23 minute read
Sugarcoated Sisters
DEATH IS COMING lllll
The macabre ukulele-based songs of The Idiot Circus are soaked in gin, tinged with murder and have a hint of haunted Victorian sadness. This cabaret act definitely feels like it belongs in the vaudeville-esque charm of Assembly’s Piccolo Tent.
The performers arrive on stage, one of them dressed as a goat-man complete with furry legs and an elaborate headpiece, like a Latvian Eurovision act circa 2002. The first song, ‘Showbiz’, is an upbeat number that hooks the crowd. Each one that follows is a story of death in some form, told with flamboyance and 19th-century aplomb. There’s a bit of weirdness for the sake of weirdness (bananas consumed copiously by a glockenspielplaying man, ghosts wandering through the audience) and existential comedic banter between songs feels like it’s merely a formality to tick the funny box.
But the songs themselves, with their spooky fairground melodies and twinges of minorchord melancholy, really make the show come alive. There’s barely a foot not tapping along in the room while more mournful numbers elicit a smattering of goosebumps at the refrain. It helps that the lead singer’s voice is exceptional, performing some particularly impressive vocal gymnastics during a graveyard-themed solo number. (Suzy Pope) n Assembly George Square Gardens, until 28 August, 8.55pm.
MAT RICARDO
THE EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMAN lllll
As Mat Ricardo notes during his show, if you know how a magic trick is done, you could do it yourself (well, with a small amount of practice at least). Though there’s no mystery to his collection of sideshow circus turns, Ricardo’s tricks take years to perfect. And you can tell: his skill, dexterity and hours of preparation are certainly on show.
Ricardo’s here to regale with a new set of tricks presented in his usual stylish manner (sporting a dapper three-piece suit that recalls variety acts of a bygone age). The magic he performs is familiar; there’s juggling with a varying number and weight of balls, messing about with knives and daring feats of balance. But Ricardo presents it all not just with great ability but good humour and a mischievous sense of theatrics.
He knows how to play his audience; teasing them by building up to something that doesn’t quite happen to make it all the more impressive when it eventually does. There is, of course, plenty of humour too, such as his mock warnings to those who are potentially in the ‘dropped object’ range of his stage. A thoroughly entertaining, satisfyingly slick hour. (Marissa Burgess) n Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 August, 12.15pm.
SUGARCOATED SISTERS
BITTERSWEET lllll
This trailblazing show mimics the effects of going down a TikTok-shaped rabbit hole before bedtime: expect a surge of dopamine hits followed by a difficult night’s sleep. And it’s totally worth it. TikTok sensations Tabby and Chloe, aka the Sugarcoated Sisters, took on the social-media platform with a vengeance when both were dumped by their partners. The channel swiftly became their artistic medium for sharing tales of terrible Hinge dates, toxic ex-partners and mastering weightlifting challenges.
It’s strange going into a debut Fringe show with such a strong idea of what to expect. Given that hours of work must go into producing their polished online presence, this 60-minute set has the potential to be underwhelming. Instead, they revel in the challenge to live up to expectations. The tools of their craft are exposed as they expertly play cello, flute, guitar and, occasionally with great amusement, the triangle.
Like sugar, these stars are easy to get hooked on. Especially for a Gen Z audience, their honesty is hugely compelling. Through offbeat song lyrics and down-to-earth advice, Chloe generously shares experiences of managing her bipolar disorder, while Tabby demystifies diabetes. They are skilled at tone gear-changes; beyond their raucous personas, the sisters are intermittently sincere as they tell the audience how grateful they are to be on stage. Perhaps they could make more of how up for it the crowd are (audience participation was not especially ambitious) but perhaps health and safety put a stop to that. Regardless, Sugarcoated Sisters receive a standing ovation they wholeheartedly deserve. (Rachel Ashenden)
n Just The Tonic At The Caves, until 28 August, 8.50pm.
The world of Fringe cabaret keeps on spinning wildly and here are some acts doing shows about half pianos, dysto-pianos and musical icons
FRUIT FLIES LIKE A BANANA
The Fourth Wall deliver a high-energy show of music, dance and theatre performing famous songs in unique and varied ways. Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, until 28 August, 4.30pm.
