I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, Festival Theatre

I hadn't been to a recording of 'Clue' for almost twenty years.  But here I was again.  New chair, new panellists, but same producer and pianist.  Same games, same audeince responses required.  And the same comedy that can leave an audience aching with laughter.

If you don't know what ISIHAC is about then where have you been?  It's been running on Radio 4 since 1972, and this was a recording of episodes five and six of series 81.  The Festival Theatre was sold out within a few days of the show being announced, as are all their appearances.  This is cult attending as well as listening.  

So the format is well worn, predictable, comfortable.  The producer (still John Naismith, who was there for all the shows I have been to before) comes out to do a bit of warming up.  The teams take their seats and tell a joke each.  Tonight we had Rory Bremner, Pippa Evans, Milton Jones and Fred MacAulay.  On comes the regular Chair, Jack Dee, and piano accompanist, the much abused Colin Sell.  Two shows are recorded, one in each half, with more than enough material to be edited down into a tight 30 minutes radio broadcast.

John and Colin were there for all the shows I saw, all those years ago.  The others were new for, sadly, the Chair and regular panellists of those times are dead now, other than Graeme Garden.  But noithing else is new.  The format is the same, the games are the same, and the silliness is identical.  because silliness is what this show is all about, and something the audeince is encourage to particpate in.  Jokes and puns and wordplay.  Songs sung badly.  (Although Evans has a very impressive vocal style.)  The chair's disdain for the teams, the pianist and the audience.  The 'laser dispay board' and the lovely Samantha.  All still there, all still essential elements of the fun.

It goes worng at times, but that just makes it funnier.  There's the odd politcal comment, but nothing too in depth.  The emphasis, the entire ethos, is about fun, laughter and determined silliness.  Long may it contin ue to be so.  A night at a Clue show is a night to treasure, whoever is up on stage.

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.  

Dave's Edinburgh Comedy Awards, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

 Returning after a couple of years of pandemic related absence, this was a recording for Radio 4 to introduce the contenders for Best Show and Best Newcomer.  Each contender was given a three minute slot to give some inkling of their style and the content of their shows.  

Russel Kane, a previous winner, hosted, and did an excellent job.  Professional, calm, but swiftly able to whip an audience into laughter and improvise to fill in the inevitable gaps you get during a show of this nature.  But also moving thigs along swiftly, for time was tight.

The Best Show contenders were Larry Dean, Lauren Pattison, Seann Walsh, Amy Gledhill, Colin Hoult (as his alter ego Anna Mann), Alfie Brown, Jordan Gray, Josh Pugh and Sam Campbell.  And the Newcomers were Vittorio Angelone, Emmanuel Sonubi, Emily Wilson, Josh Jones and Lara Ricote.

You can't tell a lot from such short stints, but, for what it's worth, Dean and Pattison impressed me most in the first category, with Alfie Brown the most intriguing.  And Angelone, Sonubi and Ricote all made me laugh a lot.  While Hoult, Campbell and the timewasting Wilson seemed best forgotten.  But what do I know?  The results will be announced this Saturday.

Breaking The News, BBC Spiegeltent, St James Square, BBC at the Edinburgh Festivals

 A recording of the BBC Scotland comedy panel show, on one of the hottest days we've had this year.  There was no warm up act (warming up was the last thing the audience needed!), but one of the producers explained what was going to happen, what was expected of us, and read out a few funny comments to get the laughter going.

Then on with the show, and chair Des Clarke promising to get it over as quickly as possible to get everyone out of the sauna.  A few sound checks for applause levels and bring on the guests.  Jim Smith and Sophie Duker 'against' Val McDermid and Andrew Maxwell.  All weel kent faces.

The show's well established format brings up recent news stories in various forms and asks the panellists to comment.  Today the subjects included the Scottish schools exam results, the cost of rising energy bills and much more.  Plus a lot of Liz Truss gags (but they almost write themselves).  You can listen to the half hour edit of the show from tomorrow to get a flavour, but there was so much more to the live version which lasted well over 90 minutes.

