My Father's Nose, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 A man sobbing on a park bench. A woman walking past offers to help. He starts talking. His father died recently, and he has a terrible secret he can't share with anyone he knows. But maybe with a stranger...?

There's a surreal element to what follows, but a tragic tale of family history lies within. Through a series of flashbacks we learn of the pain and grief in his history, his relationship(s) with his father, and that we are never simply the products of our upbringing. There's a lot of mime involved, not always successful in explaining what's happening, and several songs, mostly very silly and very funny. The tune about the HMRC will be with you for some time afterwards!

While the performances sometimes falter, and the script can be a bit clunky, overall this a powerful piece of drama that's an enjoyable and thoughtful watch. A good end to our Fringe viewing.

This was the final performance of My Father's Nose.

Roddy Woomble, Rose Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

As Woomble remarked early on, this was very much a stripped back and low budget gig, and none the worse for it. Just Roddy and Andrew Mitchell, the latter playing keyboards, acoustic guitar and assorted electronic gizmos, as well as contributing backing vocals. Woomble played a bit of guitar, but left the clever stuff to his bandmate and concentrated on what he does best - singing in his own unique phrasing style.

The set was a mix of old and new.  Most of the latter from the new trio, Almost Nothing, that Woomble and Mitchell launched recently, largely upbeat and electronic.  While the old came from Woomble's back catalogue of solo albums, more reflective material, but dpresented with unfamiliar instrumentation, so that there was a sense of freshness to the entire gig.  Woomble was, as ever, a deceptively shapr and humourous presenter of songs, and his voical style is as smooth and distinctoive as ever.  If there was  alsightly shambolic, make do, element to the gig, this only added to the charm, and the hour passed quickly.  Storngly entertaining.

Fremont, Edinburgh International Film Festival

 It's in black and white, slow paced, nothing much happens. But that won't stop you enjoying Fremont.

Donya is a twenty-something Afghan, once a translator for the US Army, who manged to escape from her country, and the likely revenge of the Taliban, on one of the evacuation flights that left before Kabul fell. Now she's living in Fremont, California, in a tiny apartment, with largely Afghan neighbours, and working in a boring job in a Fortune Cookie factory. She can't sleep, she spends her evening watching TV with an old man, and life doesn't appear to hold out much home.

But then she starts to have sessions with Dr Anthony, a psychiatrist who's weirdly obsessed with White Fang, and gets a promotion at the factory so that now she's writing the fortunes to put in the cookies, life hints at the possibility of change. She tries to take some control for herself, but events dictate otherwise, and take her in an unexpected direction.

Anaita Wali Zada plays Donya as the calm, repressed centre of range of characters also trying to find their own answers. She holds in the traumas she has experienced in the war, and holds out this new world that she finds hard to navigate. The filming is intimate, lingering, allowing Zada time to give us hints of Donya's emotions behind the impassivity. The character has a deep strength that has survived much and will find her way to deal with this new environment.

As said above, nothing much happens. Yet the movie manages to give the audience themes of loneliness, displacement, women's right, culture clash, racism and, ultimately, love. The slow pace is a strength in getting to know Donya and understand her situation, and that she will find her own way to a better future.

Very satisfying, and definitely worth a watch.

The Black Blues Brothers, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Always read the small print?

In many years of booking tranches of Fringe shows it's long been my policy to mix it up. A few that offer familiar territory, reliable performers I know we'll enjoy, and a more random selection of the unfamiliar. Usually, with the latter, I'll do a bit of basic research, checking it doesn't bring us into areas we know, from experience, just aren't our thing. Like anything that says 'Magic' or 'Illusion' - terms to be avoided.

But then sometimes I break my own rules. The Black Blues Brothers sounded like it would be interesting, perhaps inspired by a Blues Brothers type show we went to a few years back (https://golive15.blogspot.com/2017/08/blues-brothers-live-c-venues-edinburgh.html), which was excellent. So I didn't do my background checks. Until the day itself, and then found myself faced with some of those trigger words that say 'Stay Away' - Acrobats, Circus. Oh dear...

