Articles by Frodo Allan

A Girl Gets Naked In This

Perhaps winning the award for most provocative title of the Fringe, A Girl Gets Naked In This is a series of nine monologues written and performed by women on the subject of sex an…

Weaving Me, Weaving Mum

A woman sits centre stage, wrapped in thick wools that appear to be knitted and crocheted from a myriad of red yarn.

Dear Billy

In Scotland, Billy Connolly is more than just a successful comedian, actor, musician, television presenter, and Knight of the Realm; he’s “the Big Yin”.

Golem

In Jewish folklore, a golem is a clay figure brought to life by magic.

Paul Merton and Suki Webster's Improv Show

Paul Merton has been bringing his Impro Chums to Edinburgh for a very long time but now he’s back with the Fringe debut of a new paradigm, Paul Merton & Suki Webster’s Impr…

The Magic of Terry Pratchett

In my home, the first thing you encounter is two tall Billy bookcases from IKEA.

Tweedy's Massive Circus

Tweedy is a clowning legend, having performed with Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey’s, and most famously with traditional ‘village green’ circus, Giffords for over 15 …

Sophie's Surprise 29th

Last year, I ended my five-star review of Sophie’s Surprise 29th by promising that, if Sophie’s friends decide to throw a surprise 30th, I’d be there with my party hat on.

1 Moment in Time

Magician Sean Alexander is fascinated by moments in time.

La Clique

Now in its 20th year, La Clique essentially created the genre of sexy circus cabaret at the Fringe.

YOAH

Cirquework is a relatively new name in contemporary circus and, in their debut show at the Fringe, have brought a slice of Japanese inspired mythology combined with some spectacula…

007 Voices of Bond

From the signature guitar riff that accompanies the opening of Dr.

Aunty Ginger: Finding Splashman

I’m a fan of classic drag.

NoVa

Les Foutoukours have been creating beautiful and engaging circus in Quebec for over 25 years.

Piskie

Presented initially as a lecture on the paranormal by self-confessed skeptic, Dr Ouida Burt PhD, Piskie is really about one person’s struggle with childhood trauma and the easily…

Ten Thousand Hours

There’s a much-touted theory that practising any skill for 10,000 hours is sufficient to become an expert.

Ben Hart: HeX

There’s no question that Ben Hart is an international sensation.

That's Drag Bingo

That’s Drag Bingo takes your granny’s favourite gambling addiction and adds some zhuzh by throwing in the occasional dance break, lip-synch competition, naff prizes, and a whol…

Twonkey's Basket Weaving in Peru

Twonkey has been bringing his surreal shenanigans to the Fringe for over a decade, and now he’s decided it’s time to up sticks and move to Peru.

OH OH

OH OH is an hour of beautiful, uplifting, delightful playfulness.

Baby Rock

Theatre for babies is a delicate balancing act; the show needs to be a multisensory experience for the target audience who may not yet be able to follow plot lines or dialogue and …

Hannah Platt: Defence Mechanism

The promotional material for Hannah Platt’s debut hour at the Fringe features an image of the comedian with perfectly coiffed hair, immaculate makeup, and a bloody nose seeping o…

Alison Larkin: Grief... A Comedy

Alison Larkin opens her show with a truth: people cope with grief in different ways; some by drinking to excess, some by turning to drugs, others become depressed, a few will throw…

Hypnotist Matt Hale: Top Fun! 80s Spectacular – Remix

With an 80's theme incorporating all the sing-along chart hits and a host who, after popping up in a Risky Business-themed opening video, appears onstage in a flight suit and s…

Magical AF!

Review
★★★★
Frodo Allan
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
PBH’s Free Fringe @ Liquid Room Annexe/Warehouse
24th Aug, 2023

Sam Hurst leaps onto the stage in a black sequin suit and skull-covered tie ensemble that screams “entertainer”.

The Revel Puck Circus: The Wing Scuffle Spectacular

There’s popcorn and candyfloss on sale as the audience make their way into the Lafayette big top at Underbelly’s Circus Hub.

