Our first interview from the archives are three singers who, with a fourth member who was lost around Leith Docks on the day, make up the house band on Friday night with Jonathan Ross… it’s Four Poofs and a Piano.

It goes without saying that you won’t be able to buy any tickets for their 2006 show and still see them, but consider this and the rest of the “Best of” shows airing each Friday in July as a limbering up exercise before all the fun of the Fringe festival starting Friday August 7th.

The Best of the Fringe Podcast, 2009 Edition #1

Four Poofs and a Piano
Strictly Neurotic
www.4poofsandapiano.com

First broadcast August 16th 2006.

If you want to make sure you always get the latest Edinburgh Fringe podcasts, you can subscribe to the Fringe Podcast in iTunes, or copy the RSS File into your favourite RSS application.

During July in the run up to the Fringe, the Fringe Podcast is going to look back at some of the many classic interviews from our archives. Every Friday for the next five weeks, I’ll introduce one of the many guests we’ve had on the show as an appetiser for the marathon that is the Fringe!

The first Best of the Fringe Podcasts will be posted this Friday lunchtime (3rd July).

To make sure you never miss a podcast, you can subscribe to the Fringe Podcast in iTunes, or copy the RSS File into your favourite RSS application.

Time for the final show in a rather more roller-coaster month than normal for the Edinburgh Fringe. No matter what gets thrown at Scotland’s capital, the show always carries on.

Charlie Wood, director at the Underbelly venues, talks about the Fringe and its impact on Edinburgh in the today’s show as well as the ticketing ‘fun’ and his appointment to the board of The Fringe Society. Before that though the announcement of the winners of The Stage’s Awards for Acting Excellence, and I speak to some of the nominees (Karen Dunbar and Cameron Stewart).

The Fringe may be drawing to a close, but the moment has been prepared for…

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #24

Brian Atwood
Editor, The Stage

Karen Dunbar - A Drunk Woman Looks At A Thistle
Assembly Rooms

Cameron Stewart - My Grandfather’s Great War
Underbelly

Charlie Wood
Director, The Underbelly

And the awards for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Group and Best Ensemble

…see you all next year!

It’s the last weekend of the Fringe, and everything really comes alive for this Saturday night, which will be for many performers the biggest night at the Fringe. It’s also the time that many performers start to loosen up and do the occassionaly wild thing (reports that a topless Ed Byrne crashed into Jason Byrne’s shows will need photos… please), so no matter where you are tonight in Edinburgh, it should be a fun one.

And Axis of Awesome are fun! The Australlian musical trio have been packing audiences in at the Gilded Balloon with their Comback show, and one of my favourite tracks from there is on today’s show. Tom Allen (it’s really not Tom O’Connor) and I discuss how to do the perfect interview on radio (or a podcast) while Dan McKee looks back at previous Fringes and where the Fringe is now with Sowerby and Luff.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #23

Axis of Awesome - Comeback Spectacular
Gilded Balloon Teviot

Tom Allen - A Voyage Round My Mother
Gilded Balloon Teviot

Dan McKee - Sad Frankie
The Dragonfly

Scotsman Fringe First (Week 3) Winners
Once And For All We’re Going To Tell You Who We Are So Shut Up And Listen
Slick
Crocosmia
The Idiot Colony
In Conflict

Dave’s ‘Best Joke at the Fringe’
Zoe Lyons
Andrew Lawrence
Tim Vine

Malcolm Hardee Award for 2007
Edward Azcel

Carol Tambor Award
Ella Hickson’s Eight

Coming into the final weekend now, and it’s your last chance to see many shows this weekend (remember not every show runs on Monday 25th). If you’ve got a personal favourite you just have to see, make sure when it’s on and get your tickets.

You wouldn’t go wrong stopping by with our guests on today’s show - the laid back Tom Wriggleswroth talks about vinegar and the art of being an MC while storytellers Dan and Jeff bounce round their interview with reckless abandon. The last Sowerby and Luff show (at the Dragonfly) is tomorrow, and if you’ve been enjoying their interviews as much as I have then pop along to their show at the Free Fringe.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #22

Tom Wrigglesworth - I’m Struggling To See How That’s Helping
Pleasance Courtyard

Dan and Jeff - Potted Potter
Pleasance Courtyard

Dan and Jeff - Potted Pirates
Pleasance Courtyard

Hayley Jane Standing
The Dragonfly

Hmm, two shows in a row featuring Ukuleles? Must be a conspiracy. At least in today’s show I get my hands on the tiny instrument and a personal instructional course in playing the little blighter from the starts of Learn To Play The Ukulele…

Joining Sam and Donal from that show is comedian Josh Howie, who has had the sort of life that would fill a book, let alone the little author biography you normally get on the first page; while Brian and Georgina catch up with ‘comedian with a guitar and funny songs’ Jay Foreman.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #21

Learn To Play The Ukulele in Under An Hour (How George Formby Saved My Life)
Gilded Balloon Teviot

Josh Howie - Chosen
Pleasance Courtyard

Jay Foreman - 20 Songs For Free
Laughing Horse @ Meadow Bar

Carol Tambor Theatre Award Shortlist
Big Bite-Sized Breakfast Show
The Bird
The Bee
Eight
The Idiot Colony
66a Church Road - A Lament Made of Memories and Kept in a Suitcase

If.Comedy Awards Nominees
David O’Doherty
Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler
Rhod Gilbert
Russell Kane

If.Comedy Awards Best Newcomer Nominees
Mike Wozniak
Pippa Evans
Sarah Millican

Death, destruction, war, graves, and falling down on a purple latex stage. It’s all here in a slightly morbid feeling show, starting with Paul Tonkinson, who’s just back from doing stand-up for the UK Forces in action. Steve Blake and Nigel Burch are the composers behind the Vaudeville from the Dead styling of The Cholmondeleys and the Featherstonehaughs in the show ‘Dancing on Your Grave.’

Oh and today is Brian and Georgina’s day off, not for any organisational quirks, but because I really needed to carve out five minute to carry my inteview with the team from… Bouncy Castle Dracula. Really (watch the video here)

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #20

Paul Tonkinson - The Anti Mid-Life Crisis
Pleasance Courtyard

The Cholmondeleys and the Featherstonehaughs - Dancing On Your Grave
Assembly Rooms - George Street

Bouncy Castle Dracula
Rocket at Demarco Roxy Art House

Rhona Cameron
Gilded Balloon Teviot

Bouncy Castle Dracula
Rocket at Demarco Roxy Art House

Lots of award shortlists are coming up now, and two of the major theatre ones are up for today. For most of these acts, the strapline ‘Nominated for Best Show at the Fringe’ is going to be on their posters and press material for a long time.

Two extremes of comedy today, from the serving policeman of Alfie Moore who has stand-up almost as a hobby, to scottish circuit legend Vladimir McTavish on some of the differences between a regular Edinburgh gig and a Fringe gig. On top of all that, some excellent music (and a look at Mexican cinema) from Elena Duran.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #19

Alfie Moore - Blue Light Comedy Tour
Voodoo Bar

Vladimir McTavish - The Top 50 Greatest Scots Of All Time… Ever!
Stand 2 @The Stand

Elena Duran - Mexico of My Heart
Universal Arts Theatre

Total Theatre Awards Shortlist

Experiment and Innovation
Enclosure 44 - Humans by Janis Claxton Dance (Edinburgh Zoo)
The Factory by Badac Theatre Company/Escalator East to Edinburgh (Pleasance Courtyard)
Once and For All We’re Gonna Tell You Who We Are So Shut Up and Listen by Ontroerend, Goed, Kopergiettery and Richard Jordan Productions (Traverse)
Paper Cinema by Night Flyer and Kora (Forest Fringe)
The Office Party by Underbelly Productions and Assembly (Udderbelly’s Pasture)
Wanderlust by Anonymous Ensemble (Underbelly)

Graduate Company
Crocosmia by Little Bulb Theatre (The Space on the Mile @ The Radisson)
How It Ended by You Need Me (C Cubed)
ID by HuNuNunMul at the InvAsian Festival (Club West @ Quincentenary Hall)
1:13 by Dancing Brick (C Soco)

Story Theatre
Before We Remember by Gomito Productions (Bedlam Theatre)
Cloudcuckooland by The Onassis Programme, Festival Highlights (Pleasance)
How The Giraffe Got Its Neck by Tall Stories (C Too)
The Man Who Planted Trees by Puppet State Theatre Company (Scottish Storytelling Centre)
Slick by Tron and Vix Motus (Traverse)
The Zawose Family by RealWorld (The World @ St George West)

Visual Theatre
Circus Oz by 30 Birthday Bash (Assembly Hall)
The Idiot Colony by Redcape Theatre (Pleasance Dome)
Hamlet Episode by Daeg City Modern Dance Company (Rocket@Roxburghe Hotel)
Mime for Laughs by Mono Mime Comedy Theatre (Hill Street Theatre)
Polaris by Adriatic: Vojta Svejda, Benes-McGadie (Zoo)