Smith was his usual laconic self, relating everything back to farming (handy hint - if you can't pay for your heating in the winter take in a cow or sheep, instant heat and you can cuddle them as well...).  Duker remained bubbly despite the oppressive atmosphere, and produced some unexpected slants.  McDermid was sharp, almost sensible compared to the others, but threw in some great one liners.  And Maxwell was... Andrew Maxwell.  Rambling non sequiturs, firing off at tangents and occasionally saying something that actually related to the question being posed.  And so, so funny.  He talked and talked and his 20 plus minutes of comedy should make for a wonderful 25 seconds in the final edit!  But long before the end he was beginning to flag from the heat and that gave rise to some of his funniest comments.  

That was the show.  There are plenty more BBC shows on this month, but most will have had all their tickets allocated by now.  If you are going to the Spiegeltent I'd advise getting there at least 90 minutes before the show and get registered early; find somewhere to go for a while, out of the sun; and if it's still anything like this hot, take water in with you.  Lots of water...

The Afternoon Show, Infirmary Street & High School Yards, BBC at the Edinburgh Festivals

 Back to the BBC gazebo, for a live two hour show hosted by Nicola Meighan.  Jay Lafferty was again the warm up act.  And turned out to be the highlight of the afternoon...

Meighan is very professional and competent, but lacking the sparkle and wit that makes you feel you're in safe hands. The list of guests did little to add to the proceedings, despite the Fringe bringing so much talent to the city at the moment.  A couple of what were effectively tribute acts to Dolly Parton and Frank Sinatra; and electronic music composer who had decided to leave the only recording of his latest work buried in a hole in Orkney; actor turned stand-up Joe Thomas (the only one in the line up I was familiar with) being surprisingly inarticulate; and Gary Clark on music he's written for an upcoming TV series.  The star turn turned out to be Sacred Paws, a young Glasgow-based rock band who performed a couple of good rowdy numbers, and were also the most interesting interviewees.

Old people's radio...

Breaking the News, Infirmary Street & High School Yards, BBC at the Edinburgh Festivals

 This year the BBC have decamped from heriots and moved to a much smaller location in the grounds of a university building at the foot of Infirmary Street.  There is a covered area, under a big, clear plastic, gazebo, with socially distanced seating and waiting service from the bar/cafe.  Plus a few picnic benches to the side, uncovered, and viewing the big screen rather than the stage.  It felt very safe and generally well organised, and appropriate to where we are now.

Audience warm up was provided by local stand-up Jay Lafferty, who did an excellent job of interacting with her chosen targets and telling some entertaining stories.  And she didn't forget to deliver her bit of admin, explaining what was expected of the audience during the show.

Out came host Des Clarke to announce his guests, and what a great line up of Scottish comedy talent he had for this show.  Stuart Mitchell, Elaine Malcolmson, Farmer Jim Smith, and Janey Godley.  Des introduces topical stories from the previous week, in a variety of formats, and invites the panellists to identify the story and give their take on events.  Stories covered included the lifting of the majority of covid regulations in the country, the UN report of climate change and the impending COP26, and the reopening of highland bothies.  Plus views on how this year's much reduced fringe was working out.  

Almost two hours passed before the end was declared, and I was left wondering if enough of the  material recorded would be clean enough for a twenty eight minute radio show!  One recurring theme was shagging Daphne Broon in various bothies, and that certainly wouldn't be making it out for wider consumption!  

Whatever the end product sounds like, the live show is much, much funnier, and all the panellists were excellent.  Especially Smith whose dry countryside take on the world was always unusual and hilarious.  BtN doesn't always have such a stellar group of guests, but the format guarantees plenty of laughs and it's well worth getting along to a recording if the opportunity arises. 

The Afternoon Show, BBC Blue Tent, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

A recording of Radio Scotland's daytime show featuring a wide range of acts from the festivals around the city.  The interest in these events can come as much from observing the technicalities and procedures involved in the recording, and how much the audience is prepared (manipulated!) by those running it, as it does from the show itself.  This recording was primarily for radio, but some of it will make it on to TV, so there plenty of cameras in evidence.

The show was hosted by both the regular presenters, Janice Forsyth and Grant Stott, both safe pairs of hands for this kind of thing.  Today's line up certainly offered variety, and there was probably at least one or two items for everyone, with live music, drama and comedy, and a regular rotation of guests on the sofa for some chat.  Rather than itemise every act, here's a flavour of the diversity of genres on offer.  There was a DJ accompanied by orchestral musicians playing dance music; a weel kent Edinburgh crime writer talking about his band, book festival event and rediscovering one of his oldest works; a forensic 'mind reader' who was quickly able to determine the date of birth of an audience member through a simple routine; two actors giving a sample of a play they have on the Fringe; a singer of Kate Bush songs; an actor and writer whose show is about their relationship to a famous pop star; the composer and librettist of a new opera; a stand up comedian with a show about the worst year of her life; New York cabaret singing; two solo artists with shows about the dire effects of poverty on our society; and one of Ireland's finest and sharpest comedians.  Like I said, something for everyone.

