Ed Byrne as MC introducing a variety of comedy acts who are on at the Fringe. Byrne opened with a routine from his own show, then brought on the acts.
Ryhs Nicholson opened, an iconoclastic Australian with a fine line in bitchy campness. Great stuff on gay rights and the differences between Australia and.... more civilised countries.
American sketch duo The Pyjama Men were next. Fast paced character comedy with a touch of the surreal, pyjamas, and a lot of laugh out loud moments. They were followed by Tiff Stevenson whose Fringe show has been getting rave reviews and it was just about possible to see glimpses of why that's the case. But this was a lacklustre performance that never really built up any momentum. Tired perhaps?
American David Wills is so laconic that it would be hard to tell his lively and torpid moments apart. A very dry, cocktail bar style delivers some sharp observations on the world, and an excellent routine on transgender issues.
Another sketch act, Massive Dad are not big, or fathers, but three young women with great imagination. Carefully constructed scenarios build up to big laughs and hit a few targets along the way. The penultimate act was Glen Wool, the Canadian we'd seen a few days ago in the same setting. He delivered the same routine as before and - guess what? - it was just as funny as last time.
The final act was also the best known, Andrew Maxwell. A good professional set to round of the night. And Byrne did an excellent and enthusiastic job running the show.
Did any of the participants win me over? They certainly did. Nicholson, Massive Dad and Wool or all on my want-to-see list. Although time is running out for Fringe 2015. Maybe next year....
This was a one-off event in the BBC Big Blue Tent.
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