolute dream job.”

Neil is hosting an event at this year’s Book Festival on 16 August, talking about, well, whatever the young audience wants! “Maybe we’ll have a go at writing some stuff, maybe I’ll just burble for an hour… the kids will dictate what happens. They can pick my brains. It’s a way of giving something back and putting the power in their hands.” It’s also an opportunity to get to know one of the most talented writers on the planet and - if you’re a budding writer yourself - a chance to get some hints and insider tips on starting your own novel. Having won a whole host of international awards - including the Newbury and Carnegie medals- and had two books turned into successful films, you’d be hard pressed to find a better tutor.

Even more excitingly, he

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might just give you a sneak preview of what he’s working on at the moment.

As the queue gets shorter, there’s just enough to time to ask Neil where he actually gets his bizarre ideas for stories. As it turns out, inspiration can strike anywhere - even in the most unlikely of places. “You know, seeing a really rubbish play at the Fringe can be helpful.

You’re stuck in a room for an hour with nothing to entertain you but your own head.” His own children are also a source of inspiration - watching his son cycle around a cemetery inspired The Graveyard Book and the bestselling novel and hit film Coraline was written for his daughter Holly. “If you keep your eyes open, you’re bound to find things to write about.

I write what I would want to read. I think it’s important to, in a way, never really grow up.”

With that he disappears into the crowd. Want to know more? Then book your tickets for the 16th and we’ll see you there!

Charlotte Square Gardens, 4:30pm – 5:30pm, 16 Aug, £4.50

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 59

festkids kid

As seen by our^critics Reviews of kids' shows by the people who know best

ross & ben Salters (10)

Amelie Harborow (5)

Bubblewrap and Boxes

for 7+ year-olds Comedy Club 4 Kids

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Moo-Dong is a girl who comes out of a picture, and sees things from other pictures come to life.

There is dancing, singing, gymnastics, acting and miming.

There was a lot happening. It was funny and pretty.

Moo-Dong laughed a lot and I liked that. I also liked when she touched a picture and broke it, and then she had to put it back together like a jigsaw. The end it was noisy with dancing and singing from Korea.

I could understand the story but I didn’t know the language they were speaking.

I liked hearing a new language.

Sometimes the man translating was difficult to hear. The only thing I didn’t like was a bursting balloon. I think it was brilliant.

[Amelie Harborow]

The moment we walked into the room we knew we were in for a fun evening. Straight away the host came on stage and started asking the audience questions, like where they lived and what kind of things happened there. When an audience member answered the question he made a joke out of their answers.

This was really funny.

The first act was an American guy called Johnny Roast, he had a really cool, funny accent and BIG MAD sunglasses.

His jokes were rolling one after the other, and at times the jokes got a bit too complicated for some of the children.

There’s a really good theme in his jokes, but we don’t want to give it away.

The second act was a man called Nick Doody, who told us witty and funny stories about his demonic grandmother and very strange and weird childhood. He was definitely the funniest comedian.

You won’t be disappointed with this show. [Ross and Ben Salters]

C venues - C, 11:10am – 12:05pm, 11–29 Aug, not 15, £6.50 – £8.50

The Bongo Club, 5:30pm – 6:30pm, 10–28 Aug, £8.00 – £10.00

for 5-7 year-olds Pop Up! The Amazing Adventures of Moo-Dong

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As every parent knows, there are few toys or games that can match the pleasure a child gets from playing with a cardboard box. With a little bit of imagination, a box can be anything you want it to be; can take you anywhere you want to go.

Australian theatre company Asking for Trouble has taken this theme and created an innovative, delightful show for all the family. Despite a simple set and few props, beautiful acrobatic performances from Christy Flaws and Luke O’ Connor have

Under the Baobab Tree

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It sounded promising; an African folklore feast, full of colourful characters and wild animals. And it started well, with the three likable cast members sitting down and chatting to the young audience members for a few minutes as the seats filled up.

This colourful show has plenty to recommend it—not least the exuberance and infectious enthusiasm of storyteller Mara Menzies— but is missing the magic that would elevate it to something beyond run of the mill family theatre.

Surely, by now, theatre

the audience enthralled. We are transported out of the dusty mailroom, and invited to accompany the two main characters on a journey around the world – from a bumpy jeep Safari to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

There is minimal dialogue in the show, but the few words that are spoken are thoughtful ones, and combined with a lively soundtrack and energetic action, even the youngest of audience members were engaged right until the end. [Ruth Dawkins] Gilded Balloon Teviot, 10:45am – 11:45am, 11–21 Aug, not 15, £8.00 – £9.00

companies have moved beyond the aeons-old “it’s behind you” as a way of getting kids involved in a show. And surely when the appearance of a life-size crocodile puppet onstage prompts several toddlers to wail “I don’t like it”, you might want to consider raising the age appropriateness rating to something older than 2+.

This is a pleasant enough family show, and if you’ve already got tickets booked then you won’t feel like you’ve wasted your money; it’s only disappointing because it promised so much more. [Ruth Dawkins] C too, 10:00am – 10:50am, 11–27 Aug, not 14, 21, £6.50 – £8.50

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festbooks

Hot Tickets Very few tickets for the EIBF remain come August. Every issue, we’ll bring you a pick of the tickets that you can still get – if you hurry

ISLANDS OF

IMAGINATION A number of writers are coming to this year’ s book festival with stories of island isolation. Anna Feintuck talks to Frances Bingham and Meagan Delahunt about the enduring appeal of island life

I Megan Abbott and Kathleen Winter 3:30PM – 4:30PM, 14 AUGUST

Adolescence will always be a hot topic for novelists, but rarely will you get the chance to see two authors who have produced such unique work discussing them in the same room. Winter has won a slew of awards for Annabel, a moving account of a hermaphrodite’s struggle to assert his female identity, while American Megan Abbott’s The End of Everything tells of a 13 year old girl setting out to solve the mystery of her missing friend. Costa Prizewinning Maggie O’Farrell chairs.

Chris Adrian with Audrey Niffenegger 3:30PM – 4:30PM, 16 AUGUST

If a chance to see The Time Traveller’s Wife author, Audrey Niffenegger speak isn’t enough, Chris Adrian’s fascinating insights into the relationship between the real world—and a life spent working with young cancer patients—and that of his critically acclaimed novel The Children’s Hospital, which is set below the sea, should suffice.

Jasper Fforde

11:30AM – 12:30PM, 18 AUGUST

What better way to start your day than with a journey through, quite literally, some of our most loved novels?

Thursday Next is a detective who moves between the real and fictional worlds. In the series’ debut, Thursday went to investigate why the characters in Jane Eyre had gone missing. If you’ve ever wondered what your favourite characters get up to when their authors’ attention is elsewhere, Fforde has the answers. [Dan Heap]

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SLANDS HAVE long provided an inspirational setting for authors, and this year’s book festival proves that their allure is far from waning. For novelists Frances Bingham and Meagan Delahunt, the appeal of islands stems primarily from their remoteness, the isolation they provide. “There’s only really one way on and one way off an island,” says Delahunt, author of To The Island, the story of a woman journeying to a Greek prison island to find her biological father.

"Youʼre surrounded by sea, so youʼre constantly looking out at horizons. You have this feeling of being at the edge of something – you get this real view of horizon and possibility. And just being surrounded by the sea, I think that’s amazing."

For Bingham, the sea actually functions as a character in her novel The Principle of Camouflage, the story of a family living on a remote islands in the midst of the second world war: "Its moods both reflect and influence those of the people who live beside it," she says. "Its destructive power eventually overwhelms the beach, but this is also a benign event, as it sweeps away the pollution of war too."

Delahunt agrees: “There’s something mysterious and powerful about it... the rhythm of the waves, in fact the whole rhythm of island life is quite different to city life – you’re much more elemental."

This separation from the outside world creates a microcosmic setting, where island characters’ lives intertwine with the rhythms of nature in a way not possible in a city. Hence, perhaps, the idea of islands as an escape, or a catalyst for change. Bingham feels that island life can reveal particular truths: “In a literary sense, the journey to the island, the quest or voyage of discovery usually brings some self-knowledge or redemptive vision – followed by the inevitable return to 'realʼ life'.

"This could be because the island is a microcosm, and the characters’ experiences within it reveal truths about themselves and clarify their thoughts about life. Profound enlightening change as a result of pilgrimage or journey is a recurring theme, and so often the symbolic place is an island of the imagination, an Ithaka or Ultima Thule."

Modem life makes it harder and harder to find somewhere truly remote. Perhaps this is why literature turns to islands. Though they may be connected to the internet they are, Delahunt believes, "one of the few places we can still escape to. There’s an opportunity to live in quite a seasonal and rhythmic way, and be connected to something ancient, and I think that is the allure of islands."

Clearly, whether as a base for writers seeking isolation or as a literary location, islands—and the ideas of escape inherent in them— have an enduring place in our imaginations.

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SIN CITIES

Dan Heap talks to authors Tony Black, Caro Ramsay and Lin Anderson about why Scotland’s twin cities have become such a hotbed of crime writing

Photos: Claudine Quinn

“E

DINBURGH WAS a mix of stoic kirks and grand cathedrals, of bold achievements and great plans, but it was also where innocent looking teenage girls wound up, beaten and bloodied in grimy, piss-smelling back allies. They just didn’t put that stuff in the tour guides.” So speaks Tony Black’s new character DI Rob Brennan, who now joins Black’s Gus Drury, Lin Anderson’s Rhona MacLeod and the most famous of Scotland’s large and still growing legion of fictional detectives – Ian Rankin’s Inspector Rebus – hunting down crime in the grimy back streets of Glasgow and the murky wynds of ancient Edinburgh.

The city’s split personality, Black insists in that low, gravelly, slightly menacing brogue that makes him seem born to be a crime writer, is why he and so many of his colleagues have chosen the Scottish capital as a setting for their work: “If you’re putting together a template for a crime novel, Edinburgh’s probably a perfect city.

It has the ornate buildings and the sink estates; the rich Edinburgh and the poor Edinburgh; it has a schizophrenic heart.

When these two worlds collide, it’s perfect fodder for a crime novelist to latch onto and record on the page.” The beauty of Edinburgh that attracts so many people he adds, only serves to unnerve the reader further: “When you’re writing crime it’s good to have it happen in such a nice places. Edinburgh is such a beautiful city: When bad things happen in a beautiful place, it adds an extra resonance, an extra layer of intrigue, and shock.”

Caro Ramsay, author of Glasgow crime thrillers Dark Water and Singing to the Dead, makes in similar point when explaining why so much Glaswegian crime fiction is set not–as one might expect – in the city’s notorious south side, but in the affluent West End. That part of the city has “the university, students, such a mix of people. You can write anybody in [Glasgow’s West End], and they will have a right to be there.” And as a result, it seems, anything can happen.

Lin Anderson says the same split personality applies to Glasgow, home to her character, forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod. As she embarked on writing her first book she “became completely fascinated by Glasgow as post-industrial city.

It’s full of grandeur, though the buildings themselves were built with money raised by the tobacco lords and the slave trade. I became interested in what it grew out of and what it became as a result.” This Jekyll and Hyde character to the two cities that seems to so attract writers is no surprise given that Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh and based his character on the real life Edinburgh villain Deacon Brodie. As a result, argues Anderson, “The history of crime writing in Scotland is quite different [to that south of the border]. It comes out of the Jekyll and Hyde story: there’s two sides to everyone. Dark and light that dwells within everyone”.

For Anderson, as for Black, the city becomes more than just a backdrop; “Each time I start a book, the inspiration almost always comes from the location. Once you choose that location, it becomes a character, and a very powerful character at that. The location drives the story as much as the characters do.” Anderson

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describes a walk around the Govanhill area of Glasgow during which she happened upon a long abandoned cinema with a crumbling arabic façade–complete with minarets–the former Govanhill Picturehouse. This chance encounter led to her uncover Glasgow’s lost ‘cinema city’ past–in the 1930s, more than 100,000 people could watch a film in the city at any one time, second only to New York.

She uncovered many more decaying relics to that long-gone age hidden away in sad, forgotten, frozen-in-time corners of an otherwise brash, forward-looking city, an experience which forms the basis of her new MacLeod mystery, Picture Her Dead.

Ramsay draws my attention to the climate that denizens of the city endure as an important influence on the development of the genre: “People ask me ‘Why do Scots write good crime fiction?’ My answer is that Scots have two things to be depressed about: the weather and the football team. The interminable sheets of rain that batter the city all year round are central to the gloomy, oppressed image that so appeals to her as a writer, “Rain”, she says “immediately dampens the mood”. You could lift these storylines and put them anywhere but it’s that damp humour, the rain that flavours the book and makes it about Glasgow.” The long, dark nights are integral, she says, to the appeal of the northern crime novels coming out of Scotland and increasingly also Sweden, Norway and Iceland: "There’s a melancholy of the soul of the people who live in this climate: the long winter nights, they do something to the mind. When it’s half past four and dark again: the mind turns to strange thoughts.”

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August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 63

festmusic&cabaret Tricity Vogue: The Blue Lady Sings Back

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The Blue Lady Sings Back does exactly what it says on the tin.

Tricity Vogue, painted blue, sings through the confines of a framed portrait while an art gallery attendant tries in vain to prevent her musical misadventures. Amid an impressive array of glitzy costumes—a different look to match each song—Vogue coyly flirts with the crowd, peeping out behind huge fake eyelashes and getting up to all sorts of bluesy hijinks behind the back of the wonderfully deadpan attendant.

Her attempts at audience interaction—bringing up audience members and instructing them with blinks and nods to participate while she croons about a broken heart—are a little hit and miss but add a nice dimension to a fairly bonkers show. And the props deserve a mention: from a giant moon to the canny use of a fully functional dining table, they keep each fresh song engaging. The problem is that, while Vogue certainly has a decent set of pipes on her, there’s just not enough charisma on show. In other hands, the premise could be electrifying, but Vogue doesn’t have the raw sexuality and physicality to fully pull it off. Add to that some uninspired choreography, and the result is a set that never really lifts above average.

The songs themselves are diverting but unmemorable, regardless of how many natty costumes she slips into. Or how many cat impressions she includes. The fact that the star of the show is a supporting role given only five minutes of stage time is really rather telling. [Stevie Martin] theSpaces on North Bridge, 6:05pm – 6:55pm, 11–27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7.00 – £9.00

Sneasons of Liz

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Once you get past the bizarre premise of Sneasons of Liz... well, actually you can’t really get past it, it’s so insane. A cabaret Bildungsroman told by a tragically allergy-ridden Brooklyn broad, complete with a hand sanitizer dispenser perched on the piano and a sizable box of Kleenex? Is this some sort of symbol of life’s prosaic realities or a broader metaphor for mainstream oppression?

Whatever it is it would take a mountain of Kleenex to mop up Liz Merendino’s inherent glamour. The velvet-voiced vivid raconteur hails from Hong Kong and makes her glossy Fringe debut in this collaboration with the neverunderstated Universal Arts Festival.

Sneasons of Liz describes Merendino her cross-continent gallivantings in search of love and good health. “It’s always spring when you have allergies.” She drawls between lingering jazz numbers, ventriloquising her domineering mother with the aid of some oversized glasses. Later she queries, “Did you know that pollen is produced by male trees?”,

as her every holiday romance falls foul. The Venezuelan has a wife, the Brit is a closet transvestite and the Tokyo lover is a cheat, but throughout her voice carries serio-comic heartbreak to a sublime level.

Particularly outstanding is the bluesy “Stormy Monday”.

Resolutely original, Merendino’s medium may be anachronistic but it’s riddled with pop culture references, including her debilitating allergy to the perfume ‘Paris Hilton’

by Paris Hilton. Still, you’ll be longing for a thirties cocktail and some thick cigarette smoke to accompany Merendino’s throwback charms. Undeniably distinct, Sneasons of Liz is a perfectly polished sneeze oddity. [Catherine Sylvain] New Town Theatre, 9:15pm – 10:15pm, 10–28 Aug, not 16, £10.00 – £12.00

The Magnets

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Stylish all-male English a cappella sextet The Magnets barely require an introduction at the Fringe, to which they return this year—their popularity greater than ever—for what will surely be yet another sell-out run. If their genre-spanning mix of music done in a super-slick and exceptionally-skilful 21st century barbershop ensemble style without an instrument in sight is your bag, you won’t be disappointed. But it’s difficult to give a glowing review to a show that essentially just delivers a slightly updated version of an established format.

Blur’s ‘Girls and Boys’, a mash-up of Fatboy Slim’s ‘Weapon of Choice’ with Lenny Kravitz’s ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way?’ and Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ given a bossa-nova makeover are all established favourites and firmly impressive. Fresher material comes in the form of a stomping

64 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

take on Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’ – replete with a human beatbox interlude from Andy Frost that’s tongue-twisting enough to rival Michael Winslow.

The sharp-suited six piece joke that, frankly, that they “couldn’t be bothered” to come up with a new spin on their A to Z finale routine this year.

Accordingly, they let the audience choose which of the pair of versions debuted at the last two Fringes—A to Z of bands

and A to Z of films respectively—they’d like to hear again.

The former gets comfortably the biggest cheer, prompting a flawless 26-stage race from AC/DC through to The Zutons which, much like the rest of the show, comfortably ticks all the boxes without taking The Magnets anywhere especially new. [Malcolm Jack] Assembly George Square, 6:10pm – 7:10pm, 11–29 Aug, not 16, £14.00 – £15.00

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The Scandinavian Rock Show That Reinvents A Cappella

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August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 65

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festmusic&cabaret Gregory Charles: Musicman

such sober virtuosity in an instrument that you’ll willingly wing-it to the precarious cadences of your tipsy punters’ favourite songs, but Charles remains eminently charismatic.

For all its pubbish premise Musicman has stadium polish and appeal. Unsurprisingly the multi-instrumentalist Charles is a minor celebrity in the Francophone world with a brace of albums, tours and television gigs.

He thrills the punters in Pleasance to the point that some of those shuffling out at the end mutter suspiciously, picking holes in his method as if he’s a magician. Well, he is one.

Musicman pulls nostalgia, good cheer and a brilliant spontaneous blues version of Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ from its box of tricks. All it lacks is a dance floor. [Catherine Sylvain]

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Billed as a human jukebox, Gregory Charles doesn’t eat two pound coins and turn out only to know the panpipe version of ‘Billie Jean’. Rather the Quebecois fronts what may be the world’s best pub band with something of the pub quizmaster thrown in as well. “Pick a year, any year”, he goads the audience and then proceeds to play a medley of the five or so biggest chart hits of that year with his highly skilled band.

But there’s more to come: for Charles’ best trick he trawls at random through a ballot box of audience requests and plays whatever the song with disturbing familiarity, communicating so scantily with his three bandmates they seem merely extensions of his triviacrammed mind.

It must be tiresome to gain

MOVIN’

Bojangles Ray Charles Sam Cooke Jackie Wilson James Brown Chuck Berry and more !!!

Pleasance Dome, 11pm – 12:20, 10–26 Aug, not 13, £8.50 – £9.50

MELVIN BROWN “Exceptional, sheer brilliance...

Brown is a one-man concert!”  Scotsman C venues vibrant vivacious variety 3 – 29 Aug (not 15, 22) 7.50pm (1hr15) Tickets £11.50 – £13.50 Concessions £9.50 – £11.50 Children £7.50 – £9.50 recommended PG

MMB Edin 43 x 64.indd 1

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fringe box office 0131 226 0000 online sales www.edfringe.com

05/08/2011 16:10

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2010 fest 67

comedylistings

FESTIVAL

LISTINGS When it's this time...

...this show is on...

20:15 ❤ Elis James HHHH

... at this place...

Pleasance Courtyard 9-29 Aug, not 18, £9.50-£12

...for this price

...on these dates...

00:00 This Show Left Intentionally Blank Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 28-29 Aug, £free

Car Crash Comedy / Fooling Around for Free! With Julia Sutherland and Sarah-May Philo

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 13-29 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

Adult Pantomime: Jack and the Beanstalk

Zoo Roxy, 14 Aug, 21 Aug, £10

Comedy in the Dark

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 1330 Aug, £10 – £11.50

Disco in a Dungeon

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 13-29 Aug, not 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, £8

Last Orders

C Venues - C eca, 13-30 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

Comedy Countdown

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 16-26 Aug, not 20, 21, 22, £5

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Definitely The Ffloccinaucinihilipilification word show!

Fantabulicous!

Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 13-14 Aug, £free

Cowboys and Indians: Black Man in the White House

Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 13-29 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

Gemma Goggin’s Celebrity Sleepover

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 1329 Aug, not 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, £8 – £9

Just the Tonic Comedy Club’s Midnight Show Just The Tonic at the Caves, 13-28 Aug, not 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, £10

Spank!

Underbelly, Cowgate, 1329 Aug, £10 – £15

00:05 As Drawn on FaceTube - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 22-25 Aug, £free

Mostly Comedy Club - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12-21 Aug, £free

Best of Whyteleafe Comedy Club - Free Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 26 Aug, £free

Going Nowhere

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 28-29 Aug, £free

Fest is the only place you can get daily listings for all of the Comedy and Theatre shows at the Fringe.

The listings are arranged by type - Comedy or Theatre - and then by time. We've listed the dates that each show is running, but remember that it might be on at different times too - check our website for more information.

Dates and times can sometimes change, so check with the venue before planning ahead. Listings for other festivals can be found at festmag.co.uk or on the Festival websites.

00:20 Midnight Laughzzz Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-29 Aug, £free

00:30 Briefs

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-30 Aug, not 17, 26, £10 – £12

The Improverts

Bedlam Theatre, 12-28 Aug, £7.50

How to Be Patient With Arseholes

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-29 Aug, £free

00:35 Sanity Valve: Get Old or Die Tryin’ - Free

Laughing Horse @ Meadow Bar, 12-29 Aug, not 17, 24, £free

The Late Show

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-29 Aug, not 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, £10.50 – £14.50

Spanktacular!

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 14 Aug, 21 Aug, £14

00:15

00:40

The New Conway Experience

Bruce Devlin: Devlin After Dark

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-30 Aug, not 17, £9 – £10

Late ‘n’ Free

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-29 Aug, £free

Late Night Irish Pick and Mick’s - Free Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12-29 Aug, £free

The Stand Comedy Club V, 12-29 Aug, not 16, 17, 23, 24, £8

After Hours Comedy Pleasance Dome, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, £10.50 – £11.50

Comic Strip

Assembly George Square, 20 Aug, 21 Aug, 27 Aug, 28 Aug, £15

68 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

00:45

11:00

Dr Ettrick-Hogg’s Late Night Manly Stand-Ups - Free

BBC: Loose Ends

Laughing Horse @ The Newsroom, 12-29 Aug, £free

01:00 Late ‘n’ Live

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 1230 Aug, £13 – £15

Hurt and Anderson: A Bit Sketchy

Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 12-17 Aug, £free

Dave Baucutt - Good Guy Gone Bad Ass Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 18-27 Aug, £free

01:15 The Smiley Show - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 20-29 Aug, £free

Adventures in Comedy: Murder, Madness and Mayhem! - Free Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 15-19 Aug, £free

09:00 BBC: Broadcasting House BBC @ Potterrow, 21 Aug, £free

10:30 BBC: MacAulay & Co

BBC @ Potterrow, 15-26 Aug, weekdays only, £free

BBC @ Potterrow, 20 Aug, £free

11:30 Let Them Eat Cake!