But along I went anyway, to see what I would make of it all. And it was as bad, although at least no worse, than I was expecting. Any links to the real Blues Brothers were tenuous at best - some outfits, some music. But it might have been more realistic to name it The Black Full Monty - but without the storyline, or acting, or laughs, or raison d'etre...

The show opens with the five performers appearing, one by one, in costumes suggesting some kind of upper crust US bar, with a bit of mime to try and suggest that something is going on. But the furniture soon moves out the way, they are now all in a semblance of the classic Blues Brothers look, and they begin the first routine. It's already become clear why it's best if the 'acting' is kept to a minimum, because above all these are serious athletes. The acrobatics and choreography are impressive, with tumbling and leaps and catching and human pyramid style interactions. In between each set of leaping and tossing there's a small scenario going on, but it's mostly there to help them get their breath back, ready for the next exertion.

As I already said, their physicality and levels of rehearsal and trust are impressive. But this leads to a one-trick pony. Although they did bring some audience members up, and allowed them some limited participation, that couldn't hide the fact that what happens on stage is essentially repetitive - how could it be otherwise? Initially impressive yes, but swiftly tedious. There's also the weird practice of turning up the house lights on the audience after every routine, as if so needy that they had to see the levels of approval they were being given.

I don't often find myself checking my watch during Fringe shows, but the four times I did is an indication of how slowly time passed here. They received a standing ovation at the end so clearly there is an audience out there that laps this kind of fare up. But it ain't me babe!

The Black Blues Brothers is on at 15.05 in the Assembly Rooms until the 27th.

The Duncan and Judy Murray Show, New Town Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

The Other Murray Brother first appeared in 2019 as a BBC Scotland short (see it here), and subsequently spawned a series of short YouTube videos that got millions of hits. The videos featured Judy Murray and her lesser known son, Duncan (aka stand-up Chris Forbes) who, unlike his famous siblings, couldn't even hit a tennis ball. As the family embarrassment Judy had tried to keep his existence a secret, and she steadily developed her character as the exasperated parent

So here's the same couple transferred to the stage. Could the premise hold up sufficiently to maintain an hour long show? The answer is yes. And no...

It was clear that the central idea was too week to stand on it's own for that long, so the stage format is very different. Judy come son first, does a brief intro, and then comedian Des Clarke takes over as MC. 'Duncan' comes on soon after, looking for ways in which he can, finally, impress his mother. This involves him attempting various activities, to his usual low standard, and being judged on his performances. To break up the repetitive nature of this process, there are guests on to do short sets. Magician Colin Cloud performed some mind tricks, punster Darren Walsh delivered a few one liners. Two teenagers from the Murray family came on to dance, cheerleader style, with a flailing Duncan, and an audience member was dragged up to join in a horse race. Clarke held it all together in his usual calm manner. Proceedings climaxed with Duncan finally showing us he could be good at something.

Some ideas worked better than others, so there was a patchiness to the show, but with enough laughs to make this an entertaining hour. It won't win prizes for intellectual content, but it was a lot of fun. Forbes stays in character throughout, with some smart ad libs, and the odd nod to breaking the fourth wall. Murray, usually so deadpan in the (heavily edited!) videos, spent a lot of time corpsing and clearly enjoyed herself up there. And she can still deliver that deadpan when required. Overall I'd say a three out of five.

This was the final performance of The Duncan and Judy Murray Show.

Nan, Me and Barbara Pravi, Summerhall, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

OK, I admit it. I may not be the person you'd want to be writing this review- too old, too jaded, too cynical. Because this show seemed a bit too familiar, courtesy of so many others over the years in which some southern posho takes our money to indulge in their own therapy. But I'm an audience member, not a counsellor.

