Comedy Reviews 2007

Terry Saunders - Missed Connections

Terry Saunders

VERDICT - 4.5/5 Hey Ho, another shown n another chance to stare down the barrel (room) at yet another comic using the Buxton paying-public as guinea pigs en route to the promised land (EH1). Listen tho'...we don't mind being used as a stepping stone to test out yr Edinburgh material - no really we don't...not when it's this good!

Apart from the sexy drama on offer (my first love), the other great thing about this years Fringe has been the chance to see a few Edinburgh Fringe bound shows...all were stand-up solo performances. I use 'stand-up' loosely though as they all performed 'shows' based around a theme or common narrative/concept which ran the length of the shows - the shows were all 'productions' as a pose to pure stand-up and that alone made them all worth watching - the fact that they've all been tres funny is the icing!

Ditto for Mr T Saunders - a simple idea concerning 'missed connections" was the basis for his act - a sort of 'what if?' applied to past lost opportunities. 'What if' he had talked to the attractive young lady on board a London Night Bus many years ago - how would have his life changed - was that the 'Missed Connection' which would have led to untold happiness n love and ended with a little voyage in a pea-green boat (twit twoo).

It is something we all do regularly; review our life, sometimes happily, sometimes not so - Anyway the way Tel did it was brilliantly funny... He's also a Grandmaster of the added 'after thought' line - used by many comedians - with him it was guaranteed to make ya smile (or even titter). His show also included a second thread based on the "Missed Connection" messages that people post on the net - it was seriously funny stuff too!

So why only 4.5 and not 5...well that's down to personal taste, I preferred the last 2/3 of the show to the beginning solely on the grounds of content - things got a tad more zingy as the show went on and I'm a devoted fan of 'zing'...the 'surrealism' quotient was gradually cranked up...and up...and up...with only a minimal loss of audience appreciation along the lines of 'WTF is was going on about'.

A crowd pleaser? Well, the audience loved him...so did I - see this show if at all possible.

And that's about all there is to say!

And that's me last review of 2007 all done n dusted- if you have been, thanx for reading...time for bed said Mr Wilson...Boing!!!

Funny Line: Terry is frustrated by a possible 'Missed Connection' (with a foxy lady) and explains how he vented his spleen "I kicked a cat...did some racism...hit some children..."

The quip about Mr Shah (the optician) taking a dip in the Contact Lens cleaning solution was a favourite too (times were hard and he'd run out of soap)...well it was funny when Mr Saunders did it

Stoon

Crewe Lyceum Theatre Group - Teechers by John Godber

John Godber's plays are solid, populist entertainment, usually with a small cast playing multiple characters. They deal in archetypes, covering well-recognised situations. Teechers is Godber's semi-autobiographical work detailing the tribulations of an idealist young teacher in a difficult comprehensive in the 1980s.

The five-strong cast from Crewe Lyceum approached this play with enthusiasm, playing both the teachers and the pupils (in best Catherine Tate, 'am I bovvered' style). There was also some nice attention to detail in the props (including a 1980s copy of Record Mirror with Soft Cell on the cover and a Rubik's cube). However, the multi-character nature of the play perhaps required more precision in places, and the pace could have been faster, particularly in the changeovers between the scenes. The momentum also sagged with the mistaken addition of a 15-minute interval into a one-hour play.

This was a small-scale production that was occasionally a little dwarfed by the Paxton Suite stage, although the larger-than-life personalities of the cast went some way to mitigating this problem, and the friendly audience clearly enjoyed the resulting show.

Robbie Carnegie

Delights To Peep Theatre Company - Summat an' Nowt

I have no idea why this was entered in our drama section! It is a comedy and a delightful one at that.

It is exactly what it says on the tin - a series of comic sketches in which appear a harassed housewife, a clumsy shop assistant, a zookeeper etc. The whole is very "folksy" and clearly rooted in working class Lancashire. It is gentle and slightly old fashioned and quite charming - a welcome relief from the rigours of 'challenging' material.

There was no programme so I cannot be sure but I think the actor (one actor takes on all the characters) is Olivia Neville. She may also be the writer. Whoever she is she has real comic talent. I hope it can find a place in the modern comedy world. From our information Olivia is based in London. She must feel very out of place but I guess that's where the work is. Don't worry ducks, the North will stay with you!

John Wilson

Mik Artistik - Mik Artistik's Ego Trip

Mik Sitting

Mick, along with his guitarist and bassist played a variety of unusual numbers. These consisted of spoken and sung poetic comments on modern life and fantasy. My particular favourite was "Separated Man" which extolled one of the great benefits of being separated from ones wife, that of not having to go to B&Q on Saturday. Yet another told of the exploits of a young Gulliver, he of 'travels' fame whilst at school and the way he was bullied. You get the picture.

This was not a packed house it had to be said and it was felt that, played to an appropriate audience this act would be much more successful. This is the stuff that fringe festivals are made of. So go and see Mick Artistik's if you dare!

Mark Flett

Andrew O'Neil - Futuristicelectrodeathninja9000

Andrew O'Neil

VERDICT - 5/5 THIS GUY ROCKS...PERIOD!!! The only trouble is that a lot of his moonstones hail from...well not so much a different planet, but more a case of another Galaxy! Annoyingly THERE'S ONLY 1 MORE SHOW BILLED (THURS 19TH) - only the fifth show of this Fringe that I would deem UNMISSABLE - so be there or read the sexy Edinburgh reviews n weep that you never eyeballed him cheekbone to cheekbone!!!

The best stand up comedy act of the Fringe by a Peak District mile...to date. Shades of a bespectacled gothic 'Harold Lloyd-esque' figure meets Jack Black meets a (semi) politically correct Sadowitz!

Why??? Well, 'cos pretty much every single word he uttered was funny in some(!) way. Out of the audience present there was possibly only myself and a couple of others who clearly got his drift throughout...that's not to say 'The Others' were in a state of (Kidman-esque) denial...no Siree...I'd hazard that all present gleaned a fair degree of pleasure from their encounter with Mr O'Neill. It's just that his dissection of situations and observations were so meticulous...so precise...so finely tuned that even if you only picked up on say 1 outta 5 words, well that was plenty to be going on with. If of course you really wanted to gorge yourself at the buffet table of humour kindly provided (metaphorically speaking of course), then you could...the surreal selection of Hors d'œuvres was a particular favourite of mine.