Quaker Meeting House, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7

Mind Reading for Breakfast Sweet Grassmarket, 12-29 Aug, £9

Paul Merton’s Impro Chums

Pleasance Courtyard, 19 Aug, 20 Aug, 21 Aug, 26 Aug, 27 Aug, £14.50

11:55 Croft and Pearce - Funnier Than It Sounds

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

12:00 Eric Mutch: Schizophrene - Free

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, £free

Lauren and Marc’s Comedy Snack - Free

Laughing Horse @ Finnegan’s Wake, Various dates from 12 Aug to 18 Aug, £free

Live at the Gilded Balloon Podcast

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, £5

Tony Law: Go Mr Tony Go!

The Stand Comedy Club II, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 21, £8

Alison Thea-Skot: The Human Tuning Fork HH

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £6.50 – £7.50

Quoth the Raven Free Sketch Comedy Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 20-27 Aug, £free

BBC: Off the Ball

BBC @ Potterrow, 27 Aug, £free

I am Google

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, not 18, 25, £free

The Improveteers

Cabaret Voltaire, 21-28 Aug, £3

Martin Semple ‘I Don’t Do Jokes’

Laughing Horse @ Finnegan’s Wake, 19-27 Aug, £free

Office Girls Go Crazy: Lazy Lunch - Free

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 12-20 Aug, £free

Making Life Taste Funny - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, £free

Him and Me TV - Free Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-19 Aug, £free

12:05 As Drawn on FaceTube - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 24-25 Aug, £free

Finger Mice

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-13 Aug, £5

www.festmag.co.uk

comedylistings Best of Whyteleafe Comedy Club - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 26-28 Aug, £free

Rom Com Con - Free

Medina, 12-27 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

Sally-Anne Hayward: Don’t Judge Me The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8

12:10 Cheese-Badger presents... The Epic of Hairy Dave - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 12-28 Aug, not 17, 24, £free

Carl Sagan is My God, Oh and Richard Feynman Too The Canons’ Gait, 12-28 Aug, not 18, £free

12:15 Aaaand Now For Something Completely Improvised! - Free Laughing Horse @ Meadow Bar, 12-28 Aug, £free

The Tourists - A Free Festival Sketch Show Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-20 Aug, £free

About Comedy: Stand-up Comedy Courses

Laughing Horse @ Edinburgh City Football Club, 13-28 Aug, not 15, 18, 19, 22, 25, 26, £99

The ‘Agent, Stylist and PA Wanted’ Show - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-14 Aug, £free

Desperately Sikhing Fusion - Free Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 21-28 Aug, £free

BBC: The Unbelievable Truth BBC @ Potterrow, 13 Aug, £free

Shakespeare’s Monkeys

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, not 13, 20, 27, £free

We Need to Talk

Laughing Horse @ The Newsroom, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £free

12:20 Happiness - Free

The Voodoo Rooms, 12-27 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

www.festmag.co.uk

The Durham Revue’s 33rd Annual Surprise Party!

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

12:30 Barely Legal Corn - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-18 Aug, £free

Fisting a Nun

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 19-29 Aug, £free

Those Bloody Teenagers - Free

Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 22-28 Aug, £free

The Malcolm Muggeridge Memorial Hour - Free

Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 12-21 Aug, £free

The Lunchtime Club 2011

Just the Tonic at The Tron, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £7

12:35 Come Hell Or High Water This Sick World Will Know I Was Here

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 13-28 Aug, £free

Roman Around - Free

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 12 Aug, £free

12:40 Please Hold, You’re Being Transferred to a UK Based Asian Representative

Laughing Horse @ Finnegan’s Wake, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £free

12:45 Milo McCabe: Get Brown

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £7.50 – £8.50

The Hamiltons: High Jinks with the Hamiltons!

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10.50 – £11.50

How Do I Get Up There?

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 25-29 Aug, £8

12:50 Those Two - Free

The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-27 Aug, not 15, £free

12:55

13:10

13:25

Devlin and Pulsford Are Spitting Dummies

Mythbunking

Steve Pretty’s Perfect Mixtape HH

Southsider, 12-13 Aug, £free

Eric Gudmunsen - Ryanair Lost My Baby (God Bless Them) - Free

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 21-28 Aug, £free

Which One’s Fergal?

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £7.50

The Bob Blackman Appreciation Society Southsider, 22-27 Aug, £free

13:00 Mervyn Stutter’s Pick of the Fringe

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £10

Run, Deaf Boy, Run!

The Stand Comedy Club II, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8

The Showcase Show

Pleasance Courtyard, 1228 Aug, £8.50 – £9.50

13:15 Fred Cooke: Comfort in Chaos Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £7.50 – £8.50

Cabaret Voltaire, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £7

The Thinking Drinker’s Guide to Alcohol Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, £9 – £11

Card Ninja

Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £8

13:05 The Right Dishonourable Dickie Daventry Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Biscuit and Brawn Make a Meal of It

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £free

Big Dave’s Gay-B-C of Life - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 12-28 Aug, not 16, 21, £free

Laughing Penguin Showcase

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, £free

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, not 13, 14, £free

Tomorrow’s Stand-Up Today - Free Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, not 13, 20, 27, £free

BBC: Just a Minute BBC @ Potterrow, 14 Aug, £free

Beckett and Smith

Whistlebinkies, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Chat Masala with Hardeep Singh Kohli Gilded Balloon Teviot, 26 Aug, £12

Mugging Chickens

Sophie Alderson is Running for President HHH

Schoolbooks in Wallpaper - Ian Perth - Free

The Voodoo Rooms, 12-27 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

Laughing Horse @ Finnegan’s Wake, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £free

13:35

Joe Fairbrother: Characters

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-27 Aug, £free

Meditation Ruined My Life

Punching Mice

The Royal Mile Tavern, 12-27 Aug, £free

13:20

The Canons’ Gait, 12-28 Aug, not 22, £free

Adventures in Comedy: Murder, Madness and Mayhem! - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-19 Aug, £free

After Lunch Laugh Lounge* - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, £free

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £7 – £8

Give Me The Funnies!

Laughing Horse @ The Newsroom, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Four Sad Faces, Suddenly

Paradise in The Vault, 12-29 Aug, not 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, £5

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 20-28 Aug, £free

Three Blokes Tell Jokes

Gagtanamo Bay

Attention Deficit Let’s Go Ride Bikes!

- Free

Scott Agnew’s Scottish Breakfast Chat Show

13:30

BBC: Festival Café

Just the Tonic’s Afternoon Delight

Ciao Roma, 12-27 Aug, £free

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-27 Aug, not 17, £5 – £7

Laughing Horse @ Meadow Bar, 12-29 Aug, £free

BBC @ Potterrow, 15-26 Aug, weekdays only, £free

The Gherkin Fantasies

Peeling PVA in Happier Maché

C venues - C, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £6.50 – £8.50

This is Soap

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 17, 23, £9 – £10

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £5

Underbelly, Cowgate, 1328 Aug, £9 – £9.50

Medina, 12-27 Aug, £free

Kieran and The Joes: Teampowered

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, £8.50

Lunch With Quattro Formaggio Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £8.50 – £9.50

Pockets of Suspense - Free

Catriona Knox: Packed Lunch

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

Roland Rides the Rails!

Laughing Horse @ The Phoenix, 12-13 Aug, £free

13:40 This Next One is About Putting Salt in Your Tea The Banshee Labyrinth, 15-27 Aug, £free

Dicking a Great Big Hole

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, £7

13:45 Nathan Cassidy: Fantastica!

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-20 Aug, not 17, £5 – £6

Huggers - Free Festival Family Fun

Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 12-28 Aug, £free

The Man Who Was Nearly There - Free Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, £free

Tiernan Douieb vs the World

Assembly Hall, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £8 – £10

Gadd, Kirk and Winning: Well, This is Awkward...

Bannermans, 12-16 Aug, £free

The Great Brain Robbery

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 21-28 Aug, £5

Jollyboat

The Voodoo Rooms, 1227 Aug, not 17, £free

Ben Target in Discover Ben Target Bannermans, 17-27 Aug, £free

13:50 Marbles Presents...

Free

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 12 Aug, £free

14:00 Chat Masala with Hardeep Singh Kohli Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 26, £11 – £12

The Earl and the InstruMentalist

Dragonfly, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Faulty Towers the Dining Experience

B’est Restaurant, 12-30 Aug, not 13, 20, 27, £38

It’s Two O’Clock Live at Two O’Clock The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £free

Shinoxcy Presents: There’s No ‘I’ in Shinoxcy - Free

Fingers Piano Bar, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Hannah Gadsby Mary. Contrary.

Gilded Balloon Teviot, Various dates from

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 69

comedylistings 17 Aug to 26 Aug, £5 – £12

People I Tried to Like Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £8.50 – £9.50

14:05 Amused Moose Laughter Awards Top Ten Semi-Final The Bongo Club, 19 Aug, £10

Amused Moose Comedy Awards Final The Bongo Club, 21 Aug, £12

Big School

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 15-20 Aug, £6.50

Cab Fare for the Common Man

theSpace @ Jury’s Inn, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £8

14:10 Seminar HH

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

Everything But an Astronaut

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-13 Aug, £7

14:15 Best of the Fest Daytime

The End of the World Show Bar 50, 15-27 Aug, not 22, £free

Sink or Spin

Bannatyne’s Health Club, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £9.50

14:20 Fresh Bread Presents Johnny’s Favourite Show The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-27 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

The World of Shrimpology

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), Various dates from 12 Aug to 19 Aug, £6.50

Seymour Mace: Happypotamus

The Stand Comedy Club II, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £7

David Morgan: Triple Threat

Just the Tonic at The Tron, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £6

Tom Toal and Joe Wells Rom-Coms and Revolutions Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, £free

Richard Herring’s Edinburgh Fringe Podcast

The Stand Comedy Club, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10

Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, 26, £12 – £13

14:25

Shmozle

The Voodoo Rooms, 12-27 Aug, £free

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-20 Aug, £free

Gagging For Attention

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £3

Arguments and Nosebleeds - Free

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 21-25 Aug, £free

BBC: The Unbelievable Truth BBC @ Potterrow, 13 Aug, £free

BBC: Comic Fringes BBC @ Potterrow, 20 Aug, £free

Do Not Take Advice From This Man - Jim Smallman and Friends - Free

Globe, 12-27 Aug, not 17, £free

Jackson Voorhaar Can’t Play Guitar - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12-28 Aug, £free

Free Tea and Biscuit Hour Richard Sandling Performs Music and Comedy as Pot Pourri and Does Some Poetry as Spak Whitman The Canons’ Gait, 12-28 Aug, not 18, £free

Tiffany Stevenson: Cavewoman

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 25, £8

14:30 The Squiffy Journals Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £8 – £9.50

Ray Time in the Daytime: An Audience With Ray Green and Friends Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

Rrrantin’ Free at the Pear Tree Laughing Horse @ The Pear Tree, 21-28 Aug, £free

Ze Hoff Und Friends - Free Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 12-28 Aug, £free

Ian Fox Exposes Himself - Free

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, £free

The Quotidian Revue The Bongo Club, Various dates from 14 Aug to 20 Aug, £6

Stitches: Stand-up.

Slightly Strangely - Free

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12 Aug, £free

Jody Kamali’s Business Coaching for Idiots - Free Laughing Horse @ The Hive, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £free

Monkhouse and Me

SpaceCabaret @ 54, 2227 Aug, £8 – £9

Instant Sunshine

Pleasance Dome, 12-13 Aug, £9

The Seven Deadly Sings (Remastered) - Free

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 13-28 Aug, £free

Taking the Piff

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 21-28 Aug, £free

ComedySportz@ Laughing Horse Free Festival

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12 Aug, £free

Cheshire Liberation Front’s Political Indoctrination Rally

Buffs Club (RAOB), 12-27 Aug, £free

Chris Coxen’s Space Clone Audition

Cabaret Voltaire, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £5 – £7

Jay Foreman: We’re Living in the Future Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £9 – £10

Jon Richardson: It’s Not Me, It’s You

Pleasance Dome, 20-28 Aug, £12

Peeling PVA Stands Up Base Nightclub, 12-27 Aug, £free

14:35 Three Man Roast - Free

Laughing Horse @ Finnegan’s Wake, 12-26 Aug, not 13, 14, 21, £free

70 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

Pointless Anger, Righteous Ire 2: Back in the Habit

Horse and Louis: Top Trumpin’! - Free HHH

Lorcan McGrath is ...

Not in Love - Free

Catherine Semark: The Truth About Lions

The Improlympians - Free

BBC: Just a Minute

The Stand Comedy Club V, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8

Medina, 12-27 Aug, not 17, £free

14:40 Funny Women Comedy Workshop

Assembly George Square, 15 Aug, £45

Eric Hutton and Ben Ellwood - The Best of the Sh*ttest - Free Laughing Horse @ The Hive, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 16, 17, 18, £free

Mike Newall’s ‘Get Better Box’

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £5 – £8

Moonshine and Trumpery

The Voodoo Rooms, 12-27 Aug, £free

Zeus’ Pamphlet

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £8 – £9.50

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, not 13, 22, £free

Rabbie Burns Cafe and Bar, 12-16 Aug, £free

Wedding Band: A Comedy by Charlie Baker

Mabbs & Justice: Love Machine

The Edinburgh Revue Show

Adam Larter: The Legend of Bob Geldof (and Other Short Stories) - Free Comedy

Laughing Horse @ Meadow Bar, 12-28 Aug, £free

Opium, 12-29 Aug, £free

Meryl O’Rourke - Bad Mother...

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

14:55 Matt Forde: Dishonourable Member

The 90’s in Half an Hour - Free

The Royal Mile Tavern, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £free

14:45 Free Cuddles With 007

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 22-28 Aug, £free

Making Faces: Introspectacles - Free Laughing Horse @ The Newsroom, 12-28 Aug, £free

Music Box

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £7.50 – £9.50

Gemma Goggin: Double G

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 22, £7 – £8

Itch: A Scratch Event Pleasance Courtyard, 16 Aug, £8

Rory and Tim Are Free at Last

Rabbie Burns Cafe and Bar, 17-23 Aug, £free

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 26 Aug, £10

AAA Batteries (Not Included) - Free

Jollygoodlarks - How to Make it Huge

A Slightly Dangerous Comedy Occasion - Free

Alex Horne: Taskmaster II

Funny as Muck

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 1228 Aug, £8.50 – £9.50

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, £6 – £7.50

BBC @ Potterrow, 14 Aug, £free

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £10.50 – £12.50

Funny Women

Assembly George Square, 12-21 Aug, not 15, 16, £10 – £12

Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 12-27 Aug, not 18, £free

15:00 Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £free

Todd Barry: American Hot The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 16-28 Aug, £10

Merv’s 20th Year Gala Show

Pleasance Courtyard, 17 Aug, £12.50

Mitch Benn

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-14 Aug, £10

This Arthurs Seat Belongs to Lionel Richie

Arthur’s Seat, 20 Aug, £free

Worbey and Farrell: Well Strung!

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £12

BBC: Ricky Gervais and Warwick Davis discuss the making of Life’s Too Short BBC @ Potterrow, 26 Aug, £free

Fran Moulds Curtains - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, not 13, 20, 27, £free

Bannermans, 12-27 Aug, £free

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, £7 – £8

Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 12-28 Aug, £free

15:05 Writer’s Block - Free Laughing Horse @ Edinburgh City Football Club, 22-28 Aug, £free

Nobody’s Darling

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £5

A Brief History of Time - Free

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Philosophical Investigations

Rush Bar, 12-27 Aug, £free

Channel Hopping!

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-13 Aug, £7

15:10 Eric’s Tales of the Sea - A Submariner’s Yarn Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, 22, £8.50 – £9.50

You For Coffee?

The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-27 Aug, £free

A Kind Of Surprise

Dragonfly, 12-27 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

15:15 Tom Allen’s Afternoon Tea

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £9 – £10

Mission Suggestible

Paradise in The Vault, 1221 Aug, not 15, £7.50

BBC: What’s So Funny?

BBC @ Potterrow, 18 Aug, £free

www.festmag.co.uk

comedylistings BBC: Richard Herring’s Objective BBC @ Potterrow, 15 Aug, £free

Bloke

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 12 Aug, £free

Hanks and Conran: Scruples? - Free

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 13-19 Aug, £free

BBC Comedy Writers’ Workshop BBC @ Potterrow, 16 Aug, £free

James Sherwood - I Fed My Best Friend Her Favourite Cow HHH Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £8

BBC: Front Row

BBC @ Potterrow, 17 Aug, £free

Playtime - Free

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 20-28 Aug, £free

Samurai Grandma

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £7 – £8

15:20 Hit Comet

Bedlam Theatre, 14-27 Aug, £7

David O’Doherty Presents: Rory Sheridan’s Tales of The Antarctica Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £10

The Gentlemen of Leisure Present: The Death of the Novel HHH Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £7 – £8

Present...

Ciao Roma, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £free

15:25 Ben Brailsford - My Fortnum and Mason Hell Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 22, £9 – £10

15:30 Ben Verth: Not With That Attitude The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-27 Aug, not 18, 25, £free

Max and Ivan Are Holmes and Watson Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £10 – £11

www.festmag.co.uk

Morgan & West: Crime Solving Magicians

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £9.50 – £10.50

Wendy Wason’s Flashbacks HH

The Stand Comedy Club II, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8

Phill Jupitus Quartet - ‘Made Up’

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, 26, £12 – £14

Parris and Dowler: Special Delivery

Bar 50, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 23, £free

Slap & Giggle: Revealed

Globe, 12-16 Aug, £free

Enjoy Yourself - It’s Later Than You Think! - Free

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Ford and Akram: Humdinger

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £8 – £9.50

Ivor’s Other Show

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

Apocalypse Meow – Doomsday for Dummies Ciao Roma, 18 Aug, £free

Patsy Blades’ Mid-Life Crisis

Aug, not 16, £7.50 – £8.50

Simon Munnery: Hats Off for the 101ers, and Other Material The Stand Comedy Club, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10

Richard Dawkins Does Not Exist, and We Can Prove It

The Canons’ Gait, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

15:45 Comedy Manifesto

The Voodoo Rooms, 1228 Aug, not 16, £free

The Oxford Imps

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, £8 – £10

Totally Tom

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £10

Jo and Brydie Play Doctor Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £6.50 – £7.50

Movin’ On Up! With Politically Erect - Free Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12-28 Aug, £free

The Return of O’Farahan and Keith - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Hive, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £free

The Tim Vine Chat Show

Sweet Grassmarket, 1521 Aug, £6.50 – £8.50

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £12.50 – £13.50

15:35

Yorkshire Comedy Cabaret - Free

Super Crazy Fun Fun - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, £free

Deemed Unsafe

theSpaces on North Bridge, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £5

Wil Hodgson

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8

Flyerman

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 15-20 Aug, £7

Olver: Portrait of a Serial Killer

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, 21, 22, £7

15:40 Tom Bell Begins

Just the Tonic at The Tron, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 21, £7 – £8.50

Bristol Revunions: National Friends

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28

Base Nightclub, 12-27 Aug, not 17, 24, £free

Tom Goodliffe: The Good Liffe

Cabaret Voltaire, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Just Havin’ a Fiddle

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 16, £free

15:50 Uncle Ivan Pest Controller - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Hive, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Joanna Neary: Youth Club

The Stand Comedy Club V, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9

Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards Show

Pleasance Courtyard, 28 Aug, £14

Hatty Ashdown: Nan-Child

Laughing Horse @ Finnegan’s Wake, 12-26 Aug, not 13, 14, 21, £free

Kevin Cruise

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £10 – £12

Barry Fox – Poems, Pamphlets, Props and Pissing About

15:55

Laughing Horse @ The Newsroom, 13-20 Aug, £free

Cariad Lloyd: Lady Cariad’s Characters

Conor O’Toole’s Manual of Style

The Voodoo Rooms, 1227 Aug, not 17, £free

16:00 Amused Moose Comedy Awards Showcase

Pleasance Dome, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 16, 19, 21, 22, 23, £7.50 – £8.50

Mary Mary Quite Contrary

The Street, 12-29 Aug, £free

The Dog-Eared Collective: You’re Better Than This

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £9 – £10

The Fitzrovia Radio Hour Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £10 – £11

John Kearns’ Dinner Party Whistlebinkies, 12-29 Aug, £free

Nick Helm - Dare to Dream Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £11 – £12

Me, Myself and Iona Rabbie Burns Cafe and Bar, 12-27 Aug, not 17, £free

Billy Kirkwood: Show Me Your Tattoo - Free Laughing Horse @ The White Horse, 12-27 Aug, £free

Can You Dig It?

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh - John Hope Gateway, 12-29 Aug, not 16, 23, £12

Colm O’Regan: Dislike! A Facebook Guide to Crisis Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £9.50

Don’t Trust Salmon: Fin Zoo Roxy, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £8

The Baby Diary

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, £7.50

Damion Larkin: Cuddly Dreamer

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £7 – £9

Paul Merton’s Impro Chums

Pleasance Courtyard, 1927 Aug, £13 – £14.50

Sally Outen: Non-Bio?

The Bongo Club, 20-29 Aug, not 21, £7 – £8

Rrrantin’ Free at the Pear Tree Laughing Horse @ The Pear Tree, 21-28 Aug, £free

This Next One is About Putting Salt in Your Tea The Banshee Labyrinth, 15-26 Aug, £free

The Three Englishmen: Optimists

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £8 – £9

Chortle Student Comedy Awards Final

Assembly George Square, 28 Aug, £8.50

Down and Out Comedy With Mike Belgrave

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, not 22, £free

A Girl, a Ghost and the Little Yellow Man - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Newsroom, 21-28 Aug, £free

Manos the Greek: The Tale Of An Immigrant - Free Laughing Horse @ Meadow Bar, 12-28 Aug, £free

16:05 Endemic

Laughing Horse @ The Phoenix, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £free

Flyerman

Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, £7

Al Murray’s Compete for the Meat

I Didn’t Mean to be a Virgin in the 80s

Assembly George Square, 12-27 Aug, £10

Sweet Grassmarket, 12-29 Aug, £8

16:10 John Hegley Family Word Ship Pleasance Courtyard, 12-18 Aug, £12

Ruby Wax: Losing It HH

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £15 – £17.50

Nathan Penlington: Uri and Me Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £10.50

16:15 Luke Wright’s Cynical Ballads Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £10.50

The Quest for Human Happiness - Free

Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 12-28 Aug, £free

The Truth (Explained in Doodles!)

