Sikisa – Hear Me Out 4.5 ****

Sakisa made her Fringe debut last year and it was both critically acclaimed and did large numbers at the box office, so I was very interested to how the ’difficult’ second show panned out. Bounding out onto her stage Sikisa … Read More

Ian Smith: Crushing 5*****

Ian Smith is such a great storyteller, tirelessly weaving amusing anecdotes and delightfully bizarre observations into an hour of mirth and laughter that rushes past. He masterfully encapsulates and expands irrelevancies into something so much bigger and better than would … Read More

Amy Matthews – I Feel Like I’m Made of Spiders 5*****

Okay it’s preview days at Fringe 2023, so sometimes one has to make allowances for nervous performers settling into their space and show right? No. That is not always the case. Amy Matthews oozed confidence and class from the opening … Read More

Alison Spittle – Soup 4****

Slightly hidden away in Edinburgh’s Old Town, in a strangely hot room the thought crossed my mind did I really want soup on the menu? But the answer was a resounding yes, when this is served up by Alison Spittle. … Read More

Mark Nelson – Bits & Pieces 4.5****

This is Mark Nelson’s 10th Fringe and he has plenty to say in this incredibly funny hour long show. A lot has happened in the past 12 months and he reminds us quite vividly of some of the highlights.

Be … Read More

Richard Brown: Horror Show 4****

Richard brown starts his set with a satire of the stereotypical late-night American comedy, the sort that includes ‘jokes’ in the format of ‘mention rural area, insert generic inbred comment’ which I also find boring at best, and so while … Read More

Susan Riddell: Living My 2nd Best Life 4****

Ms Riddell is from Glasgow, and delivers swear words throughout the set as only a Glaswegian can. It’s delightful. Perhaps because of the accent (she does say she’ll annunciate for any non-Glaswegians), or because Ms Riddell is both experienced and … Read More

Christopher Macarthur-Boyd – Oh No 5*****

Christopher Macarthur-Boyd is fast becoming a star of the comedy world, not only here in his native Scotland, but everywhere and judging by the numbers at the show I attended if anything his popularity is growing.

And it is not … Read More

Amy Matthews – Moreover, The Moon 3.5***

Not that you could tell from her accent Amy Matthews is an Edinburgh based comedian and I was surprised to find out this was her debut hour on the Fringe.

It was a sold-out room and on hitting the stage … Read More

Sofie Hagen: Fat Jokes 5*****

This was my first time seeing Sofie Hagen live, but I’m familiar with her through her podcast work. It’s clear that she has built a devoted fan- base, demonstrated both by the camaraderie in the room and the main subject … Read More