The show broke itself down into 3 (bite-sized) segments - a tasty, fresh little starter that was probably the most conventional part of the menu (conventional by his stds that is!). Then the main course, which introduced us to a couple of characters...Mr Universe (a chap who was 'THE Universe' and not some over toned, glistening beefcake) PLUS...a 5 yr old boy, undergoing experimental medical treatment. For Pud we got something, um, well a bit sharper...maybe too near the boundaries for some in terms of content. A duo of sorbets ...the scoop of 'Fresh Lime & Ginger' despite being challenging, was nonetheless consumed (or at least tasted) by the majority. However the dollop of the chunky Thai speciality 'Tamarind' sorbet with its searing bitterness was rather to near the knuckle for many though!!!

References to 'Muppet-Like' Scottish GPs masquerading as Z-List terrorists, Child Porn sites (that's sites FOR children), The late Mrs McCartney remains (oh and her one-time stand-in too [no pun], Islamic over-sensitivity, Creationist twats...Vegans N Veggies...nothing was left untouched (or unearthed!)...And it worked, simply because we felt the sincerity behind what was being said...some may have found Andrew outspoken in terms of content and manner...but not sentiment...it's a very fine line to tread, but tread it he did!

I'm gonna wind this up now...there's a reason for my (unusual) brevity...let me confess! When I visited Andrew's website I thought..."yeah, wild, wacky guy but will there be any meat?" - well rest assured there's enuff 'Beef' here to supply the 'Aberdeen Steakhouse' chain for a year - it's simply not possible to put his performance into words. To quote a few of the 'sound bite' lines from reviews of his previous work...'a bit odd, but very funny (Steve Coogan)'...'Everyone around me fell about laughing (The Scotsman)'...'Keeping the true flame of creativity burning (Time Out)'...'Clever comedy for those who like their laughs original, off-kilter and cliché-free (The List)'. Sexy Comedy...GO SEE!!!

Opening Line: Spoken when Andrew walks onstage with a 'Flying V' - "it's the guitar of choice if you want to rock - but not make too much noise"

Stoon

Black Box Theatre School - Five Go Mad in Buxton

VERDICT - Serious Enid Blyton aficionados had better beware...this does poke a teeny weeny bit of fun at the quintet...well it's quite a large cattle prod really! A nice level of parody and children exhibiting some 'strange' behavioural traits amounts to a fun hour of entertainment with a decent quotient of 'happy hour' material...oh and the adults are pretty screwed up too!

Having been weaned on the 'Comic Strip presents' version of Enid Blyton's gang of four (pesky) kids & a dog way back in the early 80's, I was rather hoping for a similar line of irreverence...and from the brusque opening term of endearment spoken by George to Julian ('wet arse' I think), I wasn't disappointed....especially when 'dick-less' followed soon after.

First n foremost, there's no loss of enjoyment if you haven't read any of the books...in fact viewing this with an 'open mind' is probably best! The 4 children are nicely defined in terms of characterisation. Their spokesman is Julian (Richard Wevill)...elected to that role by virtue of his non-stop jabbering...mostly to little effect as the others are content to blissfully ignore him and talk amongst themselves (much to his annoyance) - he seems to exude a bit of smarm too, attired in his holier than Baden-Powell scout uniform. The actual leader though is George (Stephanie Green)...a larger than life (literally), dungaree-clad tomboy who is never likely to be influenced by a L'Oreal ad - she conveys the frustration of a boy trapped in a girls body well...indeed there a little hint of kinkiness cum sexual frustration on show at times - her obvious disappointment at not being handcuffed nor frisked at the Police station being a case in point.

Then there's Dick (Joe Morris), who bears an uncanny resemblance to Shaggy from another bunch of teen sleuths. His favourite pastime is taking observational side swipes at the others...either by word, or by a withering look or gesture. He's the 'grunge' kid of the group - his expression of concern that the gang have been separated from their luggage upon arriving in Buxton is met with an unsympathetic barb along the lines of "You haven't changed in 6 books!" And finally there's Anne...oh sweet Anne (Holly O'Leary) who clearly is a max factor shade short of a decent lipstick (literally as she applies her chosen colour with the subtlety of a bricklayer's trowel). She's by far the kindest of the bunch and always one to look in the bright side - her contribution to the group "Hurrah!" sounds sincere - well I'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt!

Adult roles are taken of by Richard Howell-Jones (Inspector & Uncle Quentin) & Peter Hawkshaw (Constable & Town drunk). All these characters are...well almost Panto-esque in their projection. I particularly liked the 2 members of the Constabulary...the Inspector's mannerisms were very effective during the 'interrogation.' And the plot...well for 'lashings of Ginger Beer' read lashings of Buxton Water and a proposed additive called Noctrin 4...that's about all you need to know...it's not rocket science (tho' actually it is given the fact that Uncle Q is a 'world famous scientist').

Oops...almost forgot to credit 1 part...that of Aunt Fanny, played by Peter Hawkshaw. I confess to finding him not wholly and absolutely unattractive in his heels and wig...now there's a reason to question whether Uncle Q did indeed succeed in his plans and there really is 'something in the local water' now!

Best Line: The gang are all running at max speed to the next point in the story; George starts to feel the pace and is clearly breathing heavily.

Julian (sportingly to George): "Chin Up"

Dick: "Which One?"

ps...Quintet??? Well Timmy, the canine member didn't appear until the end and then we caught sight of his tail!

Stoon

Bob's not her Uncle, but He's Mine - Undiscovered / The Dukes of Hazzard, Me Mum and a Sticky Finger

Bob's not her uncle

It has been great to see such quality female comedians at this year's Festival Fringe. There has been 'It's Not Unusual' - a tribute to Tom Jones, which had the audience in stitches, 'Yesterday, When I Was Young' - again, the audience laughed out loud, and 'Undiscovered/The Dukes of Hazzard'. This highlighted some of the North's best female comedic talent.

The show was split between Carys Kaiser and Lou Conran, both with their own style of performance. Although, there were only three of us in the audience, I think the small audience number was in some ways an advantage. All three of us sat down at the front, with Lou and then Carys coming to sit on the edge of the stage and the performance became an interaction between audience and performer. We were all asked about our ages and love lives, and as this is a show about being single thirty-somethings, and I'm a 24 yr old in a relationship, I was threatened with a bread knife!

This sort of comedy works really well with a small audience, as being involved in audience participation is a lot less intimidating when there are only a handful of people present. There was some laugh out loud moments and some really touching moments, when we were played a video of people being interviewed about dating.

I would strongly recommend this event to everyone. It was an extremely honest look at life and relationships, and the horrors of dating. For anyone who is attached, listening to the interviews will make you relieved you finally found someone who, in the words of one of the interviewees, "will put up with you"; and for anyone who is single, it will be made very clear how to avoid the 'nutters' and find the 'normals'.

