In The Black, The Space at Surgeons’ Hall.Kofi’s in jail. They nickname him Calc, because he has a reputation of being a whizzkid with numbers. 3246 x 172? No problem, he can work that out in his head in less than a second. There are worse reputations to have in jail. But how did he get there? Kofi tells us his story of growing up in New York with an ambitious and strict Ghanaian father, who instilled in his son an ambition to do well in finance. And there’s always room for a romance to develop at work too! But how does this lead to jail? Quaz Degraft gives an outstanding performance in his finely written and structured one-man play that makes us question the important things in life. His compelling storytelling has us hanging on his every word, as he introduces us to an entertaining cast of characters who all play a vital part in his tale. Written with an excellent feel for light and shade, with delightful comical moments breaking up the serious story, it’s a privilege to watch a young master at work. 5 stars.

Yellow, The Space at Niddry Street.Having left the service of politician Olivia Horvath due to an embarrassing fancy dress faux pas, Mal now finds himself ensconced in a lawyers’ office, working on defending those accused of financial criminality. But when new recruit Rosie joins the firm, she opens his eyes to the big world out there and how together they could make a difference. Geoffrey Mamdani’s Yellow starts promisingly with a funny opening scene between Rosie and Big Boss Tony Marchant, but then it gets bogged down in a turgidly written conversation between Rosie and Mal, and from then on it’s an upward battle to re-engage with the plot. Good performances – mostly – including an amusing turn from Peter Wilding as Tony and solid work from Heli Pärna as Rosie and Yorgos Filippakis as Mal. The play impresses as a clever modern reimagining of Twelfth Night – just a shame it couldn’t have benefited from a lighter touch. 3 stars.

Paul Savage: Hopes Under the Hammer, Hoots @ The Apex.As a renter, Paul Savage has had to move house nine times in the past five years. That’s no way to live! Still, it has given him the inspiration for his comedy show Hopes Under The Hammer, so it can’t be all bad. As well as dealing with those charismatic letting agents, he has an extraordinary story about property-selling that should strike fear into anyone on the housing chain, as well as wider subjects like Big The Musical and being a tour guide. Paul has a very affable, natural conversational style of delivery, and his show is full of strong, funny material delivered at a decent pace, and with a natural connection with the audience. 4 stars.

Hail Mary, None of the Grace, Gilded Balloon @Appleton Tower.Mary Kennedy speaks to us from the funeral of her mother, who played the organ at that church for over twenty years. Raised a Catholic, by not only her mother but two devout grandmothers, it’s taken her into her 50s before she feels she can be who she really is. Mary tells her personal story, including the radical realisations that both her mother and one of her children undertake, from a position of quiet, mature self-awareness, and it’s a story full of honesty, sincerity and surprises. When does one finally gain the confidence to cut oneself free from a belief and a culture that is simply no longer meaningful? Riotous stand-up it isn’t; more an engrossing account of one woman’s journey to self-understanding and acceptance. 3 stars.

Inlet, Assembly @ Dance Base.Saeed Hani, Syrian-German choreographer and director of his Luxembourg-based Hani Dance Company, brings his Inlet to the Edinburgh Fringe; a powerful and absorbing work of contemporary dance. Taking the myth of Romulus and Remus as its inspiration, the dance explores the importance and significance of walls and building blocks on society, how they imprison us, and how we can break down the barriers they create. Three dancers, equal in status, emerge as if newborn from behind their individual structures. As they start to form bonds between each other, we begin to see partnerships form and break, until powerplays develop, and a struggle ensues for dominance via possession of the building blocks, which are seen as vital to success. Hani’s challenging and emotional choreography is fully realised by Ana F Melero, Michelle Scappa and Francesco Ferrari in a brave and committed performance which keeps our attention throughout, stimulating thought and impressing enormously with their strength and skill. A gorgeous, riveting work. 5 stars.

Alfie Packham: My Apologies to the Chef, Underbelly Bristo Square.Alfie Packham is a new name to us, so we went in with no preconceptions of what was in store. Firstly, the title My Apologies to the Chef bears no connection with the substance of his show, so if you think you’re in for some kind of Gordon Ramsay/Fanny Cradock mash-up, you’d be sorely disappointed. Having recently lost his mother, his father is now back on the dating apps, which Alfie finds suitably both impressive and repulsive; but most of his material is a rather free-flowing stream of consciousness, which you feel could go in any direction at any time. He raises an interesting question of the respective values of art versus music versus performance, but he doesn’t take this to any logical – or indeed comedy – climax. In fact, Alfie seems to get a great idea for comic material and the run with it for a while until it runs out of steam; and this becomes the basic structure for the entire show. There is a lot of funny material here, but he also has a few sequences that raise no more than a wry smile. So for me this was a bit hit-and-miss. 3 stars.

Arthur Hull’s FLOP: The Best Songs From The Worst Musicals Ever Written, Gilded Balloon @Appleton Tower.20-year-old Arthur Hull brings his musical show Flop to the Edinburgh Fringe in a blaze of glory… Hang on a sec, did you say 20? You’re ‘avin’ a larf, incha? How can this young man be so talented?! Flop is Arthur Hull’s homage to the world of musical theatre – but in a specific way, taking the best songs from musicals that were flops, either commercially, critically or artistically. And, surprise, surprise, there’s a wealth of fantastic songs out there that come from shows that died a death and of whose name we may never speak again. I’d forgotten the horrors of Diana the Musical, or the film of Cats, plus King Kong and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, as well as many others. Arthur has researched these unsuccessful endeavours so that we don’t have to, and the result is an hour of pure musical theatre joy. But the best thing about the show is Arthur himself, a charismatic singer and instrumentalist, who fills the theatre with glorious vocals and a terrific sense of fun. A star is born. 5 stars.