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

Rubber Duck 3.5***

In a room that need a dehumidifier more than air con, Elle Bert put a room of clammy audients, a majority of whom had been hooked in off the street, immediately at ease and got us on board with the … Read More

The Tenement Jazz Band – Red Hot Roots of Jazz 5*****

Edinburgh’s Tenement Jazz Band – Fringe stalwarts and a five-piece slice of pure joy – are that big, hot, comforting pot that reminds you why music is meant to be shared in the first place. No gimmicks, no ironic detachment, … Read More

Eric Rushton – Innkeeper 4.5****

Eric Rushton opens to a packed room — sold out, with queues outside for returns. Winner of the Channel 4 Sean Lock Comedy Award and Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year, Rushton hits the stage as a consummate professional — … Read More