Jasmine Harmer

Mediamedea - Job #143

Who has the key?

The easiest way to describe this play for me would be to liken it to a comedy version of the horror film "Saw", but without the violence! However, as I suspect many reading this review may never have watched that film, I shall have to find a better way to describe it.

Basically, two men wake up in a cell, handcuffed and wearing white boiler suit-type things. It transpires that they are in fact, brothers. This sets the play off on an exploration of relationships and families. The links between brothers, fathers and sons, mothers and sons, and husbands and wives are all explored.

The play, which is categorized under comedy, is, as with all good comedy, really an amalgam of both comedy and drama. There are moments where the audience laughs out loud, but also much more tender moments of realization experienced by the characters.

The show explores the cruelty of children in a humorous way. The character Percy describes a game that his brother Alfie and his friends used to play called "The Life of Brian": "you used to tie me to a tree like it was a crucifix and throw stones at me while singing 'always look on the bright side of life'!"

I could mention all the bits I found hilarious but I don't think my writing could do credit to the scene involving water bottles and handcuffs. There is a brief reference to "The Princess Bride" that I laughed out loud at but unfortunately no-one else did (how can people not have seen The Princess Bride?)

Anyway, this show was an interesting look at relationships and family ties, not sure it needed to be quite so elaborate, but I liked the wink to "Saw".

Jasmine Harmer

Kobal Theatre Company - Beer! by Mark Distin & Stephen Michael Lowe

Beer promo image

VERDICT - 5/5 Stella Stuff...a true Drink of Champions...a Heady Brew...just the right Kaliber ...probably The Best Play in the World!!! (ok possibly not the last one then). This made me laugh, a lot, on all many levels which rule the roost in my chicken shed, but then I'm not one for poultry humour! It's comedy, done in a certain way...so beware...it ain't gonna find such favour with all n sundry; the couple I sat in front of this rated it 4/5 & 2/5 respectively. In my book, the perfect warm-up for Mr Sadowitz!

"Have you ever been woken from a drunken stupor by a pink elephant telling you to brew your own beer? Stan Watkins has, but instead of ignoring the alcohol-induced pachyderm the hapless dreamer takes his advice and attempts to get his life on track by brewing the perfect pint".

This is a brilliant script, great characterisation and a cast who have clearly spent time together (outside of institutions). This was a treat for me...just my style of comic humour with actors who were able to handle the 'lager than life' roles with ease, yet portray the underlying sentiments as well. This wasn't about subtlety, though the script was one of those multi-layered efforts which allow audience members of differing 'comic breeding' to extract whatever they were able to. In other words, to some folk, parts of the dialogue would have appeared as airborne 'pink elephants' passing over their heads whereas others would gladly have seized that very same elephant by the trunk and shook it vigorously! A few of course would have adjusted the 'colour settings' on their rose-tinted spectacles wondering why David Attenborough had never forewarned then about the existence of such a colourful mammal.

For me the 'equality of stage presence' and of all 6 members of the cast was a plus point too; all too often with this sort of production there are characters who you warm to more than others. Not so here, whoever was on stage happily occupied your mind and there was no feeling of favouritism towards anybody in particular - everyone truly was equal, tho' Mr Elephant may have been overheard saying "two legs good, four legs better".

And the subject matter? Well fear not...membership of CAMRA is not a prerequisite to enjoying this...all of life's bases were comfortably covered. We had concealed love between the lovebirds - shy Stan (Stephen Michael Lowe) & dippy Carole (Rachael McGuinness); relationship issues were highlighted between our established 'George and Mildred' couple, Dougie (Wesley Thomas) & Michelle (Catherine Murphy); Michelle & Stan were siblings too with Stan sleeping on his despairing sister's couch so to speak - not so much 'Man about the House' as 'Weirdo brother about the Place'. The nu age of 'man who moisturises' (or at least starts to wash regularly) was illustrated by Stu (Peter Lord) who managed to portray the transition from 'Lager Lout' (well hippy really) to 'Disciple of the Zen' without any 'happy clappy' crap. Oh, and then there was Baz...the Elephant...its best if he does his own talking methinx (for fear of misrepresenting him of course). The whole thing was underpinned by a non-stop flow of funny lines & funny scenes; some were wickedly funny (allegedly).

There are those who regard this sort of production as inferior to 'real' theatre or comedy, because, in the words of Python..."it's just silly"...maybe, but doing silly well is an art in itself. The following is from the company's website

"We believe theatre shouldn't be placed on an elitist pedestal but rather chucked around so that everyone can have a go and as such KOBAL produce work that you can just sit back and enjoy - popcorn theatre if you will".

Incidentally this the second excellent play running I've seen at this venue which after last year really has seemed to get its act together - NiceOne Martin.

"Men & Elephants Behaving Badly" meets "Six Go Mad in a Brewery" with a dash of Reggie Perrin - or indeed anything you want it to be - I loved it! Hopefully a few others will too.

Best Line: Spoken by a disillusioned Stan as Baz the Elephant's plan to create a beer to rule the world of brewing (with the associated perks of chicks & wealth) starts to look dodgy: "so the promised gravy train has crashed somewhere between f**king & bollocks killing everyone on board".

Stoon

Drunken Chorus Arts Collective - To Be Seen: A Wonderful Horse

'To Be Seen: A Wonderful Horse'

From Camden Town to sunny Buxton, To Be Seen: A Wonderful Horse is at the cutting edge of the arts and fringe scene. Two performers seek to warm-up the audience for an imaginary show. And be warned! They use every means available. The intimacy of Underground Venues means the audience is thrown into the centre of the performance. A challenge goes out to anyone who manages to maintain an air of arty nonchalance in face of this comic assault!

There are cultural references certainly. Whether it is conventional enough to be called a parody really depends on how you read it. It is certainly part parody, part comedy, but certainly all performance! Ultimately it is interesting (and I do not mean that as a backhanded compliment) but rather in the sense that, for a true fringe experience, this is not to be missed.

To Be Seen: A Wonderful Horse runs 13-19th July, Underground Venues- Pauper's Pit.

Dale Copley

Three's Company - Play on Words by Tom Crawshaw

Play on Words by Tom Crawshaw

Tom Crawshaw's most successful play - to date; for surely a great future awaits this talented young author. Winner of the Cameron Mackintosh Award for Best New Writing 2007 and it is obvious why. An exceptionally clever dialogue rather in the manner of Tom Stoppard demonstrates how words can lead to hilarious misunderstandings - and then eventually to tragedy.

