A couple of people (hello Ross and Richard!) have mentioned wanting to read my reviews without engaging with the app X. I've collected the relevant tweets (I can call them what I want - Elon's not my real dad!) plus one or two odds and ends below.
Stuart Laws (Preview): There's a lot of silliness here as he focuses on relationships - a real one (with his gf) & a supposed one (with us the audience). He's animated & engaging but there's still a fair bit of note-checking for 3 shows in. Clever/daft in equal measure. PWYW. 3/5
Eric Rushton (Preview): Delivery is low energy & there are frequent flights of fancy. His two periods at school form the core of the show & this section will hopefully tighten up as the run continues. Stewart Lee & Jon Richardson fans may enjoy his pedantry/nerdiness. PWYW. 3/5
Laura Davis: There's a long off-mic intro where she sets up the show & you can't help but engage with her charismatic personality. The material bounces around but focuses on the challenges she faces when interacting with the world. It's a thoughtful, impressive hour. PWYW. 4/5
Garrett Millerick: I'm a fan of his opinionated bluster & he can frequently persuade on an unpopular point. However, this show feels under-written as he documents the "space race" via slightly lacklustre material about his child. Space geeks may take more from it. PWYW. 2.5/5
Sam See: With an endearingly cartoonish energy he describes the challenges he's faced as a gay comic in Singapore & then moving to the UK. It's a pleasant, accessible set which bounces along at a decent pace. Free Fringe so worth a punt if you've got a gap at 5:45pm. 3/5
Pierre Novellie: He has the air of a disappointed headmaster delivering a mild rebuke. The material jumps around but eating/body image & autism do reoccur. It's so densely-written a 2nd viewing would still entertain. An exceptionally strong hour of accessible standup. PWYW. 4.5/5
Richie Bree: Not a name I knew but a surprisingly strong set of anecdotal standup. Delivery is amiable & effective when paired with the misdirect-heavy material, plus there are some excellent tags. No theme but he transitions smoothly so it feels like a cohesive show. PWYW. 3.5/5
Moni Zhang: We begin with a decent quota of "cultural differences" gags. As the show becomes more autobiographical, the laughs thin out & it moves into darker, harrowing territory. As with Nanette, audience members will have different views on what constitutes "comedy". FF. 2/5
Maeve Press: Heavily autobiographical (regarding her developmental delays) it's a mannered performance - think 1 woman show rather than standup. It feels like a musical theatre production is missing a cast member &, regrettably, it does end in singing. Some people liked it. 2.5/5
Ted Hill: If you can imagine The Fast Show's Colin Hunt delivering a Dave Gorman style PowerPoint show you're in the ballpark. There's a tsunami of animations, effects & assorted visual stimuli b4 it's brought to a crushing halt by a tech meltdown (so no mark). The kids liked it.
Adam Bromley: It's his debut hour so there's no need to be a dick about things. These tales of drug & alcohol excess do not, at this point, require your immediate attention if you're a comedy fan. If you are tempted, be aware that he is (bafflingly) pulling in a crowd. FF. 1.5/5
Grubby Little Mitts: The performances, as ever, are excellent. They can get a laugh from a single word. The sketches loosely inter-relate & are often operating at a heightened reality. The last 15 minutes seem a little drawn-out but it's tremendous daft fun throughout. 3.5/5
Dickie Richards: It's puns. That could be the whole review. He starts with 1-liners & gradually moves up (down?) to long, tortuous efforts. Tim Vine is obviously an influence on delivery. If this is the sort of filth you're into then be my guest but I do not respect you. FF.
