Articles by James Dolton

Jason Manford - First World Problems

Review
★★★★
James Dolton
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Hull City Hall / Truro Hall for Cornwall
27th Aug, 2013

After an unassuming entrance where he wanders onstage in jeans and a checked shirt, Jason Manford thrust aside his microphone stand and quipped “Alright chairs in here, aren’t …

Flanders and Swann

Flanders and Swann’s songs occupy a strange position in British consciousness: some are well renowned and regularly emerge on adverts, whilst others are forgotten gems only known…

Jake Morrell

Hailing originally from East Anglia (“the sticky out bit of Britain… that isn’t Wales”, as it was helpfully described), Jake Morrell and his Magnificent Band’s musical ex…

Who Are You Supposed To Be?

For many people, a date in August had been looming.

The 27 Club

The 27 Club as a concept is comprised of a much revered collection of musicians who died aged 27.

Shostakovich Late

Any venue that gives out wine on entry is likely to endear itself to the audience, but ROSL on Princes Street is endearing even without such generosities; a delightful space lined …

Baconface - It’s All Bacon!

It’s the worst kept secret at this year’s Fringe that the UK debut of little-known alternative 80s comedian Baconface is in fact enormously well-known alternative comedian Stew…

The Improverts

Bursting onstage in a blaze of colour, noise and applause at half past midnight in Bedlam, the Improverts return once more to the Fringe.

Sans Salomé

Who doesn’t love a good meta-play? One of three Fourth Monkey plays up this year, San Salome has two parallel storylines: Oscar Wilde attempting to stage his controversial late w…

Quietly

Plays based on historical and significant conflicts often tend toward the bombast and spectacle: either exploring the actions and feelings of the major players in positions of powe…

Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales

Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales immerses children and parents alike into a world of wonder.

Grounded

Grounded is the tale of a female fighter pilot (Lucy Ellinson) who loves the freedom of the blue sky.

Set List: Stand-Up Without a Net

Setlist is just a bloody good idea.

Austerity Pleasures

This show consisted of political satire.

Morning and Afternoon

A cynic would suggest that a one-man show written and performed by an acclaimed director is one likely to fall into certain pitfalls; history is littered with those who have steppe…

Gareth Richards: Gareth Goes Electric

A show title that implies a comparison between Bob Dylan and a minor comedian is clearly a rather ambitious, even presumptuous one.

Alex Horne: Lies

As he confesses in the opening lines of his show, Alex Horne ‘hates stand-up’.

Greg Proops

Back at the Fringe for the twentieth year in a row from his native San Francisco, Greg Proops is a veteran who has spent years on the comedy circuit in a variety of roles and an ev…