Sophie's Surprise 29th

If you’ve ever been to a surprise party, you know the awkward anticipation of waiting for the guest of honour to arrive.

BOBBY WINNER

N.Ormes

Starting with a single spotlight shining down like a streetlamp on a romantic Parisian street we see a man and a woman slowly dance in an intimate embrace.

Ben Hart: Jadoo

As we enter the dimly-lit environs of the gorgeous Spiegeltent Palais du Variété, the scent of incense hangs in the air, music plays, and ornate lighting hangs low around the sta…

Matilda Jr the Musical

Based on Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s novel, Matilda tells the story of a precocious five-year-old girl who loves books, hates bullies, and is revealed to have telekinetic p…

Hot Clown Sex

The Hot Clown Company is a relatively new troupe that set out to blend sketch comedy and physical theatre with a particular emphasis on clowning.

BOBBY WINNER

Circa: Humans 2.0

In a big top tent, ten performers, upon a brilliant white, circular stage, perform a series of ever more amazing acts of acrobalance, tumbling, throws, and aerial skills.

Attenborough and His Animals

Clownfish Theatre has returned to the Edinburgh Fringe with an updated version of their show which saw sell-out audiences in 2019 as well as similar success in Adelaide.

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical

Some shows are Fringe standards, you can’t help but think that they’re like the ravens at the Tower of London; that if they weren’t here, everything would come tumbling down.

Ben Hart: Wonder

Ben Hart is already a star by any measure, having headlined his own BBC shows and reached the final of a certain UK-based TV talent show, but when Hart enters the vast stage of the…

Mat Ricardo: The Extraordinary Gentleman

Mat Ricardo is a juggler with 35 years’ experience performing in front of audiences all over the world.

Cirque Berserk!

I have a soft spot for classic, big top style circus even if it is being presented in a conference centre by a company that are famed for bringing this genre to West End stages.

Mind Mangler: Member of the Tragic Circle

Mischief is one of those companies that gives the struggling Fringe performer hope.

The Chosen Haram

A graduate of London’s National Centre for Circus Arts, Sadiq Ali brings humour, sensuality, and skill to this tale of boy meets boy, boy gets into the club scene and chemsex, bo…

Disney’s The Lion King (UK Tour)

Review
★★★★★
Frodo Allan
UK Regional & Tours
Multiple Venues
9th Jun, 2022

Touring productions of West End musicals can often feel like a poor shadow of their original run as they usually require considerable downscaling to easily fit into a multitude of …

Westdal and Hayward Need Work

Freyja Westdal and Beth Heyward join the ranks of such excellent Fringe female musical comedy acts as Fascinating Aida, Flo & Joan, and EastEnd Cabaret with a smart, funny, che…

Rouge

Some shows do exactly what they say on the poster.

Edward Hilsum: Silver

When he was seven years old, Edward Hilsum attended a party at which a magician was performing.

Ariadna

Alyona Ageeva’s Physical Theatre PosleSlov return to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the third year with a piece that feels very much like a direct sequel to last year’s Sky …

Twonkey’s Ten Year Twitch

It’s Twonkey’s tenth year on the Fringe and he’s here to celebrate with a show that may or may not be the most baffling yet.

Carol Cates: Tell Tale

Carol Cates sits on a tall stool strumming away on her ukulele and chatting with the audience as they arrive.

MARVELus: Improv the MARVEL-verse

Gary Tro and Tom Livingston have picked the perfect subject for their improv show.

Just Desserts

A cabaret with desserts could have been light, fluffy fare but Michelle Pearson isn’t afraid to get into the more bitter ingredients in life.

Frisky & Mannish's PopLab

For those who don’t know, Frisky & Mannish are Fringe royalty.

The Black Blues Brothers

It’s a sell-out audience in the huge space at Assembly Rooms.