Young Company
Architecting by The Team and the National Theatre of Scotland Workshop (Traverse)
The Caravan by Look Left look Right (Pleasance Courtyard)
Holdin’ Fast by Dot 54 (Zoo Southside)
In a Thousand Pieces by Paper Birds (Gilded Balloon Teviot)

Musical Theatre Matters: UK Awards Shortlists

Best Book for a New Musical
Departure Lounge - Dougal Irvine
The Jonah Boy - Jane Buckler
On the Island of Aars - Chris Larner

Best Lyrics for a New Musical
Barbershopera! - Toni & the Guys
Departure Lounge - Dougal Irvine
On the Island of Aars - Chris Larner
Tony of Arabia - Chris Bush

Best Music for a New Musical
Departure Lounge - Dougal Irvine
The Jonah Boy - Richard Taylor
Only the Brave - Matthew Brind
On the Island of Aars - Mark Stevens

Most Promising New Musical
Barbershopera! - Toni & the Guys
Departure Lounge - Dougal Irvine
Only the Brave - Matthew Brind (music/lyrics), Stephen Coleman (book/lyrics) and Rachel Wagstaff (book)
On the Island of Aars - Mark Stevens (music) and Chris Larner (book/lyrics)

Dress Circle Award for Best Musical Production
Barbershopera! - Toni & the Guys
Departure Lounge - West End International, Newpalm Productions & Andy Barnes Productions
Funk it up About Nothin’ - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
On the Island of Aars - Quuup Productions and James Seabright for Festival Highlights

Into the last week of the Fringe, and the variety of shows is still as rich as the first few days of the preview week. The same (hopefully) goes for the podcast, as we switch from the ‘making it up as you go along’ delights of Danny Robins putting on his own festivals; a rich and fascinating biopic show of the life of Jack Kerouac; and Georgina reminding me that Sowerby and Luff is a double act…

The Edinburgh Fringe Show #18

Liam McEneaney - Two American Comedians Lose Their Shirts at the Edinburgh Free Fringe
Meadow Bar

Kerouac and All That Jazz
Sweet ECA

Danny Robins - Dannyfest
Pleasance Courtyard

So much for having Sundays off in the 2008 Fringe podcasts - there’s been something special ready for each Sunday slot… so as with everything at Edinburgh you just go with the flow. Today is the traditional ‘walk down the Royal Mile’ section of the Fringe podcast - which is something I do every year, but for 2008 it’s a good 30 minutes of chat, fun, surprises, and the occassional mis-fire of an interview.

But that’s all part of the charm. While all the shows mentioned are linked here (as always, straight to the EdFringe.com ticket office), it might be best for this show to listen through without seeing who’s on the show. that way you can be as surprised as I was on the Mile.

The Edinburgh Fringe Show #17

The Scandalous Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde
The Vault

The Bear Who Paints
Pleasance Courtyard

The Return of the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre
Gilded Balloon Teviot

ShakesPod
C Venues

The Butler Did It?! The Musical
Gilded Balloon Teviot

Ian Kendall - The Golden Age of Magic
The Zoo

Enclosure 44 - The Humans
Edinburgh Zoo

Involution
Pleasance Dome

The Transaction
The Space on The Mile (Radisson)

The Absurdity of Vanilla
Underbelly

The Reduced Edinburgh Improv Show
Pleasance Courtyard

Gamarjobat - The Western
Gilded Balloon Teviot

Chris Cox - Control Freak
Pleasance Couryard

The Bulging Seahorse and Other Grey Matters
Zoo Southside

Silence in C Minor
C Soco

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
C Soco

Meltdown - The Ultimate Gameshow
The Space @ The Thistle

Alice in Wonderland
Rocket @ Demarco Roxy Art House

Dick Biscuit Private Eye (Moonfish Rumba)
Sweet Teviot Place

Sammy the Snail - The Magic City
Pleasance Dome

One4Review.com

Plestead and Brown - Health and Stacey
Pleasance Dome

The Edinburgh Fringe Show #16

Davis Wateracre (Pegabovine) - Polite Club
Pleasance Courtyard

Hils Barker - Exhibitionist
Gilded Balloon Teviot

Graffiti Classics
Pleasance Dome

Fringe First Winners
In A Thousand Pieces
The Caravan
Eight
Itsoseng
Terminus
66a Church Road
Paperweight
Motherland

The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence
Best Actor
Ciaran McIntyre for Deep Cut
Simon Merrells for On the Waterfront
Jud Charlton for ABFCAP: The Life and Times of Ian Dury
Will Lyman for The Patriot Act
Jot Davies for Lough/Rain

Best Actress
Rhian Morgan for Deep Cut
Rhian Blythe for Deep Cut
Helen Embleton for Motherland
Kate Donmall for Lough/Rain

Best Ensemble
Kudos for Face in the Crowd
You Need Me for How It Ended
Big Wow for Dark Grumblings
The Paper Birds for In a Thousand Pieces
Traverse Theatre Company and Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company for Pornography
Live Theatre for Motherland
East Productions and Nottingham Playhouse for On the Waterfront

Best Solo Performer
Peter McDonald for Nocturne
Matthew Zajac for The Tailor of Inverness
Karen Dunbar for A Drunk Woman Looks at the Thistle
Cameron Stewart for My Grandfather’s Great War
Jim Jarrett for Vincent
Stefan Golaszewski for Stefan Golaszewski Speaks About a Girl He Once Loved

The Fringe is always portrayed as a somewhat quixotic challenge… many an interview I do could easily be summed up as one question - “Why?” - but Tim Fitzhigham takes personal challenges to a different level. Having previously rowed across the English Channel in a bath, lived in a cave, and ran up the side of a volcano, his latest show talks about his quest to Morris Dance from London to Norwich in nine days.

Every artist and performer looks at Edinburgh as a challenge, and both Rosie Wilby (with her comedy show) and Emma Hutchens (with the one-woman show Not Stalking David Tennant) have taken on the endeavour in their own respective ways.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #15

Rosie Wilby - I Am Nesia
Sweet, Teviot Place

Not Stalking David Tennant (a.k.a. Having it All)
The Vault

Tim Fitzhigham - The Bard’s Fool
Pleasance Courtyard

Flanders and Swann - At The Drop Of A Hippopotamus
Pleasance Courtyard

And the Fringe continues. It doesn’t matter what happens around Scotland’s capital - the show goes on, so you might want to pick up The Guardian’s tips to get through any dark mental moments you might have. if that doesn’t work, there’s always the tiny hope of an awards nomination over the weekend…

Matt Kirshen has made his name in the US, with an appearance on Last Comic Standing, but can that translate to a good time at the Fringe? I ask him in today’s show. Someone who has name recognition (albeit from an appearance in Kill Bill) is Samurai Master Tetsuro Shimaguchi, who has brought the impressive Samurai Spirit show to Scotland. Topping out today’s trio, Sowerby and Luff talk to Free Fringe performer John Cooper on the hilarious topic of eczema.

The Edinburgh Fringe Show 2008 #14

Janey Godley - Domestic Godley
Pleasance Dome

Samurai Spirit
Zoo Southside

Matt Kirshen - Keep Smiling Matt
Assembly Rooms

John Cooper - The Thirty Year Itch
Canon’s Gait

The Guardian’s Tips to Get Through the Slump

I know I promised something a touch different today, but the torrential rain yesterday meant that I couldn’t get any outdoor recording done. No matter, the Fringe is nothing but coping with problems as best you can - that show may well be here tomorrow, for now, it’s another packed list of guests.

The recently married Ed Byrne and I sit down to talk about the delights of building a home, and his return to the Edinburgh Fringe at the Assembly Rooms, while Brian continues to find the smaller comics who are on the way up. And Showstoppers put together one of the best improvised songs I’ve heard in a long time - but do leave their fascination with Sondheim unanswered…

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #13

The Shitty Deal Puppet Theatre Company’s Complete Guide to the Arts
The Vaults

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical
Musical Theatre at George Square

Ed Byrne - Different Class
Assembly Rooms on the Mound

Alyssa Kyria - Woman of the Year?
Pleasance Dome

The Frigne podcast is a lot of work (I’ll do a recap at the end of the month for you all, right now I’m jsut avoiding the obviousness of the work levels) but the reaction it gets, from private mails and recognition around edinburgh is lovely. And the world likes it too… with a Festival pick in iTunes, and it’s currently climbing up the ‘Arts’ chart in iTunes.

Currently it’s sitting at #6 (from the position of #24 earlier this morning), with only the might of the Guardian (one podcast) and The BBC taking in the five slots above me. I think it’s an almost impossible task to get on a par with The Archers at #1, but I’d love a top five chart place this year (I saw a peak of #8 last year). If you’re listening to the show, then point everyone at the iTunes URL or the natural RSS feed!

A number of children’s stories were covered in the hour-long show. The wardrobe and scenery was minimal but effective. Some stories had 4 main characters such as the Three Little Pigs; Goldilocks and the Three Bears (I don’t remember a wolf in that one) but the cast of three managed this well apart from the Daddy Bear/Baby Bear double act. That was a little confused. Introducing a hand puppet to replace the hapless Trev Pig (the one who built his house of straw) worked well even although it was Trev Pig, who was now Jim Pig the Pig, and was now a ventriloquist.

