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May 20, 2013Free Festival News
The Free Festival 2013 programme is now online - for our 10th Anniversary Year
The Free Festival programme for 2013 is now live - featuring a huge array of shows - over 350 in fact! Check out all of the details on http://www.freefestival.co.uk, and enjoy another fabulous free Edinburgh Fringe, every day August 1st to 25th! Click Here
Laughing Horse strikes Comedy Gold - Pick of the Fringe in Brighton
THE BRIGHTON Fringe is in full swing offering a kaleidoscopic mix of comedy, drama, music and visual art.
From May 4 until June 2, 723 events are taking centre stage at one of the biggest arts festivals in Europe.
As usual, Laughing Horse Comedy provides a consistently brilliant bill of sharp comics.
The Quadrant on Saturday hosted a classic evening of superb stand-up comedy which could grace any theatre.
People don’t normally come just to see the compere. But this one, Lewis Bryan, was worth the visit alone.
A rapid fire audience worker, his act would have made Brighton’s most famous comedy son Max Miller stroll up the hill and pay his entrance fee.
Headlining was award winning Amadeus Martin who held his audience in the palm of his hands with a surrealistic line in gags which would have made Spike Milligan proud – and take his seat no doubt next to Max.
Other worth Click Here
Audience's experienced what an acid trip in the middle of the afternoon must feel like with Croydon's number one electro-comedy duo Eccentronic.
Raven haired Miss Hypnotique and John Callaghan delighted audience's with their mad-cap plan to settle world peace through the European institution and annual British burden that is Eurovision.
Callaghan's approach of setting up the stage before starting the musical assault was almost Brechtian in approach– and whilst the illusion of theatre was never shattered at 2pm in the afternoon, the wonderfully absurd pair were so likeable that it became a lovely introduction to an utterly nuts show.
Kudos to Hypnotique and Callaghan for delivering the show they did – it was their first performance of their Brighton run, and the space wasn't ideal for a show that required more room to accomodate props such as European flags, a twister board and a Click Here
Patrick Lappin’s work in progress show is an hilarious insight into his depressing life. Okay, that doesn’t sound like the kind of thing you go to a comedy show to laugh at, but Patrick executes it in a way that brings out the funnier side to life events such as a harsh breakup, the loss of a relative, being an Aston Villa fan and running away from a wedding crying whilst shouting about women staying at home to wash their tits. The bits that he warns us aren’t supposed to be funny genuinely aren’t, but a couple of great callbacks, musical interludes from artists that killed themselves, the greatest/worst hype-man in the world and some relatively heavy drinking put the smiles back on everybody’s faces. Pretty rough in parts, much like Aston Villa’s season, but definitely a show to keep an eye out for if you’re heading to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer. Click Here
I have just seen Eccentronic Presents: Neurovision, a deliciously weird cabaret show at Laughing Horse @ The Quadrant. Eccentronic are a lively and unlikely duo striving to win the Eurovision song contest and dominate Europe. They attempt to find the killer song for the United Kingdom to finally overcome to nil point curse.
Neurovision was as eccentric as their name suggests and I thoroughly enjoyed the show. Eccentronic are seasoned Free Fringe performers and fully embraced the format, allowing the audience to enter during their set up and using that opportunity to chat and introduce the show and performers.
Eccentronic skillfully brought us into their madness through audience participation which started simply with handing out flags, endowing us with European countries. Their musical talent was demonstrated through their oddball collection of songs and playing the hypnotic therem Click Here
Wicked Wenches – Stand Comedy Club Edinburgh – 7 May 2013
"...Following the first interval and more of Susan’s new found psychic powers filling the short slot was up and coming Natasha Yapp, and in keeping with what is the norm on the night certainly delivered a thoroughly entertaining set. Ms Yapp is of a very complicated heritage and a lot of her material was based on and around this, all of which to me anyway was extremely well written and impeccably delivered. I saw her a few months ago on beginners night Red Raw and since then she has matured as a performer so much. Confident without being cocky she took charge from the off and certainly was well received by all. Definitely look forward to seeing her progress to a longer set." Click Here
(New York, N.Y. – May 4, 2013) Acclaimed NYC Comedian Matt Nagin To Appear At 59E59 Theaters.