Any Suggestions, Doctor? The Improvised Doctor Who Parody

Since the last time I saw this show, we’ve gotten a new Doctor in the strangely controversial form of Jodie Whittaker and Any Suggestions, Doctor? has moved from Sweet Venues to …

Bubble Show: Milkshake and the Winter Bubble

A packed room at Gilded Balloon’s new Patter Hoose venue shows that even a rainy Friday morning can’t dampen the enthusiasm for bubbles.

How to Be a Bad Girl

Like a piano player in brothel or a chanteuse at an orgy, Sabrina Chap is the fallen woman of cabaret.

Nerd Time's a Charm

Up ‘til now, I had only ever seen Tom Crosbie perform short spots at Fringe cabaret shows where his skill with a Rubik’s Cube and his awkward, amiable persona intrigued me.

Breaking the Magicians' Code With Kane & Abel

This is one of those shows where to review too closely is to spoil the experience for future audiences, so I’ll stick to the abstract.

Arr We There Yet?

When a show opens with the introduction of Captain Skidmark sailing the seven seas upon the good ship, Red Rubber Duckie, you know exactly the level of humour to expect for the nex…

Sky Labyrinths

Having absolutely loved Posolev’s other work at the 2018 Fringe, (Some)Body, I’m a little nervous at the start that this may not be of equal standard.

Broken Romantics: A Unicorn's Quest for Love

This is one woman’s tale of the many heartbreaks in her life and the lessons she learned from each that allowed her to be able to love herself instead of seeking it in others.

Waiting for Godot

Considered to be one of the greatest plays ever written, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot is famously a play about nothing.

Twonkey’s Night Train to Liechtenstein

Reviewing Mr.

(Some)Body

Last year, I was lucky enough to catch Alyona Ageeva’s Physical Theatre PosleSlov perform to a small audience and immediately became a fan.

Mat Ricardo vs the World

Review
★★★★★
Frodo Allan
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Laughing Horse @ City Cafe / Laughing Horse @ The Counting House
25th Aug, 2018

When you’re considered the best at what you do, some of us might rest on our laurels but Mat Ricardo wants (indeed, needs) new challenges.

Briefs: Close Encounters

I was lucky enough to be in the audience when Briefs made their Fringe debut at the Gilded Balloon back in 2011.

Chores

Direct from winning the Weekly Award for Best Children’s Show at the Adelaide Fringe, circus performers Derek Llewellin and Julian Roberts have brought their fun show to Edinburg…

Karaoke Saved My Life

Review
★★★
Frodo Allan
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Underbelly, Bristo Square / Underbelly, Cowgate
27th Aug, 2018

All month I have spotted Scott Swinton, star of Karaoke Saved My Life, on the streets of Edinburgh, flyering for his show.

Cazeleon: The Movies in My Mind

Cazeleon, the self-proclaimed ‘cabaret chameleon’ – resplendent in monochrome make-up and a jaunty red, wide-brimmed hat - opens her show with a pitch perfect rendition of �…

Slipstick

A man enters and, La Cage Aux Folles style, he sits at a mirror that isn’t there and paints his face in lurid make-up.

The Tape Face Show

As a genuine YouTube sensation, TV talent show star, and with a Las Vegas residency, Tape Face is a comedy rock god but he isn’t here to play the hits; this is an hour of brand n…

Ben Hart: The Nutshell

Ben Hart is concerned with the Butterfly Effect; the part of chaos theory that suggests a small event (such as the flapping of the wings of a butterfly) can have huge consequences …

8 Songs

For almost thirty years, Gandini Juggling has been setting the bar for juggling performances across the world.

Tilda Swinton Answers an Ad on Craigslist

Some shows are a must-see simply because of the title, and Tilda Swinton Answers An Ad On Craigslist is about the best title for a play I’ve encountered in several years of revie…

Bowjangles: Excalibow

Excalibow features a String quartet consisting of Mitch McGugan (first violin), Ollie Izod (violin), Bertie Anderson (viola), and Ezme Gaze ('cello) who are all talented musici…

Maureen Lipman Is 'Up for It'

Maureen Lipman more than qualifies for National Treasure status; she’s shared the stage with everyone from Olivier to Hugh Jackman and has appeared in Oscar winning movies and na…

Skin Deep

This comedy revue is billed as a ‘celebration of (and for) every body’, an admirable theme for our times when people of all genders, persuasions and body types are finding thei…

Gamarjobat

Gamarjobat shows that comedy is truly without language barriers.