Personal highlights for me included ian Rankin (who else?) talking about a book he'd written decades go and now realised it wasn't as bad as he'd thought it was; Darren McGarvey and Scottee talking about their shows which talk about the social impacts of poverty and class; and, best of all, the few minutes we had to benefit from the wit of Andrew Maxwell.

Go into BBC shows like this with an open mind and there's always enjoyment to be found.

Breaking the News, BBC Blue Tent, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

A recording of the BBC Scotland comedy news programme as part of the Fringe.  If you've not heard it before it follows a familiar format with a resident host asking four guest celebrities questions related to the news from the previous seven days.  BtN chair is Des Clarke, and potential guests are generously plentiful in Edinburgh in August.  For this recording there was series regular Stuart Mitchell, with comedians Jena Friedman and Ed Byrne, and novelist Val McDermid.

After Clarke reads out some joke headlines the rounds of questions begin.  In the first two news stories are mashed up into one soundstream and panelists have to unpick them.  Round two features voices to be identified and what the stories are about them, followed by some members of the public talking about a story which has to be identified.  There's a quickfire round at the end.

Brexshit, inevitably, had to get it's ugly face in, along with Scottish exam results, Trump, non disclosure agreements, plastics clogging up the oceans, independence for Scotland and other subjects.  Mitchell showed his experience of the format, with a series of smart one liners and impressive knowledge of what's in the news.  Byrne was frequently very funny and had a good fund of stories.  McDermid was very impressive, often as funny as the comics and the most erudite in her opinions and knowledge.  It was hard not to feel a bit sorry for Friedman, and American not wholly familiar with the subtext of many of the stories and conscious that she wasn't firing on all cylinders.  Mitchell, admirably, seemed almost protective in helping her out.

It was funny, the time passed quickly, and it was clear that, with a bit of editing, there was the makings of a good radio show in there.  Always interesting to see the reality behind the final product.

Asian Network Comedy, BBC Tent, Edinburgh Fringe

Hosted by the enthusiastic Yasser from the Asian Network Drivetime show, who explained the format then kept his contributions brief, simply introducing the 5 comedians who'd provide the laughs.

Kai Samra was a good man to start with, smart comments on his recent move to London and the differences in life he'd found there, effective observational comedy.

Zahra Barri has a surprisingly squeaky voice, plenty knowing looks and an explanation that with a Muslim father and Catholic mother she was always going to be an atheist.  Or that she could understand wearing a burqa, especially on the days when you just couldn't be bothered to make an effort.  She's got great comic timing.

Ken Cheng told us why what he's been told is his 'Chinese-ish-ness' is both help and hindrance, and racism is both disgusting and something to be exploited.  And a good source of comedy.

Jen Wakefield brought something a bit different, comedy rapping, and talked of her mission to bring Grime to Cheltenham and Guildford.  Clever stuff.

Finally the headline act, the well established Paul Sinha on the perils of being an Asian gay man and his parents' disappointment that he gave up being a doctor to do comedy.  He's good at extracting humour from awkward situations and his personal misfortunes, but with no sense of making the audience uncomfortable.  Tales of his search for a partner were hilarious.

The show will be broadcast on the Asian network at 9pm next Monday (27th), and available to view on iPlayer from 3 September.

Start the Week, BBC Tent, Edinburgh Fringe

The weekly discussion programme, hosted by Andrew Marr, had four guests on the sofas, three novelists ans musician/storyteller.  Pat Barker has written a reimagining of The Iliad called The Silence of the Girls, looking at the story from the point of view of the women - voices which are never heard in Homer's original.  Icelandic author and songwriter Sjón has a new novel, Codex 1962, in which the narrator is created from clay.  James Robertson's comical story To Be Continued... features a talking toad.  And singer/songwriter Karine Polwart's latest album Laws of Motion mixes modern themes with those from traditional Scots ballads.

