Reviews | the-comedy-coroner

Kate Perry

The Mash House 14:40

A medium sized attic venue was well attended for Kate Perry's last show of this years fringe.

Kate is an energetic, engaging storyteller who brings you into her world of several characters with warmth and humour, good simple use of sound and lighting and quick costume changes help set the scene and allows depth and continuity to each set piece, each monologue was funnier than the last.

At the end of the show which was well received Kate tells us this is her first fringe run and we certainly hope it won't be her last her work feels like it will be a future fringe staple.

Coroners Verdict: 4 Stars

Guest Reviewer Stewart Bremner:

Mark Thomas Trespass.

Summerhall

24/8/15

Comedian and activist Mark Thomas' new show, Trespass, tells the story of three long walks across the centre of London, undertaken to highlight the growing trend of the privatisation of public space. The walks take in areas where corporations and the wealthy have turned parts of London into their own miniature fiefdoms. It's bad enough to have caused loyal Londoner Thomas, for the first time, to ponder leaving the city he loves. Told in a string of anecdotes, the hour-long performance is one of absurdity and anger. Absurdities lie in the policing of these spaces, owned by the likes of Mitsubishi and RBS, that Thomas provokes in a series social actions – each innocently playful in the face of stern opposition. The anger, when it happens, is red-in-the-face and entirely justified. It is clearly shared by the large portions of the audience, many of whom have not come along just to laugh. Yet it is a funny show. Thomas is an animated figure, fully able to engage and command the attention of his audience. He ably coats the bitter pill of modern Britain is his spot-on observational humour, while his social actions not only hark back to friendlier times but are often laughably ludicrous in their own right. Ironically, it is the location of the show that feels the most off. When Thomas at several points invites us to get involved in his next actions, it feels as if he is speaking in London. It is similarly estranging to note that Scotland's separate land ownership laws and problems don't get one mention. It gives a jarring undercurrent to the show, reinforcing the oft-made claim that the festival is no more than a London transplant into Edinburgh, having nothing to do with its location. Trespass is a fast-paced, funny and thought-provoking show. Anyone with a social conscious who enjoys the occasional giggle at the ludicrous nature of our corporate-owned world will love it, especially if they live down south.

Coroners Rating: 3 Stars

Teviot wine room 24/8/15
Mark Forward
The teviot wine room is a medium sized venue and was well attended.
Marks routines are hilarious straight off the bat his use of musical instruments and other toy props are expertly used to raise a few quick laughs and relax the room the audience is pre warned that he doesn't believe the things he is saying and if we do too we'll have a better time, what I loved was the absurd journey of exploration of a seemingly small sections of a joke will take us. Mark expands the universe of the scene of the joke making a whole story rather than a verbal gag he is a talent that simply must be in the top ten Stand-ups in the world today I hope Mark returns to Edinburgh year after year as his work will surely become larger and more elaborate.
His style of humour is important.

Coroners rating 5 stars

Jody Kamali

Underbelly Med Quad Clover

18:45

Runs until 31st August

Roll up roll up, welcome to The Gorbachev Circus of Wonder, a decent attendance was present to see Jody Kamali's creation, this is a spectacular world of an old world circus, a murder mystery and a love story between man, ironing board and a Maths genius pig called Brenda.

Jody uses the audience skillfully they take part in the fun and takes his direction with good grace, the improvised routines are hilarious and the man of mystery and his amazing carrier bags, keeps everyone laughing, he even looks like David Copperfield, we had such a good nights entertainment take a friend to this show they will thank you.

Coroners Rating 5 Stars

Scottish storytelling centre library
20:00
Frequently Asked Questions
Fiona Herbert.

Attached to the historic John Knox's house is the modern Scottish storytelling centre

This medium sized venue was well attended, easy listening tunes filled the room reminding me of good Edinburgh nights out of the past, this soundtrack bodes well I mused, the hour passed quickly as Fiona regailed us with relationship stories and routines about her travels, her stories are told with hilarious vivid imagery from being dumped via Skype to drunkenly thanking an elephant for saving her from a lion in East Africa the laughs were quick and fast her storytelling is clearly an immense skill I found myself totally engrossed and immersed in her world, she reminds me of a long lost friend I had, I didn't lose her to yoga like she lost her best friend, her routines were very well put together I recommend you take a friend sit back and enjoy the ride.