The Artist

Thom Monckton of Finland’s Circo Aereo returns to Edinburgh with a hugely entertaining hour of silliness.

The Birds And The Beats

Grant Busé wants to talk about sex and he’s determined that we should join in the conversation.

Fuego Carnal

Returning to Adelaide for the third time, Fuego Carnal is a combination of traditional circus, cabaret and spectacular fire performance.

Arj Barker - We Need To Talk

At the start of the show there’s a lot of emphasis on switching off and putting away our mobile phones.

Idris Stanton - The Last King of Vaudeville

As one quarter of the amazing Pants Down Circus and one half of hit children’s show The Circus Firemen, Idris Stanton has absolutely earned the right to put his name above the ti…

Faulty Towers The Dining Experience

On arriving at the Strathmore Hotel, my companion and I are directed to the bar to secure our drinks order for dinner and to wait until Mr Faulty arrives to seat us.

The Man In The Mail

Inspired by some lesser known writings of the great novelist, poet and playwright, Jules Verne, The Man in the Mail tells the story of a lovelorn fellow who decides to send himself…

PO PO MO CO

Some shows at Fringe are reviewed because the artistes or their producer approaches you and requests that you come along to see their show.

Not Today's Yesterday

Using a combination of Bharatanatyam (an Indian classical dance style) and contemporary, interpretive dance, this show is a feast for the eyes, ears, heart and soul.

LAURIE BLACK: LIVE

The apocalypse is here! No-one is sure how it started or what’s going to happen but luckily, Laurie Black has gathered us in the safe environs of La Boheme to wait out the worst …

Naked Girls Reading

Review
★★★
Frodo Allan
Adelaide Fringe
Gluttony
13th Mar, 2018

I’m not entirely sure of the point of Naked Girls Reading.

Movin' Melvin Brown: A Man, A Magic, A Music - The Story continues!

Review
★★★★★
Frodo Allan
Adelaide Fringe
Stirling Fringe / THE GC at The German Club
12th Mar, 2018

Rich acapella singing opens this show as Melvin Brown takes to the stage.

GINGZILLA: Glamonster VS The World

As we wait to enter the Speigel Zelt at Gluttony, Gingzilla is out front, working the crowd.

Grace

Some performances defy genre and this production features elements of solo theatre, sketch comedy and stand-up.

No Frills Cabaret

Circus is changing; different art forms are being encompassed into the genre and many shows are far removed from the classic days of traditional circus, crossing the line into perf…

KillJoy - Destroy The Fantasy

Destroy the Fantasy is unashamedly feminist with a humorous take on the political implications of the fantasy of circus.

Michelle Braiser & Laura Frew: Double Denim Adventure Show

Like Morecambe and Wise smashed together with the two best Spice Girls (Sporty and Scary), Michelle Brasier and Laura Frew have created a brand-new show that easily puts to rest an…

Leather Lungs: Son of a Preacher

Review
★★★★
Frodo Allan
Adelaide Fringe
Studio at The GC at The German Club / THE GC at The German Club
8th Mar, 2018

Leather Lungs, aka Jason Chasland, has something of a following in his home country of New Zealand and with good reason.

6 Quick Dick Tricks: A Dirk Darrow Investigation

It was hot in the Speakeasy at Gluttony.

The Circus Firemen

Review
★★★★
Frodo Allan
Adelaide Fringe
Cornucopia at Gluttony / Gluttony / Stirling Fringe
27th Feb, 2018

There’s mischief going on in the Cornucopia at Gluttony and it’s not coming from the packed-out audience of children and accompanying adults.

Elixir

There’s weird science going on in the Octagon at Gluttony; three scientists are attempting to create elixirs that will improve on humanity and perhaps even grant superpowers.

