Safety, Underbelly Bristo Square.

When is a psychotherapist not a psychotherapist? When he becomes a friend. Adam is used to the daily routine of meeting clients at £200 per hour, hearing their problems, and signposting ways they can find solutions. But when new client Bill enters his life, Adam – who is gay – finds him a very interesting prospect indeed but, of course, always remains professional. Until one day, Bill just stops attending his sessions – no explanation, no apologies. The obvious thing for a psychotherapist to do would be to chalk it up to experience; but what does Adam do? Michael Reid’s extraordinary Safety is a brilliant piece of writing, a perfectly structured story with a completely unexpected twist at the end. His performance is outstanding, drawing us in from the start to Adam’s calm, supportive presence, gaining our confidence, and understanding his own issues. A riveting start to the day. 5 stars.

Georgina Thomas: Hysterical Soprano, Underbelly Bristo Square.

Dr. Jekyll has his Mr Hyde; Soprano Georgina has her inner monster too, who creeps up at the most inopportune moments and converts her beautiful voice into a cackling cacophony. Clearly, there’s only one way to deal with this – witchcraft! If that sounds all a bit weird, welcome to the strange world of Georgina Thomas: Hysterical Soprano. A journey of perilous auditions, vicious singing teachers, and a wicked nemesis; fortunately for Georgina, she also has her Guardian Angel, the disembodied voice of Gary the Stage Manager. A very inventive crossover between character comedy and opera singing, Georgina gives an engaging and extremely likeable performance combining her musical skills and terrific comic timing as the Soprano who stoops to Alto to beat the beast. If you like a saucy Musetta and can tell a rose from a Rosenkavalier, you’ll love this. 4 stars.

Rizal van Geyzel: Arrested, Laughing Horse @ The Counting House.

One of the joys of the Edinburgh Fringe is discovering acts from all around the world that you’re unlikely ever to see anywhere else – and one such chap is the very funny Rizal van Geyzel, in his Arrested show. He opened the first-ever comedy club in Kuala Lumpur, a bold step in his native Malaysia, a country that, at the time, didn’t understand the concept of stand-up. Rizal tells of how the club came about, the hoops they had to jump through to get a licence, and how, eventually, it was a great success, until one open mic night when it all began to unravel… Rizal has a terrific onstage presence and an amazing connection with the audience; Arrested is jam-packed with excellent, original material, which is not only laugh-out-loud funny but also very thought-provoking. He is an easy, relaxed person to share a comedy venue with, a very safe bet on the Free Fringe. Highly recommended! 4 stars.

Casual Receptionist of the Quarter, Gilded Balloon Patter House.

Nic is Casual Receptionist at Primary Fitness, and – honestly – the place would fall apart without her. Dealing with membership enquiries, topping up the wet wipes, taking all the complaints and even administering first aid, she’s the epitome of the underpaid, undervalued and overstretched employee that so many businesses thrive on to maximise profit. Nicole Gulasekharam’s Casual Receptionist of the Quarter is part character comedy, part anarchic Fringe entertainment, and part plea for kindness. It’s a believable portrayal of someone who will bend over backwards to please you, even though it’s to their own detriment. And remember, no one is ever just a receptionist. Very quirky, very engaging, and surprisingly moving. 3 stars.

God Complex, TheSpace @ Symposium Hall.

A family sitcom set in Ancient Greece – or rather in the Mount Olympus VIP estate somewhere in the clouds above Ancient Greece, where Zeus and Hera look after their troublesome twosome, Artemis and Apollo, with regular visits from sex obsessed Aphrodite and the not-so-chatty Medusa. Aphrodite wants to involve Hera in some sexy time, while Apollo wants to introduce his new girlfriend to the family on a Zoom call, even if he has to pay her exorbitant hourly consultancy rate for the privilege; and Zeus just wants to do Zeusy things. In a show written by Felix Glanville and Leah Pollard, the Bristol Spotlights mix mythology with the present day in this very inventive comedy. Occasionally more lulls than lols, but nevertheless often hilarious. 3 stars.

Nuns!, Assembly George Square Studios.

Sometimes at the Fringe, all you want is a comedy show that’s just 100% bonkers. Dog Complex Theatre’s Nuns! is the very embodiment of that – the quest of Sister Gertrude to become a witch-hunter to guarantee her place in Heaven; unfortunately, her best friend Yarrow turns out to be a witch (spoiler alert) which (soz) makes it a bit of a problem. Hilarious characters include a resourceful Mother Superior and an over-enthusiastic Bishop Carmichael; there are also silly musical numbers, comically inventive staging and a whole lot of absolute nonsense, all of which make this show a total joy. Hebe Bartlett, Lili Herbert, and Hannah Rogerson give outstanding physical comedy performances and the whole audience was ecstatic with laughter. 5 stars.

00:45:00, TheSpace @ Venue 45.
Here at Wilison Labs we are proud to be at the forefront of Clinical Trials and Studies – and today we welcome five participants in a clinical trial under the direction of none other than Dr Margaret Wilison herself. We won’t truly understand the details of today’s trial until it gets underway, but till then, sit back and observe as our five participants interact under laboratory conditions. Think of TV’s Big Brother but then go a million times more dangerous – that’s what our unsuspecting young people are about to undertake. Katie Gaven’s 00:45:00 includes the audience in the trial conditions in a very believable, science-based production that makes us complicit in the proceedings – and it can be quite an uncomfortable watch. Excellent performances from Grace Hoy, Zakiya Hall, Sam Wade, Magda Riha and Paris Finch as our five participants and from Mary Kathryn Brown as Dr Wilison, this is a fascinating examination of humanity under extreme pressure by a brutal corporation that plays God with them. 4 stars.