Coroners Rating 5 stars

Old Jewish Jokes

Ivor Dembina packs out the small back room of Finnegans wake on Victoria street I spotted him outside I could tell he was the act, busy rushing around setting up the room, welcoming friends, he looked warm and personable and enjoying himself.
He sets the scene his father told him years ago not to be an alternative comedian when he was starting out in the 80's he advised him to tell old Jewish Jokes he spreads these jokes around the wider story of accepting a benefit gig at a London synagogue to fix the hole in their roof, the rabbi keeps interrupting him asking him not to tell jokes about the holocaust, Jews and money, and sex jokes each time the rabbi censors him he tells us the jokes he would have told to us these gags are belly laugh hilarious, the show was slightly interupted by a guy going to the loo rather than just leave he speaks loudly breaking the flow and interrupting the show slightly but Ivor deals with it in another fantastically Jewish way "you work it out" it's a small venue so this is to b expected he is so professional luckily the guy returns silently as I was half expecting a report on the successful loo trip from him, go see his two shows Old Jewish jokes and New Jewish jokes both free fringe shows but a bucket is hand around with a recommends £5 donation which is fair.
Old Jewish jokes runs until August 29th except Sunday's

Coroners verdict: 3.5 stars

Down & Out in Paris and London

August 19th

18:30

Pleasance 2

This performance merges two books from two opposite writers, Eric Blair prior to his success as George Orwell and Polly Toynbee's hard work the latter lauded by the right wing and Polly Toynbee a left wing Guardian journalist, the production is excellent the use of the beds tables and chairs moved around the stage moves the story along deftly there are clever slow motion and fast forward sections all simply performed by a subtle sound and the skill of the actors, very impressive.

this play proves that time may pass, nearly a century but the issues of poverty and deprivation have not, welfare in U.K 2015 is stalling, and the institutions are doing it deliberately, the acting switches time but also crosses paths with the actors from different century's interacting briefly with each other to highlight the similarity in their circumstance 2015 could easily be 1915 for these people.

Runs until 31st

Coroners rating 5 stars

Stewart Lee: A Room with a Stew

Tuesday 18th August 2015

The Assembly Rooms (music hall) 14:00

Like Lee’s self-confession, I too felt like an unwelcome guest of a new social class. I harked back to last year and the rightly condemned show Lee had attempted and I braced myself for a long afternoon. I’m glad I was wrong. This might have been a work in progress, but as Lee announced “You should feel privileged to be witness to an artist at work”. Lee confessed his want to test out two new routines, with the intention the material be involved in his new TV series later this year, which will be well worth the viewing. Being a test, there were areas of raggedness and uncertainty, but Lee (a 20 year veteran of the Fringe) knows and is a master of tying up loose ends, everything has meaning, so even the most forgettable moments or lost jokes are not left behind. “Remember the 90’s, when I was funny?” Lee asked the crowd. Methodical, progressive, abstract, stimulating imagination, multi-layered anecdotes, all adjectives I think of when recalling Lee’s style from that era and again here today, this was Lee back to his (almost) prime. Lee clearly knew he had neglected these aspects of his approach last year and brought them back with a vengeance this time around, with the added momentum building complaint that evolved in to a full blown rant and a fourth wall break.

This was indeed a room with a Stew, but this was a show all about his time and his understanding of it, with an undercurrent of moral, fatherly suggestion; don’t worry, everything has a reason. From the second Lee started looking at his watch to allocating minutes to routine, to his trips down memory lane, his current state of financial security, to his perceived doomed future….and beyond, all the time berating self in comparison and deflecting this negativity on to the unfortunate chosen area of the crowd. Rounded off with what I perceived the cleverest twist he could have hoped for; the tragic irony that all this time his own perceptions of himself have been misunderstood.

P.S. I wish I made enough money so I could purchase a chair, I would have brought it with me.

Coroner’s verdict: His pulse is steady, full signs of life 8/10.

Venue: 2/10, me 5/10.

Beethoven In Stalingrad

Spotlites Hanover Street

Aug16th-31st

The Venue is small and warm well lit and well attended actor Jasper Arin sets the scene, dressed in period German soldier clothes of 1940's Germany, he performs the voice of many soldiers who wrote to loved ones and family members, these letters never reached their destination as outgoing mail was intercepted to view the morale of German soldiers only 2% of the soldiers were positive toward the war, the German minister of propaganda ordered the letters to be hidden from the German public.

Soldiers lament their situation, one being in love and missing their family, arguments with a father, while he finds his god in churches and in song, out in Stalingrad, his son had no god in his heart, and cries when the images of burning Russian soldiers he has shot haunts him in the silence of the night.