I'm being unfair, I know, because there's a lot to like about Hannah Maxwell's solo show, despite a rather confusing timeline. She's a good actor, dances well enough, and has a surprising singing voice. There's a clever use of tech throughout (the the tech desk person deserves their own plaudits), both visual and aural. It's an autobiographical tale about how acted as primary carer to her bereaved grandmother, while developing an obsessive crush on a French Eurovision singer (who, when I Googled turned out to be entirely non-fictional), and went off into a wild life that, while Nan was doing just fine, resulted in the younger member of the family breaking down (this doesn't really constitute much of a spoiler, as the outcome is an easy spot from early on). It's fast paced, visually interesting and has a fair bit of audience member participation. There are plenty of good jokes, but the grab for real pathos only brushes it's fingertips.

If you like seeing someone play out their neuroses in front of you then this could be the show for you. But...

Me, Nan and Barbara Pravi is on at 17.15 at Summerhall until the 27th.

Big Bite-Size Breakfast Menu Three, Pleasance Beyond, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 After the criticisms I made of Menu 2 (https://golive15.blogspot.com/2023/08/big-bite-size-breakfast-menu-two.html) I am pleased to report the Manu 3 sees the Bite-Size troup returning to their usual form. Six playlets crammed into the hour, and not a dud among them. Plenty of laughs, a couple of surprises, ands some surreal moments.

ANNIVERSARY

A long-married couple can't even be bothered to take each other for granted any more. But a contrived riddle might just make things better. A reminder of how important memories can be. No celeriac was harmed in the making of this play.

LA 8am

Two external narrators spell out the numbers on a couple having their breakfast. Nobody knows their future, do they?

NIBBLES

A fast food delivery cyclist turns up at your door, but instead of food they have bad news. Clever solo performance addressed direct to the audience, and with the best punchline of the set.

MURDER

How does it feel when your best friend gets all the success you think you deserve? Would you really want to kill them? We've all felt a bit jealous now and then, so everyone can see a bit of themselves in this one.

A RARE BIRD

A touch of magical realism in this touching tale of a woman undergoing an unusual life change, and seeking professional advice on how to handle it. The fantasy element of this story is well handled and takes you along for the flight.

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE IN A LIVING ROOM DOING NOTHING

Existential angst turned up to volume 11. An elegant silver dress, a charming smoking jacket, a so conventional room. What's it all for? Can Timothy provide a solution that breaks the cycle? What?! Stylised and stylish.

And coffee and croissants and strawberries of course. Fast paced, well acted and frequently imaginative, Menu 3 is definitely worth seeing. (And is my personal favourite of this years trio of offerings.)

The Big Bite-Size Breakfast shows, with 3 alternating menus, are on at 10.20 in Pleasance Beyond until the 28th.

Ahir Shah - Ends, Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Shah feels guilty. In his personal life he's never been happier, with his wedding taking place later this year. But how can you be happy in a UK that's so fucked up and miserable? The rapid fire delivery throws a lot of information out in a short time, but the clear diction, infectious grin and pauses for numerous laughs make it easy to keep up with the pace, creating a swift rapport with his audience.

Much of the set is about dichotomy. The contrast between his Indian Asian background and British life. The ambivalence he feels in seeing one of his own becoming PM, yet hating everything the man stands for and does. The career as a comedian when his parents hoped he would be a doctor. The relative comfort and privilege of his own life compared to that of his grandparents who brought the family to this island. It's sharp observational comedy, with oblique slants on life and politics, smart and witty.

But further exploration of the lives of his grandparents, and the sacrifices they made to give their family a better life, take us into more complex and emotional territory. Notably of the racism they had, which, while still very much a thing in 2023, has reduced greatly. And Shah reminds us that the greatest compliment that society can offer is not to be noticed. Acceptance. Integration. He reflects that much of the bigotry he still experiences comes from the older generation (reminding me of how embarrassed so many of my peers make me feel), and will, hopefully, die out in time. Sunak is a symbol of that process, even if some of his ministers seem intent on reversing progress.

If there are moments that feel tearful they don't last long. Shah is far too skilful to allow an audience to become maudlin, and the darker elements of his story are still regularly punctuated with punchlines. This is one of those shows that reminds of just how much stand-up can, and should achieve, as thought provoking and informative as it is entertaining. It's comfortably the best comedy show I've seen this year.