Sin Club and Lounge, 12-27 Aug, £free

Four Screws Loose Present ‘ScrewedOver-Again!’

Bannermans, 12-26 Aug, not 13, 20, £free

Jingo and Butterfield’s Tales of Empire/Sophie Buchan’s Broadmoor Karaoke The Voodoo Rooms, 12-13 Aug, £free

Yianni: Things That Make You Go ‘Oooooh!’ - Free

Sin Club and Lounge, 1227 Aug, not 14, £free

Scott Capurro’s Position HH

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 1228 Aug, £10 – £11

Fat Kitten vs the World The Voodoo Rooms, 14-27 Aug, £free

16:20 The Beta Males: The Train Job Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £10 – £11

Rory O’Hanlon: Is it Just Me That’s Mental?

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, 22, £7.50

Fin Taylor and Jared Hardy - With Full Orchestra Dragonfly, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Tweeting Beauty (and Other Stories)

The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-27 Aug, £free

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 71

comedylistings Leila’s Ladies

Fingers Piano Bar, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Eric Gudmunsen - Ryanair Lost My Baby (God Bless Them) - Free

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 12-28 Aug, £free

The Unexpected Items Are On It, In the Zone, Off the Hook and Down With the Kids Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 16, 23, £9 – £10

Pam Ford Curl Up and Dye Salon Secrets

16:25

Southsider, 12-27 Aug, £free

An Englishwoman, a Scotswoman and an Irishwoman

Ronnie Golden - First a Fender

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 15 Aug, £8

Andy Zaltzman: Armchair Revolutionary The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9

The Oxford Revue: But Seriously Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £9 – £10.50

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9 – £10

Tony Bournemouth: Bournemouth’s All Time Second Greatest Comedian Laughing Horse @ The Hive, 12-28 Aug, £free

Apocalypse Meow – Doomsday for Dummies

Ciao Roma, 17 Aug, £free

They Came With Outer Script - Free

16:30

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 14-19 Aug, £free

Morningside Malcolm Meets the Weegies

The Real MacGuffins: Skitsophrenic

The Royal Oak, 15-18 Aug, £free

Toby - Lucky

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £9 – £9.50

Dr Ettrick-Hogg Presents Manly Stand-Ups - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12 Aug, £free

Holden and Revill: The North South Divide - Free

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 12-28 Aug, £free

The Noise Next Door – Their Finest Hour Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £11 – £12

Pleasance Courtyard, 13-29 Aug, £9 – £11

16:35 Alistair Green: Outpatient

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, 23, £7 – £8

Vinegar Knickers: Sketchy Beast

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £7.50 – £9.50

16:40 Bridget Christie: Housewife Surrealist HH The Stand Comedy Club II, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8

Little Howard’s Big Show

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £10

16:45 John-Luke Roberts and Nadia Kamil: The Behemoth Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9 – £11

Jem Brookes: Pintification - Free

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, £free

Who is Jean? Go the Distance The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-27 Aug, not 17, 24, £free

Hannah Gadsby - Mrs Chuckles Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10 – £11

The Antics - Premature Ejokeulation

C venues - C, 12-13 Aug, £8.50 – £9.50

The Ginge, the Geordie and the Geek - All New Show Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £9.50 – £12

Molly and Fuffkin

Princes Mall, 12-14 Aug, £free

So On and So Forth present ‘Human Era’ Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-27 Aug, not 17, £7.50

❤ Bring Me the Head of Adam Riches HHHHH

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, £10 – £11

Matthew Crosby: AdventureParty HH

Lewis Schaffer is Free Until Famous in a Smaller Room at an Earlier Time Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12-28 Aug, £free

Sheeps: A Sketch Show HHH

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £9.50

Stuff and Nonsense

Laughing Horse @ Finnegan’s Wake, 15-26 Aug, not 21, £free

16:50 Phil Mann’s Full Mind and Michael Keane: Intelligent Shuffle - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, £free

Parents Evening The Voodoo Rooms, 17-27 Aug, £free

Brit-Hot Comedy

Laughing Horse @ Cafe Renroc, 15-28 Aug, £free

Edinburgh Tonight with Joe Simmons and Lorraine Chase SpaceCabaret @ 54, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 22, £10

16:55 Christmas For Two: Friends With You

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £6.50

17:00 Totally Ninja

Belushi’s, 27 Aug, £free

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £12

The Inflatables - Free

James Dowdeswell: Doofus

Joe Bor: In Search of the Six Pack

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8

Ryan’s Cellar Bar, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £free

Just the Tonic at The Tron, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £7 – £8

Moon Horse vs the Mars Men of Jupiter

Buffs Club (RAOB), 12-20 Aug, £free

RadioHead Redux - Free!

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, £free

Alzheimer’s the Musical: A Night to Remember!

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 16, 23, £10.50 – £11.50

Eddie Naessens: Butter People

Dropkick Murphy’s, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £free

Smut - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Hive, 12-28 Aug, not 17, 24, £free

Aberdeen vs Glasgow vs the World! - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 18-28 Aug, £free

And The Award Goes To...

Base Nightclub, 21-27 Aug, £free

Baker and Thompson: Never Made it to the RSC - Free Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12 Aug, 13 Aug, 14 Aug, 16 Aug, 17 Aug, £free

How to be Awesome: An Introduction Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, £8 – £9

The Leeds Tealights: Animals with Jobs

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, £7 – £8

Paul Daniels: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, £14 – £15

The Warm Up Show Laughing Horse @ The White Horse, 12-28 Aug, £free

BBC Comedy Presents - Early and Late

BBC @ Potterrow, 13-27 Aug, £10

❤ Isy Suttie: Pearl and Dave HHHH Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10 – £11.50

Luke McQueen - Your Love is Mine

Cabaret Voltaire, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, 24, £7

Dave Gibson and Charlie Talbot - Battle of Britain: North vs South Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £10.50

The Great Big Comedy Picnic - Free Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, £free

John Scott: Totally Made Up - Totally Free

Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

17:05 Laugh Or Your Money Back - Free Medina, 12-27 Aug, not 17, 24, £free

Ava Vidal: The Hardest Word

The Stand Comedy Club V, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9

Big Noise

The Voodoo Rooms, 1227 Aug, not 16, £free

Channel Hopping!

theSpaces on the Mile , 15-27 Aug, not 21, £7

17:10 Jack Whitehall and his father Michael Back Chat

Pleasance Courtyard, 2428 Aug, £11 – £12.50

Doctors Do Little

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-27 Aug, £6

3:45PM (4:45PM) 04-28 AUGUST 2011 (NOT 15)

72 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

tallyTom_EdinburghFringe2011_A5PreviewGuideAdvert (W64mm x01/07/2011 H43mm).indd19:26 1

www.festmag.co.uk

comedylistings Jessica Ransom: Unsung Heroes

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

Mogic

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £7.50 – £9.50

Nicholas Parsons’ Happy Hour Pleasance Courtyard, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £11 – £12

17:15 Down to the Bone HHH

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 16, 17, £free

Maff Brown - Pacman Is Actually Allergic to Ghosts Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

Guy Pratt - Wake up Call

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 19-29 Aug, £10

Rik ‘n’ Mix - Free

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

www.festmag.co.uk

Stewart Lee – Flickwerk 2011.

Work In Progress

The Stand Comedy Club, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10

The Good, the Bad and the Cuddlier ‘Ride Again’ VI - Free Laughing Horse @ Meadow Bar, 13-28 Aug, £free

Love, Hate and Other Hobbies - Free Laughing Horse @ Meadow Bar, 12 Aug, £free

SomeNews - The Free Topical Show

Laughing Horse @ The Newsroom, 12-28 Aug, £free

Lewis Gray and Friend

Rabbie Burns Cafe and Bar, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Singles Collection

Opium, 12-27 Aug, £free

17:20 Footlights in ‘Pretty Little Panic’ Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £9 – £10

Danny Pensive’s Map of Britain Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £6 – £7

Clare Plested: Vegas, Jesus and Me Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

Neil Dougan - Rough Rared

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, £6 – £7

17:25 Apocalypse Later?

C Venues - C eca, 12-13 Aug, £8.50

Ahir Shah: Astrology Udderbelly’s Pasture, 1228 Aug, £8.50 – £9.50

17:30 Monsters: A History of Villainy

Fingers Piano Bar, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Award-winning Comedian Nik Coppin - Free HH Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 12-27 Aug, £free

Brett Goldstein Grew Up in a Strip Club Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

Jason Cook - The Search for Happiness

We Love Comedy

Sin Club and Lounge, 12-27 Aug, £free

17:31 Harpurs Bizarre!

Immortal Combat

17:45 Bad Bread: TV Times

Underbelly, Cowgate, 1228 Aug, £9.50 – £10.50

Olivia Lee Chats Them Up

Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £12 – £13

The Rat Pack, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Out - But Not on Good Behaviour

17:35

Assembly George Square, 16-29 Aug, £12.50 – £14.50

James Loveridge ... and Other Losers!

- Free

Itch: A Scratch Event Pleasance Courtyard, 15 Aug, £8

Rita Trump and Julie Jones: Screw Loose Women - Free

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 1228 Aug, not 16, £9

The Jazz Bar, 13-26 Aug, £5

Fresh Faces at the Free Fringe

Rush Bar, 12-27 Aug, £free

Tom Webb Fixes 2012

Dragonfly, 12-27 Aug, £free

The Broken Windows Policy The Stand Comedy Club, 15 Aug, £7

Tokyo Game: The Body Tights Man Show

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, 25, £8 – £9

So Much Potential Sin Club and Lounge, 12-27 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £free

Laughing Horse @ Edinburgh City Football Club, 12-27 Aug, £free

17:40 Juliet Meyers: I’m Not Spartacus!

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, £7 – £8

McNeil and Pamphilon: Which One Are You?

Pleasance Dome, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £8.50 – £9.50

❤ Diane Spencer: All-Pervading Madness HHHH

A Betrayal of Penguins: Endangered for a Reason

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 19, 20, £8.50 – £9.50

Rowena Haley: Nothing to Write Home About

Southsider, 12-27 Aug, £free

❤ Dan Antopolski, Tom Craine & Nat Luurtsema: Jigsaw HHHH

Pleasance Courtyard, 1229 Aug, £8.50 – £9.50

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 73

comedylistings Joe Wilkinson: My Mum’s Called Stella and My Dad’s Called Brian

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 17, 24, £8.50 – £9.50

Roisin Conaty: Destiny’s Dickhead HHH Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

A Free Pro-Zach: An Antidepressant Guaranteed to Lift Your Spirits but With the Side-Effect of Nullifying Your Libido

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 12-28 Aug, £free

17:50 Gavin Webster: All Young People Are C**ts

The Stand Comedy Club II, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8

Oklahomaphobia!

Ciao Roma, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £free

17:55 Susan Murray’s Photo Booth

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8

Patsy Blades’ Mid-Life Crisis

Sweet Grassmarket, 2228 Aug, £9.50

18:00 Brave New Irish Showcase - Free

Laughing Horse @ Finnegan’s Wake, 12-26 Aug, not 13, 14, 21, £free

Chris Mayo’s Panic Attack

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £7 – £8

Edinburgh Bloody Edinburgh

The Wee Windaes , 12-29 Aug, £12

Lady Garden HH

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £9.50

Laughing Horse Free Pick of the Fringe Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, £free

Sammy J and Randy: Ricketts Lane Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £12.50 – £14

Transformer

Bedlam Theatre, 12-27 Aug, £8

Hitch and Mitch Genisis

The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-27 Aug, £free

Dying to Help - Free Jenny Ha’s, 12-27 Aug, not 15, £free

The Brandreth Papers

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 1229 Aug, £10 – £12

Holly Walsh - The Hollycopter

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

4 Poofs and a Piano Business as Usual Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £14 – £15

The Big Value Comedy Show - Early Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £10

Beer and Loathing and Lost Wages - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12-28 Aug, £free

Eric Lampaert

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £12

❤ Kerry Godliman - Wonder Woman HHHH Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £11 – £12

5-Step Guide to Being German - Free Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, not 13, 20, 27, £free

Original

James W Smith: Living in Syntax

The Royal Mile Tavern, 1227 Aug, not 16, £free

18:15 Bob Slayer’s Marmite Gameshow - Free Laughing Horse @ The Hive, 24-28 Aug, £free

Foil, Arms and Hog: Comedy Doesn’t Pay

Globe, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £10

18:05

Thomas Hardie & Co

Absolute Improv

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-27 Aug, £8.50 – £9.50

Chronic

Laughing Horse @ Cafe Renroc, 20-28 Aug, £free

Thirty-seven ways of deceiving you, the audience, into believing I have written a new one-man show for 2011 even though I probably haven’t, or something The Canons’ Gait, 12-28 Aug, not 17, 24, £free

OCD: The Singing Obsessive - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

Sarah Archer - Bumfluff and Brimstone

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-27 Aug, £7

Best of Irish Comedy

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-28 Aug, £10

18:10 Michael J Dolan Dress to Depress

Laughing Horse @ The White Horse, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £free

74 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

Ryan’s Cellar Bar, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £free

WitTank

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £8.50 – £9.50

Free Jewish Comedy Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

Caroline Mabey’s One Minute Silence Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £9 – £10

Frank Sanazi’s Comedy Blitzkrieg - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Hive, 12-21 Aug, £free

Ian D Montfort - Spirit Comedium Pleasance Courtyard, 1228 Aug, £10 – £11

Asian Provocateurs: Rule Britannia! - Free Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Dan Willis: Inspired - Free!

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, £free

Aaaaaaaaaaaaarghh! It’s the Malcolm Hardee Spaghetti-Juggling Contest - Year One

Outside the Beehive Inn, 24-25 Aug, £free

Aaaaaaaaaaaaarghh!

It’s the Malcolm Hardee Comedy Punch-Up Debates And They’re Free!

Laughing Horse @ The Hive, 22-23 Aug, £free

Neil By Mouth

Cabaret Voltaire, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 24, £5 – £8

A Mixed Bag - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, £free

Bog Standard Britain Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 22 Aug, £9

18:20 You’re Being Lied To - 2011 / PBH’s Free Fringe

Medina, 12-27 Aug, not 16, £free

Andrew Doyle’s Crash Course in Depravity

Paul McCaffrey: Saying Something Stupid Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

Rosie’s Pop Diary

Just the Tonic at The Tron, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 16, £8 – £9

Fraser Millward’s Little Men

The Voodoo Rooms, 1227 Aug, not 15, £free

John Robertson: Dragon Punch! - Free Laughing Horse @ The Hive, 12-28 Aug, £free

18:30 Dana McCoy: ‘Cube Rat’ Rabbie Burns Cafe and Bar, 12-27 Aug, not 16, £free

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, £6.50 – £7.50

The Top Secret Comedy Club

Josh Howie: I Am A Dick HH

Danny Bevins: Infectious Waste

The Stand Comedy Club V, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9

New Art Club: Quiet Act of Destruction HHH

Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £12 – £14

Delete the Banjax: Pigs and Ponies HHH Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

Keith Farnan: Money, Money, Money Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £9 – £10.50

NewsRevue

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £12.50 – £15

Whistlebinkies, 12-26 Aug, not 13, 20, £free

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8 – £9.50

Dave Callan Presents ?

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

Henning Wehn / Otto Kuhnle: Das Very Best Of German Humour Assembly George Square, 16 Aug, £12.50

An Evening With David Sedaris

Venue150 @ EICC, 16-20 Aug, £15

Quiz in my Pants

Opium, 12-27 Aug, not 16, £free

www.festmag.co.uk

comedylistings An Austrian, an Italian and Someone from Slough Laughing Horse @ Meadow Bar, 12-28 Aug, £free

The Silky Pair: Jealous People - Free Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, £free

18:40 The Phoenix: A Failure On a Mission Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £7 – £9

Joel Sanders - Jokes That Got Me Kicked Out Of Tennessee Dragonfly, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £free

Laurence Clark: Health Hazard! HHH Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £11

Charmian Hughes: The Ten Charmandments

The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Mae Day: I’m Not Waving, I’m Drowning

The Rat Pack, 12-27 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

Andi Osho: All the Single Ladies HHH Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £12 – £14

Piff the Magic Dragon: Last of the Magic Dragons

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, £9 – £10

Chortle Presents: Fast Fringe

Pleasance Dome, 12-27 Aug, £8.50 – £9.50

www.festmag.co.uk

Rayguns Look Real Enough: Balls Deep

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, £9.50 – £10.50

18:45 Festival of the Spoken Nerd

Sin Club and Lounge, 16 Aug, £free

The Naked Busker: Seeing More of Me - Free

❤ Alun Cochrane: Moments of Alun HHHH

The Stand Comedy Club, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10

The Infinite Delusions of Victor Pope - Free

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 12-28 Aug, not 17, 24, £free

Reshape While Damp Laughing Horse @ Edinburgh City Football Club, 12 Aug, £free

Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 20-28 Aug, £free

19:00

Richard Sandling’s Perfect Movie

Pearse James Presents Freesome

The Cameo Cinema, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £9

The Artisan

Sin Club and Lounge, 12-27 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

Applied_Optimism Sin Club and Lounge, 12-27 Aug, not 17, 24, £free

Ridiculous - Free

Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, Various dates from 12 Aug to 19 Aug, £free

Barry Cryer - Innit Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-18 Aug, £12

Shirley and Shirley: The Wonder Years

Assembly Hall, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10 – £11

18:50 Joel Dommett: Neon Hero HHH Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £12

Best of Whyteleafe Comedy Club - Free

Laughing Horse @ Edinburgh City Football Club, 21-28 Aug, £free

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Frimston and Rowett

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, £8

John Robins: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £8 – £9

Steve Gribbin: Laugh at First Sight

The Stand Comedy Club II, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9

Henry Rollins

The Queen’s Hall, 18-19 Aug, £15

❤ Imran Yusuf Bring the Thunder HHHH

Pleasance Courtyard, 1229 Aug, £11 – £12

Josie Long: The Future Is Another Place

Pleasance Dome, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £10 – £12

Jarlath Regan - Shock and Ahhh! HHH Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £9.50

The Quotidian Revue The Bongo Club, 21-28 Aug, £9

Jessica Fostekew: Luxury Tramp Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £8 – £9.50

Sara Pascoe vs the Apocalypse HHH

Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £12

Steve-O

The Edge Festival @ The Liquid Room, 15-17 Aug, £17.50

Amateur Transplants: Adam Kay’s Smutty Songs Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10 – £11.50

Chris McCausland Big Time HHH Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £11 – £12

Dr Phil’s Rude Health Show

theSpace @ Symposium Hall, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £9 – £10

Mark Dolan - Sharing Too Much Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-26 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £9.50

The Maybe Pile

Southsider, 12-27 Aug, £free

Stuart Goldsmith: Another Lovely Crisis HHH Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £9 – £10

19:05 Aslan - The Lockdown theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £8

Colin Hoult’s Inferno Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £12 – £14

Kev Orkian The Guilty Pianist – The Closed Venues Tour

Mickey Anderson Unlocks the Key to Human Happiness

An Evening in With Henry the Hoover and Friends

Morris & Vyse: Daylords Return

SpaceCabaret @ 54, 1227 Aug, £12

Ciao Roma, 12-27 Aug, not 15, £free

Vladimir McTavish: A Scotsman’s Guide to Betting The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £8

The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-27 Aug, not 18, 25, £free

Jenny Ha’s, 20-27 Aug, £free

AAA Stand-Up

Pleasance Courtyard, 1229 Aug, £9 – £10

Bob Slayer’s Marmite Gameshow - Free

19:10

Laughing Horse @ The Hive, 12-22 Aug, £free

Mark Nelson - Guilty Pleasure

Lights! Camera!

Improvise!

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £10 – £11

Chris Cox: Fatal Distraction

Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £12 – £14

The Fringe Comedy Academy: Class of 2011

The Stand Comedy Club, 15 Aug, £6

Devious Minds

Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 14-22 Aug, £9

19:15 Edinburgh Bloody Edinburgh

The Wee Windaes , 12-29 Aug, £12

Fear of a Brown Planet

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £8.50 – £9.50

Alistair Greaves Mixed Grill - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 22, £free

Humphrey Ker is Dymock Watson: Nazi Smasher!

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £10 – £12.50

C venues - C, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £11.50

Matt Rudge - We Could Be Heroes

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £11 – £12

The Social Anxiety Network

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, £free

JEWELSH

The Canons’ Gait, 18-28 Aug, £free

Josh Widdicombe: If This Show Saves One Life Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10 – £11

❤ Robin Ince - Star Corpse Apple Child HHHH

The Canons’ Gait, 12-17 Aug, £free

19:20 Edward Aczel Doesn’t Exist

Underbelly, Cowgate, 1228 Aug, £9.50 – £11.50

Shane Matheson and His Fabulous Singing Bucket of Gravel Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12 Aug, £free

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 75

comedylistings Spaghetti Lolognaise - Free Laughing Horse @ The White Horse, 12-28 Aug, £free

The Age of Treason - Free Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 13-20 Aug, £free

David O’Doherty is Looking Up Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £14 – £15

One Handed Show: A History of Pornography The Royal Mile Tavern, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Recovering Catholics Anonymous and Other Crosses I’ve Had to Bear - Free Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 21-28 Aug, £free

19:25 Brown and Corley: Born in the 80s

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £7.50

Spring Day: Sushi Souffle - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Hive, 12-28 Aug, £free

19:30 Zoe Lyons Clownbusting

Pleasance Courtyard, 1228 Aug, £10 – £12

God Bless, God Speed, God Damn You All

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 28 Aug, £free

Lewis Schaffer is Free Until Famous 18th Year

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12-28 Aug, £free

The Many Mental Minds of Dr Jackson The Voodoo Rooms, 12-26 Aug, £free

Pete Bennett’s Tourette’s and Stuff Cabaret Voltaire, 12-29 Aug, £8 – £9

Dave Nelder and Vague Acquaintances - Free Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 14-18 Aug, £free

Sitting on a Cornflake - Free

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, £free

Walking On Broken Das City Edinburgh, 12-20 Aug, £10

Mark Thomas: Extreme Rambling (Walking the Wall)

The Bongo Club, 12-20 Aug, not 16, £14.50

The Ad-Libertines

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 21-25 Aug, £free

Andrew Bird’s Village Fete Gilded Balloon Teviot, 1227 Aug, £8.50 – £9.50

Comedy Gala 2011: In Aid of Waverley Care Festival Theatre Edinburgh, 16 Aug, £25

Craig Hill - Blown By a Fan...!

