Steve Whiteley: A Mind Full, Just the Tonic at the Mash House.Steve Whiteley’s new show starts with a meditative pause; it’s a chance to hear the internal dialogue of all the voices in his head, setting the scene for an hour’s journey through all the mistakes of his life and their potential solutions. A true survivor, Steve cuts a very engaging figure on stage, with first-rate comic timing, some fun callbacks, and excellent self-deprecating asides. There are some extremely funny sequences – I particularly liked his material about Buddhism, and the gluten free rap is hysterical. This was the first show in the run and he made it clear it was a work-in-progress, and there is some sharpening up to be done. But he has a winning way about him and the show will only get better as the Fringe progresses. 3 stars.

MARIUPOL, Pleasance Courtyard.It’s so easy to overlook the impact of war on ordinary families. Katia Haddad’s MARIUPOLis based on her memories of the city and tells the story of how Russian Galina and Ukrainian Igor (a.k.a. Steve) meet at a wedding reception, and then enjoy a few days of idyllic romance before real life separates them. They meet again ten years later, both now married, having moved on in their lives. When Russia invades Ukraine, both Galina and Steve have sons in the army who have to do their duty and go to war; will this bring their parents back together again one more time? This riveting, heartbreaking drama is full of surprises and features two powerful performances – Oliver Gomm as Steve and, particularly, Nathalie Barclay as Galina – and truly highlights the human cost of war. Slickly directed by Guy Retallack, this is a hard-hitting, emotion-packed play. 4 stars.

Do You Accept These Charges?, Pleasance Courtyard.Laurie Magers’ amazing firsthand account of her infatuated love affair with multi-crime felon Evan ought to be unbelievable because it is so extraordinary yet it is true. She has that rare gift of being someone with whom you feel an instant connection; within thirty seconds you’re hanging on her every word. And though her account is a sorrowful one, full of pain and heartbreak, it’s also ecstatically funny, from a disastrous Christmas Day queue to get into the detention centre to the sexual turn-on that is the ankle-tag. Laurie is an electric storyteller, pacing the delivery of her material perfectly; she says we are all her friends, and we believe her. The funniest account of being a prisoner’s girlfriend you’ll ever hear! 5 stars.

Kate Owens: Cooking with Kathryn, Underbelly Cowgate.<We mourn the loss of our beloved Kathryn, who presented the Cookery programme on the Evangelical Community Channel every day for the past thirty or so years, and welcome the new host, her daughter, err.. also named Kathryn. Kate Owens presents us with this madcap hour of Christian cooking, terrifically slapstick and at times hysterically funny, with an obscene giblety chicken, a disastrous egg bake and the most disgusting sacramental dessert that you have to watch her eat through the gaps in your fingers. But there’s more than just physical comedy cookery cock-ups, the show also has a message about the damage that can be done to children raised in devout Christian communities. Kate Owens is a brilliantly engaging clown and there is some truly hilarious audience participation so beware if you’re a man and you sit in the front row. The comedy does run out of steam a little towards the end, but there are some genuinely side-splitting sequences as Kathryn comes to terms with all her personal limitations. 4 stars.

Christopher Macarthur-Boyd: Howling at the Moon, Monkey Barrel.Christopher Macarthur-Boyd cuts perhaps an unlikely appearance for a comedian; smart suit, slick hair, Proclaimers-style glasses and slightly diminutive of stature, all rounded off with a Glaswegian accent that veers between super refined and rough as guts. His new hour of comedy, Howling at the Moon, contains neither howling nor any celestial beings, but is packed with great original material and some delightfully funny routines. He puts an original slant on the fact that both his girlfriends have been Australian; he has superb comparisons between Glasgow and Edinburgh, and he has an unusual criterion for deciding upon his sexuality. A master mimic, he has terrific authority on stage, and he keeps the energy up for the whole show. Huge fun, highly recommended. 4 stars.

Virtuoso, Assembly George Square.Meet Tobias Finlay-Fraser as he delivers yet another audition on his journey to stardom. A master of all styles and humble to his core, he never misses an opportunity to push the boundaries of artistry to a totally unacceptable limit. A brilliant comic invention by Casey Filips, to tell you more about what to expect during this hour of truly inventive comedy would be to ruin it for you. Expect the unexpected, help him on his quest to Oscardom, and save the Manatees. You’ll laugh so much it hurts. 5 stars.