****In comedy there are people who change and people who hone one particular thing to the point of absolute perfection. John Shuttleworth is one of the latter and so, to a slightly lesser extent, is... more
Reviews
***I don’t really know journalist Viv Groskop but I do know her writing. It is sharp, funny and well-observed. In recent years she has been developing another string to her bow, adding stand-up... more
*****This picture here is not from the show. It’s what I saw at the entrance to Summerhall. And there was a big queue behind this fan too, all hoping for a spare ticket so that they could sneak into... more
***George Egg is surely not the first cook to appear at the Fringe. Ainsley Harriott probably did Edinburgh as part of his double act The Calypso Twins. But Egg must be the first cook to knock up a... more
This broadcasting network ain’t big enough for two crime-cracking spoofs starring the cream of the current comedy crop. That must be the reason why Top Coppers has taken a while to appear – it was... more
****The sketch show is dead, long live the sketch show. Every year a fresh-faced young troupe pitches up and finds a new way of doing theatrical skits. This year the word on the cobbled Edinburgh... more
***Liam Williams has one of the best voices in stand-up. In two senses. He has a deeply resonant, Yorkshire tone and he often says something, angry, political and relevant. Following last year’s... more
**** Here is one of the most interesting things that Edinburgh has thrown up this year. A monologue about sex, written by an anonymous woman, read by a comedian who has not seen the script until... more
*** Before the Fringe started I wrote a preview of Lewis Schaffer and said something like “the good gigs are worth seeing, the bad gigs are utterly, uniquely compelling.” This was one of the... more
***How many years should you have to wait for someone to fulfil their potential? I’ve been recommending Alfie Brown as a name to watch for so long it is starting to get embarrassing. Maybe this... more