Jonny & the Baptists: Both performances are excellent & they bounce off each other well. The singing bits (not all songs) don't overstay their welcome. They cover 14 years of Tory rule chronologically yet end on the fat one tumbling around & dressing up as a dead mum. Odd. 3/5
Ruby Carr: It's another Gorman-style PowerPoint show based on the thin premise that she is "courting" eBay. She seems nice but her delivery is...a lot. Think Kristen Schaal in 30 Rock. Rooting around in the corners of the internet always uncovers crazy & eBay is no different. 2/5
Oliver Coleman: He's hugely charismatic on stage. Of course he is - he's "the world's greatest showman". Most of the joy comes from his personality but there are snatches of almost "normal" standup & the use of language is delightful throughout. A captivating performance. 4/5
Serious Theatre from Serious People: If you do a play about youth theatre but with drama school energy, is that very clever or very bad? I think I know. Lots of accents, lots of hats & actors inexplicably shouting as they exit the stage. May suit people wearing lanyards. 2/5
Rob Auton: What a following he has now! Punchlines with the rhythm of poetry & vice versa. The delivery can feel almost hypnotic or something from a meditative exercise. He's charismatic while still seeming the most down to earth man imaginable. The hottest room this Fringe. 4/5
JJ Whitehead: He asks if we've seen him b4 & then cheekily smuggles in 2 old bits. It's solid, anecdotal standup delivered by a veteran pro. There's a loose theme of UK to US experiences. The show won't set the world alight but he's still in the top 20% of comics here. PWYW. 3/5
Ignacio Lopez: It's a WIP apparently so the tickets are cheap. He's piecing things together. At the moment it's structured around his mental & physical decline, though a Spanish or Brits in Spain reference is never far away (he knows what his mature audience expect from him). 3/5
Abi Clarke: This is a very solid debut. Delivery is assured, she's comfortable on stage & while some people might call the image-centric material shallow (she did), her mainly young, mainly female audience adored it & this old bloke was far from appalled. I'm surprised too. 3.5/5
Carl Donnelly: He does matey storytelling exceptionally well. This handful of anecdotes could all fall under the "ageing" umbrella but it would be remiss of me not to highlight that the main tale covers a prostate exam. Another entertaining hour from a dependable comic. 3.5/5
Elaine Robertson: It's heavily autobiographical. Her family, small town tales, her education & work. There are elements that appear to have been added in (crowbarred?) for the purposes of a Fringe show arc & the sad bit goes on too long but it's a pleasant enough watch. 3/5
Chris Thorburn: He's clearly passionate about the subject (films). Geeks will revel in the detail but it's accessible for normal people. There are several musical pastiches, the last of which impresses the most - I just hope he can keep his voice. A well-rounded, fun show. 4/5
Steen Raskopoulos: This Fringe regular has been AWOL for a while. Expect a series of characters/sketches that inter-relate. Performance is extremely strong. There's a fair amount of good-natured, well-managed crowd involvement. The end is daft but it's nice to have him back. 4/5
Spring Day: It's an illuminating if occasionally dispiriting insight into what factors may combine to cause someone to end up in a cult. She's engaging & the script is peppered with well-observed dark laughs. It has a happy ending but maybe not a show for the lads night out. 3/5
Ajahnis Charley: He's died but doesn't have enough "homo points" to get into gay heaven. Sketches/character pieces (often musically-driven) then follow, discussing the black/gay experience. The campness dial is at a thousand - it's by far the gayest thing I've ever seen. 4/5
Ryan Mold: Delivery is strident, lacking light & shade. He does 26 mins of generic material with not a segue in sight, then another 18 on his upbringing. The crowd didn't hate it, especially when asked to "remember" things but you won't kick yourself for missing this. FF. 2/5
Mitch Benn: He does about 10 topical songs & chats amiably/crossly in between. Neurodiversity is (again) the theme though he has thoughts on the term. There's good use of language & he has a quick comic mind. Not the show to make him but his devoted crowd went home happy. 3/5
James Barr: He's very comfortable on stage & moves quickly into the story of an abusive relationship. He'll discuss a traumatic element of it, leave some long, meaningful silences, release the tension with a joke & then repeat. So you get to "enjoy" the sad bit repeatedly. 2/5
Aidan Jones (Piano Show): Never has classical music been accompanied by so many "fucks". He takes us (beautifully) through a Chopin piece in detail with diversions into his and the composer's life. A lovely, entertaining hour. Arrive early as he's regularly selling out. FF. 4/5
Ashley Haden: Every year he brings a dark, grim, political show to the Fringe & blimey, he's not cheered up much. Expect a brutal 60 mins as he shines an extremely critical light on UK society & also the rest of the world. Brace yourselves, you've been warned. Free Fringe. 3/5
Glenn Wool: He brings us uptodate with his situation & reflects on how he got there. He's a very accomplished comic who can create laughs out of the smallest details or thinnest premise. It's a well-performed, entertaining hour that is well worth your time. Free Fringe. 3.5/5
Ross Purdy: This is deep into absurdist/anti-comedy territory. Apparently Sam Campbell is a fan of this balaclava-wearing Aussie, which sort of makes sense. Expect thrash metal songs, animations & a complete absence of jokes. It was too weird for me. Maybe Google him first tho.
