Three for Free

FREE     WOMEN     NEWBIES     UNEXPECTED     LOCALS

     I've told you before about the merits of seeing free shows, and to that I wish to add with three of my favourites from this year's selection. It's worth knowing that the Free Fringe is split between two promoters, the directors of which apparently have beef with one another from a mysterious event that happened a few years ago (Laughing Horse hit on PBH's mum, or possibly vice versa), and as such there may be twice as many free shows to go to as you may expect. Programmes are organised by time, which is a godsend if you just have a couple of hours to spare and fancy a free giggle.



Hurt and Anderson
     Since we're vastly under-represented as a gender in the realms of comedy, I've been trying to head to female comedians' shows in particular this Fringe, but have still avoided them if they sound awful, or make a big deal about the whole not-having-a-penis thing. The write-up for this show contains mostly the word 'vignette' and not much else, which is vague and a little off-putting, but the rakish moustaches drew me in, and I'm very glad they did. Upstairs in the freshly renamed Free Sisters a pair of southern ladies present Scenes of a Vignette-ish Nature, a sketch show comprised of sparse props and varied accents, their limited supplies compensated for by their wit and the relationship between these two women. The worst present-buyer in the world teaches us what not to get one's wife for one's 25th wedding anniversary, and the blossoming love between Thomas the Tank Engine and one of his colleagues is a real highlight. If anyone is to represent the female race in some kind of funny-off, these two should be at the forefront.


The Edinburgh Revue Sketch Show

     Yes, this is the same people who run the Edinburgh Revue Stand-Up Show , how very astute of you. As a prize, have a comedy cookie. No, it doesn't taste funny (ahaahaa), instead it tastes like a variety of marvellous Edinburgh-Born sketches for your marvel and amazement, performed by a troupe with the energy and enthusiasm of actors twice their age and ticket price. Having nurtured these skits from their infancy, the Revue have brought them up to be intriguing as well as entertaining, from Real-Life Cat Woman to the painful split between Henry and Henrietta the hoovers. Clever use of their cramped stage and home-made props makes this feel a little like our kids are showing us what funny things they can say and do with only the ideas in their heads and the things they found under the seats. Now, eat your cookie.

Super Crazy Fun Fun
     Yeah, I wasn't too sure of the name either, and their listing description leaves a lot to be desired. But I was sent to review these guys last year with no choice in the matter, and they were so lovely I had to come back for a second go this year. It's really nice to see people who don't take themselves so seriously- this year Padraig and Adam are on the top deck of a bus, neither can stand up fully, and when anyone moves the whole 'venue' careers from side to side. No performer makes money at the Fringe unless they charge twenty quid a ticket, so for people to just show how they feel and do what they want, just have a laugh and see where it goes, is refreshing. Though some audience members looked a little hard-done by, having given up an hour of their evening to sit on a rickety bus while a couple of boys muck about with a sparsely-scripted show of long stories and almost violent almost magical magic tricks, the rest of us are amused and entertained, and all the more so when slightly inebriated...