All these stories so passionately told by our storyteller takes you from this venue to 1940's Russia the haunting score of Beethoven's Apassionata is expertly played by former chamber musician Ian Peaston

Culture Coroner Rating 5 Stars

Background:

The battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in Southern Russia, on the eastern border of Europe.

Marked by constant close quarters combat and direct assaults on civilians by air raids, it is often regarded as the single largest and bloodiest battle in the history of warfare. The heavy losses inflicted on the German Wehrmacht make it arguably the most strategically decisive battle of the whole war. It was a turning point in the European theatre of World War II; German forces never regained the initiative in the East and withdrew a vast military force from the West to replace their losses.

The German offensive to capture Stalingrad began in late summer 1942, using the 6th Army and elements of the 4th Panzer Army. The attack was supported by intensive Luftwaffe bombing that reduced much of the city to rubble. The fighting degenerated into building-to-building fighting, and both sides poured reinforcements into the city. By mid-November 1942, the Germans had pushed the Soviet defenders back at great cost into narrow zones generally along the west bank of the Volga River.

On 19 November 1942, the Red Army launched Operation Uranus, a two-pronged attack targeting the weaker Romanian and Hungarian forces protecting the German 6th Army's flanks. The Axis forces on the flanks were overrun and the 6th Army was cut off and surrounded in the Stalingrad area. Adolf Hitler ordered that the army stay in Stalingrad and make no attempt to break out; instead, attempts were made to supply the army by air and to break the encirclement from the outside. Heavy fighting continued for another two months. By the beginning of February 1943, the Axis forces in Stalingrad had exhausted their ammunition and food. The remaining elements of the 6th Army surrendered. The battle lasted five months, one week, and three days.

Ben Russell: The Tokyo Hotel

Pleasance Dome 10

21:40

The Tokyo Hotel is an infamous Los Angeles Hotel Ben Russell welcomes us as guests to the hotel, and introduces us to a range of characters some of which beggar belief in their mania.

The idea is to experience the feel of life in that era, in that place, the fifties, sixties, feeling the state of mind through the characters of the hotel although absurd and at times crazy it is thoroughly amusing, the narration interacts well with the various personalities.

This is an enjoyable tour de force which deserves a better venue and larger audiences.

The Tokyo Hotel runs until August 29th

Coroners Rating: 3 Stars

Stewart Francis: Pun Gent

Assembly Rooms Ballroom

20:10

The scene of many a good easy listening night in the past, the assembly rooms ballroom has been separated into two venues for the festival, but even if they used the whole room I think Stewart Francis would fill it easily, three elaborate chandeliers offer soothing mood lighting as the venue team gets everyone seated in good time.

Francis gets a quick laugh by instantly mispronouncing the city as "Edinburg" the puns come quick and fast he is so clever at returning to previous puns with short story telling, the nitrous oxide jokes warm us up nicely, he quoted news from the East Lothian courier notably that the power station chimneys are to be pulled down,this prompted a short bit about a guy who didn't know about this looking out of his window seeing no power station and calling the 'cooncil' to complain, this proved popular with the locals, a woman next to me had a strange loud laugh, like the count from sesame street, even francis said he loved her, try sitting next to her, then her partner laughed...EXACTLY THE SAME LAUGH!

A recurring gag about being in India had us in stitches but shows he has a topical political edge to his craft.

It was a shame that his microphone cut out but his professional conduct dealt with it to the point where it was in itself a funny bit.

Sean Connery impressions were excellent Francis highlights the roles he played, a Russian sub marine commander, a Spaniard in Highlander, and a Chicago cop,all with the same Scottish accent hilarious stuff.

Pun Gent runs until August 30th

Coroner Rating: 4 stars

"...And This Is My Friend Mr Laurel"

Pleasance Courtyard August 17

12:35

Runs August 5-18, 20-31

Jeffrey Holland returns in his one man show about Stan Laurel visiting a dying Oliver Hardy, reminiscing over the lives they led, the highs of their career making movies not really knowing how well loved they were, and the shock of finding that out, the lows such as Oliver's wife Myrtle's alcoholism Stan's young son who died after only nine days, we find Stan in a reflective mood, not able to come to terms with his friends position, lying in bed unable to speak, he himself had a stroke a few years before is sure Oliver will be back to his golf.

Jeffrey Holland wanted to do this show while he was a younger actor but had to wait until he was old enough to carry the character off and he does with aplomb, the mannerisms and facial expressions and accent of both Laurel and Hardy are excellent, the spotlight monologues are powerful you are transported back to the golden era of Hollywood and the music of that time, I was taken back to the shows on television I watched in the late 70's and I suspect the elder audience members were taken back to Saturday cinema matinees of their childhood, take your kids, parents and your grandparents to see this show.