Reginald D Hunter - The Man Who Could See Through Shit (A Work in progress), Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Very much a Work in Progress, Hunter comes on, notebook in hand, and reassures the audience it will be alright. Shambolic, but entertaining. And so it proved.

His is a very philosophical humour, slow paced and meandering, looking for punchlines in societal issues. Defining what is a woman, Jews, mothers and sons, trans people, the function of stand up in society. Hunter doesn't shy away from controversial subjects, and brings unexpected slants into regularly heard discussions, where what comes next is never the expected. But always with plenty of laughs.

The show is evolving, will no doubt change night on night. But it will remain enjoyable, thought provoking, occasionally risky and definitely original.  

Reginald D Hunter - The Man Who Could See Through Shit is on at 19.55 in the Assnmbly Rooms until the 20th.

Luke Wright's Silver Jubilee, Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Wright has been a performing poet for a quarter of a century. So this a show to mark that significant milestone, which provides something of a life review - but with the political comment he's know for still a strong force within the work. His problem is that while he personally has never been so happy, he feels guilty about it because he can see the UK becoming ever more shit under the tories.

So the poems cover his life as a baby who was adopted, links to his birth family, his development as a performer and writer, and more. The verses are funny, poignant, responsible, with moments of genius thrown in. Particularly impressive were the univowel offerings, one using only the vowel A, another only O. And 7 versions of the notice of his birth, in varying poetic and musical styles. There's clever use of a screen too, with images of his life and clips of text from the internet, that demonstrate his life and interests.

Luke's machine vocal delivery gives you more words for your money, but his clear diction ensures that few get lost along the way. He's informative, teasing, joyous, life affirming. Here's the the next 25.

This was the final performance of Silver Jubilee at this year's Fringe.

Hannah Camilleri - Lolly Bag, George Square Studios, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Car mechanic. School teacher. Cowboy. Posh and pregnant. Whiny child. And a dog at a cocktail party. All these and more portrayed by Camilleri in a fast paced fifty minute sketch show. Some work well, some don't, but they are always interesting. There were occasions when she's a bit slow in delineating what sort of character we're watching, in others it's instantaneous. But if there's one you don't like then don't worry, there will be another along in a couple of minutes.

The show relies heavily on audience interaction. While this, excitingly, makes it a different show every night, it also means the quality is partly dependent on how cooperative the crowd is in taking part. Without that some sketches stutter along and never really get into gear.

There were plenty of laughs though, and it was always easy to admire the inventiveness of the personas, and the synchronicity of the tech - this is one of the more demanding 'solo' shows for the person in charge of sound and light. I'm glad I went along, because it's always good to see something a bit different from the norm, but, at least with this audience, not always as entertaining as it could be.

Hannah Camilleri - Lolly Bag is on at 21.10 until the 27th.

Travelling Folk, BBC Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 A review in two parts this time - Before, and During.

In past years BBC Fringe shows have been held in their Big Blue Tent, or, last year, a Spiegeltent. Outside there was cafe seating, there might be a live act performing or other entertainment. As an audience member, the process of being called up to take your place was a part of the performance. The whole atmosphere was about fun and enjoyment.

This year, being fed into the bowels of Dynamic Earth, was more like being in an airline queue. No sense of occasion, slightly overbearing security procedures, and a corporate faceless efficiency. The hall has poor views of the stage for much of the audience, and feeling of being in a warehouse. I did have a ticket for another show next week, but this experience has put me off bothering.

Which is not to take away from the event itself. Radio Scotland's premier folk music show had laid on four quality live acts for the two hours. Regular host Anna Massie is funny, knowledgeable and engaging, did all the introductions and an interview with each artist.

First up was Gaelic singer Deirdre Graham, accompanied by Megan Henderson on fiddle and keyboard player Angus Lyon. A pleasant set, with sadness and jauntiness mixed in, and interesting explanations of the origins of the songs from Graham.

