Are you the indecisive sort who suffers a meltdown at the thought of having to decide between shows from the novel-thick Fringe guide? Are you loath to bend to the will of the more assertive flyerers on the mile? Then this is the show for you. A furious hour of 3 minute slots from ten of the Fringe’s comedic experts provides a veritable smorgasbord of comedy for you to get a feel for what’s out there. If you like what you see you can and get along to the full gigs at a later point.
The tension is high and the pace furious as comics perform to a stopwatch; lights flashing the second they exceed their slot. Comics do not have the luxury of building a story or a through line; they’ve got 3 minutes exactly to win over the audience and convey the gist of their show, while the charismatic MC John Robin brings a little continuity to the evening between acts.
This particular instalment provided sneak peeks into the melodious meanderings of Tricity Vogue, who you may have seen out flyering with a ukulele strapped to her head. Richard Herring gave a snapshot into his tumultuous relationship with death. Rob Collins related his breakdown at break neck speed. Matt Winning belted us over the head with quick fire punishing puns and Ellie Taylor strode across the stage with impeccable impersonations of Kate Middleton. Paul F Taylor served up a slice of whimsy and Harriet Kemsley shared stories of her personal life. Sally Anne Hawyard inducted us into the joys of divorce and temping and Zoe Lyons told us what it’s like to be stuck in an anorak. The highlights of the set came from sketch comics Sad Faces with their educational parody on the harmful effects of drugs and Abandoman wowed the crowd with their interactive hip-hop magic. This is a great show if you suffer a short attention span.
However, each day serves up a fresh batch of comics so it’s well worth getting along to see what’s on offer