In The Boy Who Cried Wolf, Flossie the Sheep was excellent. She held her facial expression well and her Baa’s were perfectly tuned. The Wolf was quite personable and convincing in his role as misunderstood.

This show has it all – a good storyline; singing and dancing and audience participation. Despite only a handful of children in the audience the actors still managed to create an atmosphere that was entertaining to both children and adults. In addition the cast and crew were interested in the children outside of ShowTime, chatty and listening to what they had to say. I hope Act II will return to the Edinburgh Fringe next year. I would certainly take my grandchildren to see their next production.

My only criticism would be that the music was louder than the singing and it was difficult to hear the lyrics.

Whooooos Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
The Space at Jury’s Inn
* * * * (4/5)

Tomorrow is the half way point at the Fringe (so it’s going to be a different type of show, and long time listeners will know what to expect), yet there’s still so many people and shows to get around, to raise a laugh, get you thinking, to cry and smile, to just totally enjoy the one-of-a-kind nature that is Edinburgh in August.

Today sees Edinburgh based puppetry company Pangolin’s Teatime talk about The Last Yak, Brian catches up with Mersey based comic Ste Porter, and formerly of The X-Files star Dean Haglund chats about improvising an entire episode every night in one of the most haunted locations in Edinburgh.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #12

Pangolin’s Teatime - The Last Yak
Pleasance Dome

Dean Haglund’s X-Files Improv
Underbelly Baby Belly

Ste Porter - The Mersey Comedy Uncut Kollective
Madogs

To put everything in perspective, there are still two weeks of the fringe to go, but now the wheat is being sorted from the chaff, as Mark Shenton, over at The Stage’s blog points out. Everyone has a story to tell about Edinburgh, and that’s one of the goals for the podcast - to get the real Edinburgh to you.

Today see’s the delightfully gothic Terrible Infants, the incredibly popular Rob Paravonian, and the wonderfully nice Sarah Millican, as well as the daily look around Edinburgh at the events and news that the citry runs on in August.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #11

The Terrible Infants
Underbelly

Rob Paravonian - Two American Comedians Lose Their Shirts…
The Meadow Bar

Sarah Millican - Not Nice
Pleasance Courtyard

David Benson is a Fringe regular, and his show “My Life with Kenneth Williams” has played here for many years. in 2008, he has brought a new solo show to the Assembly Rooms, “…sings Noel Coward” continues to showcase his impressive talent both for vocal acting, but for carrying off the solo show with experienced ease. Here he sits down with Alex Hastie to talk about that show, his own career path, and his direction of “My Grandfather’s Great War.”

Alex will be back next week with another guest for Sunday Brunch.

Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #10

David Beson sings Noel Coward
Assembly Rooms

My Grandfather’s Great War
Underbelly’s Baby Belly

Accomplished chidlren’s entertainers, they follow the time honoured double-act route of a lanky silly one with the best ideas, and the short one with hairy legs who runs all the clever bits. Of course they’re going to get in each other’s way, egged on by the audience, and everyone knows where this is going to end up (want a hint? It’s a big song and dance number at the end). Polished, funny, and subtly educational as well, there’s little wrong with this.

The one caveat hanging over Dan and Jeff’s latest show… their other show. Potted Potter can rely on the audience to be fully engaged with the source material, making the humour that much more easily targetted. With Potted Pirates, there’s a tendancy to rely on Disney’s Pirates of the Carribbean films… all well and good till you realise that those films are rated 12 in the UK, and thus the foundations of the show are slightly shakey.

But that seemed to matter very little to the audience pretending to be the Armada sinking the Spanish Galleons, shouting ‘Yaar!!!’ as loudly as possible, and creating the noise of seagulls on cue. Dan and Jeff know how to work a young (and young at heart) crowd. This show is a great first step away from the shadow of Harry Potter, and long may their adventures continue.

Potted Pirates
Pleasance Courtyard
* * * * (4/5)

While the stories have much more history both before and after the events depicted on stage, restricting the performances to only the cockpit action, and only up until the point of impact, brings a clarity of vision from this highly recommended show.

My one worry was the dense and technical nature of the language, although it was familiar to me, would it be accessible to a general audience? I needn’t have worried, as the tension in the air, and the number of audience members on the edge of their seats holdign their breath as the six vignettes reach their peach amply prove.

Charlie Victor Romeo
Underbelly Cow Barn
* * * * * (5/5)

For now, though, the emphasis is on the funny side of life - and yet again my own personal view that Prince Philip is the Uk’s greatest straight man (in comedy terms. naturally) is reinforced by the single line that Amos relates with glee to the audience.

Effortlessly funny, watching Amos is rather like rediscovering a long lost friend at the Fringe. For an act that balances a fine comedy edge, Amos keeps everything in perspective, jugglign issues of racism, sexism and family with a just enough danger to keep you in hysterics for the whole hour. A man at the top of his trade, and not to be missed.

Stephen K Amos - Find the Funny
Pleasance Courtyard
* * * * * (5/5)

And so the first full week of the Fringe draws to a close. Unlike other festivals though, there’s still 16 days of the programme left to go, and countless shows still on everyone’s must see list. And of course the podcast carries on bringing up the new shows and untapped talent to the world.

Known to watchers of the BBC Talent Search shows, Niamh Perry (I’d Do Anything) and Keith Jack (Any Dream Will Do) bring the house down in Only the Brave, which is debuting at this year’s Fringe. I catch up with them, and air some of the music from the show; Ladies in waiting have a thing for Brown and Yellow (and steroids) so how has that affected the first few shows of Brownie Re-Union; and finally Brian Luff talks to sketch group Delete the Banjax.

PS: The rain is back…

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #9

Fringe Sunday
The Meadows

Only The Brave
George Square Music Theatre

Delete the Banjax - Your Money or Your Life
The White Horse

Ladies in Waiting - Brownie Reunion
Pleasance Courtyard

Fringe First Winners
Deep Cut
The New Electric Ballroom
Architecting
Speaks About A Girl He Once Loved
The Tailor of Inverness

Herald Angels Winners
Deep Cut
The New Electric Ballroom
Enclosure 44 - Humans
Bale De Rue
Dream of Cat
Richard Hamilton - Protest Pictures

The sun is back! We can go around Edinburgh and not have to avoid a sea of umbrellas. Of course now there arte three days of flyering and promoting for people on The Royal Mile to catch up on, but you can’t have everything, can you.

Who’s on the show today? Well, ex-World Record holder Tim Vin (499 jokes in one hour) returns to Edinburgh after his spectacular poster of two years ago; Ella Hickson has a new theatre experience in Eight; and Brian catches up with Jon Brittain before his Chortle Student Comedy Final next Tuesday.

Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #8

Equity at Edinburgh - Schedule of Events

Equity’s Social Media Workshop (Facebook)

The Edinburgh People’s Festival

Jon Brittain Chortle Student Comedy Awards Final
Pleasance Dome

Ella Hickson - Eight
Bedlam Theatre

Tim Vine - Punsligner
Pleasance Courtyard

“Apres Mort, Le Deluge,” to corrupt a well known phrase. The rain cannot dampen our spirit, and the Fringe will continue, no matter the weather. Which is good because the best transport around town yesterday could have been a speedboat.

But the weather never stopped a podcast, especially one with comedian Nick Helm talking to Brian and Georgina, martin Oldfield and Mark Butt from Pierreppoint - The Hangman’s Tale, and Australlian comic Damian Callinan and his impotency.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #7

Nick Helm - Comedy O’Clock
Laughing Horse @ Espionage

Pierrepoint - The Hangman’s Tale
Sweet Grassmarket

Damian Callinan - Mmm… They’re Small
Gilded Balloon Teviot

The rain in Spain… has been exported to Edinburgh. It’s coming down in buckets, but that doesn’t dampen the spirits of the Fringe. The bars are all nicely under cover, so the only dilution is from the ice.

Speaking of bars (and the podcast visits a lot of them during August), Brian Luff catches up with some more acts from the Free Fringe in the Gilded Balloon Library bar, while I catch up with Philip York to talk about his portrayal of media tycoon Robert Maxwell, and performer Felix Dexter, in Edinburgh with his stand-up show Not Just Another White Guy Lost In The Shuffle.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #6

Lies Have Been Told - An Evening with Robert Maxwell
Assembly Rooms George Street

James Shakeshaft - Songs of Music
Holyrood Too @ Faith

Felix Dexter - Not Just Another White Guy Lost In The Shuffle
Pleasance Courtyard

The sun stayed out all day yesterday, which made it the perfect time to be bouncing around theatres and shows throughout the day - big hint for everyone is to bring a little bottle of water to any show, and if you have a program, use it as a fan. Thanks to the weather this year, sitting under stage lights, in makeshift theatres with lots of black curtains can be like a mini-sauna. So be prepared!