Gabey Lucas: She seems nice & I hope she's enjoying her first Fringe. The bulk of the show is made up of the story of a skirmish on a tiny Canadian island in the 1800s & although I'm sure she finds it interesting, there is a possibility that that enthusiasm is not universal. 2/5
Jake Baker: Delivery is quick & he has a bookish, nerdy air. It's mainly autobiographical tho there's an occasional flight of fancy & a self-deprecating comment is never far away. Climate change is a theme but he doesn't hammer it. A gentle, pleasing way to spend an hour. FF. 3/5
Rob Copland: To say he's animated doesn't really cover it. Violently-physical clowning? There's some audience interaction, a bit of generic standup & a shedload of ideas. The closing section is audacious - I still can't believe he made it work. A daft triumph of a show. FF. 4.5/5
Dan Tiernan: Adam Bloom's book has much to say on finding your comic voice. DT is already there. This allows him to move beyond his "there's stuff wrong with me" material & explore other topics. He's got very good quickly. A gifted (but still impressively odd) comedian. PWYW. 4/5
Who Told You To Be Small: I don't think it's being mean to say that this interesting, autobiographical tale doesn't have laughs as its main goal. Body image issues are discussed via a series of paintings (mostly by the performer). It's illuminating & the paintings are on display.
Steve Bugeja: It's a single autobiographical story with a few tangents along the way. It's efficiently entertaining with a joke every few seconds - you can tell the script has been sweated over. He's good with the crowd & the wrap-up works well too. Worth catching. PWYW. 3.5/5
AI:rish: Darting in & out of the core story, you'd think he'd been frightened by a segue as a child. There's a guitar for a bit & extensive dicking about with an auto tuner. God he loves a callback so he does. Feckin millions of them. A muddled show but it sort of works. FF. 3/5
Jake Donaldson: The autobiographical/anecdotal material is themed round his visual impairment. He's engaging & the script is solid with most laughs being at his expense. He uses callbacks effectively & there are a couple of Fringey devices added in. Worth seeking out. PWYW. 3.5/5
James Beatty: OK, deep breaths. This is a remarkable show & not in a good way. You do not need to see it. Let's leave it at that & move on. 1/5
Matt Davis: At ease on stage, he covers his background, current affairs & especially religion with a quick delivery. He's persuasive & argues points well with carefully-chosen language. There's a decent quota of laughs in the relatively short set. An intelligent hour. PWYW. 3/5
Nick Schuller: Delivery is dry & low energy - the pleasure comes from the writing quality. Expect some wordplay & frequent use of misdirects. He's also good at second-guessing what the audience is thinking & utilising that. A pleasing, short set in a stupidly-shaped room. FF. 3/5
Natalie Palamides: A 1 person, 2 character play. The extremely physical performance is excellent & every improvisation is a joy. No one would argue that it's too short though & it gets a bit slapsticky for my liking but the mature crowd in their theatre trousers were enraptured.
Wankernomics: Two not especially charismatic "consultants" help you navigate LinkedIn job descriptions, what email phrases really mean & meeting etiquette. It might sound like a tiresome office meme or a one-note improv game that got out of hand but the crowd adored it. Baffling.
