The Improverts - *****/5

8 08 2008

Bryan and I go to see the Improverts EVERY year we visit the Fringe. They are simply a Fringe MUST! I love improvised comedy, made famous by “Whose Line is it Anyway”, and The Improverts never fail to impress. 

With games such as ‘Should Have Said’, ‘Swap Out’ and ‘The Councilor’ your sides will be splitting by the end of your hour long ordeal with the troup.

Make it a regular, go every year… just one problem (and I won’t mark the show down for this)… avoid the token Yaa’s who usually sit at the back. They were swarming this year and should have been taken out back and hunted!

Good times!



Adventures of Pink Peter - ***/5

7 08 2008

I was brought up in South Africa, so the wonders of Blue Peter are lost on me. However, I can appreciate kids television and the celebrity that it creates. 

So Bryan booked us in to see Stuart Miles  and it was actually very good. His show “Adventures of Pink Peter” is a drag act taking in three of his characters. The first, a fashion obsessed Primark guru gives advice to the audience on what to wear. The Second, a plastic surgeon who shows us how to make an ugly potato into a beautiful chip and the last one a very well to do lady telling us tories about her life in the past.

For such a small audience, it was actually very entertaining. Especially where I had Stuart Miles climbing over people to get to me so he could stare me in the eyes and flirt with me.

Yes… Stuart Miles flirted with me! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Good camp fun, if you can handle a REALLY tiny and intimate performance (there were only 15 seats in the room).



Joan Rivers - Work in Progress by a Life in Progress - *****/5

7 08 2008

If you don’t know who Joan Rivers is… you should! She has a VERY impressive and interresting history, which can be reviewed here .

Her show at the Fringe is fantastic (even though a little pricey… but it’s Joan… so I don’t care). It tells the story of how Joan has had to put up with age discrimination and tells a powerful story of how her home is really on the stage, performing, for the people…. right there and then.

Supported by two very flexible actors, Joan comes into her element while she recants stories from her youth and stories which have moulded her into the amazing person she is today.

Of course… the audience was about 50% homo… but Joan does love her poofy friends, so was more than happy to see us all. So happy in fact that her film crew shoved a camera in my face and interviewed me before we went into the hall.

Fabulous! She’s on tour… go and see her!

By the way… did you know it was Joan Rivers who invented the phrase “Who are you wearing”. This is now used at all award ceremonies around the world from Cannes to The Oscars!



Brief History of Scotland: We Done Loads - ***/5

6 08 2008

The weather… crap. The setting… in a hotel. The show… A Brief History of Scotland: We Done Loads. How accurate can you get. I’m wet, in the middle of Edinburgh and watching shows about the country I love most.

This show makes up for it’s lack in professionalism by planting joke after joke and poke after poke to create a weaved mix of tasteful comedy and thought provoking education. After all… who couldn’t laugh at the famous apple in the Garden of Eden being replaced by the infamous (and sometimes equally as mythological) Deep Fried Mars Bar.

The ‘Ned’ portrayal… was spot on! Just what you run into the second you get off the train in Falkirk and beyond (sorry dad).

Go check this out if it’s still playing, good fun… but low budget (but that’s what the Fringe is all about).



Craig Hill Makes your Whole Week - *****/5

4 08 2008

So, the second stand up comic, and this time with Gillian, and straight after the fab Caesar Twins. 

I love Craig Hill, I think he’s really witty, and can make comedy out of ANYTHING! Bryan isn’t too keen on him, but will go and see him if I promise we can sit at the back. It’s always a good idea to avoid the sharp tongue that resides in Craig’s mouth.

He was brilliant this year, and Bryan enjoyed the show as well from the safety of the 14th row.

Check him out wherever he plays, he’s good fun!

Oh, and he takes pictures of the audience as well….

Iam at the back on the left side… you can see Bryan a lot easier!



Russell Kane: Gaping Flaws - *****/5

3 08 2008

No Edinburgh Fringe season would be complete without a stint with a few stand-up comedians. Russell Kane is the first this year… and we’re joined by Lesley & Euan at The Pleasance.

I first saw Russell Kane perform at The Tattershall Castle in the shadow of the London Eye… he is… in a word, BRILLIANT!

If you get the chance to see this guy perform, GO! For heavens sake… he is THE BEST in his class!



Weird man seen on the Tube…!

28 07 2008

I saw this guy on The Tube recently and had to do my usual ’sneaky picture’ similar to the methods used to capture the earlier images of Margaret from The Apprentice.

It’s not a brilliant picture… but his shirt says, “Please turn me over so I don’t choke on my own vomit”.

Nice…!



Omid Djalili at Cadogan Hall

26 07 2008

What a fabulous evening. We arrived at Sloane Square after a rather sticky and hot journey on the tube, and made our way to Cadogan Hall to pick up the tickets for the show. After that, made our arounf Sloane Square to have a look at some of the local shops. It was when we were in the local shops, that you really realise just exactly WHERE you are in London… ‘posh-ville’. I took some images to explain what I mean about this…


So we went back to Cadogan Hall and got ourselves a glass of wine (vinegar), where Bryan pointed out that we were in the company of celebrity! Margaret Mountford of The Apprentice Fame was no more than 10 feet away from where we were sitiing with two of her friends. I was a bit naughty, and snuck a sneaky shot to prove that I saw her… and for your viewing pleasure… here it is…

So the show… to start with a bit of a slow start. Omid’s supporting act was on for about half an hour, and well, could have been a little funnier. I wasn’t hugely enamored to be honest. He left, interval was had and then Omid was on for a good hour and a half. 

Omid Djalili is fabulous in the flesh. Really a great comic to watch. He has a lot of energy and manages to get a laugh out of you while also pushing through a very valid political message. I enjoyed it immensely. 

If you are reading this and in Edinburgh, he is performing the show there and also, I suspect, a few other shows on the way up to Edinburgh.

In case you’re wondering who Omid Djalili is… this may jog your memory!



We’re off to see Omid Djalili at Cadogan Hall

26 07 2008

How exciting is this… we’re off to go and see Internationally famous Omid Djalili, at Cadogan Hall this evening! I saw his flyer when I was performing with LGMC and HAD to go. It’ll be fabulous and I’ll post to let you know what it was like.

For those of you who have no idea who I’m on about… check out this YouTube vid to understand!



Mamma Mia… the MOVIE

17 07 2008

We’ve all heard the hype and excitement about the release of Mamma Mia, the Movie. I went to see it tonight with one of my chorus friends and just wanted to comment about poor Pierce Brosnan. 

Pierce, hunny, sweetheart… stick to the action adventure movies. You were not meant to be singing and flapping about for us gay-boys! One word… ‘laugh-ability’… you had the whole audience in stitches when we really shouldn’t have been… especially in this scene:

Fabulous movie though… really recommend it. I’ll be going again with Bryan so he can see it as well.