Which is a motto that would clearly be from Boys of the Empire, a comedy Boys Own adventure from Glenn Chandler, the creator of Taggart. Add in the delightful country sound of Wilson Dixon, and whoever Brian has found on the Royal Mile today, and you have another perfect day in Edinburgh at the Fringe.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #5

Wilson Dixon Rides Again
Pleasance Courtyard

Judy - The Musical
Augustine’s

Boys of the Empire
C Chambers Street

Onto the first full week of the Fringe, and after a pretty good weekend for ticket sales (and not so good for weather), the buzz on hows perforers and places to be is building up. Charlie Victor Romeo is one of my picks for theatre this year, and I’ve made a point to see it (and interview the team behind it) as early as possible.

Fiona “One World Sapphire” O’Loughlin took on a massivly frustrating trip from Alice Springs to get to Edinburgh, and hadn’t even settled in before popping in for an interview on the Podcast. Finally Brian Luff chats to “back for the difficult second year at Edinburgh” sketch double act Girl and Dean.

The Edinburgh Fringe Show #4

Charlie Victor Romeo
Underbelly Cowbarn

Fiona O’Loughlin
Gilded Balloon

Girl and Dean
Pleasance Courtyard

Just before I sat down with Jason Byrne, I joked that all I needed to say was ‘Hi Jason… what do you think of something insignificant,’ and then leave him alone with the microphone - ten minutes, later, interview would be over. Turned out to be a bit more than that - more like thirty minutes.

And having listened back, while I could fight to get ten minutes out of this, I think it’s much better as a thirty minute special. And for all my promises of not doing anything this Sunday, it does leave a nice thirty minute-ish long gap to publish the interview. It’s almost like karma planned it.

So stand by for a shotgun of topics including, Jamie Lee Curtis, contract disputes, the price of a barrel of oil, Defender and 1942, Golf, Ronnie Corbett’s wife Anne Hart, jason talking seriously (ha!) about the work and preparation that goes into his show, and what Jason would like to do at the Fringe if he could choose to do any show.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #3
Jason Byrne - Cats Under Mats, Having Chats with Bats
Assembly Rooms on the Mound

The Fringe really is like an extended family, no matter where you look old friends pop up for a quick ‘hello’ (and the invariable flyer handed to you for their show), but that’s all part of the fun. Spot where I suddenly spy some people in today’s show.

Speaking of old friends, Stephen K Amos is the first interview of today - having appeared on the Fringe podcast every year I’m worried that if I don’t have him I’ll jinx the show. In any case he’s one of the stars of British stand-up, and deservedly so. I also caught up for the first time with The Stage’s review team, and ask them what shows have drawn their eye as they flip through the program.

Finally, Guy Hollingworth is one of the greatest close-up magicians Britian has produced. many years ago, he had a rough and ready show at edinburgh called ‘Expert at the Card Table.’ It’s now back, with Neil Patrick Harris directing a fascinating look into the world both of magic, and of cheating.

Do leave your comments on the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #2

Stephen K Amos - Find The Funny
Pleasance Courtyard

Stephen K Amos - Weekend Chat Show
Gilded Balloon Teviot

Guy Hollingworth - The Expert at the Card Table
Assembly Rooms George Street

Charlie Victor Romeo
Underbelly Pasture

New Electric Ballroom
The Traverse Theatre

The Gymnast
Pleasance Courtyard

On The Waterfront
Pleasance Courtyard

Sammy J in the Forest of Dreams
The Underbelly

Ben Moor - Not Everything is Significant
Pleasance Courtyard

August the first, and the starting gun on both the Edinburgh Fringe and the Edinburgh Fringe Podcast has fired. Which means a month of daily podcasts from the biggest arts festival on the planet are going to be heading towards you at top speed (or whatever your broadband is capped at). For the opening show, I thought it was time to dig a little deeper into the relationship between the festival and Scotland’s capital city, so I spent some time with Councillor Steve Cardownie, the Edinburgh Festival and Events Champion.

On the show front, one of my favourite groups, Tha Martians, are back with a new show called Greyfriars Twisted Tales, and I caught up with them at a rehersal to talk about the show and grab some unplugged music from the show. It’s also your first chance to meet Georgina Sowerby and Brian Luff, who are running their own daily show at the Fringe - they’ll be popping back with their guests and thoughts on Edinburgh from a behind the scenes perspective throughout August.

Do leave your comments on the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2008 Show #1

Councillor Steve Cardownie
Edinburgh City Council, Festival and Events Champion

The Martians - Greyfriar’s Twisted Tales
at the Musical Theatre, George Square

Sowerby and Luff - Sex Tips for Pandas
at The Dragonfly (Part of PBH’s Free Fringe)

As do my thoughts, because for the fourth year running, I’ll be producing and acting as the main host on The Podcast Network’s Edinburgh Fringe Show. It will also continue as a co-production with The Stage, and feature in their coverage as well. The show format - a daily 30 minute ‘magazine’ style with news from around Scotland’s capital, interviews with the people behind the shows, the venues and the organisations, along with whatever ideas I come up with while out on the streets - stays pretty much the same; but the guests and topics are as varied as the Fringe itself.

The numbers of the Fringe give an idea of the scale of the event, and how much it can take over the city. There are 247 venues hosting 2,088 shows from 18,792 performers for a grand total of 31,320 performances. Now try pouring that into 21 thirty minute shows. Along with your diary management, and the diaries of the people you are interviewing and are appearing on the show, or doing accoustic musical numbers, or teaching me to play the Ukulele… Don’t forget you need to see the shows as well.

It’s something that a lot of people do for various websites and publications (and I’m sure I’ll talk to many of them throughout the month), but it doesn’t make it any more than a black art that you can only learn by being faced with the programme, a blank diary, and a list of phone numbers that may or may not still be people’s agents after last year. So that’s what I;ve been doing on and off throughout July - maybe thirty minutes a day of planning.

Today was the first day I sat down with the schedules, diaries and bits of paper, and started dropping names into the actual programming grid to see who would go where, which interviews could be ‘paired up’ to make thematic shows (which then lead to fluffy bits between the major elements), and generally how good the three dimensional jigsaw looks this year.

No I’m not saying who’s already on it, who’s in the probables list, and who I’m avoiding with a wide berth. Neither am I saying who else will be joining me on the show to help with interviews and providing a behind the scenes look at the Fringe. For that you’ll have to watch the blogs over the next few days.

The first full preview show will go out on Friday ( August 1st 2008) so until then add the RSS feed to your podcatcher or RSS client, and if you’re in Edinburgh… let me know.

Even if you were there, you can;t have seen as much as Ewan Spence: if it’s good, he’s covered it with on-the-spot interviews.

I love the fact that it’s pitched as a catch-up service, almost a Fringe+1 (which seems in vouge in TV land at the moment) and is listed after the Fringe is all over, but of course all the Fringe podcasts are archived, so you can relive the month whenever you like. (Thanks to Scott at The Stage for picking up the mention and snapping a pic; and he also points out the other two podcasts are from a Radio Times writer, and the BBC themselves, so I’m the single indie).

Time for me to join most editorial columnists and quote Ole Blue Eyes on the final post during the Edinburgh Fringe period. Today’s last show of the main Fringe season takes a look at two of the biggest awards ceremonies at the Fringe, the If.com Comedy Awards and The Stage’s Awards for Acting Excellence. I also take the time to talk to Anthony Alderson, Director of the Pleasance, to look back at the 2007 Fringe.

Do leave your comments on the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #21

The If.com Comedy Awards

Anthony Alderson, Director
The Pleasance

The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence

Madi Distefano, Popsicle’s Departure 1989
Assembly St George’s West

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, If.com, Perrier, Brendan Burns, Madi Distefano, Anthony Alderson.

With Idiots of Ants, Paper Monkeys: Legends, 7 Spies At The Casino, Famished, The Absinthe Monologues and NewsRevue 2007.

And here, as promised, is the Big Damn Show! Being the final weekend of the Fringe (sob) there’s still a chance to see every show out there (apart from some that stopped after the first or second week), so to help you maybe put together some new choices, I’ve racked up a number of big name (and quirky show) interviews. Plus there’s a barrel-load of awards and stuff to talk about as well. It might be near the end, but the crescendo is astouding!

Do leave your comments on the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #20 - The Big Damn Show

James Dowdeswell - Wine
Baby Belly

Josie Long - Trying is Good
Pleasance Courtyard

Jett Loe - Letter to America
http://lettertoamerica.blogs.com/

Rebus McTaggart - Crime Warrior
Pleasance Courtyard

Andrew Lawrence - Social Leprosey For Beginners and Improvers
Pleasance Courtyard

Jim Jeffries - 30
The Cow Belly, Pasture

Paul Kerensa - Genesis
C SoCo Urban Garden

Links to: This Sketch Show Belongs to Lionel Ritchie, Truth in Translation, Failed States, Mile End, Hugh Hughes in… Story of a Rabbit, Wish I Had a Sylvia Path, Subway, Ravenhill for Breakfast and Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, Highlander, James Dowdeswell, Wine, Josie Long, Jett Loe, Rebus McTaggart, Andrew Lawrence, Jim Jeffries, Paul Kerensa.