Coroners Rating

5 Stars

Hal Cruttenden: Straight Outta Cruttenden

Pleasance 2

20:00

August 16th

My previous nights review tip of arriving more than 20 mins early for a show bore fruit today as I found myself 2nd in tonight's queue to see Hal Cruttenden

Pleasance 2 seems to be a medieval stone barn, if the arched windows are anything to go by, the stage is small but the venue isn't overly hot which pleases this reviewer.

The Smiths are pleing played by the house lights and sound guy as the lights dim the intro music is "Straight Outta Compton" by NWA a favourite of the comedian which raises obvious laughs as Hal has a middle class English posh accent as he describes himself, his first joke is to tell the audience how glad he is that the referendum is over now English people can go back to telling you what they really think of you.

Hal has great energy, and his comic timing is reminiscent of old vaudevillian comedians of the past, his material is fresh cutting and the audience are constantly laughing at his camp punch-lines, his bits about American police is cleverly covered by asserting you never knew they were racist having grown up watching Cagney & Lacey, Columbo and that Huggy Bear from Starskey & Hutch wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes in todays america, its great to have thought provoking issues hauled over comedy coals.

He does think his camp voice stops him getting Hollywood roles and its true judging by the Liam Neeson impression.

Yet again the hour passed quickly see this show to kick off your evening in style

Coroners Rating: Had us in stitches

runs until August 22nd

Reginald D Hunter: Bitchproof

Pleasance: The Grand

15/08/2015

20:00

A sea of people lap the pleasance's courtyard entrance and exit, I joined a long congested queue toward the Grand, a venue to the rear of the pleasance, the people waiting seemed in good spirits despite the pleasance team corralling the throng a couple of sheep noises from some inebriated guests raised a few giggles and before too long we were on the move into the venue, I recommend arriving earlier than twenty minutes before the ticket time.

The venue was large but despite this was still very warm, I praised myself for buying a cold drink from the local corner shop, the pleasance staff did a great job getting seats filled quickly.

Seal stopped singing his hits and on came Reginald, welcoming the audience warmly he seemed genuinely happy to be here.

His hour flew by he started by telling us about a recent media interview asking him if he has lost his anger, which he thinks is code for are you not funny anymore, but he is a quality performer who enjoys belittling the idea he uses the so called race card, telling the white audience he doesn't speak for most black people, mainly because he doesn't know most black people, his clever thought provoking burns on pre conceived notions of race on all sides is always refreshing to hear and he is keen to fill the vacancy for a wholesome family comedian previously filled by Bill Cosby, Hunter conjectures that Cosby manufactured his squeaky clean image in the 60's but that living this life can encourage a dark side to emerge, its hard to disagree.

I enjoyed hearing him criticise his Christian brother and his use of the "Jesus Shield"

and when he responded to an ex girlfriend accuse him of being lazy his response was "What do you expect ?" i was raised by old people in the heat"

Coroners Rating: Killed It!

Bitchproof runs until August 30th

Tickets £17.00

Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015
Black is the Color of My Voice
13:15 (60mins)

Venue: Gilded Balloon Teviot - Billiard Room
Category: Theatre
Dates: Aug 5-31
Reviewed by Megan Chapman

American actress, Apphia Campbell writes and stars in the sensational one woman show, "Black is the color of my voice", based loosely on the life of iconic musician and activist Nina Simone. Ms. Campbell is Mena Bordeaux or perhaps I should say Ms. Campbell is Nina Simone. We find Mena holed up and grieving alone as she enters a state of reverie in order to connect with her dead father one last time and to make peace with her life and journey as a strong black woman, musician and activist in a troubled and racist nation.

Musical memories tumble out of Mena as she guides the audience through her life of triumph and tragedy as the songs of Nina Simone punctuate the air, at once making the viewer feel the awe and power of Ms. Campbell's acting and voice. The audience sat in rapt attention, swept up in the story, the songs and commanding embodiment of the actress as Ms.Bordeaux/Simone. We raged with her, we cried with her, we cheered with her and we were gripped in the timeline of a nation in turmoil as Ms. Bordeaux played, sang and rallied along in time. This is a powerful piece of theatre, not to be missed. Go see Black is the color of my voice, starring Apphia Campbell.

