RECOMMENDATIONS

  Recommendations

 Five Star Shows:

Time for The Good Looking Boy- Pleasance Dome

Frisky and Mannish- PopCentre Plus- Udderbelly

Free Run – Udderbelly

The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik- Underbelly

Camille O’ Sullivan- Pleasance Grand

You Once Said Yes- Underbelly

David Reed – Shamblehouse- Pleasance Courtyard

Briefs- Gilded Balloon

Laundry Boy- Underbelly

My Filthy Hunt- Underbelly

Four Star Shows

John Peel’s Shed- Underbelly

Randy is Sober- Udderbelly Pasture

Barry and Stuart -‘Show and Tell’ Udderbelly Pasure The Wee Coo

 A Betrayal of Penguins- Endangered for a Reason- Gilded Balloon

Bette and Joan- The Final Curtain- Assembly George Square

Fascinating Aida-‘The Cheap Flights Tour’ – The Gilded Balloon

Jopsie Long ‘The Future is Another Place’- Pleasance Dome

Chris Cox -‘Fatal Distraction’-Pleasance Dome

Scott Capurro’s Position- Gilded Balloon

Tuesday at Tescos-Assembly Hall

Guy Pratt-‘ Wake up Call’-Gilded Balloon

Black Slap-Gilded Balloon

You Once Said Yes Underbelly 12.30 -2.50 at ten minute intervals.- Simply outstanding one on one experience that involves an unexpected slightly surreal journey around town. Be prepared for the unexpected.

Time For the Good Looking Boy- Pleasance Dome 2.50pm- Intelligent, thought provoking drama with an outstanding performance by Lloyd Thomas that will be hard to beat this year

Camille O’Sullivan- Pleasance Grand – This simply stunning show features the Irish singer’s amazing re-imaginings of some of the finer songs of Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, Trent Reznor and Jacques Brel with astounding results.

The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik- A captivating heartwarming, animated tale, about climate change and the fall out it engenders. The intrepid hero of the title emerges as world saviour. Stunning.

Frisky and Mannish- Udderbelly 9.30pm- Camp frothy poptastic fun from this duo who always deliver

Briefs- Gilded Balloon 12.30am- A bit of butch with a fuck load of camp on the side. Probably the best late night show in town at the moment.

David Reed  ‘Shamblehouse’Pleasance Courtyard 8.30pm – Sublime and surreal first solo outing from this ultra talented member of the Penny Dreadfuls

Laundry Boy- Underbelly 1.00pmSuperior comedy drama from a very talented young theatre group who always deliver. Excellent afternoon show that is simultaneously complex and simplistic.

Chris Cox- Fatal Attraction- Pleasance Courtyard 7.10pm – Charming and likeable illusionist and mind reader who can’t read minds with a show that is well worth checking out’

Scott Capurro’s Position– Gilded Balloon 4.15pm-Different guests everyday and random subject matter make this a chat show a cut above all the others on the circuit.

Free Run–Udderbelly 6.20PM– Fast paced, high octane and enthralling. Catch it-and them- if you can.

Fascinating Aida -Gilded Balloon 5.45- Irish trio raise the roof with this untraditional/vaudeville act singing songs about dogging and the rip off of a certain cheap flight company.

Randy is Sober– Udderbelly The Dairy Room 9.20pm– The return of the bawdy puppet raising mayhem and controversy after a spell in rehab. Glad there are somethings that can’t be cured.

John Peel’s Shed 4.50pm– Underbelly Thoroughly charming late afternoon show about the much neglected form of radio which is an integral part of our lives whether we are aware of it or not.

Barry and Stuart – Show and Tell Udderbelly Pasture 10.00– Fascinating two part show the first half which consists of tricks and illusions performed by this amiable duo. The second half-if you are lucky enough to attain tickets for it- reveals the methods deployed to perform the just seen illusions.

Fringe 2011

Once again the Fringe is upon us and a quagmire of posters, fliers and unwanted harassers on the street clouding the issue even further as to what is worthwhile seeing during this hectic month. Whilst nothing is guaranteed-the erratic and unpredictable nature of the beast is one of the qualities that lend this event some kudos-here are a few pointers as to what I feel may be worth catching.

 First up is ‘Randy Gets Sober’ at the Underbelly at 9.10 every evening. Essentially the creation of Australian puppet genius Heath McIvor Randy is the grown up, bawdy cousin to The Muppets and it can be assumed that a stint in rehab has not tamed him completely.’Frisky and Mannish: Pop Centre Plus’ at the same venue at 9.30 are also a must see and I am curious to see whether they followed my suggestion of daubing their fingerprints over the Carpenters’ ‘Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft,. No matter if they didn’t this is still one of those rarities, a definite good night out. ‘John Peel’s Shed’, (5.30) also at the Underbelluy has me intrigued as does Ruby Wax’s show  housed there(4.10). There is also the tres chic Marcel Lucont doing his best to promote disharmony between French-Anglo relations alongside his highly amusing literary contribution ‘What we French Think of you British’.

The Pleasance has Camille O’Sullivan( 8.00), Delete the Banjax (6.20), and the wonderful Chris Cox (7.10). As for theatre they play host to ‘The Boy with Tape on His Face’, ‘Time for the Good Looking Boy’ and ‘Body of Water’ as well as Jack Whitehall who used the venue last year to re-launch his stillborn career to spectacular effect.

Over at The Gilded Balloon ‘Briefs’,  ‘A Betrayal of Penguins’ and Gemma Goggin immediately stand out although closer inspection reveals promising gems like Scott Cappuro, Hardeep Phull and Hannah Gabby reveal themselves as strong contenders.The Assembly has the guilty pleasure of Bobby Crush in the title role of ‘Liberace Live From Heaven’ and the even camper-if that is possible- ‘Bette and Joan’ detailing the hate affair between the two Hollywood legends Davis and Crawford. The C venues are hosting a variety of shows as well as focussing on an LGBT friendly Fringe. At the Spaces ‘Generation 9/11′  and ‘The Captain of Kopenick’ seem like  intriguing offerings.

Aside from comedy and theatre there are many other things occurring including a continual round of impromptu street theatre at various locations around town. Clubs as a general rule struggle during the Festival as there is just too much else on and everything is open until 3a.m any way. For those who cannot resist a dose of night life however White Mink are bringing their own brand of electro Swing to The Voodoo Rooms – Thursdays,Fridays and Saturdays from 9pm- and is not to be missed as I have attended their nights before and the glamour of being transported back to the Jazz age and being surrounded by mini Scott and Zelda’s is amazing fun as well as a visual and aural delight.

On the art front Axolotl in Dundas Street is hosting a Richard Demarco event and will ensure that this new gallery’s so far impeccable reputation remains in tact. An interesting detour from the mainstream may be to visit Jannica Honey’s exhibition feturing strippers exposed- in the cerebral sense- in a lap dancing emporium ,the Sapphire Rooms, in Lothian Road.

 Of course what I have listed only slightly touches the tip of the Iceberg and is only a beginners guide. As in previous years unexpected gems can be uncovered almost on a daily basis and this site will update and keep you informed as and when we discover them