East to Edinburgh is proud to present the comedy stylings of club favorite, Matt Nagin, at 9PM on July 9th, 10th, 16th, and 24th. This irreverent and sublime standup hour, Woolly Mammoth Panic Attack, will be held in Theater C, with tickets priced at $15 each and available through the 59E59 Box Office (www.59e59.org).
Comedian and Writer Matt Nagin is renowned for his energetic delivery, his conversational tone, and his incisive satire of popular culture. Matt is a highly innovative comedian who excites audience expectations in a way that has made him a favorite on the downtown scene and in clubs and colleges across the U.S.
This East to Edinburgh show will include jokes, impressions, and stories, and discuss fast food, technology, drugs, speed dating, violence, and mental disorders.
At last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Darren pulled off the punning feat he called the 1000 pun salute, tweeting jokes based on the names all all comedians (with a Twitter account) that were performing at the Edinburgh Fringe. For that reason alone we can’t recommend enough that you follow this chap over on Twitter. Click Here
COMEDY, card tricks and shadow puppetry make this show more about good solid entertainment than a man with a hat.
Using hats only as a connecting theme, Irish performer turned Australian citizen Paddy shows off his impressive magic skills and musical talents, making him a different man under each hat.
Paddy also loves to interact with his audience - getting a few to be part of his hat-making competition with funny results - and his tribute to Australia is a lovely touch.
His quick wit makes him a likeable character. It's a short 50 minute set but he squeezes in lots of laughs, so it's worth a see.
And like all good Irishmen, he manages to incorporate a potato in his
In Cahoots By Luke Manning and Paul G Raymond
A fantastic way to end the evening, with some no-fuss sketch comedy from a pair of actors who work incredibly well together. A really nice contrast between the two, bringing comedy of playing opposing genders, as well as facial expressions being manipulated to hilarious outcomes. From an unsuspecting Essex girl manipulating men, to a fortune-teller and a very gullible teenager. A belly-aching, care-free performance which is exactly what sketch comedy needs. Click Here
Simple, to the point and very well done, this story is told with enthusiasm, conviction, and great timing. A group of kids meet a new lollipop lady, and she terrifies them, so they look for a way to deal with her. Like the presentation, it’s simple, but engaging. There are two messages: to be open minded towards people and to pay attention to road safety. Of course, it all really comes down to the wonderful performance of Fringe newcomer Martha McBrier; warm, funny and endlessly kind to the children in the audience, she was a wonderful presence on stage and even gave out traffic light coloured lollipops. There was nothing particularly original about this show, but there didn’t need to be. Click Here
Simple, to the point and very well done, this story is told with enthusiasm, conviction, and great timing. A group of kids meet a new lollipop lady, and she terrifies them, so they look for a way to deal with her. Like the presentation, it’s simple, but engaging. There are two messages: to be open minded towards people and to pay attention to road safety. Of course, it all really comes down to the wonderful performance of Fringe newcomer Martha McBrier; warm, funny and endlessly kind to the children in the audience, she was a wonderful presence on stage and even gave out traffic light coloured lollipops. There was nothing particularly original about this show, but there didn’t need to be. Click Here
Nominally, a Gay Straight Alliance is a pupil-based group found in some (though sadly too few) US schools, which meets regularly to discuss issues around homosexuality in order to increase understanding and reduce bigotry, ignorance and bullying. However, the Gay Straight Alliance which has recently set up home in the basement of the Phoenix Bar on Broughton Street has added a slight twist to this; yes, it’s about dispelling stereotypes, but it also has the aim of ‘proving that gays and straights are equally awful’. It does this through some excellent humour.