She was followed by one half of the band Tide Lines to play some stripped back versions of their songs. Robert Robertson on vocals and guitar, and Alasdair Turner on guitar, belted a few numbers of their highly competent, if a little simplistic, Folkpop. They clearly a good number of their followers in the audience, Anna quickly spotting the wee forest of band tee shirts, and got a strong reception.

The one non-Scottish act of the night came from the USA (via Belgium), in the shape of Laura Cortese and the Dance Cards, a very unusual string trio. Fiddle, cello and upright bass might sound like a very conventional line-up, but their playing style and arrangements are very different to most. Cortese plucks her fiddle as much as bows it, the bass lines are full of surprises, and musical influences draw from country, bluegrass, Sweden and Scotland. Laura has a strong voice, and writes very personal lyrics. A nicely varied set.

Headlining the show was Glasgow based powerhouse, the Kinnaris Quintet, complete with their trademark sparkly outfits. I'm a longstanding fan of their imaginative take on folk music, and they didn't let me down. Slow and moody, or fast and thumping, their arrangements are very much their own, with fiddles, guitar and mandolin weaving intricate patterns around the central melodies. What struck me most was the sheer drama of so much of their music. When is somebody going to commission KQ to write a film score?  A brilliant ending to an enjoyable evening of music.

And at least we didn't have to wait for our luggage to get out again.  

Jo Caulfield - Razor-Sharp, Stand 3, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Poor Stuart! Caulfield's husband may or may not be a largely fictional creation, but he is the butt of a good deal of her storytelling. Whatever he may or may not feel about that, audiences love it. Caulfield delivers her trademark acerbic bitchiness, casting her eyes around on the ridiculous things people do. As well as her hapless hubby she takes aim at her women friends, men more generally, and those sad creatures who write to the Metro freebie in the hope that someone they saw on the bus will respond to them.

There's also a more personal element to the show. Her sister died of cancer in 2016 and Jo has written a book about her sibling relationship, and dealing with the grief since it came to an untimely end. She gave a short reading from her work, which quickly displayed that her writing retains the sarcasm and sharpness she's known for in her stage act. And for once this isn't somebody pushing their work for their own benefit, as proceeds from sales are going to Macmillan Cancer Support. Which sounds like two good reasons to buy it.

There's also a bit of audience interaction and Caulfield is not one to try and be smart with! The title of the show reflects her own ability to come up with one liners swiftly, and put downs if required.

Sharp, emotional, very funny and highly recommended.

Jo Caulfield, Razor-Sharp, is on at 20.15 in Stand 3 until the 27th.

Big Bite-Size Breakfast Menu Two, Pleasance Beyond, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

In my review of this years Menu One, I commented that Bite-Size had "never let me down so far". So was it then inevitable that the next show, Menu Two, would be disappointing? While the quality of the acting remained as high as usual, that of the scripts did not, with all of the first three of this quintet failing to deliver the usual punch. Fortunately the final pair brought a return to the usual high standard.

HONK!

A cynical Detective Sergeant, an overly-enthusiastic new DC, and a suspect brought form the park wearing only a blanket. A flasher or streaker maybe? The DC's unusual approach to questioning reveals something a bit different, and explains why a mallard got hurt in the process. It's an interesting idea, but felt like a stretch of silliness too far.

OF THEIR OWN

An Austen-period ball, and two thirty-something sisters who have fallen far behind in the marriage market. If they don't meet their matches tonight maybe some more drastic course of action is required. Otherwise they could end up in Birmingham. This all felt a bit contrived, with a clumsily predictable ending.

THE NEW NORMAL

There's a new Big Boss heading up the company, and sweeping changes ensue. But is what is happening really normal? Just how different will the building, and the people in it, be as security tightens and new rules make life a lot less tolerable? Another script that takes a thin idea a bit too far, although it could be seen as a parody of the evils of billionaire crazies like Bezos and Musk.