Coroners Rating: 5 Stars

Perceptual Landscape

Greenside Nicolson Square

Friday August 14

runs until August 29th

Tickets £9.00

What you experience is a viceral audio experience transfixing you into the world of the performing artist, challenging your perception of reality as light and sound act as a companion piece with the performers bodies, to convey their story

It was an intense emotion driven hour which passed very quickly we witnessed such great energy the movements enhanced by a haunting soundtrack and stunning visuals on screen that this is the cutting edge of physical theatre today and recommend anyone in dance and the medium of drama should witness this as a lesson in storytelling,although this is new ground for me as a viewer i was sat next to a pair who were dance students and they were full of praise for Jenny Mok and company, and i may have become converted to see more physical theatre in future.

Coroners rating: 5 Stars

SEP 20 2012

THE ESTABLISHMENT CLUB AT RONNIE SCOTT’S

Keith Allen is angry,no surprise there you may assert,but this at least is being channelled productively,with the permission of Peter Cook’s widow, they are aiming to re-launch the Establishment and gain the lease of the original site on frith street,the club opened in the 60’s at the same time Cook was leading Private eye.The club would be the base from which the satire boom would grab the nations interest.

As the lights dim over the speaker a recording of Derek and Clive’s a day at the races was played those in the know will guffaw,those who do not check YouTube this set the tone nicely for the evening ahead.

A small jazz ensemble introduced Allen,compere for the night he came on thanking Peter Cook’s widow for allowing the establishment club to restart,Allen states that he feels the public no longer believes what they are being told by government and that what is really going on in the world is being kept from you, a few hear hears from the expensive seats ring out and a couple of claps indicate a conservative audience,I monitored the tension in the room from then on.

George Galloway was introduced to the audience and was invited by Keith to tell the first joke of the night, to commemorate the 1st joke at the new establishment,George is to have his name on a plaque to commemorate the occasion when they reopen at the old venue,He told a basic joke about a husband and wife’s marital problem,ironic given his latest comments recently,I’m sure I’d heard it before possibly on a re run of the comedians in the early 80’s

First up was Arnold Brown,a Scottish comedian,one of the main figures in the Alternative comedy scene in the 80’s I asserted he may have given George his joke,he has a slow meandering style relaxed observations with razor sharp punchlines he starts with ” I’m of the Jewish persuasion….I can’t remember who persuaded me” excellent

Next up Marianne Pashley a quiet observational comedienne but with a cruel hard streak there is menace in her eye,the one that isn’t looking at you but looking for you

A break in the line up sees Allen produce a table and chairs and its time for an interview with George Galloway (this Scotsman groans, I don’t think he’s that good an orator but a rotter he is)
So in this section Allen asks George to explain what happened with his recent rape comments he goes into detail about that and the Assange case announcing details he has read from court documents,police and witness statements that he believes Assange is being set up and to everyone’s incredulity the woman at the centre of the allegations is a c.i.a. Agent! I laughed,but who knows!he makes a compelling argument and I’m sure it will all come out but this section shows this night isn’t just about making punters pay to laugh but to think! its an antidote to the conveyor belt of panel shows where the same bunch appear with non challenging gags lining their pockets along the way a la jimmy carr!

After Phil Nicol’s unremarkable set Keith Allens new band he manages “the stripes” come on for a rock n roll set, they are only 15 years old on average but they are amazing musicians very good live they will have a long career.they were seen being congratulated and photographed in a corner of the club they must’ve loved every second.

After the interval a mime Artist came on,think Grayson perry meets piro meets lady gaga
The mime who’s name escapes me or was never credited came on to much confusion,danced to some electric dance music,mimed taking medication then lip synced from the 60’s recording of Judy Garlands “Judy monologues” it was a powerful act very well played by the mime by the end a standing ovation was an apology to the indifferent welcome.

Camp guitarist Dickie Bow came on with funny songs and interacted with an audience member
Other acts came Mark,Nelson,Ria Lena and her ukulele. Fillers in a comedic sarnie

The last act was a former Southend united goalkeeper in the 80’s Terry Alderton a surrealist comedian with huge energy expertly gets the bemused audience on his side,his fat friend John on piano added to the hilarity as did the old man in the front of the stage who started to strip terry of his jeans leaving him to continue in his boxers the ladies sat near me were in shocked hysterics as the old man took his top off and was ordered back stage by terry all of which was unplanned but hysterical.

All in all it was a great night and you got a sense of the spirit of the old establishment club I’m sure Peter cook would have approved,but he’d have fucked off before telling you.

Coroner rating: 5 stars