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 14, 21, £12.50 – £14.50

Gangsters of Laugh - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Indoor Fox Hunting

C venues - C aquila, 12-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, £15

Improvised Plays from Austin, Texas theSpaces on the Mile , 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7

Iain Stirling and Sean McLoughlin

Neil Delamere: Divilment

The Stand Comedy Club V, 22 Aug, £8

Base Nightclub, 18-27 Aug, £free

Up to the Eyeballs

Matt Tiller: Just Du-et

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £10 – £12

Dave Gorman’s Power Point Presentation

The World According to Damien Crow

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £10.50

Tim FitzHigham: Gambler

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £6.50 – £11

19:35

Chris Martin: No. Not That One

Assembly Hall, 12-28 Aug, £14 – £16

Paul Foot: Still Life

Just the Tonic at The Tron, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £8

Buffs Club (RAOB), 12-27 Aug, £free

Free Agent - A Free Show by James Hazelden

Sarah MillicanThoroughly Modern Millican

Venue150 @ EICC, 12-27 Aug, £16.50 – £18.50

The Lastminute Comedy Club

Daniel Sloss - The Joker

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 16, £free

Ed Byrne: Crowd Pleaser

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, £7 – £8

The Big Value Comedy Show - Middle

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £10

19:40

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £11.50 – £13.50

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £7 – £8

Francesca Martinez: What the **** is Normal?!

The Stand Comedy Club V, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, 23, £9

Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen

Assembly George Square, 12-27 Aug, £15 – £16

76 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

Joey Page - Sparklehorse Superbrain

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £11 – £12

19:45 The Lalorpalooza Show

Opium, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse: The End is Nigh Zoo Southside, 12-27 Aug, £8

Anil Desai...

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 1218 Aug, £10 – £12

The Cloud Girls and Ryan Withers - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, not 24, 25, £free

ACME Stand-Up - Free Laughing Horse @ The Newsroom, 12-28 Aug, £free

The Ginge, the Geordie and the Geek - Best of 09/10 Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £9.50 – £12

Martha McBrier - I’m Eric Barthram Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, £free

Jim Smallman: Tattooligan HHH

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 1228 Aug, not 17, £10

Mark Watson’s 2012 Preview Gilded Balloon Teviot, 19-27 Aug, £15

Trevor Browne Greaterness

Rabbie Burns Cafe and Bar, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £free

19:50 Chastity Butterworth and the Spanish Hamster Laughing Horse @ Meadow Bar, 12-28 Aug, £free

Fingers on Buzzards: The Improvised Pub-Quiz Dragonfly, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Fred MacAulay: Legally Bald

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-17 Aug, £10

Shappi Khorsandi: Me and My Brother in Our Pants, Holding Hands Pleasance Courtyard, 1228 Aug, £13 – £14

Giants of Comedy

Fingers Piano Bar, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Omid Djalili: Work in Progress

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 18-28 Aug, £10

Carl Donnelly 3: Carl Donnelier!

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10 – £12

Don’t Mess

The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-27 Aug, not 17, 25, £free

19:55 Squirrel Party

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

20:00 Bob Downe: 20 Golden Greats

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 16, 25, £12 – £14

So You Think You’re Funny? Final

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 25 Aug, £15

Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit

Pleasance Courtyard, 15 Aug, £12

❤ Who Are the Jocks? HHHH

Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £10.50

About Tam O’Shanter Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £7

Golden Showers of Love

Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Jen Brister is British(ish)

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £9 – £10

Catie Wilkins: A Chip Off the Odd Block Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £10.50

www.festmag.co.uk

comedylistings Nathan Dean Williams presents...

‘The Buffet’

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, £6.50 – £7.50

Patrick Monahan: Hug Me I Feel Good

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 1228 Aug, not 15, 22, 24, 25, £10.50 – £12.50

Chat Masala with Hardeep Singh Kohli Gilded Balloon Teviot, 16 Aug, £11

Dana Alexander: New Arrival

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

Javier Jarquin: Bullets Before Bedtime Assembly Hall, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £9 – £10

Stephens and Thomas

Sin Club and Lounge, 12-27 Aug, £free

Andrew Lawrence The Best Kept Secret in Comedy Tour Pleasance Courtyard, 1228 Aug, £11 – £12.50

Michael Winslow HHH Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £12 – £14

Psycho Big Top Comedy Club

Ocean Terminal Big Top, 17 Aug, £10

Roughhausers Comedy Sideshow

Leith on the Fringe @ Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 26-27 Aug, £10

20:05 The Michael Farcical Show - Free Laughing Horse @ Edinburgh City Football Club, 12-13 Aug, £free

The Queen’s Speech

Sharron Matthews Superstar: Jesus Thinks I’m Funny

Seann Walsh: Ying and Young

SpaceCabaret @ 54, 1227 Aug, not 21, £12.50

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10 – £11

20:10

Shazia Mirza: Busybody

High Ape - Free Show Laughing Horse @ The Hive, 12-28 Aug, not 14, 15, 22, £free

The Life Doctor

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £9 – £10.50

Martin Mor: The Call of the Golden Frog

The Stand Comedy Club II, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9

❤ Thom Tuck Goes Straight to DVD HHHH

Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 21, £9 – £10

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 12-28 Aug, £free

20:15

Nothing to Show

Baby Wants Candy

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7

Kevin Shepherd: Caronicle - Free HHH Laughing Horse @ The White Horse, 12-28 Aug, £free

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, not 22, £13 – £15

❤ Elis James: Do You Remember the First Time? HHHH Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 18, £9.50 – £12

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, £10.50 – £12.50

Nathan Caton: Get Rich or Die Cryin’ Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £12

Raymond Mearns: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Stress But Were Afraid to Ask The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8

The Wee Man

❤ DeAnne Smith: The Best DeAnne Smith DeAnne Smith Can Be HHHH Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £8.50 – £9.50

20:20 Alex Horne: Seven Years in the Bathroom

Pleasance Dome, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £10.50

Peacock and Gamble Podcast Live Pleasance Dome, 14 Aug, 21 Aug, 28 Aug, £9.50

Tom Deacon: Can I Be Honest?

Laughing Horse @ The Phoenix, 12-28 Aug, not 14, £free

Pleasance Dome, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £8.50 – £9.50

Aaaaaaaaargh! It’s the Monster Stand Up Show

The Chris and Paul Show

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 12-28 Aug, £free

Des Clarke - Des Comedy Jam

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £12 – £13

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, £8 – £9

The News at Kate 2011

Ciao Roma, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £free

20:25 Helen Keen’s Spacetacular! - Free The Canons’ Gait, 15 Aug, 22 Aug, £free

Phill Jupitus: Stand Down

The Stand Comedy Club, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £12

Bob Doolally Live and Half-Cut

The Stand Comedy Club, 22 Aug, £9

Norman Lovett - Free The Canons’ Gait, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

20:30 The Best of Boyd & Metcalfe The Royal Mile Tavern, 12-27 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

David Reed: Shamblehouse

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £10 – £12

Henry Paker - Cabin Fever Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

Jonathan Prager August 4th -­ 27th, 2011 23:00

THE COUNTING HOUSE

38 WEST NICOLSON STREET EH8 9DD VENUE 170 0131 667 7533

www.festmag.co.uk

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 77

comedylistings Laughing Horse Free Pick of the Fringe Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, £free

The Songs I’ll Never Sing - Free Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 14-28 Aug, £free

Alfie Joey Monopolise!

Pleasance Courtyard, 22 Aug, £9

Idiots of Ants

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £10 – £11

Pete Firman: Jiggery Pokery HHH Pleasance Dome, 12-28 Aug, £12 – £14

Rich Fulcher: Tiny Acts of Rebellion Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £11 – £12

The Moonfish Rhumba: The Chronicles of Moonfish

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £6.50 – £8.50

Fabulous Abs

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12-29 Aug, not 14, £free

Faulty Towers the Dining Experience

B’est Restaurant, 14-30 Aug, not 19, 20, 26, 27, £43

Gareth Richards: It’s Not the End of the World Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 18, £8.50 – £9.50

Sammy J: Potentially

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10 – £12.50

Matt Green: Too Much Information

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £9 – £11

Playing Politics

Acoustic Music Centre @ St Brides, 19 Aug, £10

Steve Hall’s Very Still Life

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

20:35 Matt Kirshen: Wide-eyed

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10.50 – £12

Nonsense Duet - Free Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-27 Aug, £free

Jenneke Wonders - Free

Laughing Horse @ Cafe Renroc, 21-28 Aug, £free

Please Retain For Your Records

Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 14-20 Aug, £10

20:40 ❤ Asher Treleaven: Matador HHHH Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £10.50

Kelly Kingham and Guy Manners: Infectious - Free The Voodoo Rooms, 12-27 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

Claudia O’Doherty What Is Soil Erosion?

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £9 – £10

Funt

Base Nightclub, 12-27 Aug, £free

A Sketchy Idea - Free Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 21-28 Aug, £free

20:50 Dawn of the Dawn

Medina, 27 Aug, £free

❤ Richard Herring: What is Love Anyway? HHHH Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-28 Aug, £12.50 – £14.50

Mud Wrestling With Words

Alfie Brown - The Love You Take

The Banshee Labyrinth, 18-27 Aug, £free

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £7 – £8

20:45

❤ Phil Nichol: The Simple Hour HHHH

10 Films With my Dad / PBH’s Free Fringe

Ryan’s Cellar Bar, 12-27 Aug, £free

The Fudge Shop

The Fudge Kitchen, 1228 Aug, not 15, £7

Hiroshi Shimizu: From Japan With ‘Rub’ - Free

The Stand Comedy Club V, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10

Russell Kane: Manscaping

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-26 Aug, not 22, £17.50

20:55 Tim Clare: How to Be a Leader

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 14-28 Aug, £free

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

Loose Men

Piff the Magic Dragon: Last of the Magic Dragons

Kiwi Bar @ Walkabout, 21-27 Aug, £free

It’s The End of the World As We Know It - Free

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-20 Aug, £free

Lach, the Waitress, the Walls & the Weirdos

Cabaret Voltaire, 12-29 Aug, £free

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12 Aug, £10

Keeping the Captain Warm Just The Tonic at the Caves, 13-28 Aug, not 17, £7 – £8

Slim In Wonderland

Pope Benedict: Bond Villain

The Playhouse at Hawke and Hunter Green Room, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £11.50 – £12.50

BBC: Great Unanswered Questions

Alan Anderson: Whisky Fir Dummies

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £9.50

BBC @ Potterrow, 16 Aug, £free

The Book of Quincy - Free

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-27 Aug, £free

Robert Taylor is ‘So Inappropriate’ Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 12-13 Aug, £12

21:00 Just the Tonic at The Tron, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £10 – £11

James Christopher: Triangle Man - Free

Dragonfly, 12-27 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

Margaret Cho - Cho Dependent HH

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £15 – £16

78 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

The TinaMarinas Being Gorgeous - Free Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-20 Aug, £free

Aidan Bishop Misspelled

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

Andrew Maxwell: The Lights Are On

Found Objects Present Live Low Budget Comedy Adventures - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Newsroom, 12-28 Aug, not 14, £free

Jimeoin - Lovely!

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £12.50 – £14.50

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £13 – £15

Playing Politics

Fiona O’Loughlin: Spirited (Tales from an Angel in a Bottle)

Sex You (I’m Gonna)

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 1228 Aug, £10 – £11

The Pajama Men: In the Middle of No One Assembly Hall, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £13 – £14

David Kelly is Shameless - Free

Laughing Horse @ Meadow Bar, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

BBC: Life: An Idiot’s Guide with Stephen K Amos

Acoustic Music Centre @ St Brides, 20 Aug, £10 Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-14 Aug, £7 – £9

21:05 The Artists Currently Known As Magpie & Stump

Assembly Hall, 20-28 Aug, £16

Asli and Ashley: Audacious and Angry The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

The Big Value Comedy Show - Late Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £10

Jerry Sadowitz Comedian, Magician, Psychopath Assembly Hall, 12-14 Aug, £19.50

What a Palaver!

- Free

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 21-28 Aug, £free

Adventures in Comedy: Murder, Madness and Mayhem! - Free Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, £free

Chaps on Legs

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 15-28 Aug, not 16, £5 – £6

Adam Crow - Ashton Kutcher’s Dead Girlfriends Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 12-29 Aug, £free

M. Croser - Unpleasant Man Sin Club and Lounge, 12-27 Aug, £free

21:20 Shane and Eddie: Picking up the Pieces

Craig Campbell

Flood

Sanderson Jones - ComedySale.com/ Fringe

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 15-27 Aug, not 21, £6

Shawn Hitchins: Survival of the Fiercest

Andy Parsons: Gruntled

Sin Club and Lounge, 12-27 Aug, £free

When I’m King

Fosters Comedy Live @ highlight

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10.50 – £12

Warning: May Contain Jokes

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, £7.50 – £8.50

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-13 Aug, £9

Tom Stade: What Year Was That? HHH

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10.50 – £11.50

theSpaces on the Mile , 22-27 Aug, £6

BBC @ Potterrow, 13 Aug, £free

highlight, Various dates from 12 Aug to 27 Aug, £10

Sam Simmons Meanwhile

theSpaces on North Bridge, 22-27 Aug, £12

21:10 Randy is Sober

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10 – £12

Jack Mink: Making Light theSpace @ Jury’s Inn, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7

Des Bishop - My Dad Was Nearly James Bond Pleasance Courtyard, 12-14 Aug, £14

The Boy With Tape On His Face Pleasance Courtyard, 15-28 Aug, £10.50 – £12.50

21:15 Naz Osmanoglu: 1000% Awesome Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £8.50 – £9.50

Henning Wehn No Surrender

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 17, £6.50 – £10.50

Künt and the Gang Free HH

Laughing Horse @ The Hive, 12-28 Aug, £free

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £9 – £10

Markus Birdman: Dreaming

The Stand Comedy Club II, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 23, £8

Terry Alderton

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10.50 – £12

Marcel Lucont Etc: A Chat Show Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

Pistol & Jack – Smash.

Glam.Sex.Music.

Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £10 – £12

Christophe Davidson: No Less of a Man - Free

Laughing Horse @ The White Horse, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Jason Byrne: Cirque Du Byrne

Venue150 @ EICC, 12-14 Aug, £19.50

21:21 Take the Red Pill - Free

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 12-28 Aug, £free

21:25 Stephen Carlin: Guilty Bystander

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8

www.festmag.co.uk

comedylistings An Evening with Helen Lederer

SpaceCabaret @ 54, 21 Aug, £15

Eric Davidson Verses the World SpaceCabaret @ 54, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 15, 21, 22, £10

21:30 Sketchatron: Nano

Bedlam Theatre, 14 Aug, 21 Aug, £9

Tom Rosenthal: Child of Privilege HH Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £12

Stand Up For Freedom

Venue150 @ EICC, 17-18 Aug, £18

The Comedy Reserve

Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £8 – £9

Mick Ferry: Sod It! Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

Robin Ince’s Struggle for Existence Buffs Club (RAOB), 12-16 Aug, £free

All the Fun of the Unfair

Southsider, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

2 Comedians, 1 Bucket - Free

Bar 50, 12-27 Aug, not 18, 25, £free

The Axis of Awesome

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 25, £12 – £14

Glenn Wool: No Lands Man

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £12 – £14

John Lynn: Social Notworking

The Rob Deering Experience

Arthur Smith’s Pissed-Up Chat Show

Bruce Fummey - My Afro Celtic Angst

The Ultimate Quiz Show featuring Silly Milly

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Ali Cook - Principles and Deceptions Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £12 – £13

The Big Comedy Gala in Aid of Macmillan Cancer Support Venue150 @ EICC, 15 Aug, £20

Dregs

Venue150 @ EICC, 18-27 Aug, not 22, 23, £15

www.festmag.co.uk

The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-27 Aug, £free

Tom Price: Say When HHH

❤ My Name Is Hannibal: The Hannibal Montanabal Experience HHHH

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 19-28 Aug, £free

The W. Kamau Bell Curve – Ending Racism In About An Hour Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £11 – £12

21:35 Off the Top of Our Heads

theSpaces on North Bridge, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £6.50

Sarah Archer - Bumfluff and Brimstone

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £7

London Is Funny Presents...

Ciao Roma, 12-27 Aug, £free

Peter Buckley Hill and Some Comedians XV The Canons’ Gait, 12-27 Aug, £free

Abacus Danger Present... ‘The Search for Blank’

Harmon Leon/Bush Monologues: Comedy Double Feature

Jack Whitehall- Let’s Not Speak Of This Again

Alan Sharp: Hate It With Me

Fly Me to Baboon - Free!

Bob Doolally: Live and Half-Cut

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £12 – £14

21:45

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £12

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-27 Aug, £6.50

Frisky and Mannish: Pop Centre Plus

Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 12-28 Aug, not 15, 16, £free

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10.50

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 15 Aug, £10

Pleasance Dome, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 16, 17, 18, £10 – £11.50

21:40 Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, £7 – £9

Jimmy McGhie: Artificial Intelligence Pleasance Dome, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9.50

Rich Hall

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £15 – £17

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10 – £11.50

Auntie Netta and the Trouble With Asian Men Underbelly, Cowgate, 1528 Aug, £10 – £12

Cowboys and Indians: Black Man in the White House Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Good

Jenny Ha’s, 14-27 Aug, not 17, 24, £free

Agonise, the Comedy Problem Page - Free Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, not 26, £free

Prepare to Be Tuned Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, £10.50 – £12.50

Chris Ramsey: Offermation HHH

Aisle16 R Kool!

The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-27 Aug, not 16, £free

Guilt & Shame

Pleasance Courtyard, 1228 Aug, £8.50 – £9.50

Doctor Brown: Becaves

Couch Impro

The Improlympians: Three’s Company - Free

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £10.50

One Threw Up in the Cuckoo’s Nest - Free Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, £free

Musical Comedy Awards Showcase Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-14 Aug, £12.50

21:55 To Be ... Or Not to Be ... Or Whatever It Will Be? theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-27 Aug, £5

The Best of Scottish Comedy The Stand Comedy Club, 12-28 Aug, £12

22:00 Armageddapocalypse: The Explosioning

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £8.50 – £9.50

Get Up, Stand Up! Gala

Venue150 @ EICC, 16-17 Aug, £14

R U Smarter Than an Irishman? - Free Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-27 Aug, not 17, 24, £free

Robert Taylor is ‘So Inappropriate’

Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 14-29 Aug, not 27, £12

Storytellers’ Club

❤ Tim Key Masterslut HHHH

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, £10

❤ James Acaster: Amongst Other Things HHHH

The Kingsley and I (Free Stand Up Compilation Show)

Benny Boot: Set-Up, Punchline... Pause for Laughter

Alive and Breathing...

Almost

Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £12 – £14

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £12

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £8.50 – £9.50

21:50 Conway’s ‘Time of the Month’ The Voodoo Rooms, 12-27 Aug, £free

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, £free

Sweet Grassmarket, 12-28 Aug, £7

Aaaaaaaaaaaaarghh!

It’s the Malcolm Hardee Comedy Awards Show - And It’s Free!

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 26-27 Aug, £free

Buffs Club (RAOB), 18-27 Aug, £free

BBC: The Radio 2 Arts Show

BBC @ Potterrow, 12-13 Aug, £free

Damian Clark: Stand UP Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8 – £9

Naked in a Fishbowl Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel, 22-27 Aug, £10

22:05 Lloyd Langford: The Cold Hard Facts of Life

The Stand Comedy Club V, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9

Five Alive! The Musical

theSpaces on the Mile , 15-27 Aug, not 21, £5

22:10 Bob and Jim - Modern Urges Underbelly, Cowgate, 1228 Aug, £9.50 – £10.50

Cooking Granny

theSpace @ Symposium Hall, 25-26 Aug, £10

Mary Christ - The Unmusical!

theSpace @ Jury’s Inn, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7 – £8.50

Chimprovisations!

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £7 – £8

The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-16 Aug, £free

The Segue Sisters in ... Jailbirds Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £8 – £10

Matthew Highton’s Shadowed Vagary

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £6.50

Barry and Stuart Show and Tell: The Show

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 1228 Aug, £12 – £14

22:20 The Germans Are Coming

Underbelly, Cowgate, 16-17 Aug, £11

Drags Aloud

Underbelly, Cowgate, 1828 Aug, £10 – £12

Get Happy in Edinburgh

Just the Tonic at The Tron, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £8 – £9

Papa CJ: One in a Billion

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-14 Aug, £9

22:25 Monkhouse and Me

SpaceCabaret @ 54, 1214 Aug, £8 – £9

Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 14-29 Aug, £6.50

Charlie Chuck’s Laughter Lounge

22:15

Matt and Ian Don’t Know

SpaceCabaret @ 54, 1521 Aug, £8

Carey Marx: Laziness and Stuff

Sweet Grassmarket, 12-21 Aug, £9

Jocks and Geordies - Free!

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £10 – £12

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8 – £9.50

Laughing Horse @ Meadow Bar, 12-28 Aug, £free

Simply the Jest - Free The Banshee Labyrinth, 17-27 Aug, £free

BattleActs!

Improvised Comedy - Free Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, £free

Jason John Whitehead: Letters from Mindy

22:30 BUG Hosted By Adam Buxton Pleasance Courtyard, 25-29 Aug, £15

Comic Strip

Assembly George Square, 12 Aug, 13 Aug, 14 Aug, 21 Aug, 28 Aug, £15

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 79

comedylistings John Robertson - Blood & Charm: Disturbing Stories for Disturbing Bedtimes Assembly Hall, 12-29 Aug, £9

Kai Humphries - BareFaced Cheek HH Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £9.50 – £10.50

Robert Taylor is ‘So Inappropriate’

Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 27 Aug, £12

Simon Donald’s Dirty Great Fringepiece

The Stand Comedy Club II, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8

Dead Cat Bounce: Caged Heat

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £11 – £12

Deborah Frances White- How to Get Almost Anyone to Want to Sleep with You

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 20, £9.50 – £12

Assembly Hall, 18-27 Aug, £12.50 – £14.50

Obsession - A Life With Magic

Zoo, 13 Aug, 20 Aug, £10

Strong and Wrong get Funked Up - Free Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £free

Puppetry of the Penis: 3D HH

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £15 – £17.50

❤ Andrew O’Neill: Alternative HHHH

Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £12

Best of So You Think You’re Funny?

Laughing Horse @ The White Horse, 12-28 Aug, £free

Assembly George Square, Various dates from 18 Aug to 27 Aug, £15

The Two Wrongies

Chimprovisations!

Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 12-13 Aug, £6.50

w w w. al zh

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 14-17 Aug, £10

Lifestyles of the Weird and Aimless

Laughing Horse @ Edinburgh City Football Club, 12-28 Aug, £free Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £9 – £10

So You Think You’re Funny?

22:35

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 14, 15, 16, 17, 25, £10.50

Al Murray the Pub Landlord’s Compete for the Meat - Late Night

The Calpol Flashbacks - Free

Late Night Gimp Fight!

Ro Campbell: Uttering Bad Shillings

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8

North vs South

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

ei merst he m

us ic al .c om

Alzheimer’s the Musical Award g Winnin y Comed

A night to remember!

