Jonathan Pie : Live, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Fringe

It's Children in Need night, John Barrowman has had to cancel, and standing in at short notice is Political Correspondent Jonathan Pie.  With just a few short pieces to camera to deliver, Pie's main job is to entertain his studio audience.  But what can a reporter do by way of light entertainment?

Jonathan Pie is played by, and the satirical creation of, actor Tom Walker.  Videos like this one

have gone viral on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and many people initially believed that he was a real reporter.  His off-camera rants speak the truths we want to hear, but never get, from our main stream media.  But how do you take a short-clip internet character and build a one hour show around him?

The charity appeal scenario works brilliantly, allowing Pie his trademark transformations from smooth professional to raving cynic and back again, and scope to joke with, at and for his audience whilst sounding off on a few political tirades.  Whilst his main target is the Tories, Labour and the Lib Dems don't get away with it entirely, and neither do the British public....

It's a polished, high energy performance, and a smart, pacey script, full of insights that
inspire justified anger, but also consistently hilarious.  The stage Pie takes his internet progenitor and fleshes him out, and remains just as believable.  A must see.  Even if, perhaps especially if, you're a Tory.

Jonathan Pie : Live is at Pleasance Courtyard until 28 August.