It can happen on the Fringe that drama written and performed by students turns out to be under rehearsed or rather sloppily produced. Not so here. Yaz al Shaater and Ian Attard as Eddie and Fred, ably supported by Victoria Ross as the unfortunate Jen gave highly polished and secure performances backed up by taught production This play requires very precise timing if it is to succeed. And the actors certainly measured up to that. It was hard to remember that we were not watching experienced actors in a professional production.

The production also benefited from the large space provided by the hall at the Infant's School, being used on the Fringe for the first time this year. A novel twist; the audience sat on the stage to watch the action at floor level. But this simple way of providing raked seating worked really well.

Definitely one of the best productions on this year's Fringe. Don't miss!

P.L

More performances every night from 13 to 18 July at 8.00pm at Buxton Infant's School.

Buxton Young Farmers' Club - The Seven Year Hitch

A wild, glorious, uproarious farce; in the Whitehall/Brian Rix/Ray Cooney tradition except that it knocks them into a cocked hat. And that's about it really as far as the review goes. The rest will be padding culled from confused memories and bits of the programme. Your reporter did take a notepad into the show but was quite unable to write anything down for laughing. He can remember that David Batterbee as Stanley is a star and probably should give up the day job.

The show has everything a farce should have: "dead" bodies, a chest freezer, a closet, lots of doors which open and shut frequently, several trouser incidents, a dead sheep and sex. This being a farmer's show I should perhaps make it clear that the last two are only marginally connected. As to the order in which these elements are connected, it seemed to make sense at the time but I don't think I can reproduce it here and, to be honest, I'm not sure it matters.

The show is in the Paxton Suite tonight (Friday 13th). Last night the Pavilion Gardens staff was running round bringing in extra seats and they have plans in place for tonight but you may need to get there early. Yes that's right, the Paxton Suite full to capacity! Ron Priestley told me that near 90% of the audience were farmers. I can well believe it. They all looked pretty robust to me. What a tribute to a sense of community! It reminded me of the local drama society in the village hall, the L duGard Peach in the barn theatre in Great Hucklow, of my childhood. I know I'm biased but what a glorious thing a Fringe is when it can include a wonderful community event like this alongside dark Russian drama, London comedians, classical musicians, a nuclear physicist comedian/magician and... well, you know the rest. Buxton Young Farmers; a hearty welcome to the Fringe! May you come back every year!

The age range of the Young Farmers is 10 to 26. The men are strong and the women beautiful. If you're interested in joining you should contact Anna Taylor on 01298 871509. I'm not sure how strict they are on you being a farmer but you may be able to blag it with the aid of a dialect coach.

John Wilson

This show was winner of the 2007 National YFC Drama Competition

Steve Day - Deafy's Island Discs

Steve Day

VERDICT - Yet another show a bit off the beaten track of 'straight stand up' proving that the unusual can be very good! A rough diamond of a production, yet multi faceted enough to offer, comedy, reflection and even a bit off inner self examination...FFS, hurry up passing the Reiki crystals around!

Steve has been fairly deaf for the last 25 (80% or so I think he mentioned) - so the idea of listening to his selection of fav tracks may seem a bit...unusual! However his selections are made from stuff he listened to when he had perfect audio appreciation (up until 18 years of age).

The tracks themselves are fairly...um...eclectic (that's the correct term currently in vogue I believe) - and part of the pleasure to be drawn from the show depends to what extent his choices resonate with each individual audience member - for me 2 (of his seven) stirred memories n emotions.

However Steve does a bit more than double up as a human jukebox machine and cleverly fills in with background banter as to why the tracks are special to him and amusingly provides some info re the artists and how/why they may have recorded what they did...some of this is seriously funny (and libellous no doubt)! I loved his piss-take of the proliferation of universities.

Throughout Steve is extremely honest and a later part of the show literally turns into a confessional...to me this was the surprising (and valued) part of the evening as Steve candidly explains some past prejudices he's held. The thing is that I'd wager that the majority of the audience have harboured similar feelings themselves, again either in the past or possibly even presently.

In the absence of any crucifixes (or even the James Brown puppet who starred at us for most of the time), this show is will not exercise any demons...it's a humorous and personal review of someone's back catalogue of favourite tunes and on that level it's worth seeing for guaranteed laughs & nostalgia. It's made more meaningful by the unfortunate fact that Steve can add nothing new to that catalogue...in fact his virtual deafness only effectively allows him to recall how the music would have sounded. His candid revelations towards the end add another layer that may have left a lot of the audience feeling rather uneasy with their own beliefs and values - it's worth seeing for that reason alone and will possibly be the 1 show of the Fringe that I'll remember with the most poignancy.

Thankfully there isn't a copy of The Bible or The Complete Works of Shakespeare in sight.

Nice one Steve.

Best Lines: Steve explaining to us about that James Brown puppet and his automated arm "He's got an activation button...being a bloke I can't find it"

"Is there a Buxton scene for Gangsta Rap?"

Steve on his Step-Kids "The fact that they are step-kids makes no difference - they're just as annoying as the others"

The bank manager quip right at the beginning...(sorry, you'll have to see the show)

Stoon

The Black Sheep - I, Lear

I, Lear

Ah, the pantheon of great British actors: Sir Lawrence Olivier, Sir John Gielgud, Sir Ralph Richardson, Sir Michael Redgrave, Sir David Jason ... what do these giants of the English stage have in common apart from their talent and their knighthoods?

None have played The Paupers Pit. None have descended from the Olympian heights of Thespis to impart the knowledge of a lifetime to a small but attentive audience of acolytes. No, that task is left to Hugh Carpenter and Chester Blenheim, two actors forged in the molten heat of repertory into Masters of Technique.

In their show, I, Lear, Huge and Chesty (I feel I bonded enough with them to use these more familiar sobriquets) took their audience through the history of the drama, from Ancient Greece to Lord Andrew Lord Webber. Chekhov, Brecht, Alan Bennett, Somerset Maugham, Noel Coward, all were dissected, displaying the awe-inspiring range and versatility of these twin colossi.

Finally, their years of experience and tricks of the trade (I will never look on a jar of Marmite in the same way again) were displayed in their tour de force - King Lear. While Sir Ian McKellen and Dr Sylvester McCoy endeavour to do justice to the roles of Lear and Fool in Stratford and on Broadway, Carpenter and Blenheim show how it's done.