‘Hilarious!’ The Age

Rom Com Wrong

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £8

Wade McElwain - The Littlest Hobo Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £8 – £9

22:40

Kitty Cointreau’s BraHaHa

Tom Lenk: Nerdgasm Pleasance Courtyard, 12 Aug, £12.50

Jeff Mirza’s Jihad: Heresy Or Hearsay

Underbelly, Cowgate, 1228 Aug, £9.50 – £10.50

No Pants Thursday

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £7.50

Casual Violence: Choose Death

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £6

Neil Hamburger: Discounted Entertainer

Assembly George Square, 15-28 Aug, £12

Paul Sinha: Looking at the Stars The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9

22:45 BBC Comedy Presents Radio 1 Live @ Edinburgh

BBC @ Potterrow, 15-18 Aug, £free

Southsider, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £free

Hal Sparks - Evolution Overdrive Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

Laughing Horse Free Late Night Comedy Selection

Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 12-28 Aug, £free

Kaos Theory (Dangerous Science) - Free Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 12-13 Aug, £free

Rubber Chicken Disorder - Free

80 fest edinburgh festival guide 2010 | August 12-15

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £9 – £10.50

Michael Workman - Humans Are Beautiful

Pleasance Courtyard, 16-20 Aug, £14

Nick Gibb: Crumpled Antipodean Dandy

Gilded Balloon Teviot, Bristo Square

The Hermitude of Angus, Ecstatic

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £9 – £10

Bar 50, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £free

Don’t forget to book!

0131 622 6552 www.gildedballoon.co.uk

Pleasance Courtyard, 1228 Aug, £9.50 – £10.50

Angelos Epithemiou and Friends

Brady, Brush and French: A Triple Action Stand-Up Show

August 3–29 @ 5pm

The Comedy Zone

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 21-28 Aug, £free

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

Geoff Cotton - Light Relief - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 14-28 Aug, £free

The Boom Jennies: Blowout Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10.50

Robin and Partridge: Worlds Collide Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £8.50 – £9

22:50 Flood

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 15-27 Aug, not 21, £8 – £9

Peacock and Gamble Emergency Broadcast

Pleasance Dome, 12-28 Aug, £8.50 – £9.50

The Silly Beggar Comedy Affair

The Voodoo Rooms, 1227 Aug, £free

Writing Blanks Greenside, 26-27 Aug, £4

22:55 Katherine Ryan: Little Miss Conception Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £8 – £9.50

Tom Green: World Comedy Tour Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-14 Aug, £15

23:00 Dan Hoy’s Stag Do

The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-27 Aug, £free

Hypnotist,Titan Knight

City Edinburgh, Various dates from 14 Aug to 21 Aug, £13

Laughing Horse Free Pick of the Fringe Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, £free

The Special Reserve Comedy Benefit Pleasance Courtyard, 23-24 Aug, £10

The Wrestling

Pleasance Courtyard, 15-16 Aug, £10

Jeff Leach: A Leach On Society

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 19, 20, 21, £8 – £9.50

Jo Wharmby - Dick & Gina

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 12-28 Aug, not 15, 16, 22, £6

Late Night Comedy Revolution

Revolution Bar, 15-25 Aug, not 19, 20, 21, £5

Maxwell’s Fullmooners

Assembly George Square, 14-15 Aug, £16

Vikki Stone & The Flashbacks: Big Neon Letters Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £10.50

AAA Stand-Up Late

Pleasance Courtyard, 1229 Aug, £9 – £10

The Horne Section

Assembly George Square, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £12 – £14

Jonathan Prager: Live From New York! - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12-27 Aug, £free

BBC Comedy Presents - Early and Late

BBC @ Potterrow, 13-27 Aug, not 15, 16, 17, 18, £10

Men Of War HHH

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £9 – £10

3 Comics to Midnight Globe, 12-27 Aug, £free

Just for Laughs Showcase

Pleasance Dome, 16 Aug, 17 Aug, 23 Aug, 24 Aug, £7

Rob Deering: Beat This

Pleasance Courtyard, Various dates from 12 Aug to 27 Aug, £9.50

23:05 Urban Shaman - Free Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Brian and Queen Tallulah’s Glamorous Intergalactic Magic!

The Voodoo Rooms, 2127 Aug, £free

www.festmag.co.uk

comedylistings Stand Up, Fall Down The Voodoo Rooms, 12-20 Aug, £free

23:10 The Suitcase Royale in Zombatland Pleasance Courtyard, 1228 Aug, not 16, £10

❤ Dave Eastgate: I Wish I Had a Band HHHH Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

23:20 Dave Fulton ‘...Based on a True Story’

Best of Scottish Comedian of the Year

The Stand Comedy Club V, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9

Underbelly, Cowgate, 1228 Aug, £9.50 – £11.50

23:25

23:15

SpaceCabaret @ 54, 1521 Aug, £8 – £9

Rich Hall’s Hoedown HHH

Charlie Chuck’s Laughter Lounge

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £15 – £17

Gags, Songs and Bombs – Free!

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, £free

PLAY LATE The Playhouse at Hawke and Hunter Green Room, 12-29 Aug, not 28, £10.50 – £12.50

www.festmag.co.uk

Monkhouse and Me

SpaceCabaret @ 54, 1227 Aug, not 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, £8

23:30 Hypnotist,Titan Knight

City Edinburgh, 22 Aug, 23 Aug, 24 Aug, 25 Aug, 28 Aug, £13

Shaggers - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, £free

All Over Your Face Laughing Horse @ Meadow Bar, 12-27 Aug, £free

Interpretive Dances to My Diary! (72% Non-Fiction) Gilded Balloon Teviot, 13-27 Aug, not 17, £8 – £9

Wilfredo: Erecto!

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £9 – £10.50

PLAY LATE

The Playhouse at Hawke and Hunter Green Room, 28-29 Aug, £12.50

COMX

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £8 – £10

You Shoulda Been Here Last Week

Laughing Horse @ The Newsroom, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £free

Set List: Standup Without a Net Just the Tonic at The Tron, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £8 – £10

88MPH

23:59

Laughing Horse’s Funny Fillies - Free

Barry and Stuart - Show and Tell: The Tell

Laughing Horse @ The White Horse, 12-28 Aug, £free

Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £7.50

Jamie Griffin’s War on Fear - Free

23:45

23:55

TakeOut Comedy Presents Paul Ogata - USAhole! – Free Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 21-28 Aug, £free

The Great Big Sketch Off! Pleasance Courtyard, 12 Aug, 19 Aug, 26 Aug, £6

Lee Camp Is: Yet Another American Mistake

23:40

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8

Political Collective Gone Mad

Snippets - Late Night Comedy Feast

The Stand Comedy Club II, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8

23:50

Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 12-20 Aug, £free

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 18-28 Aug, £free

Tony Littler the Middle Age Punk Rides Again

Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 16-28 Aug, £free

An Immoral Evening with Dave Flynn - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 12-13 Aug, £free

Lorcan McGrath is ...

A ‘Smart’ Wrestling Fan - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 13-14 Aug, £free

Rockstar of the Mind

Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 14-15 Aug, £free

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 1228 Aug, £10 – £12

The Stand Late Show The Stand Comedy Club, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, £15

Pokermen Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, £12

Political Animal The Stand Comedy Club, 15-25 Aug, not 19, 20, 21, £10

The Room Assembly George Square, 14 Aug, 18 Aug, 21 Aug, £8

Best of the Fest

Assembly Hall, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, £14 – £15

The Midnight Hour

The Canons’ Gait, 12-29 Aug, not 14, 21, 28, £free

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 81

theatrelistings 00:00

10:00

(g)Host City

The Dark Philosophers

www.virtualfestival.org, 13 Aug - 5 Sep, £free

The One Man Show HHH C venues - C, 13-30 Aug, not 16, £7.50 – £9.50

10:20 Travelers: A Comedy with Music

Traverse Theatre, 13 Aug, 18 Aug, 23 Aug, 27 Aug, £17 – £19

Us and Them

Quaker Meeting House, 23-24 Aug, £free

Shakespeare for Breakfast

01:00 Lullabies of Broadmoor - Wilderness

C venues - C, 15 Aug, 22 Aug, £7.50

09:15 ‘New York’ by David Rimmer Church Hill Theatre, 22 Aug, £5

Just Before Sleep

Church Hill Theatre, 19 Aug, £5

Rumors

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12 Aug, £5

The Trek Electric

Church Hill Theatre, 20 Aug, £5

09:20 War at Home

Church Hill Theatre, 12 Aug, £5

09:30 Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 13 Aug, £5

Check, Please!

Church Hill Theatre, 21 Aug, £5

09:40

C venues - C, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £6.50 – £8.50

Church Hill Theatre, 13 Aug, £5

E.A. Poe: Into the Mind of Madness

Church Hill Theatre, 13 Aug, £5

10:30 Pleasance Dome, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £10

The Wheel

Traverse Theatre, 12 Aug, 17 Aug, 21 Aug, 26 Aug, £17 – £19

Timothy

Bedlam Theatre, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £6.50

Alice in Wonderland

C venues - C soco, 17-29 Aug, £6.50 – £8.50

Futureproof

Traverse Theatre, 14 Aug, 19 Aug, 24 Aug, 28 Aug, £17 – £19

10:05

The Golden Dragon HHH

Traverse Theatre, 14 Aug, 20 Aug, 25 Aug, £15 – £17

We See Fireworks

Museum of Edinburgh, 22 Aug, £free

Tearoom

Lauriston Hall, 22-28 Aug, £15

Blood and Roses

St George’s West, 12-27 Aug, £12 – £15

A Dish of Tea with Dr Johnson

Two by Jim Cartwright

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-13 Aug, £7.50

10:15 Suddenly Shakespeare

Church Hill Theatre, 19 Aug, £5

Haroun and the Sea of Stories Church Hill Theatre, 12 Aug, £5

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

The Crucible

Pilrig Studio, 12 Aug, £5

Henderson’s Vegetarian Restaurant and Arts Venue, 12-13 Aug, £6.50

Two by Jim Cartwright

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 15-19 Aug, £7.50 Traverse Theatre, 12 Aug, 18 Aug, £15 – £17

Death of a Salesman Greenside, 22-27 Aug, £7

❤ The Monster in the Hall HHHH

Traverse Theatre, 17 Aug, 27 Aug, £15 – £17

Unanswered, We Ride

theSpaces on North Bridge, 26 Aug, £6

Romeo and Juliet

theSpaces on North Bridge, 25 Aug, £6

Concerto for

MAHLER -

arr.

Schoenberg/Riehn: 3 Songs for Tenor from ʻSong of the Earthʼ

LISZT Rhapsody No. 2

arr. J West: Hungarian

!

First

Dinner with the Dinner Ladies

C venues - C soco, 14-20 Aug, £6.50 – £8.50

10:50 The Moon Under the Water theSpace on Niddry St, 15-18 Aug, £5

of the Gulda Cello Concerto in Scotland Soloists: Johannes Oesterlee (Cello) Edward Hughes (Tenor)

Canongate Kirk (Venue 15 and 16 August 2011 – 5pm

www.scwe.vpweb.co.uk

82 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

The Three Lives of Lucie Cabrol

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Summerhall, 22-26 Aug, £12

Performance

60) Tickets £ 10/ £7 0131 226 0000, online or on the door

Tales From the Vienna Woods

Alma Mater

St Clements Wind Ensemble

GULDA -

Assembly Inverleith Allotments, 12-26 Aug, not 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, £10

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-20 Aug, not 14, £8

Hotel Methuselah

!

Sold

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, £8 – £9

11:15

Kitty Litter

Zoo Roxy, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £9

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

‘New York’ by David Rimmer

theSpaces on North Bridge, 27 Aug, £5

Odd Man Out

Alma Mater

Allotment

Alice in Cha

Creditors

Wish You Were Here

Sweet Grassmarket, 12-21 Aug, £7

C venues - C soco, 12-21 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

AIRY DELIGHTS 2011

Violoncello and wind band

Mary Blandy’s Gallows Tree

101

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-13 Aug, £9

St George’s West, 13-29 Aug, not 16, 17, 23, 24, £8

Traverse Theatre, 16 Aug, 21 Aug, 26 Aug, 28 Aug, £11 – £17

Belleville Rendezvous

10:40

10:45

I, Malvolio

Greenside, 12 Aug, £free

Meadows Theatre Big Top, 13-14 Aug, £free

theSpace on Niddry St, 22 Aug, 24 Aug, 26 Aug, £5

Traverse Theatre, 13 Aug, 19 Aug, 24 Aug, £15 – £17

The Torture Show

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh - The Simple Things in Life sheds, 19-27 Aug, £11.50 – £12.50

Circus of the Orient

Wondrous Flitting HHH

Medea’s Children

The Simple Things in Life

11:10

theSpace on Niddry St, 23 Aug, 25 Aug, 27 Aug, £5

Traverse Theatre, 23 Aug, £11

theSpace @ Venue45, 26-27 Aug, £free

11:00

Bedlam Theatre, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £8

❤ A Slow Air HHHH

The Big Bite Size Breakfast

Church Hill Theatre, 22 Aug, £5

Hide and Seek

Church Hill Theatre, 20 Aug, £5

Much Ado About Nothing - The Dogberry Diaries

Church Hill Theatre, 20 Aug, £5

Just Before Sleep

Church Hill Theatre, 21 Aug, £5

Rumors

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 13 Aug, £5

Triangle

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12 Aug, £5

Funny as a Crutch

Paradise in Augustine’s, 12-13 Aug, £6

The Trek Electric

Church Hill Theatre, 22 Aug, £5

11:20 Emergence HHH

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £9

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Do Not Go Gentle

Church Hill Theatre, 12 Aug, £5

11:05

11:25

Story Shakespeare: Love’s Labour’s Lost

Agamemnon by Steven Berkoff

Malfi

The End

C venues - C too, 15-20 Aug, £6.50 – £8.50

Bedlam Theatre, 22-27 Aug, £8

theSpaces on North Bridge, 22-27 Aug, £8 Pleasance Courtyard, 2227 Aug, £9 – £10

theatrelistings 11:30 Nostalgia for Reality theSpaces on the Mile , 15-20 Aug, £7

Please Patricia

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 25-26 Aug, £7

Masterclass - The Edinburgh Sessions Pleasance Courtyard, 15-19 Aug, £5

Alice in Wonderland and Other Adventures With Lewis Carroll New Town Theatre, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £free – £8

Blood and Roses

St George’s West, 12-27 Aug, £12 – £15

Fool’s Gold

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Lie Back and Think of America

Invisible Show II

The Star Child

Greenside, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7 Pleasance Courtyard, 22-27 Aug, £7.50

Even in Edinburgh/ Glasgow Under the Departure Boards at Waverley Station, 13 Aug, 20 Aug, £free

11:35 Poor Caroline

Paradise in Augustine’s, Various dates from 12 Aug to 20 Aug, £7.50

11:40

The Trial: an Original Adaptation of the Novel by Franz Kafka of the Same Name

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £9

www.festmag.co.uk

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 15-20 Aug, £7.50

Andrea’s Got Two Boyfriends

C Venues - C eca, 14-20 Aug, £6.50 – £8.50

Church Hill Theatre, 19 Aug, 23 Aug, £5

After Miss Julie

Street Dreams

Aladdin

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 15-20 Aug, £6

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 15-20 Aug, £8 Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £8 – £9

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Alphonse by Wajdi Mouawad Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £9 – £10

The Diaries of Adam and Eve

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £12 – £13

theSpaces on North Bridge, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £7.50

Much Ado About Nothing

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-27 Aug, £9

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-14 Aug, £12

Show Me the World

101

Educate

Lost in Mozart

Phillipa and Will Are Now in a Relationship

First Light

Broken Wing

St George’s West, 20-28 Aug, £10

Three Sisters by Anton Chekov

11:50

11:45

Llwyth (Tribe)

Masses Man

Pleasance Courtyard, 13 Aug, 20 Aug, 27 Aug, £5

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £8 – £9

The Playhouse at Hawke and Hunter Green Room, 23-29 Aug, £9.50

Venue 13, Various dates from 12 Aug to 20 Aug, £8

Pleasance Bytes

theSpace on Niddry St, 12-13 Aug, £5

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

12:00 Allotment

Assembly Inverleith Allotments, 12-26 Aug, not 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, £10

C venues - C soco, 12-21 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

The One Hour Plays Underbelly, Cowgate, 15-28 Aug, £8 – £9

Ethometric Museum Hill Street Theatre, 1928 Aug, £9

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

The Unforgettable Tale of an Insignificant Circumstance Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel, 12-13 Aug, £7

C venues - C aquila, 1216 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £7 – £8

Somewhere Beneath It All, A Small Fire Burns Still Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

Who Killed the Counsellor?

Just the Tonic at The Store (formerly GRV), 15-27 Aug, not 16, 21, 26, £6 – £7

Exsomnia

C venues - C soco, 14-27 Aug, £6.50 – £8.50

Mr Darwin’s Tree

The Playhouse at Hawke and Hunter Green Room, 12-21 Aug, not 15, £9.50

Pool (No Water)

Zoo Roxy, 21-29 Aug, £7

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 83

theatrelistings 12:05 World Stories From Los Angeles

theSpaces on North Bridge, 12-13 Aug, £6

The Historians

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £8.50 – £10

The Questionnaire

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-13 Aug, £9

The Undoing of Man theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-27 Aug, £6

12:10 The Adventures of Wound Man and Shirley Pleasance Courtyard, 20-29 Aug, £10

The Simple Things in Life

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh - The Simple Things in Life sheds, 19-27 Aug, £11.50 – £12.50

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Magicians Do Exist

Pleasance Dome, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £9

12:15 Secret Window, Secret Garden

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £7.50 – £9.50

Suddenly Shakespeare

Church Hill Theatre, 21 Aug, £5

Metamorphoses

Pilrig Studio, 12 Aug, £5

Replaying Macbeth Paradise in The Vault, 23-27 Aug, £6

The Distant Near (Shakespeare and Bengal’s Bard)

theSpaces on the Mile , 22-27 Aug, £5

If Walls Could Talk

C venues - C aquila, 1229 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

Matilda and the Tales She Told

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £8 – £9

White Rabbit Red Rabbit

12:20 Travelers: A Comedy with Music Church Hill Theatre, 22 Aug, £5

The Realm of Love or Folding Laundry Sweet Grassmarket, 12-14 Aug, £9

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

How to Catch a Rabbit

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, £12

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-20 Aug, not 14, £7

Your Last Breath

12:25

Pleasance Dome, 12-18 Aug, £9 – £10

Bette and Joan - The Final Curtain

The Dreamcatchers Church Hill Theatre, 19 Aug, 23 Aug, £5

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, not 17, 22, £12 – £13

The Overcoat

The Crucible

12:30

Church Hill Theatre, 20 Aug, £5

Julius Caesar - Free Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 15-28 Aug, £free

Ovid’s Metamorphoses

Pleasance Dome, 19-29 Aug, £10 – £11

Rules for Drowning Hill Street Theatre, 1218 Aug, £8

The Ballad of the Unbeatable Hearts HHH Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, £9 – £10

The Illiad, the Odyssey and All of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less

Pilrig Studio, 13 Aug, £5

Me, Myself and Miss Gibbs Hill Street Theatre, 1929 Aug, £8

Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10 – £11

Waiting For Alice

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £7 – £9

Futureproof

Traverse Theatre, 16 Aug, 20 Aug, 25 Aug, £17 – £19

The Oh F**k Moment St George’s West, 13 Aug, 14 Aug, 20 Aug, 21 Aug, 27 Aug, £10

Paper Tom

Hill Street Theatre, 12-29 Aug, not 17, 24, £8.50

Remember This

Now is the Winter Assembly Hall, 12-29 Aug, £9 – £10

A Rotten Little Story Greenside, 12-13 Aug, £5

Rock ‘n’ Soul

C venues - C soco, 12-20 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

Tales From the Vienna Woods

theSpace on Niddry St, 22 Aug, 24 Aug, 26 Aug, £5

You Once Said Yes

Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £15

Blood and Roses

St George’s West, 12-27 Aug, £12 – £15

Empty Page, Empty Stage Church Hill Theatre, 13 Aug, £5

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

❤ Federer Versus Murray HHHH

Assembly Hall, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £13 – £14

12:35 The Three Lives of Lucie Cabrol

theSpace on Niddry St, 23 Aug, 25 Aug, 27 Aug, £5

I am the Dead - Free Laughing Horse @ Edinburgh City Football Club, 13-28 Aug, not 14, 21, £free

Bedlam Theatre, 12-27 Aug, £6

12:40

Nostalgia for Reality theSpaces on the Mile , 22-27 Aug, £7

The Games

Zoo Roxy, 12-29 Aug, not 16, 23, £10

The Frequency D’ici & New Wolsey Theatre

Pleasance Courtyard 3 -‐ 28 Aug, 13.10 www.pleasance.co.uk thefrequencydici.co.uk

84 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

The Little Mermaid

12:50

You Once Said Yes

The Truth About Black Suburban Girls

Zoo, 12-20 Aug, £9

Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £15

The Proceedings of That Night

Pleasance Courtyard, 1221 Aug, not 19, £6

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

The Observatory

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £8.50 – £10

12:45 Fit for Purpose

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £8 – £9

The Golden Dragon HHH

Traverse Theatre, 16 Aug, 21 Aug, 26 Aug, £15 – £17

Life’s a Game

theSpace @ Symposium Hall, 12 Aug, £5

One Under

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 23, £7.50 – £8.50

Chips on Shoulders Zoo Roxy, 12-20 Aug, £7

The Girl Who Thought She Was Irish

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-24 Aug, not 15, 22, £7 – £9

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-27 Aug, £9

You Once Said Yes

Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £15

Definitely-NotEveryman

theSpace on Niddry St, 12-13 Aug, £5

‘Tis I, Shakespeare the Brit

C Venues - C eca, 12-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

Educate

theSpace on Niddry St, 15-18 Aug, £5

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

12:55 The Bald Prima Donna

C Venues - C eca, 15 Aug, 17 Aug, 19 Aug, £7.50

The Dead!

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 13-20 Aug, £free

A Resounding Tinkle C Venues - C eca, 16 Aug, 18 Aug, 20 Aug, £7.50

❤ Singing ‘I’m No a Billy, He’s a Tim’ HHHH

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10

Lol

Fetch

Hotel Methuselah

Greenside, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7

Summerhall, 19-26 Aug, £12

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, £8

Unanswered, We Ride

Wondrous Flitting HHH

...In for a Pound

theSpaces on the Mile , 15-20 Aug, £9

Traverse Theatre, 28 Aug, £15

13:00 Sweet Grassmarket, 15-29 Aug, £8

theatrelistings Allotment

Assembly Inverleith Allotments, 12-26 Aug, not 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, £10

The Dark Philosophers

Traverse Theatre, 14 Aug, 19 Aug, 24 Aug, 28 Aug, £17 – £19

❤ One Million Tiny Plays About Britain HHHH Hill Street Theatre, 14 Aug, 21 Aug, 28 Aug, £15

Proper Night

Princes Mall, 12 Aug, £free

101

C venues - C soco, 12-21 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

❤ Little Matter HHHH

Bedlam Chambers, Various dates from 13 Aug to 28 Aug, £9

Hammerpuzzle’s Measure for Measure

Princes Mall, 15-25 Aug, £free

You Once Said Yes

Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £15

Belarus Free Theatre

Pleasance Courtyard, 22-29 Aug, £10

Fragments of Ash

Venue 13, 12 Aug, £8

Standing Count

C Venues - C eca, 12-13 Aug, £7.50 – £8.50

Black Slap HHH

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10 – £11

Did You Used to Be R. D. Laing?

