3 posts tagged “comedy”
Well, I managed to see a few random comedy shows during my trips to Edinburgh - a great night last Thursday at the BBC Standup Show, and a less compelling night last Friday at Assembly's presumptively titled 'Best of the Fest', and a few acts from the back of the TV festival bar at The George last night.
Of all the acts I saw, two comedy singers were my favorite. I normally hate this sort of thing, but I'd definitely go to a future show that featured either:
Jason Wood, a very funny singer, who impersonates 1980s female pop stars
Justin Edwards from the consultants, who has a fantastic dead-pan style. At the start of his routine he announced 'I'm not very good at the chat', before leaving the audience in stitches with his songs and supposedly incompetent 'chat'. Fantastic stuff!
Both these acts were at the BBC Standup show, which had hundereds fewer people in the audience than 'Best of the Fest'. I'm incresingly coming to the opinion that big comedy gigs just don't work. Richard Herring had some really good material, but the audience didn't get it. Meanwhile Phil Nichol was a big hit with a routine that involved getting his arse out and chasing members of the audience about the stage. I'm pretty sure I saw him do exactly the same thing a few years back, but I have heard he does much cleverer comedy for smaller audiences. In short, mediocrty rules at big gigs. That's just fine if you go to comedy once in a blue moon, and want an easy laugh with your mates. Not fine if, like me, you've seen quite enough of that crap already.
BTW, Gareth was also at the same gigs, and has a sightly different view.UPDATE: So, Phil Nichol won what used to be known as the Perrier award last night for his solo show. I didn't see it, but maybe this adds weight to the point - big audiences often don't serve great comedians well.
A relaxed wander round the fringe this year:
Jump was a highly enjoyable hour of physical theatre, but I'm not sure it deserves 5 stars from the Scotsman. The cast pull off some amazing physical feats, and the comedy element is real (I was cynical before), but the action felt repetitive at times.
Cabin Fever was a disappointment. An interesting idea that needed more development. Stephen Frost spends most of the hour shouting, and the audience has to listen. A missed opportunity.
Future Shorts are here this year, adding a little cinema to the fringe. We watched their 40 min programme 'DARK OH SO TWISTED 2' last night - a truly excellent selection. The first film was exquisite. A super-chilled minicab driver picking up various freaks of the London night, who each do a verse of a Streets-style talk-along tune. Unfortunately Future Shorts don't provide a programme listing on their website, and I can't remember more details.
UPDATE: The lovely people at Future Shorts provided me with details of the film. It is a promo for 'What Comes Up Must Come Down' by North of Ping Pong, directed by Adam Smith. You can see it online on the band's website. It really kicks into it's chilled out vibe after 4 mins or so, so give it a little time!
The film festival are once again doing free screenings of some classics next to the National Gallery. We watched Top Hat in the sunshine on Saturday, with free Famous Grouse ginger cocktails - surprisingly good. Now I know what to do with Famous Grouse - cos drinking it straight certainly isn't an option.
Daniel Kitson pulled off two excellent shows. C90 is fast selling out. We saw it on Saturday, and I have to admit I fell asleep for quiet a chunk of it, suffering from the effects of the previous night's 'sleeper' train. What I managed to keep my eyes open for was worthy of 5 stars, although rather similar to previous shows? The Honourable Men of Art more than achieves Kitson's manifesto - to create a less hostile environment for late night comedy, in contrast to the 'inherently pointless' Late n Live. As compare, Kitson was great, but on Sunday i felt he had to do a little too much work to boster the other three acts - Andy Zaltzman, David O'Doherty and Alun Cochrane. Might go back another night when Russell Howard or Demetri Martin are on.
I am off to Edinburgh in August for the festivals. My normal diet there consists of a big helping of comedy and film, with a little theatre mixed in for good measure, and a few days at the end of the month at the TV festival
This year I do not know what to expect from the comedy. Most of my perennial favorites are ruled out. Chris Addison is not there, apparently dedicating himself to writing this year. I am giving Danny Bhoy a wide berth. His show last year was funny as hell, but repeated far to much material from the year before. It was a big gig for coach parties, rather than a showcase of what he truly is capable of. Howard Read and his animated pal Little Howard are concentrating on broadcast work and a show for kids.
Last year I spent two nights at Late and Live, the jumbo late-night comedy show. They were two nights of my life that I will never get back. The shows were characterised by tired comedy from the same old names, and an audience that heckled disruptively. The only interesting act I discovered was Russell Howard, who managed to shine through despite a mass of crap heckles.
So, I am left with an all-time low of just one comedy ticket booked - for Daniel Kitson's The Honourable Men of Art. He is expecting John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman of Political Animal, Perrier award-winning Demetri Martin and Russell Howard to each join him for part of the run. This, at least, should be a great show. Kitson himself never fails to entertain, whether in stand-up mode or delivering touching one-man monologue shows.
I want to believe that comedy is alive and kicking, and I hope this will be demonstrated when I actually get to Edinburgh. But right now I am struggling to know which new acts I could get excited about...