H'allo: A Welsh girl looks for love in this lightweight clowning show. There's also mime & some audience involvement, either roped into the plot or simply as the performer climbs over chairs to traverse the room. With a couple of drinks & some friends this could be fun. FF. 2.5/5
Graham Kay: Ostensibly about his autistic brother, this enjoyable storytelling set also encompasses his childhood & general family life. The delivery is measured & relaxed & the comic timing is excellent. Refreshingly there is no sad bit. An upbeat, professional hour. 3.5/5
Elaine Malcolmson: Her club sets are densely-written & delivered in a deadpan style. That low-energy delivery doesn't work so well across a storytelling hour, though the material still contains some lovely flourishes. Reindeer fans, if such a group exists, may enjoy it. 3/5
David Tsonos (Midlife): There's a mention of the Life In The UK exam in the blurb. Actually it's 60% quiz, 30% standup & 10% crowdwork. It's all very good-natured but unless you're an international or a quiz obsessive, you might find a better comedy product elsewhere. FF. 2.5/5
Peter Jones (WIP): In his 45 min set (an opener does 15) he whirls through a list of topics, almost visibly ticking them off as each is dispatched. There are hints of Todd Barry in the writing but the energy is very different. His peers rate him & I was impressed too. FF. 3.5/5
Stuart McPherson: He's in a new relationship & taking stock of life. Delivery is quick & animated. As with previous shows he must be setting some sort of record in terms of laughs per minute. It's a hugely enjoyable watch. Surely destined for greater things. PWYW. 4.5/5
Low Effort Sketches: A pleasing range of relatively short, intelligent sketches. They develop well & crucially have proper endings. Performances are decent, even if Andy's owes a little to Mark Watson. Worth a punt & you should get in on PWYW if it's not a weekend. 3.5/5
Mark Silcox: To say it won't be for everyone is an understatement. Imagine David Kay as an Indian scientist. No jokes & an emotionless delivery - he takes us thru an inept presentation on types of people & the role of sex. Idiosyncratic to an almost disturbing degree. FF. 3.5/5
Tom Ballard: Political comedy, generally themed on division & specifically Australia's recent referendum. The high octane delivery (speed & especially volume) may trouble delicate souls but it's intelligent, opinionated stuff. A boisterous hour from the sweaty cherub. PWYW. 4/5
Chris Cantrill: He claims this is storytelling - really it's a loose thread of personal anecdotes. Much of the enjoyment comes from the delivery, a curious, absurd drawl. He's a compelling watch & a stupid laugh is only ever a few seconds away. Delightful nonsense. PWYW. 4/5
Sara Barron: Delivery is forceful - my she's confident on stage! Relationships, with her mother & to a lesser extent her husband, form the core of the set. It's a solid, professional product & there's an interesting little gimmick. Worth catching in this small a room. PWYW. 3.5/5
Kate Hammer: She's very comfortable on stage & indeed performance outstrips material. Autobiographical tales are hung on the structure of names/naming. There are animated sections but they're not integral to the show. She's a charismatic performer who I'll look out for. 2.5/5
Amy Gledhill: The strong performance is enhanced still further by little gems of perfectly-executed movement. Self-perception & self-worth are the themes as she recounts mainly autobiographical stories. The life-affirming wrap-up is liberally sprinkled with callbacks. PWYW. 4/5
Simon Munnery: He has the air of a peculiar uncle. There's some titting about, a few well-told stories & quite a lot on lyrics. This often takes the form of applying logic to said lyrics & we all know how funny that can be. His devoted crowd were up for it. I struggled. 2.5/5
Ralph Brown: He relays a significant incident from 2023's Fringe. Delivery is strident but he's structured the show superbly with jokes & narrative equally to the fore. He's hugely self-deprecating as he rues his missed opportunity to "go viral". Sunday tickets ARE available. 4/5
Gareth Waugh: He's quick-witted, evident in the short crowdwork section at the top. The show is loosely themed on his engagement but with good-natured, personal anecdotes along the way. He's performing tomorrow if you're wondering how to close out the Fringe. An easy watch. 3.5/5
What a terrific day at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards! I'm delighted for Amy, Joe & Rob! I got a hug off Rob Copland, spoke nonsense to Mark Watson & got to hang out with the Monkey Barrel crew (or "my staff" as I like to call them). Also stood near Richard Osman, so pretty exciting
I'm done with Fringe 2024. Hopefully the reviews were of some help & you found something interesting/dodged a bullet as a result. I don't tweet much Sep-Jul so feel free to Unfollow. I'll hopefully be back in 2025. Thanks to all the performers & to the venue staff. Cheers!
2024 Fringe Stats
Shows entered: 75
Reviews tweeted: 63
Shows abandoned: 2
Average mark allocated: 3.2
Ticket split (Paid/PWYW/Free): 40%/33%/27%
Smallest audience I was part of: 2
Best star spot: Gerard Butler
Main downtime location: Monkey Barrel Bar
Picked up a few followers today. I'll be candid, ABSOLUTELY the worst day of the year to follow me guys. There will be 9 tweets about the New York comedy scene between now and July. Maybe a picture of a dog. Maybe.
Belatedly (it's always belatedly isn't it?) the 2024 Fringe Monkey Talented But Ignored Award goes to Ajahnis Charley! @ajahnis if you DM me an address I'll send you an underwhelming trophy. Welcome to the FMTBI winners circle!
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