WILL PICKVANCE
Admitting to feeling drawn towards the absurd and ridiculous, the Fringe favourite returns with HalfManHalfPiano, a show that will display his wild talents to stunning effect. Assembly George Square, until 28 August, 7.25pm.
CABARETTE SHOWTOUR
With the pick-up point on the Grassmarket, you won’t be making a discreet journey in a taxi as ve intrepid souls go on a musical-comedy tour around the capital. Grassmarket, until 28 August, 2pm, 5pm.
LAURIE BLACK
She’s toured as support for Adam Ant and is at the Fringe now in her own right with Dystopiano, a show that might make you rethink your negative attitudes towards musical comedy. PBH’s Free Fringe @ Voodoo Rooms, until 28 August, 7.20pm.
AN EVENING WITHOUT KATE BUSH
The ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘Running Up That Hill’ creator is certainly enjoying something of a renaissance just now, and Sarah-Louise Young has hit the right moment to deliver her homage to the enigmatic legend that is Kate Bush. Assembly George Square Gardens, until 29 August, 5.55pm.
CABARET HIGHLIGHTS
Laurie Black (and bottom from left), Fruit Flies Like A Banana, Karen From Finance Is Out Of Office, Ben Hart
PICTURE: AVE.CINEMATICA
KAREN FROM FINANCE IS OUT OF OFFICE
This Australian drag act is encouraging you to leave your work woes behind and join her on an entertaining trip of self-discovery. Underbelly Bristo Square, until 29 August, 10pm.
BEN HART
Wonder is the name of the magic man’s new show, and if you don’t get a ticket for him now, you’ll wonder why you didn’t. There are also some wondrous tricks happening up there on stage. Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 August, 7.50pm.
STAND ONE
10.00 STEWART LEE, 3 - 28 AUG (NOT 15 OR 16) | 18+ 11.45 SEYMOUR MACE, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 14+ 13.30 MARK THOMAS, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 14+ 15.15 SIMON MUNNERY, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 14+ 17.00 GARETH WAUGH, 4 - 29 AUG (NOT 15) | 14+ 18.45 KAI HUMPHRIES, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15 OR 22) | 16+
STAND TWO
12.00 JOANNA NEARY, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 16+ 13.20 RACHEL JACKSON, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15 OR 24) | 16+ 14.40 MARY BOURKE, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 16+ 16.00 MARJOLEIN ROBERTSON, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 14+ 17.20 GAVIN WEBSTER, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 14+
STAND NEW TOWN - GRAND HALL
NOON IN CONVERSATION WITH…, 6 - 28 AUG (NOT 24)* | 12+ 13.50 STEWART LEE: SNOWFLAKE, 3 - 28 AUG (NOT 15 OR 16) | 14+ 15.40 JOHN LLOYD: DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?, 5 - 15 AUG | 14+ 15.40 DARREN ‘LOKI’ MCGARVEY: THE SOCIAL DISTANCE
BETWEEN US, 16 - 21 AUG | 16+ 17.20 OMID DJALILI: THE GOOD TIMES, 4 - 20 AUG (NOT 15) | 16+ 17.20 TIME’S PLAGUE- DAVID HAYMAN, 21 - 28 AUG | 14+ 19.10 SH!T-FACED SHOWTIME: A PISSEDMAS CAROL, 3 - 28 AUG | 16+
STAND NEW TOWN - LOWER HALL
13.00 DES CLARKE: ONE O’ CLOCK FUN, 5 - 10, 12 - 14 AUG (NOT 11) | 14+ 13.00 MARK WATSON: MORE BANGING ON ABOUT TIME AND