THE IMPROV CLASS

This was more like it. A trainee improv artist struggles to cope with the curve balls her acting partner throws at her. But is her goal to improve her performance for an audience, or could there be something much more important behind her desire to learn? An interesting reminder that artistic skills can sometime be transferrable into more basic human situations.

CHARITY

Like The New Normal, the final offering brought all five members of the cast onto stage. We've all learned to be wary of chuggers on our streets, but are there some who really are best to avoid? Charity collections gone extreme as matters escalate for one woman caught in their trap.

Of course you still get the coffee, croissant and strawberries, so some things never change, and there were more than enough enjoyable moments for the audience not to feel short changed. But if you can only get along to one Bite-Size performance, this might not be the best one to choose. 

The Big Bite-Size Breakfast shows, with 3 alternating menus, are on at 10.20 in Pleasance Beyond until the 28th.

Aidan Goatley - 10 Films With My Dad, Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh Festival Fringe (PBH Free Fringe)

 It's back! Goatley's most successful, and award winning, show has returned to the Fringe. All the qualities that made it a hit in the past are still there, but a few new jokes and anecdotes shoehorned in.

In the show he tells of how difficult his relationship with his father has often been, as they are very different personalities, and that when they did bond it was usually through going to see a movie. Goatley takes us through ten films that have marked seminal moments in the process. Moments of misunderstanding and embarrassment are related with a strong eye for visual descriptions and plenty of self deprecating humour. There's audience interaction too, but nothing that would be likely to cause discomfort. This a gentle kind of comedy, often looking at the kind of nuances of family life to which everyone can relate. And you may feel a tear creeping upon you in the emotional ending.

As I said above, this show has been on the go for more than a decade now, and remains as good as ever. If you haven't seen it yet - Why not??

Aidan Goatley, Ten Films With My Dad, is on at 19.40 in the Voodoo Rooms until the 27th. This is a Free Fringe show.

André and Dorine, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 The eponymous couple have been together for many years, and their tolerance of each other's behaviour has eroded over time. He gets irritated when she plays her cello while he tries to write hates the sound of his typewriter as she tries to play. When their son comes to visit he gets caught up in the middle of the storm, literally pulled both ways.

But when Dorine is diagnosed with dementia their world changes. In a series of flashbacks we see André recall how their younger selves first met, got married, were deeply in love, his ongoing irritations now tempered by his memories.

That outline only hints at the deeply emotional story that unfolds on stage. Wordless and faceless, 3 actors (Jose Dault, Garbine Insausti and Edu Carcamo) portray 11 characters using exaggerated masks and wigs, minor costume changes, and the power of body language. There is never any doubt about who's who, or what their reactions to events are. This physical theatre provides many moments of brilliant comedy, through to genuine pathos. There is a dance sequence towards the end that moved me to tears of emotion and will stay with me for some time to come. André and Dorine is a celebration of real-world love.

Madrid's KULUNKA Teatro have produced a truly beautiful theatrical performance that shouldn't be missed, and seems destined to become my outstanding memory of the 2023 Fringe.

André and Dorine is on in the Assembly Rooms until 20th August.

Ants, Space on the Mile, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Three junior employees, thrust into a room for the night with one vague brief - to come up with a presentation to show the big bosses how the company can maximise it's profits over the next year. All from different backgrounds, different departments, with only one thing in common - their jobs are so low-level that none of them has much of an idea about what the vast organisation actually does.

Junk Theatre's absurdist take on corporate evil, and damage it does to the lives of the people it swallows, hits a lot of familiar targets, often with great clarity and accuracy. There's some overacting early on, as two of them try to delineate their stereotypes (posh girl handed it all to her, working class boy made good), but it settles down into some tense and sometimes moving situations. Plenty of laughs too. The script gets a bit clunky in the last five minutes, as they try to resolve their impossible situation, but that's a minor quibble.

While Ants wouldn't be high on my recommendations list, you certainly wouldn't have wasted your time going to see it.

Ants was on in the Space on the Mile, but their run has now ended.