With Stonewall, Michael McIntyre: Live At The Pleasance, MySketch, Monster Hits, The Mitch Benn Music Club, The Dutch Eagles - Welcome Back to Hotel California and Score (Terre d’Arène).

While the Fringe is always about looking forward, discovering new shows and talent, and showcasing it, there are many shows with a historical angle, and today I’m looking at two of those shows which approach history from a different angle. The Last South is a retelling of Scott and Amundsen’s race to the pole, told by their very own words in their diaries, while Bridget Christie wonders just what King Charles might have made of the 21st century.

Do leave your comments on the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #19

The Last South: Pursuit of the Pole
Pleasance Courtyard

Bridget Christie - In The Court of King Charles
Underbelly’s Baby Belly

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, Highlander, Bridget Christie, The Last South, Scott, Amundsen.

And, for one brief glorious moment, I’m ahead of the mighty Mugglecast. Wheeeee!!!! Don’t forget you can subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, and you can also leave a review of the show with Apple as well, which would very much be appreciated.

(Okay, back out into the Fringe with the microphone. There are still seven podcasts above me).

Some things aren’t naturally funny - four Germans and some drainpipes spring to mind (but Yellowhands is about to prove that cliche wrong); neither would a sixty year old man with a slide projector (but Norman Lovett is about to prove that cliche wrong as well)! The Fringe throws many surprises at you every day, and I hope you’ve caught some of that through the ‘casts this month. Oh and I discuss the Comeddies Nominations as well. Got thoughts yourself? Do leave your comments on the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #18

Yellowhands (www.yellow-hands.de)
Assembly St George’s West

Norman Lovett’s Slide Show
Pleasance Courtyard

Best Comedy Nominees:
* Andrew Lawrence: Social Leprosy for Beginners & Improvers
* Andrew Maxwell: Waxin’
* Brendon Burns: So I Suppose This Is Offensive Now
* Ivan Brackenbury’s Hospital Radio Roadshow
* Pappy’s Fun Club: Pappy’s Fun Club

Best Newcomer Nominees:
* Jon Richardson: Spatula Pad
* Micky Flanagan: What Chance Change
* Tom Basden: Won’t Say Anything
* Zoe Lyons: Fight or Flight

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, Norman Lovett, Yellowhands, Red Dwarf.

Mile End, Caimh McDonnell I.D., Gamarjobat - Rock ‘n’ Roll Penguin, Tap Olé, Talking to Spacehoppers, Truth In Translation, The Terrible Infants and Bang On - The Joy of Junk.

The Fringe is a place of high drama - as well as all the shows and theatre going on at the Front of House you’ve got all the maneuvering and politics between the venues, acts and everything else as well. One strong voice in that mix is Tommy Sheppard and he’s on the show today. along with him is Guy Pratt, a bassist who’s played with pretyy much every influential band of the last 30 years (and McFly).

And as always, feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #17

Tommy Sheppard - Director of The Stand Comedy Club
The Stand

Guy Pratt - My Bass and Other Animals
Underbelly

Links to: The Green Room, Fly Posting News.

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, The Stand, Guy Pratt, Tommy Sheppard.

Bob Downe Live & Swingin’, Sammy J - 58 Kilograms of Pure Entertainment, Meow Meow in Beyond Glamour: The Absinthe Tour, Camille - La Fille Du Cirque.

Shows for children and the family are at the Fringe as well, and it’s just as cut-throat for them as it is for the Ballet, Magic and Stand-ups of Edinburgh. And they’re also hugely entertaining people to talk to. I catch up today with two of the more well known names in Children’s entertainment. First up is Dave Benson Phillips,a regular on UK TV, and then the story-telling duo of Dan and Jeff, who are working on covering Harry Potter in 60 minutes with fantastically predictable chaos.

And as always, feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #16

Dave Benson Phillips - Dave’s Get Up and Go Show!
Pleasance Dome.

Potted Potter - The Unauthorised Harry Potter Experience
Pleasance Courtyard

Links to: The Circus of Horrors, EdFringe.com Message Boards.

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, Harry Potter, Potted Potter, Dave Benson Phillips.

With Greedy, Traces, The Ordinaries … in an Awkward Silence and Shakespeare for Breakfast.

So it’s the last week - and coming off a storming weekend for ticket sales (at least with the performers and venues I checked with) the big push is on. The finish line is in site for the performers; crowds are building in the shows; and of course it’s a last chance to get noticed, maybe cross your fingers for an award nomination, or just generally make sure that you’ve seen something wonderful in the Capital. The Fringe Podcast., as always, is sifting through the shows and will continue to bring the best nuggets of interviews and news as the excitement continues at fever pitch.

And as always, feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #15

James Campbell’s Spinistry of Moonerism and Onomatopoeia Society III: The Vegetarian Amputation Project.
Assembly Rooms, George Street

Charlotte Hudson and Leila Hackett - Two Left Hands
Pleasance Courtyard

Links to: Comedy for Kids, Coffee, Hangman, The Smile off Your Face, Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea, Popsicle Departure 1989, Emergence-See, Ravenhill for Breakfast.

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, James Campbell, Two left hands, Aska.

…Chris Cox - Everything Happens For A Reason, Aeneas Faversham Returns and Fuerzabruta.

Coming to you today from Helsinki, it’s a rather politically charged Saturday editon of the Edinburgh Fringe Podcast, along with the nominations for this year’s Acting Excellence Awards from The Stage. As always, feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #14

Rash
Pleasance Dome

Hamell On Trial - The Terrorism (Of Everyday Life)
Smirnoff Underbelly

The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence 2007 nominations are:

Best Actor:
• Garry Cooper for Long Time Dead (Traverse)
• James Baxter for Scarborough (Assembly @ George Street)
• Daniel Pirrie for Sting for Nolte (Gilded Balloon)
• Merryn Owen for Worlds End (Pleasance Dome)

Best Actress:
• Nathalie Armin for Damascus (Traverse)
• Holly Atkins for Scarborough (Assembly @ George Street)
• Beth Fitzgerald for Follow Me (Assembly @ George Street)
• Dillie Keane for Frank and Dolly (Gilded Balloon)
• Eugenia Caruso for Truckstop (The Zoo)
• Janet Bamford for Truckstop (The Zoo)

Best Ensemble:
• Druid for The Walworth Farce (Traverse)
• Nimble Fish for The Container (UdderBelly’s Pasture)
• Arches Theatre Company for Pit (Traverse)
• Song of the Goat for Lacrimosa (Assembly Aurora Nova)
• Analogue for Mile End (Pleasance Dome)
• Shalimar for La Femme est Morte or Why I Should Not F**k My Son (Pleasance Dome)
• Angelica for Stonewall (Pleasance Courtyard)

Best Solo Show:
• Linda Marlowe for Believe (Traverse)
• Madi Distefano for Popsicle Departure 1989 (Assembly @ St George’s West)
• Elisabeth Gray for Wish I Had a Sylvia Plath (Underbelly’s Baby Belly)
• Alexander Campbell for Private Peaceful (Assembly @ George Street)
• Iris Bahr for Dai (Enough) (Pleasance Courtyard)
• Joanna Swain for Talking to Spacehoppers (C soco)

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, Rash, Ed Hamell, Rwanda, Jenni Wolfson.

In this episode, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Ian Kendall’s Magic Show, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, God’s Pottery Saves The World and Debbie Does Dallas - The Musical

A lovely show today, very irreverent with one of the sleeper hits of the Fringe so far, Pegabovine - Coat of Arms, and an incredibly laid back Rhod Gilbert. Sometimes you have to think on your feet and turn an interview on a single line - and Pegabovine definitly supplied that today. Enjoy the show!

And as always, feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #13

Pegabovine - The Coat of Arms
Pleasance Courtyard

Rhod Gilbert - Who’s Eaten Gilbert’s Grape (Plus extra dates)
Pleasance Courtyard

Links to: The Swingers, Amnesty Scotland, Firstgroup Scotrail Train Times (pdf).

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, Pegabovine, Rhod Gilbert, Amnesty.

There are some interviews where the idea of structured questions just go out the window, the improv skills come to the fore and myself and (in this case) Des Clarke start riffing like crazy - see what happens in today’s show. Before that, The Terrible Infants, a delightful show for all ages that’s been recommended to me by a huge number of people.

And please take note of the announcement of a special one-off comedy gig based around Doctor Who to support the Accord Hospice program.

And as always, feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #12

The Terrible Infants
Pleasance Courtyard

Des Clarke - Destiny
Pleasance Courtyard

Links to: Doctor Who/ACCORD Comedy Show, Joined at the Heart, ‘Beat Off’ Dirty Yanks.

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, Doctor Who, The Terrible Infants, Des Clarke, Mitch Benn, Tony Hadoke.

Today’s show has two acts which I think are both worthy of the Fringe in their own way - how else can you watch Romeo and Juliet again if you’ve seen it performed by the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre? And the life of Woody Guthrie, tragic and uplifting at the same time, is captured perfectly by the cast and crew of Woody Sez.