SIMILAR ISSUES (WORK IN PROGRESS), 15 - 19 AUG | 12+ 14.50 HENRY NORMAL: THE ESCAPE PLAN, 5 - 7 AUG | 14+ 14.50 DAVID KAY: GARDEN OFFICE LEGEND, 8 - 14 AUG | 14+ 14.50 THE ECHO SALON, 15 - 26 AUG (NOT 20, 21) | 14+ 14.50 WORD UP, 20-21, 27-28 AUG | 14+
STAND NEW TOWN - STUDIO
12.05 POSSIBLY THE LAST CHANCE TO SEE SUSAN
MORRISON, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 16) | 16+ 13.30 THE CABARET OF DANGEROUS IDEAS, 5 - 28 AUG * | 14+ 14.55 ADA CAMPE: TOO LITTLE, TOO SOON, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15TH) | 14+ 16.20 PIP UTTON AS ‘BACON’, 5 - 28 AUG (NOT 9, 16, 17, 23, 24) | 14+ 16.20 POLITICS & POETRY WITH CORBYN & MCCLUSKEY, 9 AUG | 14+ 17.45 THE CABARET OF DANGEROUS IDEAS, 5 - 28 AUG * | 14+ 19.10 2022 - THE BEGINNING OF THE END - VLADIMIR MCTAVISH, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 16) | 14+ 19.10 BOB DOOLALLY LIVE & HALF-CUT IN QATAR, 16 AUG (& AT
STAND 1 ON 15 AUG) | 18+ 20.35 AFROPOLITICOOL - EUNICE OLUMIDE, 4 - 21 AUG (NOT 16) | 16+ 20.35 ABBY WAMBAUGH AND BRONWYN SWEENEY, 22 - 28 AUG | 14+ 22.00 KEVIN P. GILDAY: SPAM VALLEY, 4 - 14 AUG | 18+ 22.00 A CELEBRATION OF FATHER TED WITH JOE ROONEY, 15 - 21 AUG | 18+ 22.00 PHIL DIFFER: MY MEDICAL HELL, 22 - 28 AUG | 18+
18.45 THE FANNIES BIG NIGHT OUT (15TH ONLY) | 18+ 20.20 JO CAULFIELD, 5 - 28 AUG (NOT 15 OR 22) | 16+ 20.20 ELEANOR MORTON (15TH ONLY) | 16+ 22.00 SEANN WALSH, 3 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 16+ 22.00 BOB DOOLALLY (15TH ONLY) | 18+ 23.55 THE STAND LATE CLUB (FRI/SATS ONLY) | 18+
18.40 ROBIN GRAINGER, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 16+ 20.00 RYAN CULLEN, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 16+ 21.20 TOM MAYHEW, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 18+ 22.40 LEE BROPHY, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 15) | 18+
21.00 FRED MACAULAY- WHAT(EVER) NEXT?, 5 - 6 AUG | 16+ 21.00 JIM SMITH: THE HILLS HAVE AYES, 12 - 14 AUG | 16+ 21.00 PIP UTTON IS ADOLF, 15, 20, 21 AUG | 16+ 21.00 LIZ LOCHHEAD WITH STEVE KETTLEY ON SAX: BACK IN
THE SADDLE, 18 & 19 AUG | 14+ 21.15 FUN LOVIN’ CRIME WRITERS, 8 - 11 AUG | 12+ 23.00 THE STAND’S PICK OF THE FRINGE, 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27
AUG | 16+
16.40 PAUL SINHA: ONE SINHA LIFETIME, 4 - 28 AUG (NOT 16) | 16+ 18.30 THE BEST OF IRISH COMEDY, 5 - 28 AUG | 16+ 20.30 THE BEST OF SCOTTISH COMEDY, 5 - 28 AUG | 18+ 22.35 LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE ALL STARS, 5 - 14 AUG | 18+ 22.35 FLATAND THE CURVES, 16 - 28 AUG | 14+
COMEDY
FERN BRADY
It doesn’t seem too long ago that she was appearing in small upstairs rooms with non-functioning fireplaces, but now this West Lothian comic is strutting her stuff in one of the most prestigious spaces for acclaimed stand-ups. Honesty and authenticity are two reasons why she has got this far and as she delivers her Autistic Bikini Queen show, audiences will be reminded that a once raw talent is now deservedly being embraced by the masses. (Brian Donaldson) Assembly Hall, 25–27 August, 10.20pm.