Bridget Christie - Who Am I?, New Town Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Christie is a 51 year old menopausal woman, a status that she feels brings both invisibility and freedom.  Because women over 50 are never portrayed as active, sentient beings in films and TV programmes, and she is no longer under the tyrrany of breeding expectations.  

This might sound like the starting point for a feminist polemic, and at times strays in that direction, but hacving some thinking and talking points strewn through the comedy is not bad thing.  Funny, but with some depth.

And she is very funny at times.  Nor do you need to be menopausal to appreciate it.  Indeed anyone of a certain age will no doubt recongise her opeing three minutes in themselves, and vage nameless and nounless conversations are a daily occurence in our household.  The observational aspects hold up well.  There's physical comedy too, in an unlikely sequence about flashing in the park, and some good one liners.

Yes, it can be a little lecturing at times, but the sharp takes on ageing and how male oriented out society is make up for it.  Worthwhile.

Bridget Christie, Who Am I?, was on in the New Town Theatre, but her run is now over.

Big Bite-Size Breakfast Menu One, Pleasance Beyond, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

This is one I look forward to every year, and it's never let me down so far. The format is as it's always been, with 3 'menus' each providing 5 or 6 mini-playlets. Minimalist sets, rapid costume changes, and a lot of laughs. Today's peformance was Menu One.

PROMOTION

Two women, colleagues, rivals, one a company veteran, one a newcomer, both up for the same promotion. A surprising challenge arrange to decide who comes out on top. Can rivals work together and what is really going here? A quick fire opener with some good one liners.

DATING WITH DOSTOYEVSKY

A woman and man in a bar. She sits at one table reading Crime and Punishment, he at another looking a bit lost. Could Dostoyevsky bring them together, or with that really odd guy get in the way? There's a hint of Truly, Madly, Deeply in this little romcom, and a challenge for the actors to keep it all making sense. Clever and funny.

BASIC

Two sisters getting for a night out. And is younger sis looking for the impossible? Buy why are they drinking out of baked bean tins? A sharp comment on the stresses of trying to live up to social media and the latest 'thing'.

INEVITABLE

My personal favourite of the quintet pitches a self confessed nerd into the perils of dating. If he works out all the possible outcomes then surely he can make the right choices? Or do they all end in misery? The dangers of overthinking writ large in the search for love.

JUST STOP

We see a lot about environmentalists protesting, but what happens when they stage one of their stunts in the wrong place? And why is that cat prancing about? Hypocrisy on show as two cultures collide.

All 5 are enjoyable, all funny, and most provide something to think about. Plus you get coffee, croissant and strawberries. Not to be missed.

The Big Bite-Size Breakfast shows, with 3 alternating menus, are on at 10.20 in Pleasance Beyond until the 28th.

Frankie Boyle : Lap of Shame, Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Boyle has mellowed over the years.  But, thank goodness, not too much.  Any set that touches on cancer, paedophilia, necrophilia and a nazi is going to have some shock factor.  But Frankie's smart enough not to use these moments to offend, but to make his points more sharply.  There are a lot of  people in the world doing bad things to other people, and the rimsinder doesn't go amiss.

This is no polemic though.  Boyle is hilarious.  Time after time the punchlines hit home with the rapidity of Tim Vine or Gary Delaney, but far more depth.  This is a man who, from his own oblique viewpoint, cares about our society.  And just how fucked up it's become.  Few targets get spared.  While tories and other right wingers  (deservedly) form the bulk of his targets, Starmer, Sturgeon and Biden all feature too.  

What impresses most is the visual imagery.  In a few words Frankie paints his subject as a grotesque caricature, and constantly hits the bulls eye.  Who could be the person who looks like they masturbate to pictures of new builds?  It has to be Truss...  It's these surreal, imaginative syntheses that hit home hardest, riducule by word fusion, and remid you how original a mind is lurking behind the couldn'tgiveatoss stage persona.

Wonderful stuff.

Frankie Boyle, Lap of Shame, is on in the Assembly Rooms until the 18th (but is already sold out!).