Do feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #11

The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre
The Gilded Balloon

Woody Sez
The Cow Barn (Underbelly)

Links to: Silent Disco, The Black Watch (NTS).

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, Silent Disco, Blackwatch, Woody Sez, Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre.

With contributions from Improvera, Christian Reilly, Tony! The Blair Musical, The Tony Blair Musical and Breakfast with the Bickersons.

There is something rather fitting in the choice of venue for James Dowdeswell’s comedic exploration of the world of fermented grape juice in “Wine.” The Baby Belly is built into the caves and cellars under Edinburgh’s South Bridge regularly conjour up ghostly sightings through the year, but Dowdeswell happily takes what could be a tough venue and manages to evoke the idea of sitting in a Wine Cellar - not only comforting and siding with the audience, but setting the atmosphere perfectly.

The show is a gently formed trip through Dowdeswell’s discovery of wine in the last two or three years, which happily digresses away from trips with his Father to French vineyards, snap appearances as a top wine journalist at the largest Wine Fair in London, to take in anything and everything that he cares to handle. Both a strong story and a sense of off-the-cuff ‘ooh that happened as well’ randomness kept me entertained and engaged.

And what would a show about wine be without some of the liquid to sample yourself?

Edfringe.com Link: James Dowdeswell - Wine.

With all the talk (every year) of The Fringe getting more and more expensive, I decided to set out today to find out just what the other end of the scale is like - so there’s no report from the £37.50 per ticket single ticket for Ricky Gervais, but rather the performers and organisers putting on shows for free, with a voluntary donation at the end of the show depending on how much you enjoyed the show / performer / how cute they are.

Do feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #10

Peter Buckley Hill - At Last, The 2006 Show
Canons Gait

Doogie C - A Brief History of Magic
Laughing Horse at Hillside

Nik Coppin - Half Blak
The Meadow Bar

Links to: Janey Godley, The Mistress, Brendon Burns.

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, Free, Peter Buckley-Hill, Doogie C, Nic Coppin.

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.

There’s a surprise - for all the sun last week (and it’s clear again this morning) the weekend saw a dump of rain landing on Edinburgh, just as the first wave of tourists arrived to take in a full Fringe week. Bit it didn’t dampen either their spirits or mine.

But jut before it rained, i took a stroll back up to Greyfriar’s Kirkyard to catch up with Australian comedy trip, Tripod (and yes, they do sing for the podcast), and the quirky Popsicle Departure, a tale of the Grunge scene before it became popular. And the first video podcast is available as well!

Do feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #9
Tripod
The Spiegel Tent

Popsicle Departure 1989
St George’s West, Assembly Rooms

Links to: Stewart Lee.

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, Tripod, Popsicle Departure, Fringe Sunday.

Steven Worbey and Kevin Farrell are the hosts (but don’t be surprised if a certain Scottish podcaster pops up in some of the later shows…) and it’s a chance to see some of the many acts at the Fringe actually performing

The first full weekend is here, the tourists are pouring into this lovely small city, the flyers are coming at you from all directions… it’s fantastic. Fringe Sunday, the big party in Edinburgh’s Meadows, is tomorrow (12th August) and starts at 11am, so pop that in your diaries.

But today;s show sees the return of Christian Gospel band God’s Pottery from last year’s critically acclaimed “Show for Lavert,” with the promise that they can save the world this time around; and one of the most though provoking theatre productions I’ve seen so far, The Ordinaries, over at the Edinburgh University Theatre Company’s Bedlam Theatre.

Do feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #8

God’s Pottery Saves The World!
Pleasance Courtyard

The Ordinaries… in an Awkward Silence
Bedlam Theater

Links to: Truth in Translation, Scarborough, The Container, The Walworth Farce, England, Damascus.

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, The Ordinaries, Gods Pottery, Frigne First.

The weather is back to being ‘dreich,’ a sort of Scottish overcast not quite threatening rain look. But that’s not going to stop the Fringe - nope it’s full steam ahead as the first ‘full’ weekend is almost here. The crowds on Friday night are going to fill the venues 9hopefully) and the acts all have their shows sorted out and ticking over nicely.

On today’s show, Kieron Forsyth talks about his role as John Peel in Teenage Kicks, while Craig Campbell and I generally have the sort of conversation that a psychiatrist would have a field day with - from his show, The Goodies and Oliver Cromwell to IMDB, Colditz and charity, it’s all here!

Do feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #7

Teenage Kicks
Assembly Universal Arts

Craig Campbell
The Underbelly

Links to: Assembly Rooms, Truth in Translation,

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, Teenage Kicks, Craig Campbell, John Peel.

In 1847 Dr. Hoffmann published his view on that which children’s literature should be. shockingly educational.

Eager to see how such pedagogical insanity could be adapted to a politically correct present, I ran to see this show, book in hand. Introduced by a recording of the original German, the five young actors delivered the verse over an ironically childlike interpretation of the action. childlike? yes, the first sight of them was most surprising, as they chose to wear costumes that are much closer to those of a British panto on speed than to Hoffmann’s original illustrations. white shirts with neon dots, high-vis, and a dazzling UV light, supporting Tim-Burton-esque reactive clown makeup. The delivery had streaks of genius to contrast the choice of attire, such as Little Suck-A-Thumb’s bleeding hands being renditioned with a red light and a stream of salt, followed by the triumphant use of balloons under a coarse jumper to shrink poor Augustus (who was oddly played by a girl) as he refused to eat his soup, and popped slowly to his emaciated death.

My opinion of the show may have been tainted by the fact that i had the book in my bag, and was familiar with the original illustrations, which excite me greatly. thus, expectations not met, so I reluctantly feel that i would offer them five stars, but only out of ten.

EdFringe.com Link: Struwwelpeter.

– Tobias Feltus

It’s very much a ’serious’ show today, with commentary both on the Anti-Terror legislation and it’s effects in the UK, and on the man that was Adolf Hitler. Both very powerful shows in their own right, and typify the Fringe spirit of new shows, with some daring behind them.

Do feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #6

Hitler Alone
Inlingua, Hanover Street

Failed States
Pleasance Dome

Links to: Amnesty International, Jihad the Musical.

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, Hitler Alone, Failed States.

The sun continues to shine on Edinburgh, and the fun of the Fringe continues to amaze me. Year in, year out, there is such a huge and diverse range of talent on display, trying to get noticed. And part of the thrill of the podcast is finding those, and bringing them all to your attention. Today, two shows I would have no hesitation in recommending in the strongest possible way.

Do feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #5

Stephen K Amos - More of Me
Pleasance Courtyard

The Tom Tom Club
Udderbelly

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, Stephen K Amos, The Tom Tom Club.

Edinburgh Fringe Podcast, #24 in iTunes (click for full screen)

So a big thank you to everyone who’s helping with the pdocast, including The Stagec, Comedy365, Broadway Baby, and all you listeners out there in MP3 land. Now, one more little favour - if you have subscribed in iTunes, why not consider leaving a review of the podcast with Apple?

Update: Make that #14…

Probably the most surprising thing is that ‘The Socks’ are performers in their own right - a sort of brash, internet version of Abbott and Costello, with all the wit, wordplay and wisecracks that you’d expect. Never seeing their manager until the curtain call at the end allows the socks to occupy and dominate centre stage for an hour of film and theatre spoofs, Shirley Bassey numbers, and a cringe worthy biblical reinterpretation of “The Guinness Book of British Sitcoms.”

It’s hard to get over just how effective this show actually is, but it really does sum up the Fringe. A cramped venue, with little air conditioning, a show witha lot of heart, and a genuine debut live performance. While they continue to be a popular couple on YouTube, in the flesh (ahem) the Socks prove they have the legs to become superstars.

Edfringe.com Link: The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre

One of the most important things for any Fringe show is to have a name that grabs the casual browser, sums up the play, and drags them into the theatre - and Debbie Does Dallas The Musical certainly does that. Based on the plot of one of the seminal porn movies from teh seventies, the plot that held that movie also holds this piece together as well, but in a style that’s more Carry On / Seaside Bawdy humour than in out and out flesh. This year’s Fringe is gearing up to have a lot of male tackle out, but the only tackle here is with the American Football jocks.

The plot - Debbie Benson has a scholarship offer in Dallas (and a job offer to be a Dallas Cowgirl cheerleader), but needs $475 and 25 cents to get there. So she, and her friends, pick up some typical jobs for high school girls to earn the cash - but soon discover their bodies have more potential than their C.V’s.

To be honest, lifting the plot out of the context of the film and placing it in a theatre makes it a touch creepy, especially as the lead character is ‘convinced’ to sell her virginity for $10,000. In this day and age, the casual acceptance of all parties to this just left me feeling a little bit off kilter. And the final two songs see a massive change in attitudes in the characters motivations and goals with no reason at all why - the plotting redhead cheerleader suddenly decides it would be a good idea to help Debbie? Everyone is cool with everyone else? All is well in the world?

