The cliche of so good it’s impossible to describe is never more apt than in The Tom Tom Club. Think of it as a modern day ‘urban circus’ and you’re close to what’s on show here. From a record scratcher on the raised podium at the rear, to a human beat-box, by way of a mad drummer that puts Animal in The Muppets to shame and four of the most athletic (and well toned) gymnasts at the Fringe - mix that together with a slice of showbiz and you have one of the most entertaining hours that is possible to find at the Fringe

It’s such a high energy show that the audience, even with a huge range of ages and I suspect musical styles - were clapping, cheering and dancing away in their seats. I honestly believe that if this was in an open venu, or a nightclub there would be a lot of dancing going on.

It’s a wonderful display of human skill, all round, and I dare you to come out of the show without a smile on your face, and the beat spinning round your skull.

Edfringe.com Link: The Tom Tom Club.

Just over an hour of the life and music of Woody Guthrie does not begin to cover how important Guthrie was to the common American, but it is a testament to the skill of the cast and crew of Woody Sez that this small selection of music, deftly weaved through the high and low points of his life, is so entertaining, powerful, and heart breaking.

The band deftly switches instruments with ease between songs, while these beats are used to gently place the music in context . This bookending of each piece, alongside the excellent vocal and musical talents of David Lutken in the lead role (ably joined by Darcie Deaville, Andy Teirstein and Helen Russell) lifts this piece of theatre above the multitudes of biography jukebox shows to something with a genuine emotional core.

From the first beat to the final coda, the relevance then, and now, of Guthrie’s works drives the quartet to one of the stand out musical performances of the year. Recommended without hesitation.

Edfringe.com Link: Woody Sez.