Paul Williams: Don’t Look at Me 4****

It’s going to be Paul Williams’s year, at least according to the opening musical number of Don’t Look at Me. In fact, it has to be his year and the audience have to enjoy the show – lest they … Read More

40 Years of Fringe : Jenny Eclair 5*****

Gilded Balloon marks four decades at the festival with a series of special in-conversations featuring comedy greats. Tonight is comedian, novelist and actress Jenny Eclair.

Jenny is joined in conversation with Kaye Adams. This is a career which has spanned … Read More

Down to Chance   4****

Down to Chance is a taut, engaging two-hander set against the backdrop of the 1964 Alaskan earthquake, playing out beautifully in a compact, intimate venue that was packed to capacity for this performance.

At its heart … Read More

Ella 5*****

Some performances creep up on you. Others hit you the moment the first note leaves the singer’s mouth. Twenty-year-old Sarah Omar falls firmly into the latter. The set-up is understated: star cloth backdrop, grand piano, a single mic. Sarah walks … Read More

Seating Plan 4****

Seating Plan is a clever fast paced rom com. There is well written dialogue between the characters of Mavis and David played by Izzy Radford and George Airey. The story takes place over a period of five years and this … Read More

Small Town Boys 5*****

Small Town Boys, produced by Shaper/Caper, is a vibrant, high-energy production that transforms the atmosphere of a 1980s queer nightclub into a powerful exploration of queer history, resilience, and the unbreakable strength of community.

In an electrifying blend of dance, … Read More

Alison Spittle – Big 4.5 ****

I have seen Alison Spittle a couple of times live, and obviously a few times on TV, and have always enjoyed what I have seen, so along with may others packed in to see her latest offering. There was a … Read More

BED: A One Man Show 4****

So, here’s how it kicks off: Ben Donaghy, practically welded to his bed, gets yanked out of sleep by his alarm. Not exactly leaping into action — nah, he sort of drags himself into the spotlight and delivers a set … Read More

Emma Holland: Don’t Touch My Trinkets 4****

Fresh from competing in an antipodean season of Taskmaster, Holland is back and fame hasn’t marred her bubbly, perky and very funny style. All the good bits from Holland’s previous Fringe show remain, but amplified and polished. The art’s still … Read More

Aerosmith to ZZ Top – The A to Z of Hair Metal with Steve McLean 4****

Comedy in front of a rock-literate audience is a high-wire act. Too often, stand-ups retreat into their safest material — watching it land with all the grace of a dropped cymbal — or bluff their way through the subject, exposed … Read More