Love Hunt, Just the Tonic at the Caves.
Amber can’t find her boyfriend. She’s looked everywhere! He must have left her. Why can’t she hold down a relationship? What is wrong with her?! This very funny show by Charlie Mulliner explores those insecurities that make us feel a breakdown is all our fault, as she starts to rebuild her life and set forth on a new Love Hunt for her forever person. Charlie’s characterisation of Amber is a delight; but she also introduces us to other wayward characters, from a sex-mad nun to a fitness guru, and even a poor lonely star. The show runs a little unevenly at times, but at its best it’s totally hilarious, and Charlie is a truly creative and extremely funny performer. 3 stars.
Don Toberman: Ping Pong Champ, Pleasance Courtyard.
American Ping Pong Champion Don Toberman faces his most gruelling battle yet – a ping pong tournament against his entire audience! Will he knock it out of the park, or will the audience have some table tennis tricks of their own up their collective sleeves? A brilliant comedy creation by Chase Brantley, this masterpiece of clowning brings the super-confident Toberman into our arena, armed with only the official sponsors’ energy drink to protect him from the powerful returns of the crowd. Helped by his trusty ball boy and hindered by his dad, this is simply one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen. Endlessly surprising and extraordinarily innovative, my face took ages to stop hurting from the laughter. A definite must-see. 5 stars.
Bury The Hatchet, Pleasance Dome.
The American Lizzie Borden was accused of murdering her father and stepmother in 1892, but much to everyone’s surprise, the jury found her not guilty. Bury the Hatchet follows the questioning of Lizzie and the subsequent courtroom trial, and also offers a few alternative motives or explanations for what really happened. This famous mystery is brought to life by Out of the Forest Theatre, a jolly team of three actors; Sasha Wilson, who wrote it and plays Lizzie, and Lawrence Boothman and David Leopold, who play everyone else and also play instruments on stage. A serious subject given a light-hearted production, with plenty of fourth wall breaking, and ad-libbing between the cast members. Very well performed and totally engrossing, this turns storytelling on its head. 4 stars.
Nick Everitt: Shadow, Just the Tonic at the Mash House.
Now here’s a Marmite act if ever there was one. Nick Everritt’s level of deadpan is so deep that it unsettles and provokes, deconstructing a traditional one-man comedy Fringe show and laying bare all its usual attributes. It raises questions about the nature of a stage persona versus the real personality of a performer; and it’s so experimental that there’s no guarantee that an audience will find it funny. Full of risk, it’s a bold attempt to do something different with an hour of comedy. Disconcerting, challenging even; you may find it’s something you admire rather than enjoy – or indeed you may do neither. The kind of show that defies critique! 2 stars.
Bald 2 in 1, Just the Tonic at the Mash House.A fun double (bald)-header from Jim Hooker and Mark Moloney, united in their mutual contempt for follicles. Jim’s opening section includes his observations about his beloved hometown of Romford, growing up in a pub, and the benefits of having an eight-year-old niece. Mark’s set sees him overanalysing the Vengaboys, equating pop music with Nazism, and spiralling into a delightful surreal fantasy of deadpan humour. To finish, there’s a most unexpected and rather Pythonesque finale that had me guffawing. The two have very different comedy styles but work well together, and this is a straightforward, honest, good-hearted comedy package. 3 stars.