The audience were left quite wrung out with emotion. There is a place where awe and hilarity meet and it is testament to the duo's ability that the audience were provoked to laughter throughout the evening, so tremendous was the talent on offer. All in the Pit knew they were in the presence of giants.

Miss I, Lear at your peril. It is the stuff of genius.

Robbie Carnegie

Mediamedea - The Game of Two Halves

Chin Chin.  Make mine a G&T.  Ice and a slice.

VERDICT 4/5 - Pricilla Queen of The Desert meets The Stretford End...Camp meets Captian Caveman...Kylie v Colleen...the 2nd half of this is near perfection. The production also features 2 of the best 'shock' value scenes your likely to see at this years Fringe...not to be missed!

WOW, 2 plays in 1 night...one if which is probably a strong contender for Best Fringe Production AND t'other likely to run it a close second...oh to dine at the top table twice in an evening!

This always looked interesting not only from a subject matter angle but also 'cos it'd won Best New Writing & Best Director (both Mike Heath) at The Studio Salford '06 Awards...and so it proved...the script was never less than very good and when combined with the powerhouse 2nd Act was near perfect. There were 8-10 quotes I could chosen for the 'best line' at end of this review.

It's a simple tale of male bonding, though there's a fair smattering of 'unbonding' that takes place before all three of our characters live happily ever after in 'Lilac Love'...or do they? Pete (Dan Atkinson) is best mates with Tom (Ian Curley); both in work and more importantly, on the hallowed terraces of that 'Theatre of Dreams' formerly known as Old Trafford. Tom is as red blooded as the shirt on Cristiano's back and almost as successful with the ladies, despite employing such Darwinian natural selection techniques as "Tits or Arse". He's also as homophobic as The Pope and regularly uses such terms of endearment as, um...well, 'shirt lifter's' about the politest and it's not meant as a reference to Cristiano's '6-pack' goal celebrations.

Pete has no such fascination with the fairer sex...not 'cos of gender issues, but simply because he still holds a candle for a former past female flame. His domestic arrangements are such that he lives a double life. Unbeknown to Tom who believes he lives alone in bachelor pad bliss, Pete is shacked up with Simon (Steven Mark) who is as camp as a Boy Scout's weekend away on Kinder...um...Scout. There's the wall clock dressed with a vibrant fluffy pink surround (those fluffy toilet seat covers are so yesterday!), a 'lilac love' colour scheme, smoked glass coffee table complete with a copy of Gay Times and the obligatory S Club 7 CD (relax Sweetie, Kylie's on the Bang & Olufsen!).

Story wise its as simple as boy meets, um boy!...Simon decides (insists) he wants to go the ManU game with Pete n Tom to experience all that the beautiful game has to offer; Tom call round before the game; Pete pretends that Simon is little other than the next door neighbour...and off they all go to match. The first act is very good, but Act II is brilliant...perfectly scripted, paced and with real bludgeoning mood swings between humour and frivolity and the darker side of human behaviour. The reason for the slightly weaker(!) 1st act is simply because the audience is introduced to the characters and their backgrounds - there's a lot of scene setting and perhaps the opening scene (Pete/Tom) and the pre match bar scene (all 3) go on a tad too long. This is a common price to be paid for 2nd act greatness (same thing happened when I saw 'Separate Tables' at the Exchange last yr). Oh and those 2 'shock' scenes - well they both featured Simon - one where he displays a unique dress sense in selecting his wardrobe for the game and the other in the pub where he literally spouts forth!

It was such a pity that for this (and the other ace show that I saw), the audience was almost devoid of teenagers...the schools around here really do need to get their collective digits out and get some of the kids in to experience such theatre...it's common practice with the Manchester theatres where they're bussed in from all parts.

As to which of the 2 shows was the better production...now that would be telling...sexy theatre.

Best Line: There were so many - Here's 1 at the match before KO when Simon observes the ManU mascot:

Simon "Who's that twat in the costume?"

Pete/Tom "That's The Red Devil"

Simon "Has he taken the afternoon off from formation flying?"

Stoon

Bill Bruce - Intelligence

VERDICT: With a combined attendance of 6 audience members (Caroline, Gerard, Paul, Doneeta, Julia & me), Mr Bruce, in true Scottish spirit, declined the offer of ditching the show n buying us all a pint of 80/-; instead subjecting us to an hr of Creationism, theology (inc the role Angels may have played) and the reason why the 20th member of the 9-11 plot may have overslept and missed his flight!

In many ways this is what The Fringe is all about...a virtually deserted venue in terms of paying punters...yet the show must go on...and a good job too. It's rare enough for the performer to know each n every members name...in this case Bill knew our NI no's...yeah it really was that intimate, almost like being taken hostage given the venue, though we never actually got rd to recording our Al-Qaeda style videos.

I've attended this venue when it's been "rammed to the gills" and experienced sexy shows as well as woeful ones...tonight was special in that we (all 6 of us) enjoyed a rare intimacy with the performer...who effectively stepped up to the plate at the bottom of the ninth innings with 2 outs and still played ball...his 'Dunkirk-esque' "the show must go on" spirit was much appreciated by us all. What tonight did prove (to me) is that the level of enjoyment for an audience has nothing to do with audience no's, the particular venue or even whether the guy at the mixing desk is permanently 2 light fades in arrears of the artist. It simply comes down to the performer...and with Bill we encountered someone with a naturally warm and engaging personality and just the right degree of professionalism to make us all feel comfortable (easy as we each had a row to ourselves).

Ok...so the guy's a nice Jock, but was he funny? Well yes! He spent the first part of the show making the (almost) obligatory quips about the scarcity of punters..."technically I outnumber you" he advised at the start...I'm taking 50% of the responsibility for you not getting the jokes"..."only 6 people in the room and for one of them English is their second language..." he lamented upon learning that 1/6 of the audience came from Italy and barely spoke English! There were bucket loads of 1 liners, observations and general chit-chat which amused us all on various levels.

What I didn't expect was the educational content...part of the show is given over to a 'work-in-progress' bit that he's polishing up for Edinburgh (thanks for using Buxton as a stepping stone mate!). It was all about creationism...or more specifically 'Young-Earth Creationists' who we learnt believe that the earth was created in 6 days, yeah, but...it's all about how long a day is they add! YES INDEED, we did delve into such learned & splendid theological debate (well Bill & Caroline did); we learnt about cubits, angels working as builders (with dirty faces no doubt!) and the real size of Noah's Arc (v impt if there's 2 each of the main varieties of Dinosaurs waiting to board). Oh and that the YEC's (as they're conveniently known) believe the earth is only 6,000 yrs old - which means that Buxton Water (some 5,000 yrs old) can lay claim to being pretty much as old as the earth itself, maybe drunk on the arc itself - unheralded marketing opp's surely - c'mon Nestle, don't be shy, ditch that Wimbledon stuff!