It’s a spirited production, with a great title and an obvious visual appeal, but in the end I was left hoping for something more challenging and appropriate to this day and age.

It’s a lovely day in Edinburgh - that means it isn’t raining - and it’s great to see everyone come out. The Royal Mile is flowing with people, as you all heard yesterday, but it’s even busier now if you can believe that. I’ve spent the day sitting at Greyfriar’s Bar, and grabbing some performers (in this case, Zoe and Justin) for the show.

Do feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #4

Justin Moorhouse - Who’s The Daddy?
Pleasance Courtyard

Zoe Lyons - Fight or Flight
Pleasance Courtyard

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, Justin Moorhouse, Zoe Lyons.

The previews are over - the Cavalcade Festival yesterday down a rather damp Princes Street means that the Fringe is officially in week one, and open for business. Not that we’ve not been doing anything in preview week!

The show today sees the return of the ever popular walk down the Royal Mile, seeing which shows I bump into, the strange sites, old friends and amazing ingenuity that performers at the Fringe have. I also sit down with Jeremey Austin from The Stage to talk about some likely theatrical hits in the Capital this year, and we have music and comedy from Christian Reilly.

Do feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #3

Jeremy Austin and I recommend some theatre.
Debbie Does Dallas, Breaker Morant, Fuerzabruta, Traces, Truth in Translation, Forgotten Voices.

Christian Reilly - How to Rock
Pleasance Courtyard

A Walk Down The Royal Mile
With Ian Stone, Gamarjobat, In Search of Kantor, The Rover, Tanyalee Davis, Ian Kendall’s Magic Show, A Play on Words and Aaron Berg presents MacBeth.

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, The Royal Mile, Christian Reilly.

A complimentary show to last years critically acclaimed ‘All of Me,’ Amos is a stand up who can dance around with his audience, while gently probing them for their foibles, quirks and hiccups, spin those around with a rapier wit, and disarm any unlikely hostility with charm and modesty. You cannot fail to like this man, melt in his presence, and watch the time fly - and holding my sides with pains of laughter.

And then you step back and realise that Amos is talking about some of the most painful periods of his life; being sperated from his twin sister at school; an awkward adolesence; university flatmates; and waiting on Lenny Henry to move on… Well maybe not that last one

A true master. Rush to his presence at all costs.

Edfringe.com Link: Stephen K Amos, More of Me.

Brian, you had me at ‘Pleasance.’

And with that, a few calls, a twitter or two, and a night of top class comedy and craich was on.

As the previews draw to a close, all the acts and all the venues can only cross their fingers and hope that they’ve done enough to prepare for the might and size of the Fringe - but what does it take to run a venue? William Burdett-Coutts is the Director of the Assembly Rooms, one of the blue-ribband venues at the Fringe, and I managed to get 15 minutes of his very valuable time to ask about his time at the Fringe, the highlights of the programme, and where you find all the acts.

And speaking of the acts, one of the most unusual sounding acts (both in person and creatively) is Impropera. A portmanteu of Improvised Music and Opera, there’s a high dash of comedy with your culture. Where else could you find songs on both Heroes and Minidisc Records but on the Edinburgh Fringe Podcast?

Do feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com. See you Monday!

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #2

William Burdett-Coutts, Assembly Rooms Director
The Assembly Rooms

Impropera
Assembly Rooms, St George’s West

Links to:
Debbie Does Dallas, Truth in Translation, Romeo and Juliet - A Rock and Roll Love Story, Jihad The Musical, The Sound of Music Drag Show.

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, Assembly Rooms, Impropera.

Atually, after thinking about this, I’m not so sure that it is a good idea. First of all, while it means there aren’t going to be any late arrivals, it also means that there’s no nipping out if you need to go to the toilet - or do the ultimate Fringe review and walk out of the show. Unless you feel like going straight over the stage; and even with the diminishing British reserve, that’s unlikely to happen.

My brain says it’s probably the only way the venue can work, but the devious part of me is thinking it’s a great way to placate the audiences!

And so… it begins…

Yes, The Edinburgh Fringe has started, and the Edinburgh Fringe Podcast from The Podcast Network is going to be with you throughout August, taking you behind the scenes, finding the big stories, and uncovering the hidden gems of theatre, music, comedy, and the arts in general.

In this first full show, I speak to the new Director for the Fringe Jon Morgan. A dark horse candidate for the job, he’s got a huge project ahead of him not just for this year, but for years to come. And why does he want to take the Fringe to the Kyle of Lochalsh? Following that, last years’ If.comedy winner Phil Nichol talks about his comedy, and his theatre roles, and why he’s left it to late to become a lawyer.

I know I’ve always said that the show is around 30 minutes long, and today’s show is, well, a bit longer, but both Jon and Phil have managed to capture some of the core essences of the Fringe, that I decided to leave the interviews as extended length. It happens occasionally!

Do feel free to leave your comments in the website or email me on ewanspence@gmail.com.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2007 Show #1

Jon Morgan - Fringe Director
Fringe Office, Royal Mile

Phil Nichol - The Naked Racist
The Stand

Phil Nichol - Hiro Worship
The Stand

Phil Nichol - Killer Joe
Pleasance Courtyard

Phil Nichol - Breaker Morant
The Underbelly

Links to:
Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical, Robin Ince

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, Phil Nichol

For example, in The Times, the podcast was listed as “The Best Edinburgh Fringe Podcast:”

Produced in association with The Stage and The Podcast Network, last year’s Edinburgh Fringe show podcast was so good that it was nominated for a Scottish Bafta [Actually for the 2005 Run, but what's a year between the British Acadamey and me - Ewan]. This year it returns under the auspices of Ewan Spence, who will report live in a daily 30-minute show running throughout the four weeks of the Fringe. It will contain “interviews, reviews and gossip from the funniest festival in the world”. Also promised are colour pieces and some audio tours around the city all produced in a specially created “mobile studio.”

There’s also a long form interview piece in the current Podcast User Magazine (Issue #19) which is worth reading - and the rest of the magazine as well!

What Prompted You To Cover The Fringe?
The first one was back in 2005. I’d just moved back to Edinburgh from London. The Fringe was there, and I went, “Yeah , let’s do it!” …There was also the fact that it hadn’t been done before. And, part of it was the challenge. I think the big part was, can one man take an event as large as that, cover it, report it, present it, be entertaining about it, to make people want to listen to a show about it?

What Is Your Target Audience For The Podcast?
There are two goals. If you are at the Fringe, it’s like having a backstage pass. And if you’re not at the Fringe, it’s going to make you jealous as anything. And I can get those two goals out, I know I’ve got a good show.

Praise both from inside the circle of podcasters, and from the external big boys of traditional media. Lovely! Now let’s see how well I survive August. expect the first full show within 24 hours

It’s almost time for the curtain to come up on The Podcast Network’s 2007 coverage of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe! So before it goes completely crazy, with me trying to get this flood of culture, arts, comedy, theatre, music and atmosphere into some handy bite-sized daily chunks for you throughout August. So to give you a little flavour, here’s a burst of audio on what I see the next four weeks will have.

My schedule for the next few days is attending the numerous Press Launches put on by the venues with multiple stages; this includes the behemoths of The Assembly Rooms and The Gilded Balloon, smaller more intimate venues (The Stage, C Venues); the young brash upstarts (The Underbelly); and the personal favourites (Bedlam at the Edinburgh University Theatre Company).

That should take me through to Thursday, when most of the preview shows start in earnest. The press launches should give me a broad stroke of what’s hoping to be large… what’s going to be popular is going to take a little bit more hunting down.

Tags: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Fringe, review, podcast, prologue

The podcast, a daily 30 minute show, will run, as previous years, throughout the four weeks of the Festival, with news, interviews, colour pieces and some audio tours around the city. And that needs a lot of planning, liasing with promoters, venues, stars, up and coming acts, and a whole host of tiny little things that will come together to make a great show.

Two major items are now in place. The first is a title sponsor, which allows me a bit of flexibility in the four weeks to do what I need to do. The second is studio recording space. Last year I used the Leith FM studios to talk to the majority of the guests on the show, and having a single location makes it a lot easier. This year, with Leith FM actually broadcasting, that option isn’t available - so I’ve been talking to the central venues in Edinburgh to create a ‘mobile studio’ for the Fringe Podcast. I finsihed discussions on this today, successfully I might add, and I’ll be based in the centre of the Fringe action.

The Podcast Network and myself will make a more official announcement on these in due course, but one thing is for sure. The Fringe Podcast is definitly on for a third year.

With one difference (touch wood)… I’m not planning to move house this year.

And the final show is here - after almost a full month of podcasting every day, reporting from the streets of Edinburgh, finding the interviews and scoping out the shows to bring you the best of Scotland’s capital. I hope that if you were in Edinburgh the show pointed you to what you might want to take in, and if you never made it, I hope that you got a flavour of just how manic the Fringe is.

Thanks must go to The Stage - who have been a great partner for the podcast, and the working relationship between TPN and The Stage has been one of the key facts that have made the podcast work as well as it has.

