Articles by Jonathan Mayo

Limmy: Surprisingly Down to Earth, and Very Funny

This is a show for the fans.

The Castle

As an unfinished text imbued with deep mystery, ranging from menacing abstract bureaucracy to detailed recounted memories, Kafka’s The Castle is a challenging undertaking, but th…

Nick Revell: Eurasia’s Most Eligible Psychopaths and Their Lovely Homes

Nick Revell has honed his comic storytelling craft to a fine point.

Courtney Pauroso: Gutterplum

An intense, enthralling and fascinatingly uncomfortable exploration of the ageing of an American woman, played with a perfected bleak clowning approach that toys with the crowd and…

Joz Norris Is Dead. Long Live Mr Fruit Salad.

Despite the title, it transpires that Joz Norris is not dead, but is merely busy having a bath.

John-Luke Roberts: After Me Comes the Flood (But in French) drip splosh splash drip BLUBBP BLUBBP BLUBBPBLUBBPBLUBBP!!

Hopefully, you know the kind of show you’re in for, with a deliciously meaningless title like this, and crafted surrealism is exactly what is in store.

An Audience With Ted Pendleton

It is an interesting idea to stage a comedic play about the backstage conversations that take place between stage hands, in the shadow of the performer that they work for, but this…

Teahouse

This adaptation of the modern Chinese drama Teahouse does not work.

Boondocks

Set in a bush, this play gets quickly into its own stride, with a persistent odd humour which flips on its head anything you thought you knew about a conversation between three you…

Obfuscation

Typically performed from the back of a truck in New York, this surreal take on a seminar exhorting the effective use of language achieves the desired level of oddness, but seems to…

Action at a Distance

Confronting head-on complex ethical dilemmas that co-exist with modern Western imperialism, this new play written by Rory Horne is urgent, engaging and also deeply entertaining.

The Burning Gadulka

This hour-long dramatic and comedic monologue is a persistent exploration of why the existence of the gadulka – a traditional Bulgarian folk instrument – is the worst thing tha…

The Recovery Version

A hidden gem of the fringe, this authentically Scottish play has fantastically realist, understated acting throughout, and it offers an emotional portrayal of the familial tensions…

Oil!

This new piece of writing is an enjoyable, silly slice of sitcom, covering the last few days of student life amidst a diverse bunch of friends.

Mark Steel: Every Little Thing's Gonna Be Alright

Mark Steel begins with a witty satire about the calamitous circus show that was the recent Tory election campaign, setting the tone for this solid left-wing stand-up show.

Brutal Cessation

Described by its creator as a two-actor play of “a relationship rotting” and a manifestation of domestic “purgatory”, it quite quickly becomes apparent through this tense a…

Bob Slayer: Whatever Next?

Something akin to Grand Master of the bits of the Fringe that aren’t ‘a capitalist mess’, as he styles it, a visit to Bob Slayer’s double-decker bus is a source of rejuvena…

David Huntsberger: Big Nothingness

David Huntsberger’s stand-up show is problematic as a comedy show as it has very little resembling a joke.

Trashed

This dark one-man play is full of energy and intensity as David William Bryan perfectly encapsulates the abject isolation of binman Keith Goodman, known to all as Goody.

Found Footage Festival

Curating a collection of the most bizarre instances of human behaviour recorded on esoteric VHS tapes, Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher do little more throughout the evening than brief…

Paul Foot: 'Tis a Pity She's a Piglet

Culminating in an audience member punching a stuffed monkey named Jonnie whilst Paul Foot shouts ridiculous syncopated mottos about equality for all mankind, this show provides alm…

Dave Johns: I, Fillum Star

It is a real privilege to get to spend time with Dave Johns for an hour as he recounts the rollercoaster that he has experienced since being cast as the lead part in Ken Loach’s …

The Cat Man Curse

Deploying sketch comedy in its pinnacle form, Pelican, made up of ex-Footlights Guy Emanuel, Sam Grabiner and Jordan Mitchell, have put together a cohesive and hilarious narrative …

Boris & Sergey's One Man Extravaganza

The technical choreography from Flabbergast Theatre that delivers this consistently joyful, yet bleak, puppetry extravaganza is exceptional.

John Robins: The Darkness of Robins

Having developed a strong reputation at the Fringe in previous years, John Robins remains a safe bet for sarcastic, pithy self-loathing, although he seems to have a lost a little o…

Games and After Liverpool by James Saunders

Thought-provoking theatre and assured acting are on offer at this show, which is split into two plays, both written by the late playwright James Saunders, a one-time mentor to Tom …

Gareth Waugh: Honestly?

Gareth Waugh has structured his solid solo stand-up show around an admittedly less solid concept.

Adventurers Wanted: A 250-Hour Epic Tabletop Roleplaying Game

How do you review a show which involves you spectating other people playing Dungeons and Dragons? Whilst tempting to let a dice roll determine its outcome, I feel the Game Master (…

Tez Ilyas: Teztify

Tez Ilyas shows throughout this hour that he is an assured stand-up with serious political messages to get across about intolerance.

Agent November: Major X Plow-Shun / The Murder of Mr E

Within his immaculate MI5-style office set up as an escape room experience for up to ten people, Agent November offers willing accomplices the opportunity to take on the role of sp…

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