Cirque Nocturne

Inspired by the hardboiled crime noir of the 40’s and 50’s, Cirque Nocturne has a narrator rather than a master of ceremonies.

Burlesque By Force

Review
★★★
Frodo Allan
Adelaide Fringe
Nexus Arts
28th Feb, 2018

Brodie John has a story to tell and it’s a raw tale of sexual assault, consent and how to move on.

Tabarnak

Cirque Alfonse return to Adelaide with their newest show and it’s a very different beast to their last hit, BARBU.

Entropy

Review
★★★
Frodo Allan
Adelaide Fringe
Gluttony / Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka
22nd Feb, 2018

We enter the Speakeasy at Gluttony to pounding techno music and, as the first performer takes the stage dressed in dance leotard and denim shorts, there’s a bawdy whistle from so…

Victoria Falconer: Oxymoron

As one half of the excellent EastEnd Cabaret and a founding member of the awesome Fringe Wives Club, Victoria Falconer is already considered an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist with…

Indigo's Pianolympics

Review
★★
Frodo Allan
Adelaide Fringe
The Jade
5th Mar, 2018

Indigo’s Pianolympics is a very silly show.

The Very Circusy Caterpillar

Everyone thinks of children when they think of circus and yet so many shows are completely unsuitable for younger children; they’re either too bombastic and overwhelming or the f…

Big Tops & Tiny Tots Circus Show

With seats at the back reserved for the adults, the children are encouraged to sit on the floor right up against the stage for this lovely show that aims to educate and entertain i…

Yummy

The audience in The Box at The Garden of Unearthly Delights is clearly ready to party and expectations for a great show are high.

Justin Matson: Fatter Than You Think

Many stand-up comedians like to be super punchy in their comedy.

Monsteria

Featuring an all-female cast of three, this is most definitely not your granddad’s idea of circus.

The Displaced

The line between circus and physical theatre has been blurring for years now and The Displaced is a magnificent example of how the two art-forms are merging.

Charlie Caper & Malin Nilsson: Minor Miracles

The initial impression of this show is that it’s going to be an hour of magic with a bit of banter and it’s exactly that but it’s also wonderful.

The Unfair Advantage

Meeting at a prearranged location in Gluttony to await being led to a secret spot, the small audience for this intimate performance – including myself – are intrigued.

Welcome to the Music Hall

The Old Married Couple may be married but they’re certainly not old.

The Gin Whore Tour

Katherine O’Neil really knows gin.

Elaine Davidson's Kinky Freakshow

Elaine Davidson is something of an Edinburgh icon.

On This Side of Time

Alyona Ageeva’s PosleSlov Physical Theatre Company presents the UK premier of this contemporary physical theatre performance.

Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters

This play is an abridged version of the stage adaptation of late novelist Terry Pratchett’s sixth Discworld book which is in itself a parody of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Bubble Show for Adults Only

I wasn’t really in the mood for this show.

The Naked Magicians

I think a naked magic show is a brilliant idea; two magicians with no way to hide anything up their sleeves, in their pockets (or anywhere else) amazing us with their skill at slei…

Acéléré by Circolombia

Circolumbia was formed in order to provide professional opportunities for the graduates of Columbia’s national circus school, Circo Para Todos which provides circus training for …

Knightmare Live

As a child of the eighties, I dreamed of appearing on Knightmare; the high-tech fantasy adventure game where three adolescent friends used their inability to discern left from righ…

Circus Abyssinia: Ethiopian Dreams

A bed sits in the centre of the huge Lafayette big top at Underbelly’s Circus Hub.

Paul Dabek – Encore!

Dabek is an old-school showman; his banter is honed to a bleeding edge and you can easily imagine him holding forth on classic Saturday night TV, perhaps as a guest on The Paul Dan…

Love Gasoline!

Marcel Duchamp was an artist who is famed for creating work in the cubist style and had a huge impact on the conceptual art movement, particularly Dadaism – He’s the one who fa…

Any Suggestions, Doctor? An Improvised Adventure in Space and Time

I remember when Doctor Who was a practically forgotten, long cancelled show that was only the domain of nerds (like me).