Valvona & Crolla, 16 Aug, 22 Aug, £12

Italia ‘n’ Caledonia

Valvona & Crolla, 23-24 Aug, £12

The Magical Faraway Tree Just The Tonic at the Caves, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £4

Macbeth

New Town Theatre, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £10 – £12

Vivaldi and the Number 3

Valvona & Crolla, 21 Aug, £10

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

www.festmag.co.uk

A Funny Valentine

Valvona & Crolla, Various dates from 13 Aug to 29 Aug, £12

You Once Said Yes

Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £15

I, Malvolio

Bond, James Bond

In Confidence

Rituals

Traverse Theatre, 17 Aug, £15 theSpaces on North Bridge, 12-13 Aug, £9

The Scotsman Best of the Fest

Assembly George Square, 15 Aug, 22 Aug, £12

Teechers HHH

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-13 Aug, £9

The Translator’s Dilemma

Princes Mall, 12-27 Aug, not 16, 17, 18, £free

The Wheel

Traverse Theatre, 13 Aug, 18 Aug, 23 Aug, 27 Aug, £17 – £19

Laundry Boy

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £10.50

Drift

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £9 – £10

❤ The Monster in the Hall HHHH Traverse Theatre, 12 Aug, £17

Ships of Sand

Venue 13, Various dates from 13 Aug to 20 Aug, £6

Still Life Dreaming Pleasance Courtyard, 15-19 Aug, £5

A Visit From Miss Prothero

Pleasance Courtyard, 23-28 Aug, £8 – £9

13:05 The Extraordinary Revelations of Orca the Goldfish theSpaces on the Mile , 12-13 Aug, £7

Generation 9/11: So Far / So Close theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £7

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-27 Aug, £5 New Town Theatre, 1215 Aug, £free – £8

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

❤ One Thousand Paper Cranes HHHH

Assembly George Square, 12-27 Aug, not 16, 23, £10

Miss Julie

New Town Theatre, 1728 Aug, £free – £12

Free Time Radical

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £10 – £12

13:15 The Trek Electric

Church Hill Theatre, 19 Aug, £5

Look / Alive

Paradise in Augustine’s, 16-20 Aug, £4.50

❤ A Slow Air HHHH Traverse Theatre, 13 Aug, 19 Aug, £17

A Midlife Crisis: Live!

The Stand Comedy Club III & IV, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8

❤ The Monster in the Hall HHHH Traverse Theatre, 18 Aug, 23 Aug, £15

Mission Drift

Traverse Theatre, 12 Aug, £19

Riot

Zoo Roxy, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9

Wondrous Flitting HHH

Traverse Theatre, 14 Aug, 20 Aug, 25 Aug, £15 – £17

Eunuchs in My Wardrobe

PoeZest

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10 – £11

Chasing Dragons

Nobody’s Home: A Modern Odyssey

theSpace @ Jury’s Inn, 15-20 Aug, £6 C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £7.50 – £9.50

13:10 The Yellow Wallpaper

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £8

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 16, 23, £9 – £10

Commencement

C venues - C, 12-20 Aug, not 15, £7.50 – £9.50

Cusp

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 21-28 Aug, £free

A Dish of Tea with Dr Johnson Traverse Theatre, 24 Aug, £15

Just Before Sleep

Church Hill Theatre, 20 Aug, £5

Kafka’s Metamorphosis as Performed by the Actors of the Nowy Teatr Kameralny Church Hill Theatre, 22 Aug, £5

Those Magnificent Men Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £11 – £12

Love Song

Sweet Grassmarket, 12-20 Aug, £8

C venues - C soco, 12-20 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

The Trial by Steven Berkoff Paradise in Augustine’s, 12-13 Aug, £5

You Once Said Yes

Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £15

Pip Utton is Charles Dickens

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 17, 24, £9 – £10

Ethometric Museum Hill Street Theatre, 1928 Aug, not 22, £9

Musical Much Ado

theSpaces on North Bridge, 15-20 Aug, £7

Blood and Roses

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 13 Aug, £5

St George’s West, 12-27 Aug, £12 – £15

Anyone For A Witch Hunt? - Free

The Dick and the Rose

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 13-20 Aug, £free

I, Malvolio

Traverse Theatre, 27 Aug, £17

How Steeple Sinderby Wanderers Won the FA Cup Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9 – £10

13:20 You Once Said Yes

Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £15

Oedipus by Steven Berkoff (After Sophocles) HH

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 17, 24, £16 – £17.50

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £8

The Trial: an Original Adaptation of the Novel by Franz Kafka of the Same Name Church Hill Theatre, 21 Aug, £5

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

In Confidence

theSpaces on North Bridge, 15-27 Aug, £9

The Wright Brothers

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 21, £10 – £11

Waterproof HHH

Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £8 – £9

Check, Please!

The Dante Sisters and the Dare Club

Church Hill Theatre, 23 Aug, £5

13:25

The Bongo Club, 22-27 Aug, £10

Paradise in Augustine’s, 23-27 Aug, £7

Orpheus

C venues - C, 12-13 Aug, £9.50 – £10.50

The Rivals

Outside

Under the Influence

C venues - C soco, 12-20 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

13:35

Triangle

Richard Parker

C venues - C soco, 21-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

13:30

Church Hill Theatre, 13 Aug, £5 theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12 Aug, £5

Al Bowlly’s Croon Manifesto

Coffin Up

Voices

❤ The Girl With the Iron Claws HHHHH

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, £8.50 – £10

Breathing Water

theSpaces on the Mile , 22-27 Aug, £10

AGM

Greenside, 22-27 Aug, £7

The Cagebirds

Greenside, 12-13 Aug, £7

13:40 Eyes Wide Open

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 24-25 Aug, £5

Mark Twain Abroad Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel, 12-13 Aug, £8

Terezin: Children of the Holocaust

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-20 Aug, not 14, £8

You Once Said Yes

Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £15

Happiness

The Playhouse at Hawke and Hunter Green Room, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £9.50

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Gaksi, Mago

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 15-20 Aug, £10

3rd Ring Out: The Emergency

Pleasance Courtyard, 18-28 Aug, not 22, £7.50 – £9

Somewhere Between Heaven, Hell and Happiness Church Hill Theatre, 12 Aug, £5

The Watchers

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 15-20 Aug, £6.50

Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £8.50 – £9.50

Aladdin

Minute After Midday

Unanswered, We Ride

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £9.50

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-27 Aug, £6

theSpaces on the Mile , 22-27 Aug, £9

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 85

theatrelistings

Paradise in Augustine’s, 16-21 Aug, £7

The Pretender

Pleasance Courtyard, Various dates from 12 Aug to 28 Aug, £9 – £10

Partially Mouse - Free

I, the Dictator

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 13-19 Aug, £free

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £10

13:55

A Preoccupation With Romance

Greenside, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £5

Zoo Southside, 12-29 Aug, not 14, 21, 28, £8

From My Sleep with Horror

Paradise in The Vault, 1627 Aug, not 22, £8

Lost in Mozart

theSpaces on North Bridge, 22-27 Aug, £8.50

13:50 After the End

Pleasance Courtyard, 1228 Aug, £9 – £10

You Once Said Yes

Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £15

Definitely-NotEveryman

theSpace on Niddry St, 15-18 Aug, £5

Chaos

Pleasance Courtyard, 1229 Aug, not 15, £11

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Banter Into Bed

theSpace on Niddry St, 12-13 Aug, £5

Grim(m) Tales of the Woods - Free

14:00 One Thousand and One Nights Part 1

Royal Lyceum Theatre, Various dates from 21 Aug to 3 Sep, £10

❤ Fleeto HHHH

You Once Said Yes

Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £15

Anton’s Uncles

Bedlam Theatre, 12-27 Aug, £9

Aunt Dan and Lemon theSpaces on North Bridge, 12-13 Aug, £8

Howling Moon

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £7.50 – £9.50

Pleasance Courtyard, Various dates from 13 Aug to 29 Aug, £9 – £10

Release

The Firebird

Sailing On

Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 17, 24, £10 – £11

Fairmilehead Parish Church Hall, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £6

New Town Theatre, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £8 – £9

I Hope My Heart Goes First HHH

Two Johnnies Live Upstairs

St George’s West, 12-16 Aug, £10

The Moscow State Circus - Babushkins Sekret

Ocean Terminal Big Top, 14 Aug, 21 Aug, £free

MonologueSlam The Ultimate Actors’ Showcase! theSpace @ Symposium Hall, 12 Aug, 26 Aug, £10

❤ One Million Tiny Plays About Britain HHHH

Hill Street Theatre, 13 Aug, 20 Aug, 26 Aug, 27 Aug, £15

Institut français d’Ecosse, 12-26 Aug, weekdays only, £10

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Grisly Tales From Tumblewater

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £8 – £9

Invisible Show II

Pleasance Courtyard, 21-27 Aug, £7.50

A Machine To See With

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

Generation 9/11: So Far / So Close

Assembly Hall, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £17.50 – £20

Swamp Juice

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10 – £11

Teddy and Topsy - Isadora Duncan’s Love Letters to Gordon Craig

86 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

Splendid Isolation

Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £12 – £14

14:15

The Spectacular Tales of Grinburrell

Suddenly Shakespeare

C venues - C too, 12-20 Aug, £6.50 – £8.50

‘Tis in My Memory Locked: an adaptation of Hamlet

Hill Street Theatre, 12-29 Aug, not 17, 24, £11

C Venues - C eca, 12-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

Circus of the Orient

Principal Parts

Meadows Theatre Big Top, 12-14 Aug, £free

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £7.50 – £9.50

Rachael’s Cafe

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 12-28 Aug, £free

Last Petal Falling

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-13 Aug, £6

Posthumous Works Danish Institute, 20 Aug, 27 Aug, £10

14:10

Dusk Rings a Bell

You Once Said Yes

King of Scotland

Click

Lights, Camera, Walkies

Eight

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £11 – £12

Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £15 theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £7

Assembly Hall, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £12

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 17, 18, £9 – £10

The Split Second

theSpaces on North Bridge, 12-13 Aug, £8

Heartbreak

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 24-25 Aug, £6

C venues - C aquila, 2227 Aug, £6.50 – £8.50

The Secret of Monkey Island

14:05

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-23 Aug, £6

Skittles

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9 – £10

Alma Mater

The Extraordinary Revelations of Orca the Goldfish

Church Hill Theatre, 20 Aug, £5

Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler

Hill Street Theatre, 12-29 Aug, not 17, 24, £8

Three of Hearts

C Venues - C eca, 12-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

theSpace on Niddry St, 22-27 Aug, £8

The Screwtape Letters

Palmerston Place Church, 24 Aug, 26 Aug, 27 Aug, £10

The Unbearable Sh*teness of Being Paradise in The Vault, 12-14 Aug, £5

Cry of the Mountain Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, £7 – £8

The Crucible

Church Hill Theatre, 22 Aug, £5

Voices

Quaker Meeting House, 22-27 Aug, £6

Another Macbeth

Quaker Meeting House, 15-20 Aug, £8

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Almost, Maine

Romance with a Double Bass

Oedipus: a Love Story

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 26-27 Aug, £6

theSpaces on the Mile , 15-20 Aug, £7

Penny Dreadful’s Etherdome

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £12 – £14

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-27 Aug, £7

A3 OPTION 1

Laughing Horse @ Jekyll & Hyde, 20-28 Aug, £free

Real Men Dream in Black and White

New Town Theatre, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10 – £12

Simon Callow in Tuesday at Tescos

Pilrig Studio, 12 Aug, £5

C venues - C soco, 12-16 Aug, £9.50 – £11.50 www.thespaceuk.com

Leave Hitler to Me Lad

Wee Andy HHH

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 23, £9.50 – £10.50

on North Bridge (V36)

Zoo, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 25, £7.50

Snap.Catch.Slam HHH

VISIBLE AREA 297mm (w) x 373mm (h)

13:45 Whistle

theatrelistings rogerandtom

C venues - C too, 21-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

The Box - Free!

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 27-28 Aug, £free

A Machine To See With

Mad About the Boy Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9 – £10

The Simple Things in Life Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh - The Simple

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

Things in Life sheds,

Pathos, Wholesale

£12.50

19-27 Aug, £11.50 –

Princes Mall, 12-20 Aug, £free

Alma Mater

14:20

Aug, not 15, £5

Sticks, Stones, Broken Bones

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 15 Aug, £11

You Once Said Yes

Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £15

Travelers: A Comedy with Music Church Hill Theatre, 19 Aug, £5

M House

Sweet Grassmarket, 24-26 Aug, £7

www.festmag.co.uk

St George’s West, 12-29

Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 15,

14:30 Glasgow GirlsPachamama Productions

Kiwi Bar @ Walkabout, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Meow Meow

Summerhall, 22-27 Aug, £free

The Hub, 25-26 Aug, £6

The Hub, 17-18 Aug, £6

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, 21 Aug, £10

The Continental Quilt

Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £11 – £12

Fragments of Ash Venue 13, 21-27 Aug, £8

Motortown

Zambezi Express

Bashir Lazhar

Zoo Roxy, 12-28 Aug, not 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, £10

HR’d Day’s Night - Free

The Dreamcatchers Aug, £5

Bouncers Remix

A Grimm Tale

14:25 Church Hill Theatre, 21

BAC at Summerhall

Saughtonhall United Reformed Church, 13 Aug, £7

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 13-20 Aug, £free

£11 – £12

Are You Happy Now? - Free

Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £12 – £14

You Once Said Yes

Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £15

The Bongo Club, 12 Aug, £6 Zoo Roxy, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £7.50

Bawbees and Ducats or A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Piazza

by Alan Richardson St Serf’s Church Hall, 20 Aug, £9

Blood and Roses

St George’s West, 12-27 Aug, £12 – £15

Jamie Blake

Zoo Roxy, 13-29 Aug, not 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, £9.50

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Frankenstein

Paradise in The Vault, 12-14 Aug, £8.50

It Takes Four to Tango with Panto

St Peter’s, 27 Aug, £10

A Machine To See With

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

Moll Flanders

St Ninian’s Hall, 13 Aug, 20 Aug, £10

The Attic

Columcille Centre, 13-14 Aug, £10

The Chippit Chantie St Peter’s, 13 Aug, 20 Aug, £10

Dr Apple’s Last Lecture HH

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-28 Aug, £9 – £10

Gogol’s ‘The Portrait’ Quaker Meeting House, 12-13 Aug, £8

Hannah Ringham’s Free Show (Bring Money) Summerhall, 22-27 Aug, £free

14:35 Noh No Noh C venues - C soco, 17-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

The Long Road theSpaces on the Mile , 22-27 Aug, £8

Nuclear Family theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-27 Aug, £10

The Infant Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 16, £10 – £11

14:40 You Once Said Yes Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £15

The Dumb Waiter Paradise in The Vault, 16-29 Aug, not 22, £7.50 – £9.50

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 87

theatrelistings Go to Your God Like a Soldier Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £9 – £10

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Frozen Stills

theSpaces on North Bridge, 15-27 Aug, not 21, £5

Letting Go

Assembly George Square, 22-27 Aug, £9 – £10

14:45 Hotel Methuselah Summerhall, 19-26 Aug, £12

Opposition

Zoo Southside, 14-28 Aug, not 22, £5 – £8

The Sexual Awakening of Peter Mayo Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £8.50 – £9.50

Hotel De L’avenir

Venue 13, Various dates from 12 Aug to 20 Aug, £8

Four For Jericho

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £10 – £11

Be My Baby

Greenside, 15-20 Aug, £7.50

A Machine To See With

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

14:50 Politically Incorrect - Free Laughing Horse @ The Phoenix, 12-28 Aug, not 17, 24, £free

Time for the Good Looking Boy

Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, £9 – £10

You Once Said Yes

Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £15

Playing Cards and Cigarettes

theSpace on Niddry St, 12-13 Aug, £5

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Banter Into Bed

theSpace on Niddry St, 15-18 Aug, £5

Batman! Holy Spoof Musical Batstravaganza!

Paradise in Augustine’s, 23-29 Aug, £8.50 – £9.50

3rd Ring Out: The Emergency

Pleasance Courtyard, 18-28 Aug, not 22, £7.50 – £9

The Last Days of Gilda

New Town Theatre, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £free – £11

14:55 ❤ Spent HHHH

Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 17, 23, £9 – £9.50

The Duchess of Malfi theSpaces on North Bridge, 15-20 Aug, £7

Inbetween

C venues - C aquila, 1429 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

The World Holds Everyone Apart, Apart From Us

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

15:00 Debris

Zoo Roxy, 13-29 Aug, not 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, £8

Encounters: Theatre Uncut Traverse Theatre, 22 Aug, £10

The Moscow State Circus - Babushkins Sekret

Ocean Terminal Big Top, 12 Aug, 13 Aug, 15 Aug, 16 Aug, 20 Aug, £free

Untouchable Voices Leith on the Fringe @ Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 20-21 Aug, £7.50

Gutter Junky

Assembly Hall, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9

Julian Sands in a Celebration of Harold Pinter

Pleasance Courtyard, 1221 Aug, £12.50 – £15

May I Have the Pleasure...?

Traverse @ The Point Hotel Conference Centre, 18 Aug, £17

The Station: Fourstones

Zoo, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 23, £9

Tearoom

Lauriston Hall, 22-28 Aug, £15

Ethometric Museum Hill Street Theatre, 1928 Aug, £9

4.3 Miles From Nowhere

Zoo, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £8 – £10

Constantinople

Electric Circus, 13 Aug, 20 Aug, 27 Aug, £free

Did You Used to Be R. D. Laing?

15:05

If That’s All There Is?

theSpaces on North Bridge, 12-13 Aug, £7.50

Valvona & Crolla, 13 Aug, 20 Aug, £12

Pleasance Courtyard, Various dates from 23 Aug to 29 Aug, £12

Singapore

Summerhall, 13 Aug, 20 Aug, £5

Turandot

New Town Theatre, 12-27 Aug, not 17, £12 – £13

Vivaldi and the Number 3

Valvona & Crolla, 12 Aug, 23 Aug, 26 Aug, £10

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

The Matchmaker

Scottish Storytelling Centre, 22-29 Aug, £9

Little Sparrow

Greenside, 15-20 Aug, £free

A Machine To See With

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

Ruskin Live!

Scottish National Gallery, 15 Aug, 16 Aug, 18 Aug, 19 Aug, £10

The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart Traverse @ Ghillie Dhu, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 22, £15

Stacy

Zoo Roxy, 12-28 Aug, not 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, £8

Zanzibar Cats by Heathcote Williams Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £11 – £12

Remembering Annabel

The Extraordinary Revelations of Orca the Goldfish theSpaces on the Mile , 22-27 Aug, £7

Cigarettes and Chocolate

theSpaces on the Mile , 15-20 Aug, £6.50

Fameless

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 15-27 Aug, not 21, £8

To Have and to Hold Paradise in Augustine’s, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £7

15:10 The Curse of Miss Fortune

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-13 Aug, £6

The Tiger’s Bones

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-13 Aug, £5

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

To Hold an Apple

theSpace @ Jury’s Inn, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £8

Eight

theSpaces on the Mile , 15-20 Aug, £8

15:15 Lord of the Flies

Paradise in Augustine’s, 12-13 Aug, £8

Taketh Me Away

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

LULLABIES OF BROADMOOR A Broadmoor Quartet

FOUR PLAYS BY STEVE HENNESSY DIRECTED BY CHRIS LOVELESS

88 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

Fusion Theater Company Presents Polaroid Stories by Naomi Iizuka

theSpace @ Venue45, 13 Aug, £5

The Golden Dragon HHH Traverse Theatre, 17 Aug, £15

Caligula

C venues - C, 14-20 Aug, £8.50 – £10.50

Love’s Wild Desire

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12 Aug, £5

‘New York’ by David Rimmer Church Hill Theatre, 23 Aug, £5

Danny and the Deep Blue Sea St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £10 – £12

Fear and Misery of the Third Reich

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £10.50

Kafka’s Metamorphosis as Performed by the Actors of the Nowy Teatr Kameralny Church Hill Theatre, 19 Aug, 21 Aug, £5

Spring Fever

Church Hill Theatre, 13 Aug, £5

Babbling Comedy 2 C venues - C, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £11.50

❤ Cul-De-Sac HHHH Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £10

The Flight into Egypt Sweet Grassmarket, 12-14 Aug, £8

A Machine To See With

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

theatrelistings PCUK - A Midsummer Night’s Remix theSpace @ Venue45, 15-20 Aug, £7

The Ducks

Pleasance Courtyard, 1229 Aug, £9 – £10

15:20

15:30

12 Incompetent Men (and Women!)

Blonde Compassion

Thirty Two Teeth

The Golden Dragon HHH

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 13 Aug, £5

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £7.50 – £9.50

Life’s a Game

theSpace @ Symposium Hall, 13 Aug, £5

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Lullabies of Broadmoor - Venus at Broadmoor C venues - C, 27 Aug, £10.50

Sideshow

C Venues - C eca, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £7.50 – £9.50

The Tempest

Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel, 15-27 Aug, £7.50

[Del]

Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel, 12-13 Aug, £6

The Tin Can People

theSpace @ Venue45, 12 Aug, £5

15:25

Princes Mall, 13-27 Aug, not 17, 22, £free

Traverse Theatre, 27 Aug, £17

❤ Man of Valour HHHH

Traverse Theatre, 12 Aug, £17

Tea with Queenie

Greenside, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 15, 21, 22, £6.50

Lethal Injection

C Venues - C eca, 12-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

Blood and Roses

St George’s West, 12-27 Aug, £12 – £15

A Dish of Tea with Dr Johnson

Vertigo

Bedlam Theatre, 12-13 Aug, £7

Darkness

Zoo Roxy, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £10

❤ The Monster in the Hall HHHH Traverse Theatre, 13 Aug, 19 Aug, £17

Ten Plagues

Traverse Theatre, Various dates from 16 Aug to 26 Aug, £17 – £19

Wireless Mystery Theatre Presents...

