Much like Arthur’s Seat is the bedrock of Edinburgh, comedy is the bedrock of the Edinburgh Fringe. There are brilliant headliners, up and coming club talent and fresh, raw and sometimes not quite ready rookies and it is often a challenge to filter who, what, where and why when it comes to choosing. ‘The Best of the Edinburgh Showcase Show’ is a phenomenal grab-bag; a side-splitting buffet of talent, a revolving door of hand-picked comics from multiple styles of comedy including stand-up, improv and sketch.
This is a uniquely Fringe experience, a night of club talent, the feel of an HBO special but with a midday timeslot. Of course, every performance is different, with guest hosts and guest talent, but the performance I saw featured the amazing, quick-witted and brilliant compere Stuart Goldsmith who set the tone for laugh-out-loud stand-up and audience interaction with a warm, disarming presence and a razor wit that beautifully showcased the talent he introduced.
The four comic talents featured were Chris Martin, Gravity Boots, Gary Delaney and Dave Gallan, each of whom brought something unique and fun to the show including a solid fifteen minutes where I couldn’t even catch my breath from laughing and one of the most bizarrely alluring Beyonce impressions I’ve ever seen, which left me both perplexed and strangely aroused. Not every moment was belly-achingly riotous, perhaps a bit ‘out there’ for a few audience members, but as a platform for up and coming talent this is of incredible value and a sure-fire hit and as the hour is still early, this show is pretty family-friendly.
Every day is different so you won’t know what you are going to get, but if you have just one hour and the desire for a quick sampling of some of the tremendous comic artists available at the Fringe, head on over for a lunch time nibble at the showcase. Then book your evening accordingly.