Someone Dies at the End

A small group of survivors huddle in a bunker, eating beans and reminiscing on their favourite foods.

Carol Cates: Lady Carol

Lady Carol, doyenne of cabaret and comedy ukulele songs for over ten years has reinvented herself and now she’s just Carol Cates.

Origins

Animikii Theatre’s Origins is an intriguing piece of physical theatre that isn’t afraid to be subtle with it’s plot.

Camille O'Sullivan: Where Are We Now?

Camille is the Fringe.

Cirkopolis

Cirkopolis begins from the moment the doors open and the audience filters into the massive space at the EICC.

Betty Grumble: Love and Anger (or Sex Clown Saves the World Again!)

How does one describe Betty Grumble? No really, I’m at a loss.

I See You – Live

Stand-up comedian Sam Gore has been taking down celebrities and politicians with his cutting, satirical, absurdist diatribes on Facebook since 2014 and garnered over fifty thousand…

Twonkey's Christmas in the Jungle

Twonkey is lost in the jungle.

Coppélia

Coppélia is originally a comic ballet based on the writings of Prussian romantic author, E.

Jack Rooke: Happy Hour

Jack Rooke won a scholarship to attend Westminster University to study Journalism.

FuturePlay Virtual Reality Studio

Assembly’s foray into digital entertainment returns after last year’s debut of the exhibition with more cutting-edge technology and a fantastic representation of how it can int…

Djuki Mala

Djuki Mala, formerly known as the Chooky Dancers, rose to fame ten years ago with a viral YouTube video of Aboriginal dancers performing Zorba the Greek in homage to a Greek woman …

Abigoliah Schamaun: Namaste, Bitches

Enlightenment is an unusual concept.

Attached

Massimilliano Rosetti and Manu Tiger are like a live action cartoon or perhaps a 1930’s Laurel and Hardy short where the boys have joined a circus.

Juan Vesuvius: I am Your Deejay

New Zealand’s Barnie Duncan has created a perfect comedy persona; he’s believable enough as a character but ridiculous in so many perfectly pitched ways.

Driftwood

A single red lamp shade hangs above the stage in Assembly’s Spiegeltent Palais Du Variete.

Chris Dugdale: Up Close!

Chris Dugdale is a master of the art of sleight of hand and, even when encouraging the audience to closely watch his every move he manages to repeatedly stun them with his apparent…

Show Up

Peter Michael Marino greets the audience as we arrive.

Whose Line is It Anyway? – Live at the Fringe

Improv comedy at the Fringe? It’s practically become a punchline in itself but the art of making it up on the spot is big business in Edinburgh in August.

Sigma

Four shrouded women take to the stage.

Popular Comedian Rob Mulholland

Rob Mulholland assures us that he’s a popular comedian and then launches into a tirade against the so-called middle class comedians who sell out at the Fringe.

Colin Cloud: Dare

The Fringe is full of mind readers but Colin Cloud’s framing device of presenting his skills as deduction and manipulation creates a whole different feel.

The Listies Make You LOL

Back after last year’s fantastic show, the Listies are just as wonderfully ridiculous as ever.

Dr Carnesky's Incredible Bleeding Woman

Created through a series of devised rituals performed every month during the dark moon (when the moon is black against the sky) for three months, this show is part lecture, part si…

The Ping-Pong Ball Effect

Upsala Circus have been doing incredible work in St.

AnimAlphabet the Musical

Colin the Country Cockatoo is on a mission to reunite all the notes of the stave and save his friends from the dastardly plans of Calando the duck who wants to bring eternal silenc…

Anya Anastasia: Rogue Romantic

There is a woman sprawled across the keys of a grand piano.

Red Bastard: Lie With Me

The Bastard is back! Returning after taking a year away from the Fringe to conquer the world, Red Bastard, the beastly bouffon, is here to feast on our lies and he has prepared a s…

Ben Hart: Belief?