Hear you next year?

The Edinburgh Fringe 2006 Show - #21

John Murphy - The Heretic
Pleasance Courtyard

Phil Nicol - The Naked Racist
Stand 2

Caroline O’Connor - End of the Rainbow
Assembly Rooms

The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence
The Stage

Links to: Finer Noble Gases, Blackwatch, C-90.

Best Actress
Caroline O’Connor - Over The Rainbow
Best Actor
Paul Sparkes - Finer Noble Gases
Best Solo Show
Daniel Kitson - C-90
Best Ensemble Cast
National Theatre of Scotland - Black Watch

Best Comedy Performer
Phil Nicol - The Naked Racists

Best Newcomer
Josie Long

Spirit of the Fringe
Mark Watson

More on this, and my reaction, in Monday’s Podcast.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2006 Show - #21

Ed Bartlam, Executive Director
The Underbelly

Ewan Spence, Executive Director
The Podcast Network

Links to IF.comeddies, The Stage Theatrical Awards, Sean Collins and Friends Vent, Whispered Prompt Podcast.

25th August 2006 - Edinburgh. The leading online media publications have reached an agreement to collaborate their energies at future Edinburgh Festival Fringes. Under the banner of the “Festival Media Network,” Broadway Baby, The Podcast Network, Whispered Prompt, FestivalPreviews.com and other interested parties will present a single voice to organisations and promote the use of new online technologies to cover the Fringe in Scotland, the United Kingdom and the world.

“It’s great that we can all work together, and send out a positive message that online media does work and can achieve a common goal, whilst retaining an individual identity,” said Pete Shaw, Publisher of Broadway Baby.

“Our goal includes growing the Festival’s audience to the global village,” says Ewan Spence, Executive Director at The Podcast Network. “You don’t need to be in Edinburgh to enjoy the Fringe.”

Ian Smith from FestivalPreviews.com commented that “millions of people already use the web to discover the Fringe. We are delighted to be a part of this organisation which will boost the experience of visitors.”

Over the coming months the various organisations will be refining their plans and liasing with promoters, venues, theatre companies and the Festival Fringe Society to ensure that the Fringe in 2007 will be as revolutionary online as the Edinburgh Festival became 60 years ago.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2006 Show - #19

Shakespeare’s New Play / Death by Audience
Quaker Meeting House

What I Heard in Iraq
Pleasance Courtyard

Baggage
Pleasance Courtyard

Think No Evil Of Us - My Life With Kenneth Williams
Pleasance Courtyard

David Benson - Why Pay More
Pleasance Courtyard

Links To: Lunch with the Hamiltons, Rebus McTaggart.

–End

The Edinburgh Fringe 2006 Show - #18

The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence

The Plastic Cowboys - Mum’s Gone Away
Pleasance Courtyard

Links to: Fringe First Nominations.

And don’t forget that this week’s print editon of The Stage is now on sale in the UK.

A one man character sketch show, Nick Mohammed begins The Forer Factor by miming — somewhat poorly — to a pre-recorded audio monologue track before introducing the audience to a variety of his live characters. The namesake of Nick Mohammed’s performance is not fully explored and seems an afterthought to the performance as a whole. While he does not lack enthusiasm or projection, each individual character study fails to retain a consistency of development. He clearly knows his material well and has no trouble jumping between personalities, but the more enjoyable performance moments occur when he says nothing at all, but rather reacts to a eclectic mix of sounds played over the PA. Nothing in his performance is particularly new and though amateurish in general, Nick Mohammed has a few minutes of greatness sprinkled throughout his time on stage. Stick with it to see his unique ventriloquist segment and stay to the end for possibly the best of his act — a music conductor. All of the characters are quite different from each other, but most are fairly forgettable. (Thank goodness I take notes.).

Nick Mohammed has enough enthusiasm and expression to pull off a much better show. I didn’t enjoy all of The Forer Factor, but the parts I did like give me hope that Nick Mohammed has enough promise to pull off a much better and tighter show next year.

Jen Dixon

What we have here is soemthing that was dreamt up at 2am in the morning, and someone else having a lightbulb moment… and thus the stage is set for a squadron of F-14 jets to take to the stage in a show tht sums up what the Fringe can be about - taking a concept, pushing it like crazy and seeing if you can make a hit show. And while there’s no colun inches being burned, the cast plant their tounge into their cheek just enough to be a pastiche, but not enough to be a serious homage. This is probably the one criticism of the show - what exactly is the goal?

If they can answer that, then student unions the world over have a headline act. And if they can raise enough money, I ‘d love to see how well this would work as a movie…

Ewan Spence

Best Comedy Performance…

• David O’Doherty Is My Name
• Russell Howard: Wandering
• Phil Nicol: The Naked Racist
• Paul Sinha: Saint or Sinha?
• We Are Klang: Klangbang

Best Newcomer…

• Fat Tongue
• Concert for La Vert: God’s Pottery
• Andrew Lawrence: How To Butcher Your Loved Ones
• Josie Long: Kindness and Exuberance
• Russell Kane’s Theory of Pretension

Listen to the podcast tomorrow for my thoughts on the shortlist.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2006 Show - #17

Nica Burns, Award Director
If.comeddies Awards

Mitch Benn, The World Stands Up
George Square Theatre

Something I’ve been looking forward to now. One of the goals of The Edinburgh Fringe Podcast is to bring you as many experiences of the Fringe as possible. So yesterday I started at the top of The Royal Mile and started walking. This is what I heard, who I met, and what a lot of people are up to.

The Edinburgh Fringe Show 2006 - #16

Cabaret of Menace
Batboy The Musical
Potted Potter
Toby Hadoke, Moths Ate My Doctor Who Scarf
Ben Danger, Street Performer - Every Breath
Top Gun - Need For Speed
Macbeth Re-arisen

Links to AIVP. Britcaster

Is this the final stretch? Of course it is. But that just means there are two and a half weeks of intruige and gossip to help find the best acts and shows out there. And, in its own little way, the Fringe Podcast is contributing to that. And talking a bit about controversial material, cartoons, and winning the World Cup…

The Edinburgh Fringe Show 2006 - #15

Breakfast With Johnny Wilkinson
Udderbelly

Justin Edwards - Unaccompanied as I Am
Pleasance Courtyard

Omar Marzouk & Mette Lisby - Cartoon Heroes, Drawing a Line
Pleasance Dome

Links to: Stephen K Amos, Fringe First Awards, Gilded Balloon.

The easiest way to listent to the show is directly in your web browser - just hit play on any the Flash player in any  web browser. Alternativly, you can subscribe to the feed in any podcast software (http://edinburghfringe.thepodcastnetwork.com/feed or add it to your podcast list in iTunes.

The Edinburgh Fringe Show 2006 - #14

Jason Byrne - Sheep for Feet and Rams for Hands
Assembly at Assembly Hall
Jesus: The Guantanamo Years
Underbelly

Links to: If.comeddies, Ticket Sales for this week, Chris Anderson’s The Long Tail.

Gaye Belle

Then there’s the Adam and Eve apple, the Newton apple, an apple Jack called John, Wilhelm Tell and Snow white. There are songs, some funnier than others, and funny lines: “can’t tell Wilhelm Tell from Adam”, and this you have to see to get, but somehow “I’ve got an apple on my head” works a treat too.

All along Adam and Eve is trying to replace the apple Eve ate and the audiences tuning into a plethora of accents – a handful for the dwarfs alone. Of the four actors at play it’s clear the guitarist/God/apple Jack/Austrian vice-regent Gessler/a mirror image and the snake/Newton/Wilhelm Tell/evil queen are the two stronger, but they all do a fair bit of hamming it up – it is revue after all - to a hilarious outcome for anyone into revue/musical/theatre….and sometimes there’s an apple for you too.

KGN

The quartet which provided the music were also very engaging, featuring the most passionate accordion playing this reviewer has ever heard (something I used to think was an oxymoron). This is a hugely enjoyable show which left the audience shouting for more.

Gaye Belle

Two ‘country hick’ personas, one white South African, concealed a more serious environmental agenda, although Law’s green politics come sandwiched between his more surreal perceptions of the world. Apparently, “many of you will have experienced what it feels like to be a giant”. Law’s stabs at bigotry and head-in-the-sand politics got big laughs, but it is some of his sillier remarks that still make me smile at odd moments: after all, why is it only the wolves that look after abandoned human babies?

Gaye Belle

I wasn’t even in a particularly good mood and the initial country tunes didn’t bode well. Tops 3 minutes later I was hooked. The songs changed to Dylan and particularly actors Charles Aitken (Joe) and Con O’Neill (Ratzo) gave their all. Other characters equally erased memories from the pages and celluloid and I recommend this play to anyone over 16 as well done sex scene doesn’t deserve their nervous giggles.

The stage setting deserves a mention: it’s swiftly and seamlessly changed, and perfectly befitting this essentially timeless story of two outcasts finding comfort in each other. At the end many were sniffling and if not for the lights coming up, the applause would deservedly have lasted a bit longer.

Kirsten Nielsen