PICTURE: MATT CROCKETT
Less than five years into her comedy career, Sindhu Vee is perfectly comfortable rubbing shoulders with the best of them. As Brian Donaldson hears, this doesn’t stop the comic feeling that she might actually be a bit shallow
Letter of the guffaw
‘A lphabet is less about who I am on the outside, all the stuff you could have picked up on Wikipedia, and more about who I am on the inside.’ Sindhu Vee is considering the trajectory of her comedy career, moving on from her ‘introduction’ to stand-up crowds with her Edinburgh Best Newcomernominated show Sandhog. ‘Pretty much everything I’m going to say in Alphabet you wouldn’t know if you didn’t come to the show. I have too much respect for stand-up as an artform and for the audiences who come to see me to not write and perform what’s really coursing through me.’
That respect goes back and forth between the Indiaborn, UK-based Vee and her burgeoning fanbase since she emerged on the comedy scene in 2018. Much has happened to her since then including a spot of acting in hit comedy-dramas such as Sex Education and Feel Good, while she has done the panel-show circuit by appearing on programmes such as Mock The Week, QI and Have I Got News For You.
Over on the radio, she’s made Sindhustan and cohosts the Child Labour podcast with fellow comic and parent Stuart Goldsmith. On the horizon after this Festival is over (asides from dates of her touring show, she’s laying on a couple of work-in-progress sets in anticipation of a new, post-Alphabet piece), she’ll appear in the movie version of Tim Minchin’s musical Matilda and she has a sitcom, Winning, in development with Channel 4. Not bad for a former investment banker.
‘There’s no explicit theme but yes there’s something in there about the alphabet. When I’m putting material together, typically my heart is in one place. I tend not to write for a show, I just write material. I’m someone who believes that an hour of stand-up can be different bits, in what can be broadly called the American model: there might be turnips and then shoes and then my mother-in-law, but there’s no big theme. If that does happen, it’s not on purpose.’
Alphabet may turn out not to include root vegetables, footwear and family members, but like many comics producing a show this year, it’s been near impossible not to consider the thing that stopped them from working for the best part of two years. ‘I’m someone who will only talk about what they care about at the time. Maybe all stand-ups do that, I don’t know. For a lot of people, lockdown was about being with your family but for me it was about being inward. I discovered a few things about my life that I thought “well this is shit: am I really that shallow?” And, well, yes I am. And, yes, it’s all in the show.’
NICK HELM
WHAT HAVE WE BECOME? lllll
‘Anyone who doesn’t have an hour on the pandemic is a fucking psychopath,’ claims Nick Helm at the start of What Have We Become?. It’s a reasonable summation of his latest show, which grapples with lockdown, Partygate, Tiger King, the Oscars slap and any other popular event that’s hit headlines since 2020. Peppered throughout Helm’s topical material are more personal talking points, including the relationship he has with his parents, his soft-drink addiction and the arrival of his first niece (that’s right, he’s a real uncle now).
Setting these well-trodden topics alight is Helm’s ragefuelled persona and knack for hyperbole, which can turn even the most banal observations on HelloFresh subscription boxes into a full-throated rant. Yet even finely tuned fury doesn’t prevent this material from feeling old hat. As he mentions more than once during his set, ‘we got bored of that after a few days’, seemingly aware of the sell-by date of jokes about loo-roll shortages.
A fresh perspective on the past two years comes whenever Helm finds a way to include the audience in his self-laceration, or when he breaks the stand-up formula with a trademark poem or song, placing his own anxieties at the story’s centre. In these little asides, there’s pathos and earnestness amid the anger. His love of the c-word (and we don’t mean covid) is rarely less than hilarious, but let’s hope he recovers from the past two years soon, or at least finds a more original way to discuss it. (Kevin Fullerton)
n Pleasance Dome, until 28 August, 5.25pm.
SUSIE MCCABE
BORN BELIEVER lllll
Gradually but with appreciable progress, Susie McCabe has evolved over the last five years into one of the best storytelling comics in Britain. From the relatable but commonplace anxiety of turning 40, the Glaswegian stand-up spins effortlessly entertaining yarns about her eccentric parents’ love-hate relationship with her too-virtuous partner, the condescension attached to being an ‘old gay’ out on the town or, horror of horrors, out on a hen night.
McCabe projects a cynical irritation with anything too pretentious or requiring too much effort. But her warmth, anecdotal flair and down-to-earth likeability makes light of religious and sexual friction with such dismissive accomplishment that you scarcely register the occasionally tricky context they arise from.
