Articles by Kai Sedgwick

Journey to X

Abortion and X-Factor may seem unlikely bedfellows, but they’re forced into an unholy union in the poptastic Journey to X.

Alexei Sayle

Almost two decades have passed since Alexei Sayle last toured.

James Campbell's Comedy 4 Kids

Kids’ comedy is harder than you’d think.

The G Spot

Fringe science: the number of people crammed into a venue is directly proportional to the liberties a reviewer can take.

Mervyn Stutter's Pick of the Fringe

The wonderfully-named Mervyn Stutter bounds to the stage, resplendent in an outrageous pink suit.

Stuart Laws Absolutely Will Not Stop, Ever, Until You are Dead (1hr Show)

It’s raining outside and our host – Stuart Laws – is on a mission to entertain us.

Pop Lock-in

The bassline reverberates through the floor as the DJ blasts the latest anthems.

Comedy Club 4 Kids

Review
★★
Kai Sedgwick
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Komedia - Main Space / Southbank Centre Pop-up Festival Area
5th Aug, 2012

The Bongo Club is more accustomed to hosting face-chewing ravers than sweet-chewing kiddies, but this evening the kindergarten has taken over.

Eric Davidson - Brigadoom

Think of the most Scottish thing you can imagine.

Wild About Wilde

When asked to recite Oscar Wilde’s career highlights, few people think of his children’s literature.

PowerCouple - Stand-up Comedy from Stephen Bailey and Gary John Senior

One of the beautiful things about the Fringe is the way in which so many shows can be supported simultaneously.

Frimston and Rowett: A Sketch Show

Life is a lottery.

Sam Fletcher - Drawn-out Jokes

With his sex offender specs and wiry frame, Sam Fletcher is a high-octane Jarvis Cocker.

Shakespeare for Breakfast

Messing with Shakespeare is par for the course at the Fringe.

Philosophy in the Bedroom

It’s not often I’m lost for words, but after witnessing the eyeball-popping spectacle that is Philosophy In The Bedroom, I’m not sure where to start.

Dustbowl Blues with a Glasgow Kick

One man’s Skrillex is another’s alien communique; one woman’s James Blunt is another’s coffee table garbage.

Romance with a Double Bass

It is UWE Drama Society’s last show of the Fringe.

Street Cries

The term ‘award-winning’ has long since been rendered meaningless, devalued by anyone who ever unlocked a Steam gaming achievement appending it to their LinkedIn profile.

Motortown

This is a show that spits in the face of gritty realism and then desecrates its grave.

Anon(ymous)

Produced by Malibu’s Pepperdine University, Anon(ymous) is a modern retelling of Homer’s Odyssey, crammed into 90 action-packed minutes.

A Woman Inside

Prison ain’t fun.

Phil Nichol: The Simple Hour

American comics like to please.

Brian Kellock Trio

One week into the Fringe, and nursing a bank balance that’s lower than my Facebook shares, I’m forced to witness the Brian Kellock Trio.

Jigsaw Jim

Jigsaw Jim is a Springboard Theatre Company production that follows the Disney rules of entertainment: goodies have to be whiter than white, baddies blacker than black and never th…

Romeo and Juliet

A 75-minute performance of Romeo & Juliet is hardly the stuff that fills jaded reviewers with optimism.

US Beef

“Get ready to ‘meat’ Buck Mathews.

Lewis Schaffer is Free Until Famous 18th Year

Lewis Schaffer’s show is called Free Until Famous.

Karen Matheson

During a hectic Fringe, it’s not uncommon to find harassed reviewers jumping from venue to venue with scant knowledge of the next act on their schedule.

Jollygoodlarks - How to Make it Huge

Jollygoodlarks conform to the internet school of naming: mash all your words together to form an unwieldy hybrid.

I am the Dead - Free

Attending free shows at the Fringe is something of a lottery.

Alan Anderson: Whisky Fir Dafties 2.0

What lengths would you go to just to taste a dram of whisky? Would you beg for it? Steal for it? Endure an hour of atrocious comedy for it?These are the questions you must ponder b…

Hansel and Gretel

Talk about selective memory.

Pop-Up! The Amazing Adventures of Moo-Dong

The phrase ‘and much more’ has to be one of the laziest devices in the English language, appended onto sentences as a sign that the writer is bereft of ideas.

William

Having contrived to mix up my ‘C’s, I arrive late.

Naked Dictators

Every year, the Fringe seems to get zanier, with its sublime productions out-shouted by the ridiculous.

Beethoven for Breakfast

With a name like Beethoven for Breakfast, it stands to reason that this show won’t form the finale to a bacchanalian night’s boozing.

Jigsaw: Gettin' Jiggy

The key to successful comedy is getting your audience onside.

Iain Stirling and Sean McLoughlin

What determines whether a comedian’s name will be remembered or forgotten? An ability to make people laugh is always an asset.

Katherine Ryan: Little Miss Conception

Is it possible to describe Katherine Ryan without using the word ‘sassy?’ No.

Cinderella: The Musical

One of the best things about the Fringe is its ability to throw up unexpected surprises; ducking into a pub to escape the worst ravages of the Scottish summer, it’s not uncommon …

The Boom Jennies: Blowout

‘A high quality all-female sketch group.

Shappi Khorsandi: Dirty Looks and Hopscotch

Comedians are a needy bunch.

David Morgan: Triple Threat

The man looks like a comedian.

Late Night Gimp Fight!

What makes for a memorable show? What transforms an enjoyable night out into an unforgettable experience? It’s not always possible to assess the permanence of a performance upon …

Nessie the Loch Ness Monster

Ever since the dawn of the Toy Story dynasty, us grown-ups have been spoiled when it comes to children’s entertainment.

BOBBY WINNER

Baby Wants Candy

Like tightrope walking over the Niagara Falls, Baby Wants Candy is an ambitious concept: either it works or it ends up six miles downstream.

Beardyman Unshaved

As a society, we take exception to things being faked; orgasms; friendships; wills.

The Twoks

The Twoks sounds like a kids cartoon you’d find on Nickelodeon Jr.

The Red Bus Puppet Shows

It’s a beautiful day at the Fringe and I’m sat on the top deck of a red bus in the Meadows.

Alphonse by Wajdi Mouawad

Watching Alphonse is like taking a trip to the cinema.

Jonny Woo: Wonder Woo-Man

My abiding memory of this show is that I have no abiding memory of this show.

Amateur Transplants: Adam Kay's Smutty Songs

Not all of life’s surprises can be nice, but Adam Kay transpires to be a very pleasant one indeed.

David Whitney - Struggling to Evolve

Struggling to Evolve ‘promises a guide to sex, drink and violence’ – which sounds like prime material for an edgy comedian seeking to unsettle his audience.