Which all led the conversation into the role of myth in modern literature, lessons from history, the power of the writer in giving voice to the silenced and never-heard, the writing traditions which are there to be used by writers today, and the importance of multiculturalism throughout human history in enriching cultures.  Interesting contrasts between the strength of the Icelandic language against the perceived withering of the Scots.

At the end of the show there was a short Q&A session with the audience, which will not be broadcast.

Definitely worth a listen when it's on Radio 4, with several interesting issues explored.  And see if you can spot the arch-unionist comment from Marr that drew raised eyebrows from independence supporters Polwart and Robertson (and yours truly...).

Front Row, BBC Tent, Edinburgh Fringe

A live broadcast of the Radio 4 arts programme, hosted by Kirsty Lang.

Lang came out shortly before the programme began to explain the timetable, and the audience's role in it.  Then she brought out Scots musician and singer Mairi Campbell who taught and rehearsed us in singing chorus of the original tune to Auld Lang Syne.  Then it was time to bring out the guests on to the line of sofas.

The big name was Brian May, the polymath best known for being Queen's guitarist, and with him Professor Roger Taylor.  There were three doctors - Adam Kay, Kwame Asante and Kevin Jones - who all have Fringe stand up shows based around their experiences in the profession. Plus comedian Rachel Parris, who's become more of a household name in recent times as a member of TV's Mash report team, and the aforementioned Campbell.

With that big a line up and less than 30 minutes broadcasting time nobody was ever going to get much time to get their points across, but Lang has superb timing and gave each a fair crack.  A comic song from Kay at the keyboard got things started. The doctors were there to plug their shows of course, and all got a chance to tell a funny story.  Parris is in a couple of shows, but mostly talked about her Mash report experiences.  And May and Taylor have produced a new book on a Victorian pioneer of 3D photography, a subject there was more to than most of us might have suspected.  We ended with Campbell leading the audience in song.

That bald description doesn't sound very exciting, but the reality was more entertaining, watching the interactions between the guests and Lang's confident control of proceedings.  Watching live radio is so often a much better experience than it sounds.

BBC New Comedy Award Semi-Final 1, BBC Tent, Edinburgh Fringe

Hundreds of applicants had been whittled down to the final 10, and this show gave 5 contestants the chance to go through to the final on Sunday week.  Mark Watson performed MC duties and was a great warm up man.  Then each contestant had a short slot in which to convince the judges they should be one of the three to go forward.

First up was Matt Hutchinson, a man of slow but assured manner who talked about how, as a doctor, he was happy at people getting sick as it kept in a job, and that his Jamaican dad was so middle class he cooked jerk pheasant.  His delivery ensured that was a lot funnier than it sounds when I write it!  Helen Bauer came next, a contrastingly rapid fire style about the perils of being a large woman when it came to clothes buying, and the kind of tears that only three bottles of wine could produce.  She packed a lot into a few minutes.

Glaswegian Stephen Buchanan also had a laugh about his height, discoursing on the difficulties of being a short man on the internet, and what living with his mum and a refugee did for his image.  His confidence shone through and he appeared the most experienced of the group.  He was followed by Sarah Mann who looked much more nervous and suffered as result.  But several of her jokes about being asexual and proud hit the spot.  Last up was William Stone who had the most individual approach of the five.  A slow, slow build up developed into a hilarious series of one lines and non sequiturs, and an sharply oblique view of life.

Watson came back on to fill in time whilst the judges made their decisions, clearly difficult to do from the length of time they were away (Mark saw their return with some relief as he was struggling to find material!).  Bauer, Buchanan and Stone go through to the final, to be broadcast live on Radio 4 on 12 August.  Of the three my favourite to take the award would be Buchanan, who seemed a more finished product than the others, but all five clearly have a future in comedy and the audience got an excellent show to watch.

The Janice Forsyth Show, BBC Tent, Edinburgh Fringe

Janice Forsyth's regular Radio Scotland Show is, for most of August, being recorded in front of a live audience in the BBC's big blue tent.  Taking advantage of the talent in the city around them, each show features an array of Fringe and other Festival acts, performing and discussing their work.  Clearly the quality of the product is very dependent on the acts on that day, and for this one, on 15 August, there was plenty of variety to enjoy.

This was also the last in a series where Forsyth shared the host duties with Sonya Feldhoff of ABC's Radio Adelaide, and the show is also to be broadcast in Australia.