Generally world-weary, yet with a simmering excitability borne from the incredulity of encountering fools, each of McCabe’s stories is a satisfying journey in itself, but strung along with a rich, regular punctuation of gags. In the manner of Billy Connolly, Kevin Bridges or Janey Godley, she can link one memorable tale to another via the flimsiest segue and it barely seems to matter, everything offered up with a nowt-as-queer-as-folk shrug. Susie McCabe is a performer in her absolute prime right now. (Jay Richardson) n Assembly George Square Studios, until 28 August, 7.45pm.
STUART MCPHERSON
THE PEESH lllll
The framing device of Stuart McPherson’s show this year is a stag-do in Newcastle. Pretty standard stuff for a male comic you might think. But what he has produced using that traditionally macho activity as a jumping-off point is a sensitive portrayal of modern masculinity. The Peesh is an hour of perfectly crafted stand-up, with plenty of gags that wouldn’t sound out of place in a comedy club at the weekend.
McPherson has had an unexpectedly rough year suffering loss in a variety of different ways; in fact, all the ways you can think of. He relates his tale frankly, but also philosophically, often turning to his old granny for inspiration on how to deal with bad times. This is gentle, assured stand-up from someone who, as one woman apparently said to him recently, has got the look of an Italian footballer these days. But he has the advantage of being way funnier than one. (Marissa Burgess) n Monkey Barrel Carnivore, until 28 August, 4.55pm.
OK ZOOMER lllll
Halfway through his debut Fringe show, Finlay Christie declares, ‘most comedians at the Fringe will be telling you how shit everything is and that young people are cunts’. Indeed, there’s enough observational comedy about how the world is burning right now to fill your August schedule; Christie is a little bit of joy amid the cynicism.
His show looks at the much-maligned Gen Z, with a level of self-awareness that belies his 23 years. Bucking the comedy trend, Christie has a convincing argument in defence of Gen Z, touching on the struggles of sliding into people’s DMs at online uni and creating TikTok videos during our slow apocalypse. Perhaps a white, privately-educated male shouldn’t be tackling subject matter like the #MeToo movement, but Christie has enough perception and comic finesse to pull it off, leaving women in the audience nodding along.
It’s his clever toying with language and labels that get the biggest and most appreciative laughs. Audio-visual accompaniments are used sparingly and just at the right moment, including some ‘aww’-inspiring footage of his first forays into stand-up as a seven year old. Above all, his optimism and good nature is infectious, which sets him apart from the crowd. (Suzy Pope) n Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 August, 6pm.
JOHN HASTINGS
DO YOU HAVE ANY OINTMENT MY JOHN HASTINGS? lllll
Passionate, theatrical, consummate stand-up of the kind you get with a John Hastings’ show gives you a palpable sense of what we’ve been missing these last couple of years. It’s an explosive response to an emotional year (to say the least) for the Canadian comic, who found that death and loss hovered close. In the last 12 months, his best friend passed away, Hastings nearly died himself and he got divorced. He doesn’t need to stand on a chair to loom at the crowd for his passion to be felt; though he does, which is a nice touch regardless.
A skilled improviser as well as a honed stand-up, Hastings is never afraid to tackle a knotty latecomer, a gift tonight as they were Americans keen to deflect attention away from themselves by claiming Canadian citizenship . . . to a Canadian. It’s an exchange that provides the show with yet further fizz. (Marissa Burgess) n Monkey Barrel Carnivore, until 28 August, 8.15pm.
SOPHIE DUKER
HAG lllll
Ever since her 2019 Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination as Best Newcomer for Venus, and with her star rising exponentially courtesy of numerous TV appearances over recent years (not least her well-earned victory on this year’s Taskmaster), there’s a real buzz about Sophie Duker and her sold-out Fringe show, Hag. After a gentle warm-up, she goes off on a number of tangents as if she’s holding back on the thrust of her show: a realisation about her sexuality.
Formerly identifying as heterosexual, she recently realised that she’s pansexual. This all happened as a result of her experiences working as a comedian on a ‘lesbian cruise ship’. She repeatedly teases the precise catalyst of her sexual awakening as she cryptically and (as it turns out) rhetorically asks, ‘what happens on a lesbian cruise?’ While other confessional Fringe shows might go all-in on a frenzy of detail, Duker’s tale is more guarded and light on specifics. That’s absolutely her prerogative but it does feel like we’re skimming the surface of a story.