Bill was candid enough about the "freshness" of this WIP ("written about an hr ago" - think he meant it!). It mattered not though, we all had a great time and so will whoever chooses to see him, best to book early to avoid disappointment tho!

ps I've not rated this show...after all, when half a dozen total strangers are given a private audience in such circumstances, it's becomes a rather unique thing...none of us would have missed it though - cheers Big Fella!!!

Stoon

Three's Company - Crash Course - Part 0 of The Transport Trilogy

Tom & Yaz pretending to be in a car

VERDICT 4/5 - Simply because half the show's based on improvisation. Patchier than a (faded) 70's denim jacket, its worth seeing just for the moments when everything does click...scripted or otherwise, enjoyable fun in the true spirit of The Fringe! Driving Miss Daisy as you've never seen it!!

Pure, unadulterated improvisation is the surest test of a performer's mettle...often it's the add-libbed bits of a show that stick longest in the mind of the viewer...for me the sharper and more surreal the better, but it doesn't always need to be as lethal as razor wire. When the impro starts to involve more than 1 performer, things get even trickier. Even when it's at its best (say "Whose Line is it Anyway?"), it does have its high n lows. Consequently our two male leads are to be congratulated on attempting such a production.

The show follows a simple format - basically it's an extended driving lesson starring Nick (Yaz Al-Shaater) as the L-Plate novice & his mate Mike (Tom Crawshaw) who assumes the instructing role. At the beginning of the lesson, sorry show...the audience are asked (nicely) for suggestions (simple 1 word stuff, so have no fear). These are then cunningly weaved into the rest of the play, or more specifically interspersed so we get a scripted bit followed by an unscripted bit and so on. It's from the same gene pool that spawned "Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned".

There were some gems in the scripted parts; the Sat Nav bit comes to mind as do some of the exchanges with a regularly appearing member of the Constabulary (the "stop digging" line was priceless) and the swapping of identities very funny too. Oh and the 'mini roundabout' quip was excellent. The basic slapstick parts had their moments too ("turn left when I say right").

For me the only part that didn't work was the local radio 'traffic report voiceover' - nothing wrong with the idea...just needs sharpening up a bit...maybe if it featured interaction between 2 people on air (a la Smash n Nicey or competing DJs viz Alan Partridge).

The impro bits had their moments too...I'll skip any examples 'cos, well, you won't be seeing them...that's the beauty of the show...every night is unique....but on tonight's viewing there'll be enough quality on view regardless.

Those who look for the eco-friendly aspect of any show can lay peacefully in their unbleached hemp bed linen as there's no fossil fuels in evidence throughout the performance - instead the show's powered by a high-octane mixture of adrenalin & nervous energy. Nick has 9 more attempts to pass his test over the course of the Fringe and it would be interesting to compare later lessons with this initial one when no doubt the two performers become a bit more relaxed (just maybe!).

Oh and one more thing gentleman, I know it's cutting edge stuff, but 'No Seat belts?' - that's way too risqué!

Best Line (well 1 of them): Spoken by Nick on the subject of Satellite Navigation systems; "They can see a newspaper over your shoulder from space...providing you're standing on The Great Wall of China."

Stoon

The Flying Faux Pas - An Evening with...

Just the two of us.

Comedy is a serious business. The point was made by Bernard Manning's death recently and more wordily by Trevor Griffiths in his play Comedians more than 30 years ago.

Comedy can and should offend, it should challenge prejudices and presumptions, and it should make us think.

A faux pas is, evidently, a 'tactless blunder'. So I'm not sure here what was the blunder or who made it. To be fair 7.30pm, first night of the Fringe at the Hydro Café is a risky place to start. (No criticism of the Hydro - first rate coffee and cake on hand, the service is delightful). A small audience - well me to be accurate - isn't what any comedy act needs. Comedy may thrive on intimacy but it does need some sort of reaction and audiences gain confidence from those around them.

Now the two blokes that make up The Flying Faux Pas seem like decent enough human beings; intelligent, articulate, sensitive to their environment. I think I'd have chatted with them quite happily and perhaps that is what we should have done.

To be fair to them they were here to perform and they set about their duty but it was never going to work - for them or for me. I could have laughed at songs about Welsh men's inclinations to worry (scare) sheep, or the difficulties of life as a transsexual. I might have been amused by a song about the sexual activities of a trucker (I think you may see where that was going). I might have done; but I didn't.

Perhaps the Flying Faux Pas are too decent - they need to be truly angry to dare to be really offensive

Maybe this will work better at the Prince of Wales. If it does let me know - I won't be there to find out.

Keith Savage

Bill Woolland - Bill Woolland Stands and Delivers

Bill Woolland

Many will know Bill from his stint as compare' with the Buxton Buzz comedy club a few years back. His cheeky 'Scouse' personality was always warmly welcomed at each show. Bill can think on his feet and can always pull a comedy rabbit from an unscripted moment.

With six children Bill has seen it all. One can tell that he's laughed and cried in equal measure and his act carries the weight of that experience. Bill's material is drawn from life and is a gentle askance view of the silly things we do and say. When we laugh at Bill's show we're really laughing at ourselves.

If one of the cornerstones of comedy is people then Bill scores big. The Bill Wooland experience is a friendly, warm interactive show and he brings out the best in the audience. One gets the impression that he is really interested in people and their stories. There are few rolling in the aisles moments at a Wooland gig but the grin lasts all night. A good gig which was marred by a poor attendance.

Other Reviews/Quotes :

"Laughs and lots of fun, his original and friendly humour has made Bill one of the most sought after comedians around" (Buxton Opera House)

"Amiable and easy-going raconteur, a seamlessly funny and warm friend" (Southport Comedy Festival)

Mark Flett

Norman Lovett - Norman Lovett's Slide Show

Norman Lovett

VERDICT 2/5 - despite unsuitable viewing conditions impacting upon a significant no of the audience this was not the stand-up spectacular the full house had paid their hard earned wedge to see - some voted with their feet

Prior to the commencement of proceedings I was fortunate enough to speak to a delightful young lady from outta town (Hi Janet) who had witnessed Norman Lovett a few weeks ago doing his regular stand up act her verdict? Bloody good! I was primed!!

