Fringe Comedy
Gayle Anderson
Nish Kumar
Pleasance
Four stars
Mark Steel
Assembly Hall
Four stars
Ayesha Hazarika
Gilded Balloon
Three stars
TWENTY minutes into an impressively tight set, Nish Kumar launched a major charm offensive. He decided that whilst the back section of his sell-out crowd were getting into the spirit of things, the front lot needed some serious wooing to win them over. He was worrying unnecessarily. They weren't quiet because they were a little bored. They were quiet because they were a little in awe. This is a master class in concise, sharp storytelling. A fast and furious foray into the enemy territories of gentrification, imperialism and racism. Before the politics though, there's pop. He limbers up with starstruck stories of David Bowie, James Brown and err...the drummer in Coldplay. The main course is mighty. A history fan who also loves Britain, he acknowledges the irony before ripping into our legacy of colonialism and slavery. It's passionate and persuasive. Rich white men are next to feel his wrath. He provides an eloquent argument as to why they are the root of most of our ancestral angst, along with a quite brilliant Adam Sandler analogy. Intelligent and insightful, this is a comedian at the top of his game. Who knew a history lesson could be quite so much fun?
Runs until August 28
THE QUEUE of happy, smiley people have come to see Mark Steel. They're primed and ready for a good time and big laughs. First though, they need to snake past a statue of John Knox - a man famed for his lack of fun. You'll have had your punchline? Oh, how the comedian and star of Radio 4 must loves the irony. This year's show, Mark Steel's In Toon sees him undertake a virtual whistle-stop tour of Scotland. He's been seeking out the idiosyncrasies, our strange quirks. It seems we're a country rich in material. Pre tour though, there's time to give Brexit and Nigel Farage a good and very angry going over. Then, with the help of snapshots and newspaper clippings, he's off on his travels. Burns, Buckfast, Queen of the South, red sauce versus brown sauce - all the important stuff's there. He turns up the volume with some wonderful, rhythmic rants. The one on trendy teas is a particular stand-out. It's frantic, frenetic stuff. He careers around the stage impersonating a whole range of weird and wonderful characters in a whole range of weird and wonderful accents. A tour de force from a top performer.
Runs until August 28
AYESHA Hazarika had the perfect qualifications for spending 8 years as political advisor to Harriet Harman and Ed Miliband. She was a comedian. She returns to stand-up with Tales From The Pink Bus - her first show since leaving the political front-line. In it, she ponders the big questions. Why was she sometimes happy to serve the coffee at important meetings?, Does Ed really look like a badger? And oh, yes, where did it all go wrong for her former employers? This is a fascinating behind- the-scenes look at a party in chaos. A comedic car crash as she keeps us in the loop with tales of Brexit, boy culture oh, and that "Hobb's pashmina pink" campaign bus. Glaswegian, Ayesha also throws in an impressive Nicola Sturgeon impersonation and an "activating Article 50" explanation that's both unexpected and err...rather moving. Patently super smart and extremely eloquent, she offers an intriguing insight into the machinations and misogyny of British political life. There are often gentle anecdotes where actual jokes should be however and at times this particular set feels more suited to the corporate circuit that the Fringe.
Run ended.
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