As she relates her experiences on the ship (where she was isolated from her loved ones, including her then-boyfriend, due to an absence of phone signal), she hints at the conflicting emotions and psychological disorientation of her situation. Duker embellishes her tale with theatrical vigour but doesn’t really get to the heart of the matter. Venus was always going to be a hard act to follow but this is still an enjoyable show from one of comedy’s most promising talents. (Murray Robertson)
n Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 August, 7.30pm; also 27
August, 10.40pm.
LARA RICOTE
GRL/LATNX/DEF lllll
Lara Ricote’s first hour is for anyone who is Latina, deaf and who is (or knows) a girl. She’s also got a sneaking suspicion she should be doing more about climate change, so her alter ego pops in every now and again to remind us the planet is burning in every one of her parallel universes. That the audience accepts this is a testament to Ricote’s skill. While she takes more than one opportunity to note that she’s a girl (not a woman), her deft, confident delivery and neat handling of some (very sweet) hecklers feels like she has decades of experience in front of a crowd.
Growing up as one of three sisters (two hard of hearing, one stupid) proves fertile ground, and her parents are well-drawn: dad is a granola-eating anti-vaxxer, mum’s a Mayan (yes, it’s a niche religion). Things kick up a gear as she describes a trip to Southeast Asia, her sexual awakening and subsequent move to the Netherlands, where she begins to examine her identity in more detail.
There follows a few well-aimed jibes at white patriarchy, but most of her comedy centres around herself, culminating in a routine about kidney theft (not talked about enough, in her opinion) which doesn’t exactly fit with what’s gone before, but is funny enough to be forgivable. Engaging, relaxed and confident, she can add ‘one to watch’ to that Twitter bio. (Jo Laidlaw)
n Monkey Barrel The Hive, until 28 August, 3.20pm.
PICTURE: STEVE ULLATHORNE
SHELF
HAIR lllll
Exceptionally current and exceedingly charming, the dynamic duo known as Shelf pull apart fallacies around gender non-conformity. From tackling gender-critical feminists who are preoccupied with public toilets to homophobic aunts, best friends Ruby and Rachel have transformed pain and turned it into comedy.
Their onstage personas offset each other well; while Ruby has walked a tightrope of heterosexual conformity for most of her life, Rachel (who refers to herself as ‘the gay messiah’) was born into a household where free love is order of the day. To convey this dichotomy, sometimes they clumsily employ a pseudo-scientific metaphor about control groups and variables. Their argument is more effectively illustrated through Ruby’s candid songs and biting lyrics, while Rachel showcases her questionable yet hilarious dance moves (it’s a shame the songs aren’t longer).
Through the simple symbol of a haircut, Shelf aim to destabilise stereotypes around masculine and feminine presentations. Given the importance of hair as a theme, it would have been interesting to see how it could figure more boldly throughout the performance. Despite this, Shelf make for warm company which helps the crowd navigate complex and important subject matter. (Rachel Ashenden) n Pleasance Courtyard, until 28 August, 7.15pm.
JD SHAPIRO
I’M WITH STUPID lllll
A showbusiness lag of the old school, JD Shapiro is an inveterate name-dropper who’s had the luck, skill and hustle to meet and work with Hollywood legends. The screenwriterturned-comedian got his big break through his dentist, who passed his script for Robin Hood: Men In Tights to Mel Brooks. And intriguingly, he’s still working on a screen project featuring the late superhero supremo Stan Lee. But it’s ultra-flop Battlefield Earth that’s the most eye-catching entry on his CV, his good grace in accepting its Razzie Award for Worst Picture Of The Decade indicative of the man. A tough upbringing forged his resilient, upstart optimism; though self-conscious, as he tells it, he held his own in verbal repartee with the likes of Billy Connolly and Robin Williams. There’s a snatch of scurrilous Michael Jackson gossip and the story of how Men In Tights missed out on a remarkable Sean Connery cameo is compelling. But rather too often, Shapiro can’t quite deliver the killer punchline on his celebrity encounters. (Jay Richardson) n Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 29 August, 9pm.
