Blunderland

Fringe regular Ada Campe returns wackier and as unpredictable as ever. Song, dance, magic and comedy are just the tip of the Campe iceberg; a walking whirlwind of glitter and bright colours, she never lets an audience know her next move. Draped in her signature drag-style make-up and wonderfully outrageous outfit (complete with sequined headpiece), this vivacious variety act lives up to her surname.

Too Little, Too Soon is a reflection on the time Campe spent researching her family over the past two years. In this deeply personal cabaret/comedy, we’re given interesting (if slightly confusing) insight into the theatrical backgrounds of her fellow thespian family members. Her tales cover everything from amphibian-themed ballets to long-lost lesbian love, and despite almost losing the audience at times, Campe reels them back in with hypnotic storytelling, quick quips and just a touch of magic.

Audience involvement is key to Campe’s charismatic performance which has the crowd grinning and giggling, both at the performer and each other. A bouncy and kooky show with a heap of heart, Ada Campe’s queer cabaret has a strong message of family at its core. (Rachel Cronin) n The Stand’s New Town Theatre, until 28 August, 2.55pm.

TOM BRACE EMBRACE THE IMPOSSIBLE! lllll

Framed against a backdrop of his childhood bedroom, both the set and theme of Tom Brace’s magic show are based around a nicely nostalgic visit to the 1990s. With nods to Roald Dahl and Back To The Future, Brace showcases his deft close-up magic and memory tricks. Smartly executed, the man knows his stuff.

Familiar spectacles are present (guess the playing card, sleight of hand, mysteriously reattaching ropes) making this a great introduction to magic. Hopefully there are plenty budding conjurors in the room each day as this teatime show is perfect family fodder. He even squeezes a few adult gags by the unknowing kids, just for the mums and dads.

Fuzzily warm crowd interaction is, of course, order of the day but Brace makes a rather courageous move when he gets an audience member to phone his brother; there’s always scope for that kind of thing to go horribly wrong. A well-handled, lovely show. (Marissa Burgess) n Underbelly Bristo Square, until 29 August, 4.55pm.

BLUNDERLAND VARIETY BLUNDERLAND lllll

John Waters would be proud of Blunderland, an Australian queer circus/cabaret act that revels in the raucous. With an astonishing bag of tricks and as few clothes as possible, this troupe of sexually charged clowns indulge in jaw-dropping acrobatics after ‘snorting’ a suspicious bag of white powder, discuss hallucinogenics in intricate detail and pull condoms from their nether regions with the grace of Rudolf Nureyev.

‘If you’re looking for a story, fuck off!’ says the riotously care-free host Eric Schmalenberger, getting to the crux of the show with typical delicacy. This is a context-free celebration of naughtiness that lets its freak flag fly. But much like a Waters production, there’s a very traditional commitment to craft underpinning the surface-level outrageousness and gross-out humour. Every performer in this variety show is awe-inspiringly talented, from prodigious skipping to inconceivably agile hula-hooping to nailbitingly intense ropework. Class As and clumsiness propel the gags, but the skills on show are undeniable.

If there are any misgivings about this hour of entertainment, they’re minor to the point of nit-picking. A few of the more seriously presented performances feel at odds with the X-rated frivolity of the overall piece, and a few of Schmalenberger’s stand-up segments (while the stage is set for the next performance) err on the wrong side of time-filling. But nothing dampens the irrepressible mood created in Blunderland. It’s vivid, it’s sexy, it’s hilarious, and very well worth your time. (Kevin Fullerton)

n Underbelly’s Circus Hub, until 27 August, 9.55pm.

Life continues to be a cabaret and here are some more acts doing their utmost to keep that torch aflame into the Festival’s second week

KEVIN QUANTUM

It feels like it’s been a while since he was on Channel 4’s Faking It . . . because it is. In any case, Quantum is the real deal with card tricks and the like to keep your jaw on the floor. n Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 29 August, 3.30pm.

LIZA PULMAN

Pulman takes a little detour from her Fascinating Aida gig to go solo for one night. She has a new album to punt and is still feeding off the success of her Streisand covers. n Assembly George Square, 14 August, 6pm.

PUPPETS

Olivia Ruggiero is on a search for love and behind her all the way are a bunch of puppets. Whether they help or hinder is another matter. n TheSpace On North Bridge, 15–20 August, 10.45pm.

THE FAILURE CABARET

The Fremonts sing tunes all about their not-great marriage and about happier days when they first met in New York. But will it have a happy ending? n Underbelly Cowgate, until 28 August, 9.05pm.

THE THINKING DRINKERS PUB QUIZ

Most folk like a bit of a swally and others love a good quiz. Join the two together and you have this show, pretty much. n Underbelly Bristo Square, until 28 August, 6.40pm.

CABARET HIGHLIGHTS

Kevin Quantum (and bottom from left), Liza Pulman, Puppets, The Thinking Drinkers

1 HOUR STRAITJACKET ESCAPE MAGIC SHOW

Apparently Arron Jones like to throw the rulebook out the window. But he might need it if he’s chained up in a straitjacket. Let’s see how he gets out of that one. n PBH’s Free Fringe @ Pilgrim, until 28 August, 5.30pm.

CHRIS DUGDALE

With Ethermind, Dugdale will be doing more of his magic and mind control business. He’s bamboozled Beyoncé and Queen Liz so you’ll be in good company if you’re stumped. n Assembly Rooms, until 28 August, 6.35pm.

PICTURE: MONIQUE HARMER PHOTOGRAPHY PICTURE: STEVE ULLATHORNE

COMEDY

PHIL WANG

Riding high on securing a Netflix special for his pun-tastic show Philly Philly Wang Wang, writing a book about his multinational background and appearing regularly on our screens on shows like Taskmaster, Phil Wang’s short Edinburgh stint this year is fast approaching sell-out territory. In what will no doubt be a crowdpleasing hour of stand-up, the BritishMalaysian comic will tackle family, culture, race and general life updates in The Real Hero In All This, as he continues solidifying his place as a household name on the UK comedy circuit. (Megan Merino)  Assembly George Square, 15–21 August, 9pm.