After the usual volume level checks, getting the audience to clap and cheer at nothing very much, the two presenters, very much a double act, got proceedings underway.  Six pipers and two drummers from the Tattoo house band played a short set which heralded a chat with Brigadier David Alfrey, the Tattoo's producer.  Some interesting facts and tales about the history of the event, the planning involved, and it's worldwide popularity.

The first of four Fringe shows being promoted, Saquatch: The Opera is an experimental piece about the legendary Bigfoot.  A short excerpt, with two singers performing, had sparse instrumentation, clear and intriguing vocals, and was very different to classical operatic works.  Writer Roddy Bottum explained the origins of the piece, driven by his desire to tell stories in his music.

In contrast the next song, from Frightened Rabbit front man Scott Hutchison, was a lot more accessible, the first of three he'd contribute to the programme, although his real reason for being there became apparent later.  The next guest on the sofa was Selina Thompson who performs salt. (no capitalisation), a dramatisation of the journey she and a companion made over the old slave trade routes via Ghana, Jamaica and Britain, and the lessons they learned of those dark events of the past.  It sounded excellent, with some innovative ideas, but I see from the Fringe site that all performances have already sold out.  The return of the pipers and drummers ended the first hour of the show.  Good musicians certainly, but their faux shortbread tin Scottishness holds little appeal for me (Playing Scotland the Brave without any hint of irony in 2017?  Really?), but went down well with a large section of the audience.

After the news break we were back with American Apphia Campbell singing a song from, and discussing her one woman show Woke.  This contrasts the stories of real life 1970s Black Panther Assata Shakur and the contemporary but fictional Ambrosia, a young woman losing her innocence and becoming a part of the Black Lives Matter, and the ongoing struggle against racism in the US.  With events in Charlottesville still resounding this couldn't be more relevant.

Another excellent song from Hutchison and then he was on the couch alongside local poet Michael Pedersen.  The latter's latest volume, Oyster, is to be launched at the Book Festival this Friday, and is illustrated by Hutchison.  Pedersen was hugely entertaining, a non stop ball of energy, and his recitation of the title work from the book was one of the best moments of the show.

The final guest was MJ McCarthy talking about his show Turntable based around conversations with people around the city and the memories that music stirs in them.  He demonstrated the process with Forsyth as his subject and she found herself relating more about her past than she'd bargained for.  A last song from Hutchison brought things to a close.

Forsyth's not the sharpest of interviewers (Feldhoff was often the more astue of the pair), and the quality of the show is heavily dependent on the guests on any given day, but as a way of coming across acts which you might otherwise miss it's a worthwhile way to spend a morning.  And all for free of course....

The Janice Forsyth Show is on in the BBC Tent at 10.00 until 24 August.  Apply to the BBC for free tickets.

Asian Network Comedy, BBC Tent, Edinburgh Fringe

Hosted by DJ and TV presenter Tommy Sandhu, the evening brought together five Aisan comedians to do short sets, recorded on camera.  Sandhu did a good job of warming up the audience, while also making sure we had some idea of our role in the TV programme.

First of the five was a Geordie, Rahul Kohli, who made some play of his Mexican sounding forename, and reckoned that the EU Referendum result had brought in a new game - Paki-Man Go.  He's an engaging comedian, but there seemed little in his material to mark him out as a man to watch out for,

He was followed by Sindhu Vee with stories of inter-generational family conflicts, and the very different approaches to the Santa Claus myth that she and her Danish husband have.  This was the second time I'd seen her in little more than a week and although some elements of the two routines were identical I found her slow burning delivery style kept it fresh.

Bilal Zafar started slowly, but was immediately likeable.  He has achieved some fame through the Muslim-only cake shop spoof he used to wind up the lunatic right on Twitter, and his retelling of how that evolved was hilarious.

The most unconventional act of the night was Mawaan Rizwan, a grinning clown who played games with the audience and made use of popcorn and baby wipes.  An act of continual silliness with some clever, sometimes surreal, lines and clever use of repetition to build up the laughs.

With the final act held up in traffic recording was suspended for a few minutes and Sandhu did a bit of Asian Blind Dating which ended up with a likely couple on stage.  Well, I think she thought it might be likely....

Australian Nazeem Hussain completed the line-up.  The most self-assured of the bunch, he had a ready supply of material as he sought out the measure of his audience and found the laughter spot.  An excellent end to an enjoyable show.