Despite there being standing room only (reviewers included) at the back, a long way from the stage, we were actually the blessed ones as we were in a better position to appreciate proceedings than those seated in front of us simply 'cos 50% of the screen would have been hidden from view unless you were in the front few rows. Our heightened vantage point meant that on tiptoe we cud see appx 2/3 of the screen, provided of course, that everyone else in front of us remained seated...

After a delayed start, there followed 5 mins of PA glitches during which time Mr Lovett ad-libbed superbly; his priceless understated 1 word response to a Vipers Nest hiss of microphone feedback was "Hendrix". I was now Primed & loaded!!! And then...

The show was entitled "Norman Lovett's slide show" and in true Ronseal parlance 'it did exactly what it said on the flyer, namely deliver a slide show. Despite the aforementioned viewing limitations (rather fundamental for a visually based show) and the barely adequate PA things could have still worked out ok. Last year Barbara Nice played the same venue in similar circ's and triumphed majestically armed with no more than a shopping basket of groceries. Unfortunately Norman Lovett did not enjoy the same level of success...for the simple reason that he side stepped the audience. Though the viewing of the slides was accompanied by a rehearsed line of banter, delivered in his trademark style of 'think aloud' muttering (similar to say Clive James), the audience never really felt involved and that valuable tool of interaction was lost.

A large part of that interaction is based on the audience reaction, each feeds off each other. Here there was no chance of that, simply due to the contents of the slides. We were presented with...cars, some with funny number plates, others with unmatched hub caps (not visible at our range). We saw a selection of those truly woeful small ads which most of us have long since learnt to ignore - e.g. a slide of a 'Steam Mop' newspaper ad; a similar ad for a Donut Cushion (I never thgt that they ever really sat down); a product called 'Stop Leak' (useful for, um...stopping leaks) and an 'Adult Full Size Meal Protector' (a sort of bib also suitable for jousting no doubt). It was like QVC had grown legs and come to your front door to sell cleaning goods. Then there were the cars - QVC replaced by Autotrader! A chavved up Volvo...numerous Merc's, the odd funny no plate (summat like FU 2). Even buses got in on the act - a slide of the front of the #60 single-decker service from somewhere to Scunthorpe was shown...because the 'S' wasn't as prominent as the remaining letters (geddit?). We were shown snaps of NCP car park signs, roadside Highways agency signs, those white lines (painted, not Kate Moss's) that the fairies (or Council) put around potholes in the road/pavement to forewarn of an impending maintenace. There were slides of, unusual shop fronts (some with funny names), strange statues, etc. In a wave of nostalgia we were transported back to that 1970's Sun night BBC1 classic "That's Life" - minus those 'customer service dept' replies from various utility companies (oh and a grease ball in a purple lounge jacket too oozing more slime than Cecil Parkinson n Kenneth Baker put together).

Celebs figured too - an ad featuring Wayne Rooney's brother and another starring (?) a relative of Ms Vorderman - "Carol (Vorderman) does maths, she's clever" we were told. Then more shopping, this time via a jingle that went "I'm off to a store called IKEA." "But the only thing is never go on a Saturday" we were helpfully informed (must be a Swedish thing). There are many more examples.

In summary I would mention that a dozen or so people walked out over the course of the show. There were long periods with barely a titter and the applause at the end was lukewarm rather than rapturous - without doubt a reflection of the style of the show and venue rather than Norman Lovett's ability. Now if only that Slide projector had seized up - we'd have been in for a real treat I feel!

Stoon

Lab Monkey Productions - Futurology Live!

Futurology Live! (Credit: Grafx by ClrDwelr - RDimages.com)

When Matt Pritchard's completed his PhD in atomic physics I bet his university tutors never imagined it would be put to such an extraordinary use. For Buxton's Matt Pritchard, I can reveal, is the creative force behind this wonderful comedy show featuring an earnest young professor, Dr Johnny Façade, who entertains and enlightens his audience with a science lecture laced with demonstrations, magic tricks and even a time travel machine (looking remarkably like a blender).

The subject is Futurology 'a modern technique that combines science and superstition to help predict the future', but in order to even begin to understand the concept we have to face many questions from 'Why is superstition so super?' to 'Are science and ethics compatible' - a letter by letter matching process leads to the conclusion 'yes, give or take a few rockets'. While the answer to many of Façade's questions is a rueful 'We just don't know', he is careful to feed us edifying facts such as 'witch is a contraction of wizard's bitch' and 'Thursday is the heaviest of all days'. Between question and fact lies the supposition and there are plenty of these including the suggestion that it was a 'retro-probability explosion' that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Façade offers several 'ponder points' to help us digest all this and his lecture is expertly illustrated with moving diagrams and footage of his somewhat bewildered work colleagues. Best of all are the audience experiments whereby Derren Brown-like mind-reading leads to some genuinely impressive magic tricks, not that Dr Façade would be happy to have them described as such.

I could tell you more about the Time Trumpet of Dr Façade's Top Ten Future Predictions, but I urge you to enrol at his classes and discover it all for yourself. Prepare to be dazzled and amused, particularly when a hairy egg is sent careering through space and time in a live teleportation test... It is all good fun - your children may well enjoy it too - and there is even a hint of real science and philosophy in there too. In the incontrovertible words of Dr Façade, be warned: 'Your future could be harmful to your health...'

Stephanie Billen

The Good Theatre Company - Stirring Finish

George Telfer in Stirring Finish

** VERDICT - we came to praise Richard, but...

One of the few criticisms of the latest Bond film (Casino Royale) was that it featured way too much product placement...fortunately it did not rely on this tactic for anything other generating healthy endorsement cheques from dodgy Swiss watch makers et al. But more of this later.

George Telfer, hot on the heels of his stunning performance at last years fringe, dons...well a rather strange choice of wardrobe if truth be told...and hosts another 1 man piece on the subject of death, or rather its aftermath...namely funerals and more specifically the rather unique interaction that occurs at such occasions when the paths of various dysfunctional family brethren cross. A match of such a talent harnessed to the rich seam that runs thru such auspicious gatherings is literally made in heaven and almost worth dying for! Unfortunately the script and tone/style/manner of delivery fail to unearth (or even exhume) the true potential of the scenario.