Ben Hart opens his hour-long show with a simple but beautiful magic trick that has a playful story attached.

Skin

Last year, 201 Dance Company shattered the stereotypes associated with hip-hop dance with the critically acclaimed Smother.

Michael Redmond: I Wrote a Joke in 1987

Michael Redmond did indeed write a joke in 1987, a good one that still gets a laugh today.

Ordinary Days

The New York musical is so much of a trope that it could almost be its own genre.

Reuben Kaye

Reuben Kaye is a cabaret god; he’ll tell you so himself.

Hot Brown Honey

The ladies of Hot Brown Honey are back in Edinburgh and they’re still bringing the power! This mix of burlesque, beats and brashness plays with our preconceptions of what a burle…

Norman Lovett: Entertaining Moaner

Norman Lovett’s deadpan face will be instantly recognizable to a generation as the dim-witted ship’s computer, Holly of Red Dwarf fame.

Steele Edge: Martial Arts Illusion Show

Steele Edge: Martial Arts Illusion Show bills itself as “a dynamic fusion of physical excitement and visual wonder” but it’s more of a bizarre fusion of vague ‘oriental’ …

Paul Dabek – Look at Me!

Paul Dabek is back in the spotlight at the Free Fringe and, without giving anything away; this is man who really knows how to make the most of a spotlight.

Aaron Calvert: Mind Games

Where a show like Mind Games has to shine is in the mind reading and Aaron Calvert has chosen some lovely tricks that suitably stun the participants onstage and the audience alike.

Dandy Darkly's Myth Mouth!

Louis CK is undoubtedly backstage in the Edinburgh Playhouse, prepping for his show while his audience stretches around the block.

A Cup of Tea With Lady C

I have to start this review with an admission; I had never heard of Lady Colin Campbell and I’ve never watched I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

Supper Club at Checkpoint

Assembly’s Supper Club is up against the big, flashy late night circus revues and cabaret shows and sets out to compete with these by presenting many of the very best guest acts …

Chris Henry: Chris' World

Chris Henry is a frantic comic.

Smother

Hip Hop is a strange medium with which to tackle the homosexual experience.

Twonkey's Mumbo Jumbo Hotel

In a tiny room at Sweet Grassmarket a man has placed a wide array of props, toys, figurines, dolls and detritus in an apparently haphazard way.

Michael Griffiths: Cole

Michael Griffiths is obscenely talented.

SNAP

Snap is an incredible display of the very best magic performance that South Korea has to offer.

The Glitter and Doom Salon

Jennifer Kingwell has a voice like whisky liqueur and a talent on the piano to rival her own hero, Tom Waits.

In the Wine

As a mournful cello plays, Sarah Gatzonis dances a playful ballet around three sturdy wine barrels.

Briefs Factory Presents: Sweatshop

You know you’re in for a good time when a variety show opens with one half of cabaret legends Frisky & Mannish belting out a pop medley, whilst self-proclaimed “sex clown” Be…

The Listies 6D (Twice as Good as 3D)

There are many children’s shows at the Fringe that seem to follow the formula of throwing a couple of popular franchises together with whatever kids currently like, before adding…

Amelia Ryan: Lady Liberty

Amelia Ryan used to be a mess.

Royal Vauxhall

With a script and songs by Desmond O’Connor, this new musical tells the tale of the legendary night that TV superstar, Kenny Everett and rock god, Freddie Mercury dressed Lady Di…

Colin Cloud: Exposé

At last year’s Fringe, Colin Cloud packed out the house with his show Kills where, amongst the baffling displays of supernatural prowess, he killed and resurrected an audience me…

Ben Hanlin: Trickhead

At the end of Trickhead, Ben Hanlin asks the audience to tell everyone about the show but not to spoil the tricks.

The Remains of Tom Lehrer (Performed by Adam Kay)

For a fan of legendary lyricist Tom Lehrer this show is a delight.

The Blues Brothers – Live

It’s a pretty short drive to Stockbridge, I’ve got a full tank of gas, no cigarettes whatsoever, it’s dark.

