The Definitive Guide to Comedy
*** (out of 5) Adele Cliff has several joke-writing awards to her credit, but coming into 2023, she figured she needed something bigger, bolder. She wanted a big show, so she made a series of 2023 resolutions only to break her own arm, sort of, in January. That’s gotten her …
**** (out of 5) Amy Webber is treating her first Fringe (and she says her first full comedy show, too?!) as a job interview. She leans into this thematically, presenting her CV, skills and qualifications. That opera degree, she figures she finally can put to good use, writing custom songs …
*** (out of 5) Set in a hospital with dying patients and their loved ones, Until Death is a solo theatrical clown show that’s also a double-act? Nalini Sharma stars as both patient and loved one, as well as a bat flying loose in the hospital, and at one point, …
****1/2 (out of 5) Mark Watson keeps contributing to a never-ending Notes file of things he needs answers to. The byproduct of a curious mind. When his children were younger, Watson could feel like a proud papa serving as the search engine, drumming up results for any and all of …
***1/2 (out of 5) Celya AB charmed the pants off of Edinburgh last year in her debut (my review). So of course she returned straight away to run it back. Ergo, this could not be her first rodeo. She releases that “confidence and a great accent” can only get her …
**** (out of 5) Micky Overman is living on the precipice of marriage and motherhood, but who isn’t in their 30s? It’s certainly a much different place and stage for her than she expected in her 20s. The world is changing fast, not just in terms of civil rights for …
****1/2 (out of 5) Now That’s What I Call Silly Billy! After a sold-out run through the UK last year, Aussie goof Josh Glanc has returned to Edinburgh to clown around some more in a musical showcase that features several songs you remember, and for two old songs that are …
**** (out of 5) Claire knows that Claire’s work seems inaccessible, tough to contextualize. Despite moments that you could easily categorize, such as when she’s paying homage to Marina Abramović, or to Britney Spears. Woolner can come across as aggressive at times, although to be fair, she is part clown, …
**** (out of 5) Dan Tiernan runs on two speeds: Calm and friendly, or intensely loud and in your face. But he’s no second coming of the late Sam Kinison. Oh, no. This 27-year-old Brit is gay and dyspraxic. And if you’ve never heard the term dyspraxic before, well, get …
****1/2 (out of 5) Larry Owens has received kudos and awards for his performance onstage in “A Strange Loop,” while TV viewers may recognize his magnetic persona from roles on sitcoms such as Abbott Elementary. For this show, though, Owens takes us back in time a few years when his …