But the lasting memory is of Rizwan's shyly seductive grin and the sheer daftness of his performance.  He'd certainly be the one I'd most like to see again.

The recording will be available on the red button on 3 September.

BBC Radio New Comedy Award - Final, BBC Tent, Edinburgh Fringe

With more than 700 entrants aiming to be on this show, the final six had to be good.  You can listen to the full radio show here and make your own mind up.

Warming up the audience was the job of Bristol comedian Mark Olver who did a fine job working the crowd and performing a double act with the show's host, Mark Watson. They also made sure we knew how the evening would be structured so that we felt a part of the event.

All six contestants were excellent, and made the choice for the judges a difficult one.  George Lewis' innocent-at-large persona seemed a bit too familiar.  Catherine Bohart had some good lines on the practical uses of being bisexual and Irish.  Michael Odawale was the most political of the bunch and came up with some striking observations, but playing on the rough area he came from felt like something from the past.  Lauren Pattison also made play of her roots in Byker, so it was a surprise when one of her best lines featured a moat.  Jethro Bradley had a slow, underplayed style and highlighted the need for greater understanding of autism with some sharp observations on how the condition is often perceived.  And Sindhu Vee told tales from her inter generational family life in a form that screamed sitcom.

While the judges did their thing, and Radio 4 Land listened to The Archers (much to Mark Watson's bafflement) Olver staged a live version of the Tinder dating app in which, to his amazement, the final two left standing were both from Glasgow.  And we were all left wondering if they met up after the show.  We also had brief sets from last year's winner of the award, Yuriko Kotani, and the excellent Dane Baptiste.

At 7.15 we were back on air and Watson announced the result.  My personal favourite had been Odawale, but, with hindsight, I can see that Bradley was chosen for having the most original style of the group, and several excellent and well worked punchlines.  You can hear the second programme here.

There's a lot more to these broadcast sessions than listeners get over the airwaves, and I'd definitely recommend going to one if you get the chance.

BBC Presents... Comedy with Ed Byrne, BBC Potterrow, Edinburgh Fringe

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.

Loose Ends, BBC Potterrow, Edinburgh Fringe

A recording of the Radio 4 show which will be broadcast next Saturday, the 22nd August.

Hosted by Clive Anderson, assisted by Arthur Smith, the show featured conversations with French actor Juliette Binoche, Irish novelist Eimear McBride, Scottish playwright Davie Greig and local chef Tony Singh.  Plus music from Katherine Joseph and R M Hubbard.

All the interviewees are, of course, involved in their various ways in the madness of culture that is Edinburgh in August.  Binoche is starring in Antigone, McBride's novel A Girl is a Half-formed Thing is present as a stage adaptation, Greig has his stage version of the great Alisdair Gray's incredible novel Lanark, and Singh has a pop up restaurant in the Grassmarket.

All have something of interest to relate, especially Greig on the challenges of bringing to life a work that would seem impossible to recreate in 3D.  Smith makes a few interjections, which mostly ended up being annoying - the audience were discernibly annoyed at his butting in on Binoche.

But overall it's worth a listen, and Hubbard is someone I now want to hear more of.

This was a one-off event in the BBC Big Blue Tent.

Radio 4 Extra Stands Up with Fred MacAulay, BBC Potterrow, Edinburgh Fringe

A late night stand up show in the BBC Tent, which will be edited for radio output at some point in the future.  MacAulay is an established name on Radio 4, weel kent in Scotland, and a naturally affable host for a show of this nature.  His opening set and linking between acts was always competent, although I've seen him on better form in the past.

There were nine acts all told, with a good mix of styles and nationalities.  It opened with Jeff Green, once a regular on British TV screens, whose style doesn't seem to have evolved and felt a bit too rooted in the seventies.  Dane Baptiste brought a more modern approach, a dry wit and good stuff looking at charities.  Then we had Glasgow boy Larry Dean, who proved to be one of the highlights of the night.  Very funny about being gay, how Scots act in London and a decent couple of minutes on the idiocies of ukip.

Next up was American transgender comedian, previously well known as Will Franken, now appearing as Sarah F.  Simply brilliant impressions and character comedy, Franken dazzles with the speed of her transitions from one voice to another and the dialogues she creates.  She was followed by local absurdist Eleanor Morton who specialises in social awkwardness.  I enjoyed her set, but it felt like a lot of the audience didn't really 'get' her.