This particular Alliance consists of three stand-up comedians from New York — a lesbian, a straight woman and a gay man — who have come to spread the word in the old country. Though, as Veronica Elizabeth notes, she was initially wary of Scotland given her ‘Angela’s Ashes’ experience of visiting the old ancestral home in Ireland. T Click Here
Comedy review : Eric Hutton: Every Other Show at the Fringe Sucks
Comedy review: Eric Hutton: Every Other Show at the Fringe Sucks - Free, Laughing Horse @ The Counting House (Venue 170), Edinburgh
By KATE COPSTICK
Published on 20/08/2012 13:19
This guy comes highly recommended by Sam Simmons, setting the quality bar at Olympian levels, but the ginger Aussie makes it and barely breaks sweat.
Eric Hutton: Every Other Show at the Fringe Sucks - Free
Laughing horse @ the Counting House (Venue 170)
Star rating: * * * *
At the top of the hour we get a support act, Tim Renkow, who hits us with a chunk of Shakespeare before getting into some seriously snappy, creative stuff about supervillains, reincarnation and ET. You will never hear the words “ET phone home” again without sniggering. His parting shot about “following” him is a brilliant kicker to an impressive set.
From the moment he walks along “sucking up some sky”, there are Click Here
Part of the Laughing Horse Free Festival, comedian and photographer Ian Fox delivers an hour of very amusing entertainment through a selection of photos. The show was charming, witty and most importantly, really quite original. Fox talked the audience through a series of photos that were projected around the room on plasma screens. The photos were of a wide range of things, from spotting his friend dressed as Where’s Wally in a crowd to pictures taken from underneath animal’s noses or people caught on the toilet.
Fox started off the show by telling the audience all the perfect ingredients to make the best photograph and then guided us step by step through some of his funniest photos: photos of people snapped unaware; photos taken from the top of people’s heads; or his speciality, photos of absolute nutters. I loved this aspect of the show; Fox guided us through a tour of cities around Click Here
August 17, 2012WhatsOnStage.com
Chuckle Sandwich presents: Gags, Songs & Bombs!
The free fringe can occasionally surprise you with a show you would pay good money for, Gags, Songs and Bombs is definitely that!
Described as a "chuckle sandwich" it features three fast rising stand-ups performing a 20 minute set each. Gary Tro kicks off proceedings, a likeable stand up, he does a great line in anecdotal, narrative based stand up including a strong routine based around a doomed game of paintball.
The lovely Kate Lucas, has a fantastic set of comedy songs. Her songs are blackly hysterical and lyrically brilliant as well as incredibly hummable, especially one named "Betty" describing her love affair with a geriatric.
Tez Ilyas is already making a name for himself and was a runner up in the BBC’s new act of the year competition, for good reason. The Hilarious Tez had the crowd in stitches with his rock paper scissors routine, he controls the crowd with the confide Click Here
Comedian Martha McBrier’s first foray into children’s theatre betrays none of the fledgling anxiety that is often found in even the most experienced children’s performers. If one should commend McBrier for anything, it would be for the effortlessness of her weird and serious story – earnest without the lurid smiles and nervous bounding around that commonly reveals the fretting adults trying to hide from the scrutiny of our children.
Considering that the story’s impetus is a moral one about crossing the road safely, it is a miracle that McBrier is not patronising. Against all odds, the show isn’t tedious – in fact, thanks to the wit with which McBrier sustains the mystery of the lollipop lady the audience was engrossed. The lollipop lady frightens the children protagonists, for a long time we cannot see her face on the illustrated picture projections that accompany the story. The effec Click Here
Comedian Martha McBrier’s first foray into children’s theatre betrays none of the fledgling anxiety that is often found in even the most experienced children’s performers. If one should commend McBrier for anything, it would be for the effortlessness of her weird and serious story – earnest without the lurid smiles and nervous bounding around that commonly reveals the fretting adults trying to hide from the scrutiny of our children.