Dealing with the latter firstly, well...Richard (George Telfer), aged 49 and with 25 years teaching experience under his belt, comes across as an over angst hybrid of Victor Meldrew & Prince Charles; permanently grimacing and bemoaning...well just about every carbuncle possible, be it chewing gum, wheely bins, breast feeding in public, bad (Ascot Ladies) hats, greedy relatives who gorge themselves on manky £6.75 buffets, combat trousers, digital cameras, being gay, team building weekends, the greedy, the boring, texting, the ultra boring, the godly, the non-godly and the tight arsed skinflint relatives who avoid eye contact with both the collection plate and bar tender. The problem is that his observations are delivered at such an unrelenting pace and with no tonal variation that one is never given a chance to really feel, let alone share his underlying bitterness...he is neither truly satirical nor sufficiently earnest to stir the soul of the audience. It is no coincidence that the most poignant moments occur when the dialogue slows in pace or even ceases altogether; for instance when he speaks the words "Dad's gone to heaven". More pauses...more time to allow the audience to reflect and empathise with him would have helped; we never really ever felt sorry for him. His characterisation flirts (with limited effect) with many fine schools of comedy...a touch of "Carry On" and a glimpsed ranting Fawlty and then in Act II when he holds imaginary conversations with other family members in true Rigsby homage...without anything like the effect achieved by that late n great bedsit baron.

The style of the monologue is predominantly Richard talking the audience interspersed with asides to fellow family members. For a large part the subject matter is solely concerned with...well what can only be described as piss taking, which is fine where it not done with endless similes and rather lame product placement (but more of this later). The decision to make the whole script effectively an observational exercise on the past n present behaviour of family member's means that we learn little of what makes Richard tick, until the very end that is when Auntie Doreen takes to the pulpit to tell a few home truths.

And so to the script...nowt wrong with it per se...'cept it was too safe and lacked originality; ideal early evening sitcom material from a decade or three ago. Family members are introduced with stereotypical descriptions that precede their name, i.e. BIG Bev, who surprisingly enough is well endowed, though as she's breast feeding, we never learn if her 'enhanced' state is temporary or permanent. The aforementioned humorous similes are laboured and used far too frequently and are just sooo predictable. Then there's the product placement, whereby brand names are liberally dispensed with the intention of making a connection with and/or gaining the sympathy of the audience. Mmm, well here's a sample of some that were mentioned, you decide: Bradford & Bingley (x 3); Slim Fast; The Sizzling Wok (unspcfd); Wagon Wheels; Dyson; Pierpoint College; Rothmans (K/S presumably n not International); Britvic (Orange); feminine hygiene counter in Tescos; the Crown & Mitre (again unspecified x3). There's also a helluva lot of name dropping to establish credibility which almost becomes monotonous and loses effect via predictability (Neil Young, Roger Daltry, Keith Moon, Carol King, Brian Jones, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Norman Bates, The Who, Donovan, Joe Cocker) and loadsa 'hip' expressions designed to take you to the extreme boundaries of cutting edge humour (profiteroles, 'F' Off; prawn crackers, 'sexy rexy'; uPVC windows, ecstasy pills, retro-punk, spliff, ham & pineapple, etc).

Despite my thoughts, the performance was well received by the audience - those that yearn for a return to theBBC1 post Grandstand 'light entertainment Sat night slot can safely add another star (or more) to the 2 listed at the beginning. We came to praise Robert, share in his pleasure, pain and regrets...but in the end...frankly dear, we didn't give a damn.

Best Line: Spoken while Richard is revealing his hatred for gardening and more esp the task of mowing the lawn again - "I'd rather hang myself on the pear tree...it'd be the first thing to hang off that tree!"

STOON

Central Line Touring - It`s Not Unusual

Written by Rebecca Mahon. Performed by Sally Siner & Rebecca Mahon.

As a 24 yr old, whose musical taste has never really encompassed the music of Tom Jones, enjoying a play based on an obsession with the man in question wasn't something I was really expecting.

However, down to the downright likeability of the actors, and their hilarious comedic acting it was impossible not to raise a smile, a chuckle, even an outright laugh!

The finale of "It's Not Unusual" unsurprisingly was a rendition of "It's Not Unusual" performed by the magnificent "Tom Clones". Fortunately knickers were provided.

For laughs and giggles, "It's Not Unusual" definitely comes up with the goods. Recommended.

Jasmine Harmer

Underground Events - Barrel of Laughs Comedy Nights

Barrel of Laughs Comedy

Every night for the next two weeks the Underground Venues, Barrel Room will have comedy. Despite some initial technical hitches, it more than proved itself the ideal venue for a cosy night of stand-up. It is small enough to create an instant rapport between audience and artist but with plenty of hidden, alcove seating for those who prefer their comedy a little less interactive! An audience of around fifty people welcomed the likable and (most importantly) local Matt Pritchard. Although Matt immediately confessed that he was not actually a comedian but a magician, his tricks were nevertheless peppered with little 'jokettes'. Several 'glamorous assistants' came up willingly from the audience to help with the tricks and this, coupled with Matt's general affable manner, did a good job of warming up the crowd.

Pyramid tea bags with sinister intent, clothes pegs on the brink of class warfare and the potential for anarchy in M&S 'pair-a-day' socks were just some of the inspired ramblings of the second act of the evening Norman Lovett. Norman Lovett's stand up career has been as long as the Buxton fringe itself. However, it was arguably the knowledge that Norman played Holly in the hit TV series Red Dwarf that got the biggest murmur from the crowd. Indeed, no one could mistake Norman's off-beat manner and distinctive voice, which were certainly made for the stand up circuit! The act centred on a bag of props, this allowed for disparate material to be drawn together into a show and also provided a stimulus for some of Norman's best lines. By the end of the set it was resolutely concluded that the 6x4 plastic bag was the most practical for the venue's low ceilings!

The headline act Nik Coppin gave the night a change of pace. Although Nik's father is from Barbados by his own admission Nik seeks to avoid the usual black jokes. Indeed, a lot of the laughs came from his clever inversion of the stereotypes used by other black comedians. However, his material does concentrate on regionalism and identity and the incidental comedy began with the story of Nik's arrival in Buxton. The audience was left in no doubt that, wherever his parents are from, Nik is a Londoner! It is not unbelievable that this trip to the Buxton fringe might provide Nik with some new material for the folks back home. Nik's recent trip to Australia to perform at the Melbourne festival certainly provided plenty of laughs at the expense of our friends down under. As the crowd relaxed the real gems of the evening came from Nik's conversations with the audience. So if you are from Australia (or anywhere outside Buxton for that matter) you would be wise to sit in a corner!

See comedy every night of the fringe from 8.30 with Underground Venues. Matt Pritchard is involved in Futurology Live! 7, 12, 19 July @ Pauper's Pit. Norman Lovett's Slideshow Show runs 7, 8, 9 July @ the Barrel Room.

Dale Copley