If Morton split the room the same could be said for Canadian Glen Wool.  Loud, energetic, at times creepy, he is edgy and imaginative.  His evidence that emails to family members should be carefully proof read was beautifully constructed and laugh out loud funny.  I loved him.  Then, from Northern Ireland, Elaine Malcolmson who, in contrast to the in-your-face Wool is something of a slow burner.  Soft of voice with a dead pan delivery, she had some wonderful examples of the absurdity to be found in the mundane.

Rounding out the night were two more familiar names.  Hal Cruttenden is a comedian who's never appealed to me on TV, but live it was impossible not to be impressed by his comic timing.  Very funny on the subject of hypocrisy.  Finally, Mick Ferry, an accomplished club comic who can deliver the belly laughs and draw in his audience.

The live show lasted well over 100 minutes.  How much of that, and who, makes it on to the broadcast will be interesting to listen out for.  There were certainly a few moments that won't be considered broadcastable (something tells me Glen Wool won't be making the cut!).

A good way to see a variety of comedians you might not otherwise have the time to see, and discover some you want to see more of in future.

This was a one-off event in the BBC Big Blue Tent.

Behind the Scenes with Gary : Tank Commander, BBC Potterrow, Edinburgh Fringe

A BBC Scotland sitcom which ran for three series between 2009 and 2012, Gary has become something of a cult classic.  Corporal Gary McLintock and his three mates have been on duty in Iraq, and later Afghanistan, and the show mostly looks at their lives, professional and personal, back in Scotland.  McLintock is portayed as mildly camp, a bit dim and easily fooled.  The programme features video footage of the guys fooling around, recreating pop videos in their overseas camps, and stream of consciousness monologues from Gary in which he doles out his 'wisdom' to the world.

Today Sanjeev Kohli was there to interview Greg McHugh, who created the character, wrote the show and starred as the eponymous hero, and Leah MacRae who is cast as Julie, the scatter brained sister of one of the group.  We got a few clips from the show, to remind us of just how funny it could be, and a talk through how the character came in to being and the genesis of the show.

From a short piece of character based stand up, through a series of sketches and then TV pilots, it took four or five years from his starting point before the first series emerged.  By then McHugh had a good idea of what did and didn't work and what he needed to make his ideas reality.  It was also obvious that the real life Leah was a strong inspiration for the character of Julie!

Kohli kept the story flowing and contributed his own humour.  McHugh was a superb interviewee and his frequent switches into the character of Gary were a delightful reminder of what an excellent actor he is.  We were accompanied by two people who had never seen the show before, just a few clips, and they had no difficulty in finding as much enjoyment as the ture fans in the audience.  A very funny and very interesting way to pass an hour.

This was a one-off event in the BBC Big Blue Tent.

Curious Edinburgh.... with John Lloyd, BBC Potterrow, Edinburgh Fringe

Billed as John Lloyd, a man with connections to so many of the great moments from the last thirty years of BBC comedy, introducing some of the more unusual acts on the Fringe.  When we saw this last year it lived up to the name and there were some genuine oddities in the line up.  It even prompted us to go and see one of those appearing.  So this event proved a little disappointing as the acts were all fairly conventional stand ups.

Lloyd, didn't do a lot of the introducing himself, leaving it to his sidekick Dan Schreiber, a QI 'elf'.  Which was no problem as Schrieber is an engaging host and funny man in his own right.  First out of the four comedians was Lieven Scheire who was mostly unusual for being a Belgian, a rare sight on the Fringe.  A very funny man, he promises his act will not only make you laugh, but provide some understanding the Special Relativity - Scheire is a scientist by trade so the show sounded as if could live up to the  pledge.

He was followed by Alex Edelman, a Jewish New Yorker who produced the laughs, but is very much in the tradition of Jewish New York comedians.  And Nick Kumar, who I really do enjoy,  with his brand of political humour.  Again, very easy to enjoy, and he hits some good targets, even in a ten minute set.  But 'curious'?   Not really.

The final comic on stage was Felicity Ward, whose act deals with her own history of physical and mental illness and how that alters her relationship with the world around her.  It's brave and personal stand up, and would be an interesting show to see.  But, like those above, easy to slot into a recognised genre.

Funny, enjoyable, and I'd happily go again.  But I'd looking for a bit more of an oddity to be on show.

This was a one-off event in the BBC Big Blue Tent.