Fringe Comedy
Aunty Donna
Gilded Balloon
Four stars
Goose:Kablamo
Assembly, George Square
Four stars
Gein's Family Giftshop
Pleasance Courtyard
Three stars
Gayle Anderson
The young, sell-out crowd were well up for a bit of Aunty Donna. It felt like a Freshers' week party - and that was just queuing to get in. With a hot ticket Fringe show last year and an award-winning YouTube channel, the Aussie sketch show troupe are back with more weird warp speed fun. They dance! They sing! They have a girl's name but are three beardy boys! Broden, Zachary and Mark burst onto the stage and into the front row, blowing raspberries in a few unsuspecting ears. Not that this appreciative audience needs waking up. They are positively gagging to get involved in the water-spraying and non-stop noisy nutterdom. Behind the mayhem however, lurks a very slick, well-crafted and undoubtedly well-rehearsed production. The out-of-sync mimes are crazily clever and their non-stop rapping rarely misses a beat. The storyline is largely irrelevant, but involves our intrepid trio going head-to -head with arch rivals, The Bubble Bath Boys. It's a riotously funny tale of good versus evil with a quick visit to Family Fortunes thrown in for good measure. There's scrapping, snogging and shedloads of shouting. If you've ever wished that The Mighty Boosh had considered a season in panto, then this is the show for you.
Until August 31
Comedy collective, Goose are one of the hottest tickets in town. So hot, that the front row are issued with rain ponchos to protect them from the perspiration spray that arcs in Tarantino-style slow-mo, from Adam Drake's head. The rest of the Goose gang are the musicians and techno-boffins in the house. Adam however, is the main man - the monologue mutineer. He'll take you on spy spoof adventure called Kablamo that's guaranteed to leave you shaken and stirred. The plot may be harder to follow than the second season of True Detective but it's his stunning performance that you'll remember. Like a ginger whirling dervish, he twists and spins around the stage. Leaping one way, then the other, he conducts multi character conversations with himself at breakneck speed. It's like watching Jim Carrey in a sweat lodge. While it's almost impossible to fault Adam's mesmerising performance, the sheer volume of material results in too many of the witty word plays and killer puns being lost. They just get swept away by a wave of new ones before you've had time to think or even blink. Less is more and some ruthless editing would make this show breath-taking rather than a little breathless.
Until August 30
Manchester minimalists, Gein's Family Giftshop return to the Fringe with their sketch show, Volume 2. Last year's Chortle best newcomer winners and Foster newcomer nominees again keep it cheap and cheerful in their trademark black and white PE kits. James, Kath and Ed invite the audience to exercise the darker side of their imaginations as they perform on a virtually prop-free set. Their subject matter ranges from the strange and sinister to the seriously smutty. It includes almost every bodily function as well as serial killers, superglue and stone-throwing. The audience interaction is first-class. There are lots of stone-faced asides, especially when they stumble over a word or get out of breath at the wrong moment. Somewhat bizarrely, their comedy manages to be both clever and juvenile at the same time. Stand out sketches include a campfire scene with a totally unexpected ending and a simple drinks invitation that veers off into all manner of madness. Jokes are told in the best possible bad taste and whilst there are laughs to be had, you can't help feeling that they'll have to ditch the plimsolls and skip PE next year if they're to progress.
Until August 30
-Ends-
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