Considering that the story’s impetus is a moral one about crossing the road safely, it is a miracle that McBrier is not patronising. Against all odds, the show isn’t tedious – in fact, thanks to the wit with which McBrier sustains the mystery of the lollipop lady the audience was engrossed. The lollipop lady frightens the children protagonists, for a long time we cannot see her face on the illustrated picture projections that accompany the story. The effect Click Here
Blues & Burlesque – B ‘n’ B GroupPosted on 10/08/2012 by one4review4 Stars**** This mid afternoon slot is definitely not the normal time slot for a show of this genre, one would normally expect this to be around midnight, but then this is Edinburgh when anything goes.Welcoming the healthy crowd to the Counting House club was the delightful Vicious Delicious while keyboard wizard Pete Saunders played up a storm keeping everyone well entertained.The pacey show was a selection of Blues, burlesque, cabaret and dance as the afore mentioned pair were joined by ‘Bouncy’ Hunter to complete the lineup.All performers are obviously quality seasoned pros and the are totally at one with their show, employing all the devices one would normally expect from this genre and using them with style.The hour was a quick one, which is indicative of a good show and then it was out into the night, except given t
Satisfying energetic children can be a task for even the most patient of adults, but CeilidhKids seem to have found a simple but effective solution to combine family bonding with children dancing and jumping around to their hearts content. Vast hordes of families swarmed into the hall at The Counting House and members of all generations lined the walls as we waited for the music to begin. The organisers did not seem overwhelmed in the slightest by this incredible first day popularity; as one simply stated, this was their day job.
This became quickly apparent by the high skill and efficiency with which the workshop was orchestrated. A gradual warm-up game of ‘Follow-the-leader’ proved to be a simple but effective way of getting the children on-board with following microphone commands, whilst allowing accompanying adults to ready themselves as well before the real dancing began. The dan Click Here
You know the title and you've read the description, so it won't be a surprise to you when you go see the show that the language and phone scenarios are sexually explicit. What may surprise you is strength of the writing and the polished acting: no basic sex ad chatter that you find in the classifieds, and no fake, over the top, cutesie acting. What you get in Phone Whore is honesty and a script that questions society's standards, taboos and hypocrisy in relation to sex and sexual fantasies. "Hi, this is Larissa." Moore's mellifluous voice welcomes her callers and us into her world. We become voyeurs and participants at the same time as we listen to her calls and answers our unvoiced questions with explanations about her various clients and her own life.
Banal activities such as smoking, peeing (off stage), making toast and coffee, counter some of the shocking phone calls that may dist Click Here
Saunders is quickly on his way to becoming London’s leading authority in live burlesque music, using his six years of expertise from Blues and Burlesqueto enhance many numbers.
THIS IS CABARET
Just thinking about Saunder’s accomplished musicality and VD’s rapacious wit returns me to that marvellous delirium that only the best, most absorbing entertainment can induce. The vibe may be retro, but this is an upbeat, offbeat little number and I’ll be beating it back there soon
Phone Whore – &&&& (+&&&&)
There isn’t praise high enough for Phone Whore. Cameryn Moore’s one-woman, semi-autobiographical look into the life of a phone sex worker is frank, funny, brave, unsettling and even moving. Moore gives her audience exactly what they came for with steamy, one-sided re-enactments of calls with randy clients. But rather than stretch the material to comical extremes, she subtly shifts her focus to the societal expectations and primal longings that drive us all to fantasize in the first place. Moore’s calm, casual, nonjudgmental approach makes this by far the most intimate and insightful theatre experience you’re likely to have, in more ways than one. Plus, the script is as tight as you could hope for, steadily building momentum until it reaches a climax that’ll leave you speechless. See it, and see it now. Click Here
From a ukulele-playing bi-curious grandma to an angst-ridden poet laureate - meet the comic stars of tomorrow.
Metro's selection of the top-10 next big things in comedy is gathered from an impressive array of new Australian talent.
With experimental panache, this year's crop is paring back the art of stand-up, reinventing character comedy and finding poignancy in physical japery. On the cusp of comedy season, here are the 10 must-see acts whose talents are seriously funny:
2. Carnovale & Culp (The Cloud Girls), both 26. A roller-coaster of absurdist characters.
Reviewers have called them ''shiny and shameless … like rappers in sync on the same absurd wavelength'' and comedian Sam Simmons likened them to a female Mighty Boosh, ''except completely their own planet''.