Globe, 17-27 Aug, not 23, £free

15:35 Black Mirrors

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-27 Aug, £7

Fantasmagoriana C venues - C aquila, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £10.50

15:45 Beef

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £7.50 – £9.50

❤ The Monster in the Hall HHHH Traverse Theatre, 24 Aug, £15

Shylock HHH

Traverse Theatre, 14 Aug, £17

Wondrous Flitting HHH

Alma Mater

A Machine To See With

Of Sound Mind

Silken Veils

Fire and the Rose

Macbeth

Paradise in Augustine’s, 16-21 Aug, £8

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Welcome to the Kerryman

Life Still

Princes Mall, 12-27 Aug, not 16, 17, £free

1745 174 45

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, £11 – £12

Caruso and the Monkey House Trial

Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £9 – £10

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9 – £10

Traverse Theatre, 18 Aug, 23 Aug, £15

A Machine To See With

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

15:50 Playing Cards and Cigarettes

theSpace on Niddry St, 15-18 Aug, £5

15:55

Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 16, 23, £9.50 – £10 Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10 – £12

I, Malvolio

Ten Plagues

One Night Stan

The Trial: an Original Adaptation of the Novel by Franz Kafka of the Same Name

Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 12-28 Aug, not 15, 16, 22, £free

Alma Mater

Translunar Paradise

Princes Mall, 12 Aug, £free

David Lee Nelson...

Status Update

Assembly Hall, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £12.50 – £14

The Game of Roles - Free

The Rivals

Pleasance Courtyard, 1229 Aug, £9 – £10

New Town Theatre, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £11 – £13

theSpace @ Venue45, 22-27 Aug, £8

15:40

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Body of Water

❤ Dust HHHH

Wives of War

Traverse Theatre, 28 Aug, £15

Myrtle Chops

Church Hill Theatre, 12 Aug, £5

Church Hill Theatre, 22 Aug, £5

Traverse Theatre, 16 Aug, 21 Aug, 26 Aug, £15 – £17

Church Hill Theatre, 20 Aug, £5

Paradise in The Vault, 23-29 Aug, £5

Check, Please!

Hill Street Theatre, 1229 Aug, not 17, 24, £9 – £11

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 12-28 Aug, £free

The Little Prince

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, £8.50 – £10.50

Ink

Kiwi Bar @ Walkabout, 12-29 Aug, not 16, 22, £free

Adolf

St George’s West, 17 Aug, 24 Aug, £12.50

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

❤ My Filthy Hunt HHHH

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £10.50

Samira

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £10.50

Jack’s Story: Ripper or Not? Paradise in The Vault, 12-13 Aug, £7.50

16:00

❤ A Slow Air HHHH

Traverse Theatre, 14 Aug, 20 Aug, £15 – £17

Beowulf - A Thousand Years of Baggage

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £14

Ten Plagues

Traverse Theatre, 19 Aug, 24 Aug, 28 Aug, £17 – £19

God’s Fool

theSpace on Niddry St, 12-13 Aug, £9

Allotment

Assembly Inverleith Allotments, Various dates from 13 Aug to 28 Aug, £10

Chekhov Shorts

Duddingston Kirk Manse Garden, Various dates from 12 Aug to 20 Aug, £8

Force Quit

The Bongo Club, 12-16 Aug, £7

Just Good Friends

Hill Street Theatre, 1229 Aug, £8

Love

St John’s Church, 19 Aug, £10

Request Programme Inlingua Edinburgh, 13 Aug, 14 Aug, 20 Aug, 21 Aug, 27 Aug, £12

Tin Girl Story

This Twisted Tale HH

Leith on the Fringe @ Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 12-29 Aug, £12

3rd Ring Out: The Emergency

Pleasance Courtyard, 18-28 Aug, not 22, £7.50 – £9

Circus of the Orient Meadows Theatre Big Top, 12 Aug, £free

Zoo Southside, 12-15 Aug, £8

A Dish of Tea with Dr Johnson Traverse Theatre, 25 Aug, £15

Ed Reardon: A Writer’s Burden HH

Pleasance Courtyard, 1229 Aug, £10 – £12

The Simple Things in Life

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh - The Simple

FRINGE FIRST WINNERS 2009 IRON SHOES in association with the National Theatre Studio & ScenePool

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2.

2.

August 220 0th 2011.

2 6.05 6.05 p.m. p.m. – 6.55 6.55 p.m. p.m.

August A ugust 5th – August

MAD ABOUT THE BOY

by Gbolahan Obisesan

Underbelly Dairy Room 2:20pm

6.05 p.m. – 6.55 p.m.

www.festmag.co.uk

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 89

theatrelistings Things in Life sheds, 19-27 Aug, £11.50 – £12.50

Two Johnnies Live Upstairs

Institut français d’Ecosse, 12-26 Aug, weekdays only, £10

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

The Dipper - Free

Laughing Horse @ The Newsroom, 12 Aug, £free

Daughter of a Cuban Revolutionary Venue 13, 12-14 Aug, £8

The Curse of Macbeth

The Playhouse at Hawke and Hunter Green Room, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10.50

Killing Bill Gates - Free

Pulse

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £8.50

Henna Night

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7.50

A Machine To See With

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

Nine Suitcases Venue 13, 21-27 Aug, £8

The Captain of Köpenick

A Machine To See With

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-27 Aug, £10

Cautionary Tales

Paradise in The Vault, 1629 Aug, not 22, £7

The Animals and Children Took to the Streets Pleasance Courtyard, 19-28 Aug, £12

❤ An Instinct for Kindness HHHH

Pleasance Dome, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £9 – £10 theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-27 Aug, £7

Alma Mater

16:05

Traverse Theatre, 13 Aug, 18 Aug, 23 Aug, 27 Aug, £17 – £19

Phys Ed HHH

Assembly Hall, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10

16:20 Slavery to Star Trek C Venues - C eca, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £7.50 – £9.50

16:15 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Traumatikon

Be Prepared

The Crucible

Summerhall, 12-20 Aug, £9 Church Hill Theatre, 19 Aug, £5

Waterloo

New Town Theatre, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £free – £10

What It Feels Like

C venues - C too, 12-21 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

A Machine To See With

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

Othello?

C venues - C aquila, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £7.50 – £9.50

To Avoid Precipice Cling to Rock

2401 Objects HHH

Yours, Isabel

Paradise in The Vault, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £5

Act Before You Think

Acoustic Music Centre @ St Brides, 14-19 Aug, £8

theSpaces on North Bridge, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £10 Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £10 – £12

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Young Pretender

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £9.50 – £10.50

16:45

Recursion

Haverfordwest

Stand Up and Be Counted

The Curse of the Devil’s Verse

C venues - C, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £11.50

Ethometric Museum

The Fall of the House of Usher

Attempts On Her Life

Alma Mater

Alma Mater

2 Be?

Church Hill Theatre, 13 Aug, £5

Clockheart Boy

Greenside, 12 Aug, £6.50

The Dreamcatchers

Bedlam Theatre, 15-27 Aug, £8 C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £7.50 – £9.50

Paradise in Augustine’s, 16-27 Aug, not 22, £6 Hill Street Theatre, 1928 Aug, £9

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Casablanca: The Gin Joint Cut

Church Hill Theatre, 20 Aug, £5

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £11 – £15

I See Simon

Invisible Show II

Zoo Roxy, 15-29 Aug, £7

/++ 38 $ produced by

THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE Home to the biggest names in comedy

5-29 Aug, 11.15pm ‘til late Hawke & Hunter Green Room: 12 Picardy Place www.edinburghplayhouse.org.uk for details & daily line-up

90 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

Pleasance Courtyard, 21-27 Aug, £7.50

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

16:40 The F Word

Bedlam Theatre, 12-13 Aug, £8

Alma Mater

16:55

Ten Plagues

Traverse Theatre, 12 Aug, £19

16:50

Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel, 12-13 Aug, £12

Find Me

16:25

theSpaces on North Bridge, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7.50

16:30

The Alchemystorium

Sleeping Beauty

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £8 – £9 Greenside, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7.50

Ten Plagues

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Church Hill Theatre, 21 Aug, 23 Aug, £5

Dream Pill

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Zoo, 12-28 Aug, not 22, £9

St George's West, 1229 Aug, not 17, 24, £9 – £12

Sailing On

16:10

❤ Bones HHHHH

❤ Orlando HHHHH

Pilrig Studio, 12 Aug, £5 New Town Theatre, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £8 – £9

Celebration

Laughing Horse @ The Three Sisters, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 16, 22, 23, £free

The Illiad, the Odyssey and All of Greek Mythology in 99 Minutes or Less

Paradise in Augustine’s, 12-13 Aug, £7.50 theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7

C venues - C soco, 12-13 Aug, £7.50 – £8.50

theSpace @ Venue45, 23-27 Aug, £8

An Imaginary History of Tango

The First Day of My Life

C Venues - C eca, 12-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

17 Things

C venues - C too, 22-29 Aug, £6.50 – £8.50

17:00 Allotment

Assembly Inverleith Allotments, Various dates from 13 Aug to 28 Aug, £10

LodeSTAR

St George’s West, 12-18 Aug, £9

The Moscow State Circus - Babushkins Sekret

Ocean Terminal Big Top, 14 Aug, 18 Aug, 19 Aug, 21 Aug, £free

❤ One Million Tiny Plays About Britain HHHH

Hill Street Theatre, 14 Aug, 15 Aug, 21 Aug, 22 Aug, 28 Aug, £15

Black Shorts - Free

Repent / Words

A Machine To See With

Soldier and Death

Laughing Horse @ Finnegan’s Wake, 12 Aug, £free

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

The Mourning Party

C venues - C soco, 14-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

Laughing Horse @ The Phoenix, 20-28 Aug, £free Princes Mall, 21-27 Aug, £free

Bepo & Co

C venues - C, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £7.50 – £9.50

theatrelistings Heavy Like the Weight of a Flame Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £10 – £12

The Prodigals

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 1229 Aug, £12.50 – £15

The Gospel of Matthew

Venue150 @ EICC, 22 Aug, £11.50

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Uglies Do Edinburgh Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel, 12-29 Aug, not 14, 21, £10

A Day in November Zoo Southside, 12-29 Aug, £8.50

Like a Virgin

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 16 Aug, £12

A Machine To See With

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

Posthumous Works Danish Institute, 16-28 Aug, not 22, £8 – £10

Brotherly Love - Free H Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £free

Shopping and F***ing

Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel, 15-27 Aug, not 21, £10

17:05 A Mid-Semester Night’s Dream (For Puck’s Sake)

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-13 Aug, £5

Deep Waters

theSpace @ Symposium Hall, 12-13 Aug, £6

www.festmag.co.uk

Kafka and Son HHH

Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £10 – £11

Multiple Choice

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 15-27 Aug, not 21, £8

Ophelia

theSpaces on the Mile , 15-27 Aug, not 21, £5 – £8

17:10 Excess Baggage

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £8

What Are Little Boys Made of? theSpace @ Venue45, 15-20 Aug, £5

Eric Hermannson’s Soul

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-13 Aug, £9

Mildred McManus for World Minister theSpaces on North Bridge, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £8

The Red Dress

theSpace @ Jury’s Inn, 15-20 Aug, £6

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Application for Life

3rd Ring Out: The Emergency

Pleasance Courtyard, 18-28 Aug, not 22, £7.50 – £9

Colour Me Happy

Zoo, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 22, £7 – £8

17:15 The Trek Electric

Church Hill Theatre, 21 Aug, £5

The Rape of Lucrece Zoo Southside, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £9

Rain

C venues - C, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £10.50

The School of Night

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 1218 Aug, £10 – £11

Donna Disco

Hill Street Theatre, 12-29 Aug, not 17, 24, £9

Lost Orders

Sweet Grassmarket, 12-20 Aug, £9

Perffection

Zoo Roxy, 12-29 Aug, £8

Tempus Incognit

theSpaces on North Bridge, 22-27 Aug, £10

theSpace @ Jury’s Inn, 22-27 Aug, £7

‘New York’ by David Rimmer

Dial H! for Hitchcock: Three Actors, Three Mysteries, Thirty Minutes

Just Before Sleep

theSpace @ Jury’s Inn, 12-13 Aug, £7.50

Snow White: The Way Through the Woods

Paradise in Augustine’s, 16-21 Aug, £8.50 – £9.50

Church Hill Theatre, 19 Aug, £5

Church Hill Theatre, 22 Aug, £5

Kafka’s Metamorphosis as Performed by the Actors of the Nowy Teatr Kameralny Church Hill Theatre, 23 Aug, £5

Helmsman Pete: Postcards From The Edge Of The World!

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £10.50

A Machine To See With

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

17:20 Midnight Your Time performed by Diana Quick HH

Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £12 – £15

❤ Bane 1, 2 and 3 HHHH

Pleasance Dome, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Do Not Go Gentle

Church Hill Theatre, 13 Aug, £5

Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down

Greenside, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7

Heyokah/Hokahey Church Hill Theatre, 12 Aug, £5

Uncle Tom: Deconstructed

theSpace @ Venue45, 13 Aug, £5

17:25 ❤ Rose (starring Keira and Art Malik) HHHH Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £13.50 – £14.50

Trog and Clay (an imagined history of the electric chair) C Venues - C eca, 14-29 Aug, £8.50 – £10.50

Counting Syllables

Jus’ Like That!

Kalagora HH

❤ John Peel’s Shed

by John Osborne HHHH

Laughing Horse @ The Phoenix, 12-19 Aug, £free

Zoo Roxy, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £7.50

Are There More of You? C venues - C aquila, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £10.50

17:30 The Moment I Saw You I Knew I Could Love You Summerhall, 22-27 Aug, £12

Agnes of God

Paradise in The Vault, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £6

Bosom Buddies

Hill Street Theatre, 1216 Aug, £8.50

Fragments of Ash

Venue 13, Various dates from 13 Aug to 20 Aug, £8

A Hero Of Our Time Zoo, 14-29 Aug, £8

Roll Out the Beryl

Hill Street Theatre, 1728 Aug, £9

Woyzeck

Zoo, 12-13 Aug, £7

Hamlet House of Horror

The Playhouse at Hawke and Hunter Green Room, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10.50

Now That She’s Gone HH

Assembly Hall, 12-28 Aug, £9 – £10

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Assembly Hall, 12-29 Aug, £14 – £15

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10.50

Bosom Buddies

St George’s West, 19-29 Aug, £8.50

A Machine To See With

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

Check, Please!

Church Hill Theatre, 20 Aug, £5

The Oh F**k Moment St George’s West, 12-27 Aug, not 17, 24, 25, 26, £10

Ships of Sand

Venue 13, 12-27 Aug, not 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, £6

17:35 Superbard and the Sexy Quantum Stories

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £7.50 – £9.50

17:40 Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

17:45 The Billie Holiday Story

Assembly George Square, 12-14 Aug, £14

The Dark Philosophers

Traverse Theatre, 16 Aug, 20 Aug, 25 Aug, £17 – £19

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 91

theatrelistings The Man Who Was Hamlet

Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 27 Aug, £11.50

❤ Thirsty HHHH

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10 – £11

Berkoff’s Graft – Tales of an Actor

Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 23 Aug, 25 Aug, £11.50

Berkoff’s Hell

Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 24 Aug, £9

Did You Used to Be R. D. Laing?

Valvona & Crolla, 26-27 Aug, £12

Dostoevsky’s ‘Dream of a Ridiculous Man’ Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 26 Aug, £10

The Toll

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

Vivaldi and the Number 3

Valvona & Crolla, 15 Aug, 19 Aug, £10

Kaddish for Pinter

Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 12-28 Aug, not 22, £12

A Machine To See With

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

Belt Up’s Twenty Minutes to Nine

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, £10.50 – £12.50

Futureproof

Traverse Theatre, 17 Aug, 21 Aug, 26 Aug, £17 – £19

17:50 The Moon Under the Water theSpace on Niddry St, 12-13 Aug, £5

The Tragedy of Titus theSpace on Niddry St, 15-20 Aug, £7

Wrens

Sweet Grassmarket, 1228 Aug, not 17, £9

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

The Questionnaire

theSpace on Niddry St, 22-27 Aug, £8 – £9

17:55 Blood Brothers

C venues - C too, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £11.50

18:00 The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £10 – £12.50

Allotment

Assembly Inverleith Allotments, Various dates from 13 Aug to 28 Aug, £10

The Golden Dragon HHH Traverse Theatre, 18 Aug, 23 Aug, 28 Aug, £15

❤ Man of Valour HHHH

Traverse Theatre, 13 Aug, £17

❤ One Million Tiny Plays About Britain HHHH Hill Street Theatre, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, £12.50 – £15

Conference of Strange

Princes Mall, 13-27 Aug, not 16, 23, £free

David Leddy’s ‘Untitled Love Story’ HH St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 17, 24, £15 – £17

Love

St John’s Church, 12 Aug, 13 Aug, 17 Aug, 18 Aug, £10

Request Programme Inlingua Edinburgh, 13 Aug, 14 Aug, 20 Aug, 21 Aug, 27 Aug, £12

Ethometric Museum Hill Street Theatre, 1928 Aug, £9

Two Johnnies Live Upstairs

Institut français d’Ecosse, 12-26 Aug, weekdays only, £10

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

The 2 Sides of Eddie Ramone theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £5

Devil in the Detail

Zoo Roxy, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £12

I, Malvolio

Traverse Theatre, 19 Aug, £17

A Machine To See With

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

The Wheel

Traverse Theatre, 14 Aug, £17

The Attic

❤ The Monster in the Hall HHHH

The Lounge Room Confabulators HHH

Theseus is Dead

Pip Utton is the Hunchback of Notre Dame

Wondrous Flitting HHH

Columcille Centre, 13-14 Aug, £10

Your Lounge, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £free

New Town Theatre, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £free – £10

Wondrous Flitting HHH Traverse Theatre, 17 Aug, £15

You Wouldn’t Know Him, He Lives in Texas

Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, Various dates from 13 Aug to 28 Aug, £15

18:05 1745 - The Last Hopeful Epistle of Bonnie Prince Charlie

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £8

The Life and Times of Albert Lymes - Free

Traverse Theatre, 20 Aug, £17

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £10.50

Traverse Theatre, 27 Aug, £17

The 39 Steps

The Royal Scots Club, 15-20 Aug, £10

The Golden Dragon HHH Traverse Theatre, 12 Aug, £17

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Church Hill Theatre, 19 Aug, £5

Peep Show

Greenside, 22-27 Aug, £7

The Crucible

Church Hill Theatre, 23 Aug, £5

Almost, Maine

Pilrig Studio, 13 Aug, £5

Doris Day Can F**k Off HHH Zoo Southside, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9

Laughing Horse @ Cafe Renroc, 12-19 Aug, £free

Kitty Litter

The Great Goddess Bazaar

I, Malvolio

Paradise in The Vault, 1628 Aug, not 22, £8

18:10 Criminy

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 15-20 Aug, £2.50 – £5

Satellites

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-20 Aug, not 14, £8

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Double Act

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7

18:15 Suddenly Shakespeare

Church Hill Theatre, 22 Aug, £5

The Tour Guide HHH The Tour Guide Departing from Market Street, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

92 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

theSpaces on the Mile , 22-27 Aug, £8 Traverse Theatre, 24 Aug, £15

A Machine To See With

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

18:20 The Women of Lockerbie

Pilrig Studio, 12 Aug, £5

Travelers: A Comedy with Music Church Hill Theatre, 21 Aug, £5

Free Run

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-29 Aug, not 16, 22, £15 – £17

18:25 Liberace: Live From Heaven

Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, £13 – £14

18:30

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

The Wheel

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

Hill Street Theatre, 12-29 Aug, not 17, 24, £9 Traverse Theatre, 19 Aug, 24 Aug, 28 Aug, £17 – £19

About Gilbert (Without Sullivan)

Mayfield Salisbury Church, 12-13 Aug, £10

❤ A Slow Air HHHH Traverse Theatre, 16 Aug, 21 Aug, £15

❤ The Monster in the Hall HHHH Traverse Theatre, 14 Aug, 25 Aug, £15

Mission Drift

Traverse Theatre, 13 Aug, £19

Be My Baby by Amanda Whittington Zoo Roxy, 12-13 Aug, £8

What Remains

Traverse @ University of Edinburgh Medical School Anatomy Department, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £17 – £19

The Voyage of St Brendan: A Postmodern Retelling Through a Mosaic of Mediums St John’s Church, 20 Aug, £5

Sticks, Stones, Broken Bones

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 16 Aug, £11

BAC at Summerhall Summerhall, 21 Aug, £free

Blackwood

Dostoevsky’s ‘Dream of a Ridiculous Man’

Pleasance Courtyard, 18-28 Aug, not 22, £7.50 – £9

Totty Galore and the Expanding Suitcase

Viewless

Zoo Southside, 14-28 Aug, not 22, £5 – £8

Alma Mater

3rd Ring Out: The Emergency

One Fine Day

Zoo Roxy, 12-28 Aug, not 14, 21, £8.50

Quaker Meeting House, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7

Zoo Southside, 12-13 Aug, £9

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Assembly George Square, 12-29 Aug, £12 – £13

Tomboy Blues – The Theory of Disappointment

Rathmore’s Whippet C Venues - C eca, 12-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

Medea

Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 24 Aug, £10

A Dish of Tea with Dr Johnson Traverse Theatre, 26 Aug, £17

Alma Mater

A Machine To See With

18:35 Death Song

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10 – £11

The Man of Mode

C Venues - C eca, 12-13 Aug, £9.50

Shakespeare Bingo: Titus! theSpace @ Venue45, 15-20 Aug, £7

Like a Virgin

Udderbelly’s Pasture, 15 Aug, £12

18:40 How Desperate Can it Get?

Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel, 26-27 Aug, £7.50

Scottish Sperm

theSpace @ Jury’s Inn, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £4

Stockholm

Whitespace, 12-20 Aug, not 16, £9

Wonder Bread

Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £8

Alma Mater

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 17, £5

Mr Kolpert

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £10.50

18:45 Third Person: Bonnie and Clyde Redux

Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel, 22-27 Aug, £9

❤ Cutting the Cord HHHH Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-27 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £10.50

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August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 93

theatrelistings A Machine To See With

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

Chamber Music

theSpaces on North Bridge, 22-27 Aug, £7.50

Alma Mater

Abbi Patrix and Linda Edsjö: A Concert of Stories

18:55

Scottish Storytelling Centre, 12-28 Aug, not 22, £6 – £8

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £5

Bluebeard: A Fairy Tale for Adults

Othello

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £10.50

Futureproof

The Room of Unlimited Possibilities

Zoo Roxy, 12-20 Aug, £8 Traverse Theatre, 12 Aug, £19

Love Songs for a Timewaster

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 19-29 Aug, not 22, £9 – £10

18:50

19:00 Jane Austen invites...