The Addams Family

Charles Addams’ cartoons have been adapted numerous times for TV, film and as an animated series.

Dandy Darkly's Trigger Happy!

Dandy Darkly, resplendent in a fringed and spangled cowboy costume complete with tiny Stetson and incredibly pointy snakeskin boots opens his show with a request: should anyone dec…

Les Misérables (School Edition)

Les Misérables is a musical based on the 1862 French novel by Victor Hugo that tells the tale of an ex convict who flees his parole, meets a generous priest, becomes mayor of a to…

Hitch!

From Rope to Psycho, Hitch by the Mary Bijou Circus Theatre Company covers all the famous Hitchcock thrillers plus at least one you may not know, as admitted to by a sheepish audie…

Poet of the Impossible

In a tiny, hot, almost claustrophobic room on Hanover Street, a poet is performing miracles.

Afternoon Delight

Bill shows (where the show is made up of several guest acts) can be a mixed bag especially when the format is to showcase one venue’s acts from across their programme.

Eleanor Morton: Allotted Mucking Around Time

We are welcomed into the Stand 2 by a red-headed young woman in the guise of an older man.

Yve Blake: Lie Collector

Yve Blake is fascinated by the lies we tell and has even gone so far as to set up a website where you can anonymously reveal the various untruths you’ve told.

La Clique and The Famous Spiegeltent presents VELVET

La Clique has been a feature on the Fringe for over ten years and has a well deserved reputation for slick circus cabaret and variety.

Double Booked: Slater vs Melons

Two very different performers have arrived at the Fringe to find that a scheduling conflict means they’re sharing the same one hour performance slot.

Jollyboat: Five Stars, F*****ck Yeah!

It’s always a delight to see a Free Fringe show doing well and, on arriving at the venue for this show, the queue is stretching into the distance.

The Creative Martyrs: Cabapocalypsaret

Last year the Creative Martyrs offered weary Fringe-goers refuge from the apocalypse in their musical show at the end of the world.

Hall of Fame

Ray Gunn and Luke Reel were expecting to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame but a misunderstanding about the eligibility criteria means that they’re going to have to f…

Renz Novani: Spellbinder - Magic & Mystory

This stripped-down mind reading act doesn’t have any music, set, lighting changes or bells and whistles and it doesn’t need them.

Dr Sketchy's Edinburgh Anti Art School Experience

Dr Sketchy’s Anti-Art School is an international phenomenon with events on six continents and an army of dedicated ‘Art Monkeys’ attending these life drawing classes where ar…

Pants Down Circus: Rock

It’s probably not acceptable for a review to simply take the form of OMG! This show is amazing.

Colin Cloud – The Forensic Mind Reader

Colin Cloud strolls confidently on stage and announces that he already knows what we’re thinking.

Lady Rizo

Lady Rizo has quickly become a darling of the Edinburgh Fringe.

Frisky and Mannish: Just Too Much

Felicity Fitz Frisky and Hansel Amadeus Mannish are the quintessential Fringe success story.

Bec and Tom's Awesome Laundry

As the audience files in to Bec and Tom’s Awesome Laundry, the two leads are on stage blowing bubbles and playing a game to see how far into the venue they can float the soapy sp…

La Clique

One can’t help going into La Clique with a certain expectation.

In Flagrante

As a man who has seen more cabaret and burlesque than any sane person should; I was unconvinced by the promise of ‘An all out rebellion against female sexual stereotypes’ but a…

Briefs: The Second Coming

Recently, in another review, I wrote that La Clique was showing every other cabaret on the Fringe how it should be done.

Broadway Enchanté

Broadway Enchanté is a delightful piece of entertainment.

Damsel in Shining Armour

Sophie Walsh Harrington is talented, beautiful and a little bit unhinged – but in a good way.

Triskaidekaphilia

Described as Scotland’s best schlock horror cabaret burlesque sideshow, Triskaidekaphilia is a show that certainly managed to live up to its publicity.