Awarded best newcomers at last year's Sydney Comedy Festival, Sydneysiders Jennifer Carnovale (pictured abov Click Here
The way I have covered the Montreal Fringe is to split the venues up among reviewers; each has to cover everything, for good or ill, at their venue. So I did not get to see one of the hot tickets of last year's edition, Cameryn Moore's solo Slut (r)Evolution. Nor have I seen Phone Whore (which toured - and will be touring - the North American Fringe circuit). When I mentioned into Twitter that PW was coming here this week, the Twittersphere ignited and I was told (nay: ordered) to see it.
Tonight the piece began its brief run at Mainline and I am glad. Last week I wrote about how theatre has the power to change one's mood and Moore and her director Elizabeth Dupré definitely dragged me out of this filthy winter. The place they dragged me in to, however, was not always a pleasant one. Yes, there was humour - but there was also a haunting darkness that leaves one, at an hour's end, prof Click Here
ED2011 Comedy Review: Aberdeen Vs Glasgow Vs The World (FGC Comedy / Laughing Horse Free Festival)
With a six-man line-up that changes every day, you never know what you’re going to get at this show. I was lucky and was treated to a rapid-fire hour of comedy with lots more hits than misses. Of particular note, Toby Littler got the crowd guffawing along to a couple of marvellously rude songs, whilst Peter Wood delivered a string of deranged one-liners worthy of Milton Jones, only much dirtier. Our compères were funny and slick – the ventriloquist sheep routine struck comedy gold – and the show oozed with relaxed, professional humour… overall this was a great hour of varied comedy. Click Here
ANIL Desai isn't so much a stand-up comedian as he is a stand-up chameleon.
This movie buff has turned his love of film into a globe-trotting career, having started out in the BBC comedy Goodness Gracious Me.
His impersonations of movies stars are remarkable as he moves effortlessly between Robert De Niro and Al Pacino and back again, and then suddenly Jeff Goldblum appears out of nowhere. Brilliant stuff.
An expressionless Keanu Reeves had me in stitches, nodding "So true!", and his take on Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow is spot-on.
Thrown into the mix are stories from his life and relationships - an ex-girlfriend more interested in having a deep and meaningful with De Niro and a crazy Christian Slater fan. It does makes you wonder, though, where Desai ends and his Hollywood heroes begin.
Impressive impressions at every turn, Another Night at the Movies is a fun ev Click Here
Anil Desai had his work cut out for him before the show had even started. My local post office was closed for Good Friday, my nearest 7–11 was closed for renovations and Myki’s website was closed for routine incompetence. It was going to take an Easter miracle for the acclaimed UK comedian and impressionist to turn my permanently etched, “world’s least-practical public transport ticketing system” frown upside-down.
After 20 minutes of staring at the taxi’s seemingly endless metre, my eyes welcomed the cosy glow of the Word Warehouse. As we slipped into the lounge’s soothing booze-gloom, I spotted a funny-looking ticket vendor. I say “funny-looking” because he looked like a comedian. I say “looked like a comedian” because as we stood blocking the wheelchair access in awe, it became clear that the gentleman stamping hands and flipping change was “the stand-up chameleon” himself: Anil Click Here
Another Night at the Movies’ is an impressive performance by 4th year MICF participant, Anil Desai. His talent as an impersonator can only be described as masterly as he entertains his audience for sixty-odd minutes. This task is one that not many impersonator-based comedians would be willing to undertake.
Desai obviously has a wealth of experience, as his impersonations are varied and freakishly accurate. Within seconds, Desai is able to transform into any of the forty personas he has under his belt. It is quite remarkable to witness a comedian who not only can rapidly change characters but is also fast enough to act out conversational sketches between multiple personas. It was also interesting to find out Desai's affinity for the art impersonation, to see where it all began and how he uses his talents to wrangle out of sticky situations.
Bizarrely funny and heart-warming, 'An Click Here
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