Royal Over-Seas League, 26-27 Aug, £10

Naive Dance Masterclass

C Venues - C eca, 14-29 Aug, £8.50 – £10.50

The Trials of Galileo C venues - C aquila, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £8.50 – £10.50

Berkoff’s Hell

theSpaces on North Bridge, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £8

Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 26 Aug, £9

Petrol Jesus Nightmare No.5 (In the Time of the Messiah)

Flesh Eating Tiger Venue 13, Various dates from 12 Aug to 20 Aug, £8

One Thousand and One Nights Part 1 Royal Lyceum Theatre, 23 Aug, 25 Aug, 30 Aug, £10

One Thousand and One Nights Part 2 Royal Lyceum Theatre, 21 Aug - 3 Sep, not 22 Aug, 23 Aug, 25 Aug, 29 Aug, 30 Aug, £10

Encounters: Theatre Uncut

Metropolitain Bar, 12-17 Aug, £7

Traverse Theatre, 22 Aug, £10

The Tempest

Faust/us

theSpace on Niddry St, 12-13 Aug, £8

Sweet Grassmarket, 22-28 Aug, £9

Mystery and Murder on the Menu at The Scottish Cafe The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant , 15 Aug, 16 Aug, 22 Aug, 23 Aug, £39

A View from the Fridge

Fredericks Coffee House, 12 Aug, £10

❤ Little Matter HHHH

Bedlam Chambers, 1228 Aug, £9

The Kidnapper’s Guide

Zoo, 12-16 Aug, £7.50

Robert Burns: Not in My Name

National Library of Scotland, Various dates from 12 Aug to 28 Aug, £8

Imaginarium

Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel, 28-29 Aug, £7

Subsist

Sweet Grassmarket, 12-21 Aug, £9

Yellow Moon: The Ballad of Leila and Lee

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £8.50 – £10.50

A Machine To See With

St George’s West, 24-28 Aug, £12

19:05 The Infection Monologues

theSpaces on North Bridge, 12-13 Aug, £7

The Nose

theSpaces on North Bridge, 15-27 Aug, not 21, £7

The Questionnaire

theSpaces on the Mile , 15-20 Aug, £8 – £9

Dead Dad Dog

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-13 Aug, £6

Shakespeare Bingo: Titus! theSpace @ Venue45, 12-13 Aug, £7

Woof! A Werepunk

Zoo, 12-29 Aug, £7.50

19:10 The Carroll Myth Sweet Grassmarket, 12-28 Aug, £10

An Audience With Shurl

theSpaces on the Mile , 22-27 Aug, £6

Livewire Theatre’s Peter Pan

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-20 Aug, £5

Look Back in Anger

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £11.50

Sex, Lies and Eurovision HHH

Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 12-13 Aug, £10

Take Two Every Four Hours Paradise in The Vault, 12-14 Aug, £5

19:15 The Screwtape Letters

Palmerston Place Church, 22-26 Aug, £10

lloon, Next to Gilded Ba re ua Bristo Sq

Savour delicious crêpes from

Wines, Ales & Spirits

A Feast for all the Family

The Best Medieval Pub in Edinburgh

Spicy Fayre from

Succulent Meat, Burgers and Wraps from

The Sims Experience

Half_FestMag02_08.indd 1

94 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

and win prizes

02/08/2011 12:25:48

theatrelistings The Ice Fishing Play Church Hill Theatre, 12 Aug, £5

A Clockwork Orange HHH C venues - C, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £11.50

VOICES

New Town Theatre, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £11 – £13

Handling Bach

Rosslyn Chapel, 13 Aug, 20 Aug, £30

Pushing Up Poppies Hill Street Theatre, 1229 Aug, £10

19:20 At the Sans Hotel

Assembly Hall, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £10 – £11

eXclusion

Paradise in Augustine’s, 16-28 Aug, not 22, £8 – £9.50

War at Home

Church Hill Theatre, 13 Aug, £5

The World According to Bertie C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10.50 – £12.50

Devotion

Unnatural Selection theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £8.50

The Cherry Orchard

Duddingston Kirk Manse Garden, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 16, 22, 23, £10

Cutting the Cord

The Tom Fleming Centre, 16 Aug, 18 Aug, £7

Request Programme Inlingua Edinburgh, 12-26 Aug, not 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, £10 – £12

Bawbees and Ducats or A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Piazza

by Alan Richardson St Serf’s Church Hall, Various dates from 12 Aug to 19 Aug, £9

Diamond Dick

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £7.50 – £9.50

Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour

Outside the Beehive Inn, 12 Aug - 4 Sep, £10

The Perils of Love and Gravity

Bedlam Theatre, 12-27 Aug, £8

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £10

The Secretary Bird

19:30

It Takes Four to Tango with Panto

The Tempest

King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, 13-16 Aug, £10

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, 20-24 Aug, £10

The Continental Quilt

Saughtonhall United Reformed Church, 12-13 Aug, £7

www.festmag.co.uk

Murrayfield Parish Church Centre, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £10.50

St Peter’s, 24-27 Aug, £10

Dinner

C venues - C, 12-25 Aug, £8.50 – £10.50

Antigone

Greenside, 22-27 Aug, £5

Doors Close, They Never Lock

The Tom Fleming Centre, 15 Aug, 17 Aug, £8

3rd Ring Out: The Emergency

Pleasance Courtyard, 18-28 Aug, not 22, £7.50 – £9

Handling Bach

Rosslyn Chapel, Various dates from 12 Aug to 19 Aug, £12

Nae Airs ‘n’ Graces St Mark’s artSpace, 12 Aug, £6

Cock and Bull Story New Town Theatre, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £free – £12.50

Hydronomicon

The Banshee Labyrinth, 12-27 Aug, £free

The Chippit Chantie

St Peter’s, Various dates from 12 Aug to 19 Aug, £10

Hannah Ringham’s Free Show (Bring Money) Summerhall, 22-27 Aug, £free

19:35 When Abel Met Cain Paradise in The Vault, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £5

Golden Aged

theSpace @ Venue45, Various dates from 16 Aug to 27 Aug, £5

Sii Me

theSpace @ Venue45, Various dates from 15 Aug to 26 Aug, £5

19:40 Perfectly Public

Zoo Southside, 21-27 Aug, £7

Radio Deluxembourg

Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 12-29 Aug, £9.50

Lullabies of Broadmoor - The Demon Box

C venues - C, 27 Aug, £10.50

Moll Flanders

St Ninian’s Hall, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £10

No Holes and the Bard

Zoo Southside, 12-13 Aug, £9

19:45 Man to Man

Leith on the Fringe @ Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £10

2011: A Space Oddity

Zoo Roxy, 21-29 Aug, £6 – £12

May I Have the Pleasure...?

Traverse @ The Point Hotel Conference Centre, 15-28 Aug, not 20, 25, 26, £12 – £19

Lizzy Strata

Paradise in Augustine’s, 12-14 Aug, £8

19:50 We Draupadi’s and Sitas

C Venues - C eca, 12-16 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

The Tempest

C Venues - C eca, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £11.50

Tonight Sandy Grierson Will Lecture, Dance and Box

Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £12 – £13

20:00 The Arrangement

Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £15

You Wouldn’t Know Him, He Lives in Texas

Meet at Underbelly, Cowgate, Various dates from 13 Aug to 28 Aug, £15

7 Day Drunk HHH

Assembly George Square, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £12

Jawbone Of An Ass Hill Street Theatre, 12-29 Aug, not 17, 24, £9

20:05 The Zanniskinheads and the Quest for the Holy Balls

King Lear

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £10.50

End of the Line

How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found

Royal Lyceum Theatre, 13-16 Aug, £10 Greenside, 12-13 Aug, £8

Silence in Court

New Town Theatre, 12-28 Aug, not 16, £free – £12.50

The Moscow State Circus - Babushkins Sekret

Ocean Terminal Big Top, Various dates from 12 Aug to 20 Aug, £free

What Remains

Traverse @ University of Edinburgh Medical School Anatomy Department, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £17 – £19

theSpaces on North Bridge, 15-20 Aug, £7

Samantha’s Hotline theSpace @ Jury’s Inn, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7

20:10 The Lift

C Venues - C eca, 12-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

Livewire Theatre’s Frankenstein

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-20 Aug, £5

Bash

Le Cochon Entier

theSpaces on North Bridge, 22-27 Aug, £8

Love

One Man and His Masks - Arthur: Britain’s Making

Zoo Roxy, 12-20 Aug, £7.50 St John’s Church, 14 Aug, 21 Aug, £10

The Man Who Was Hamlet

Assembly George Square, 22 Aug, £11.50

Random

Greenside, 22-27 Aug, £7

Two Johnnies Live Upstairs

Institut français d’Ecosse, 12-26 Aug, weekdays only, £10

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, Various dates from 13 Aug to 27 Aug, £7

Blue Beard Babes

theSpaces on North Bridge, 12-13 Aug, £5

One Man and His Masks - Boudicca: Britain’s Dreaming

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, Various dates from 12 Aug to 26 Aug, £7

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 95

theatrelistings You Will Be Rare

Zoo, 12-29 Aug, £9

I Hope My Heart Goes First HHH

❤ The Monster in the Hall HHHH

❤ Leo HHHH

20:35

St George’s West, 24 Aug, £10

20:15 The Golden Dragon HHH

St George’s West, 12-29 Aug, not 17, 24, £11 – £13.50

Traverse Theatre, 19 Aug, £17

Belt Up’s Outland

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, £10.50 – £12.50

Haroun and the Sea of Stories Church Hill Theatre, 13 Aug, £5

Elegy

Whitespace, 12-28 Aug, not 16, 23, £10

Thugz N Tearz

Zoo Roxy, 12-29 Aug, £10

Little Eyolf

Venue 13, Various dates from 12 Aug to 20 Aug, £8

John Hurts (From Idiot)

Paradise in The Vault, 12-14 Aug, £6

Trainspotting

The Tour Guide HHH The Tour Guide Departing from Market Street, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £free

Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel, 15-20 Aug, £8.50

Did You Used to Be R. D. Laing?

Valvona & Crolla, 23 Aug, £12

Antony and Cleopatra

G.I. Joe Jared... Based on One Really Bad Date

Quaker Meeting House, 15-20 Aug, £10

Laughing Horse @ The Beehive Inn , 12-14 Aug, £free

20:20 Wretch

Italia ‘n’ Caledonia

Gryphon Venues at the Point Hotel, 22-29 Aug, £8

Valvona & Crolla, 16 Aug, 18 Aug, 20 Aug, £12

Decadence

Traverse Theatre, 28 Aug, £15

Manipulators

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-27 Aug, not 15, 16, 22, 23, £12

Phantasmagoria

Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 18-29 Aug, £7

From the Dark Hills

theSpace @ Venue45, Various dates from 15 Aug to 26 Aug, £5

Put a Sock in It Greenside, 22-27 Aug, £8

Give the Fig a Roll

theSpace @ Venue45, Various dates from 16 Aug to 27 Aug, £5

20:40 3D Hamlet: A Lost Generation HH

Spotlites @ The Merchants’ Hall, 27 Aug, £11.50

20:30

On the Bench

Roar

The Golden Dragon HHH Traverse Theatre, 24 Aug, £15

Valvona & Crolla, 12 Aug, 17 Aug, 24 Aug, £12

My Big Gay Italian Wedding C venues - C, 12-22 Aug, £9.50 – £11.50

Emblem: Spontaneous Thoughts on Perception Kiwi Bar @ Walkabout, 14-20 Aug, £free

Nourish

Paradise in The Vault, 23-28 Aug, £5

Female Hitchhiker: The Truth About Getting Around - Free Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £free

❤ Man of Valour HHHH

Traverse Theatre, 14 Aug, £15

The World According to Bertie C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10.50 – £12.50

A Dish of Tea with Dr Johnson Traverse Theatre, 27 Aug, £17

Lullabies of Broadmoor - The Murder Club

C venues - C, Various dates from 12 Aug to 27 Aug, £8.50 – £10.50

Rockertinkler

Zoo Roxy, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £8

The Investigation

Zoo Southside, 12-29 Aug, not 14, 21, £7.50

20:50 Foursome

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £7.50

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-27 Aug, £7 – £9

20:45

theSpace @ Symposium Hall, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £7

Traverse Theatre, 13 Aug, £17

The Gospel Of Matthew

The Royal Scots Club, 15-20 Aug, £10

A Funny Valentine

The Golden Dragon HHH

20:55

The House of Yes

C venues - C aquila, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £7.50 – £9.50

Traverse Theatre, 17 Aug, 21 Aug, 26 Aug, £17 – £19

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £10

Sweet Grassmarket, 12-21 Aug, £8

Coal Head, Toadstool Mouth and Other Stories

The Dark Philosophers

Rosie Thorn, Butter Would Not Melt

Ink

I, Malvolio

Traverse Theatre, 20 Aug, 25 Aug, £15 – £17

Lullabies of Broadmoor - Venus at Broadmoor

C venues - C, Various dates from 13 Aug to 25 Aug, £8.50 – £10.50

Scary Gorgeous

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £7.50 – £9.50

Bedlam Theatre, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £10

21:00

Your Lounge, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £free

The Lounge Room Confabulators HHH

C venues - C, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £11.50

Bluebird

❤ A Slow Air HHHH

The Wheel

Confessions of a Mormon Boy

Entitled

Traverse Theatre, 16 Aug, 20 Aug, 25 Aug, £17 – £19

Futureproof

Traverse Theatre, 18 Aug, 23 Aug, 27 Aug, £17 – £19

Bashir Lazhar

Bedlam Theatre, 22-27 Aug, £8

Hill Street Theatre, 1229 Aug, not 17, 24, £8 – £10

Festive Season

Quaker Meeting House, 22-27 Aug, £5

Traverse Theatre, 17 Aug, £15 Summerhall, 23-26 Aug, £10

❤ The Monster in the Hall HHHH

Traverse Theatre, 16 Aug, 21 Aug, 26 Aug, £15 – £17

The Oh F**k Moment St George’s West, 25-26 Aug, £10

Wondrous Flitting HHH Traverse Theatre, 12 Aug, 18 Aug, 23 Aug, £15 – £17

21:05 Devil in the Deck

Zoo Roxy, 12-29 Aug, not 16, 23, £10

The Presentment

Paradise in Augustine’s, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £12

Dirt HHH

C Venues - C eca, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £7.50 – £9.50

How the Money Goes

theSpaces on North Bridge, 22-27 Aug, £7 – £8

Strip Search

theSpaces on North Bridge, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £10

21:10 Bash

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-20 Aug, not 14, £8

Livewire Theatre’s Salem

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-20 Aug, £5

21:15 ❤ The Caroline Carter Show HHHH Zoo, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £10

Sherica

Paradise in The Vault, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £10

“Critic’s Pick” - Time Out

LLWYTH [TRIBE]

(VUE magazine, Canada)

In Welsh with English surtitles

BY DAFYDD JAMES

“Passionate .... Chilling...”

August 6-28th, ALL SHOWS @14:25

96 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

20—28 August / 11.45am St George’s West - Venue 157 0131 226 0000 **** The Guardian

www.edfringe.com

theatrelistings 21:25

21:35

Hex

Single, Mother of Two

Hill Street Theatre, 12-29 Aug, not 17, 24, £8

21:30 The Dark Philosophers

Traverse Theatre, 12 Aug, £19

Grim(m) Tales of the Woods - Free Laughing Horse @ The Phoenix, 20 Aug, 21 Aug, 25 Aug, 26 Aug, 27 Aug, £free

Hitler Alone

Inlingua Edinburgh, 1225 Aug, £12

What Remains

Traverse @ University of Edinburgh Medical School Anatomy Department, 12-28 Aug, not 15, 22, £17 – £19

C Venues - C eca, 12-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

21:40 Babushka

C venues - C aquila, 1226 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

Good Death: Created in Collaboration with Tectonic Theater Project theSpace @ Venue45, 12-13 Aug, £5

Dry Ice

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 17, £9 – £10.50

21:45 In Your Dreams

Greenside, 22-27 Aug, £6 – £8

My Best Friend Drowned in a Swimming Pool

Dances for Wolves

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

Und

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 15-27 Aug, not 21, £6

C venues - C aquila, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £7.50 – £9.50

C venues - C soco, 16-29 Aug, not 22, £9.50 – £11.50

The Gospel of Matthew by Candlelight St John’s Church, 24 Aug, 26 Aug, £10

Mojo

Zoo, 12-25 Aug, £10

Mission Drift

Traverse Theatre, 14 Aug, £17

Witzelsucht and Moria

Zoo Roxy, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10

www.festmag.co.uk

Twelve Men Good and True

Tonight Sandy Grierson Will Lecture, Dance and Box

Assembly George Square, 22 Aug, £12

Hood!

theSpace @ Venue45, 22-27 Aug, £8

Futureproof

Traverse Theatre, 13 Aug, £19

21:55 Rosie Thorn, Butter Would Not Melt

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-20 Aug, £7 – £9

22:00 Drinking in America - Free

Get Carter

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 15-27 Aug, not 21, 22, £10

Laughing Horse @ Cafe Renroc, 12-29 Aug, not 21, £free

22:20

The Table

C venues - C, Various dates from 12 Aug to 27 Aug, £8.50 – £10.50

Pleasance Dome, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £12 – £14

22:05 Peep Show

Greenside, 15-20 Aug, £7

Museum of Horror theSpaces on the Mile, 12-27 Aug, not 14, 21, £8

22:10 Flirt Fiction theSpaces on North Bridge, 22-27 Aug, £10

Last Train to Wigan

Lullabies of Broadmoor - Wilderness

Lullabies of Broadmoor - The Demon Box

C venues - C, Various dates from 13 Aug to 25 Aug, £8.50 – £10.50

Lysistrata the Musical

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-13 Aug, £7

Titus Andronicus C venues - C, 12-29 Aug, not 16, £9.50 – £11.50

The Bus Paradise in The Vault, 23-29 Aug, £8

Bouncers theSpace on Niddry St, 15-20 Aug, £10

theSpaces on the Mile , 12-13 Aug, £7

Constantinople

Electric Circus, 12-29 Aug, not 13, 20, 27, £free

Vive le Cabaret

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 22, £12

52 Man Pickup

Hill Street Theatre, 1229 Aug, not 17, 24, £8 – £10

Blood Moon

Paradise in The Vault, 1728 Aug, not 22, £7

To Do List

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 22-27 Aug, £5

C Venues - C eca, 17-29 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

Audience – Ontroerend Goed

Flirt Fiction

St George’s West, 12-28 Aug, not 17, 24, £10 – £12

22:45

Debbie Does My Dad HHH

theSpaces on North Bridge, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £10

Cautionary Tales

Paradise in The Vault, 12-14 Aug, £7

Around the World on 80 Quid

Spielpalast Cabaret

Paradise in Augustine’s, 12-13 Aug, £6

22:15

theSpaces on North Bridge, 15-27 Aug, not 21, £8 – £10

22:40

The Laramie Project

22:30

Philosophy in the Bedroom

Love’s Labour’s Lost and Found

theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, 12-20 Aug, not 14, £8

Pleasance Courtyard, 12-29 Aug, not 15, 16, 17, 22, £9 – £10

Nostalgia for Reality

theSpaces on North Bridge, 12 Aug, £5

22:55

Murder at Warrabah House

22:25

C venues - C soco, 14-20 Aug, £7.50 – £9.50

The American Family

22:35

Hill Street Theatre, 1218 Aug, £8

What Goes Up

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £7.50 – £9.50

Looser Women

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 12-29 Aug, not 17, £10 – £11

Tales from Edgar Allan Poe

C Venues - C eca, 12-29 Aug, not 15, £9.50 – £11.50

22:50 ❤ Belt Up’s The Boy James HHHHH

C venues - C soco, 12-29 Aug, £10.50 – £12.50

Reservoir Dogs

theSpace @ Venue45, 15-20 Aug, £10

23:00 Bedlam Theatre, 12-27 Aug, £8

When Women Wee Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10.50

23:10 The Judge of Harbor County theSpaces on the Mile , 12-13 Aug, £7

23:15 The Forum

Underbelly, Cowgate, 12-28 Aug, not 15, £9 – £10.50

Und

C venues - C soco, 14-15 Aug, £8.50

Sodom

Zoo, 14-29 Aug, £9

23:40 Lullabies of Broadmoor - The Murder Club

C venues - C, 14 Aug, 21 Aug, £7.50

23:45 Hotel Medea

Summerhall, Various dates from 12 Aug to 27 Aug, £29.50

August 12-15 | edinburgh festival guide 2011 fest 97

festafriend

Show mates

end— Fest has teamed up with festafri burgh Edin s help the handy website that s to see date or ds frien find oers ivalg fest pups on a shows with—to send two lucky thought… free night out. Here’s what they Photos: Claudine Quinn

Who & Tom Brennan Hannah Van Den Bergh What did they see?

0% AWESOME, NAZ OSMANOGLU: 100 (NOT 17), 9:15PM UDDERBELLY, 12-28 AUG

TOM

Describe the show.

Nazim Nazim Nazim talks about difficulties of life as a Turkish Prince. The show is supposedly about masculinity, but that restricted the material; the funniest stuff came from the surreal. Charismatic fella with lots of energy; shame about the lack of originality. I wanted to laugh far more than I did.

Did you like your companion for the evening?

She was really sweet and interesting.

Do you think she enjoyed the show?

I think she felt the same. Slightly underwhelmed.

Could you describe your companion’s laugh?

I was going to mention that. REALLY NICE LAUGH. Like an old memory.

Did you enjoy the show?

I did. A Michael McIntyre vibe. Comedy paint by numbers. One theatrical moment involving a box and another where he stabbed brie with the mic stand were really nice but these imaginative, weirder moments were overshadowed by mediocre anecdotes.

What would be the best type of person to take to this show?

Someone who is new to comedy: it’s inoffensive, lively and funny in places.

Seen any other shows you’d recommend?

RIOT is a play about the Ikea riots of 2005. It is unbelievable.

98 fest edinburgh festival guide 2011 | August 12-15

Hannah Describe the show.

Naz Osmanoglu: 1000% Awesome explored the nationality crisis of a man, half English slob, half Turkish Prince. It ends with the 25-year-old, grown man re-enacting his 7-year-old self hiding in a cardboard box.

Did you like your companion for the evening?

Unfortunately (fortunately?!), I didn’t have much time to speak to Tom (I can’t quite remember if this was his name), although he was really positive about plugging the show he’s starring in.

Do you think he enjoyed the show?

He seemed to, although he certainly had some reservations.

We definitely did not laugh enough for a comedy show.

Could you describe your companion’s laugh?

Tom(?)’s laugh was like heavy machinery.

Did you enjoy the show?

I enjoyed the show in parts, but it felt unfinished. Naz didn’t have enough material to fill the hour.

Your best (or worst!) ever festival experience?

Finding myself without a flat and a pre-booked ticket home not leaving for another five days. All hostels were full and my bank balance limited me to Super Noodles; it was like the birth of Christ all over again, except the barns were all being used for venue space.

Seen any other shows you’d recomUP FOR IT? IF YOU FANCY mend at the Fringe?

SEEING A SHOW WITH SOME Belt Up’s Outland (to esOR APPEARING ONE, IN THE cape reality) and Soweto NEXT ISSUE, SIGN UP AT Entsha (for an instant FESTAFRIEND .COM. mood lift).

www.festmag.co.uk

‘SPELLBINDING’ AllTheFestivals

‘EXHILARATING’ Metro

6.20PM (7.20PM)

‘MAGNIFICENT’

3-29 AUGUST 2011 (NOT 16, 22)

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