#Review of Ian Smith – Foot Spa Half Empty by Bookmarks and Stages – Lou. @Iansmithcomedy @TextualHealing2 @BarrelComedy #StandupComedy #Comedy #EdFringe #EdFringe25

Ian Smith – Foot Spa Half Empty

Review by Bookmarks and Stages – Louise Cannon

Stand up comedian Ian Smith from Have I Got News For You; Live at the Apollo, Just A Minute, The News Quiz etc fame has a live stand-up comedy show not to be missed! The Monkey Barrel in Edinburgh provides a great venue for this. If you want an hour of sheer laughter, this is the stand-up show for you.

Ian Smith is a top notch comedian! It is excellently hilarious, always hitting the highest notes of comedy.

To find out what he has to say about Edinburgh Fringe leaflets, what Netflix has to do with roast dinners, some tastefully done IVF jokes of his experiences, stress and basketball hoops, you need to see the show.

Ian Smith goes from story to story, full of jokes, succinctly with excellent comic timing, then expertly weaving references to part of a previous joke together for great linkage.

I went with my friend Orla (not associated with Bookmarks and Stages, just a friend visiting, who says:

‘”Absolutely fantastic – brilliantly told stories woven together into a hilarious, clever performance.”

This show and it’s absolutely fantastic. People who see a full show of this when one materialises are in for a real treat. For now, head to The Monkey Barrell venue in Edinburgh to catch this particular show. It’s an hour of laughter very well spent. You can get your ticket to the show of much entertainment here: Ian Smith Foot Spa Half Empty

#Review of Scaramouche Jones performed by Thom Tuck by Bookmarks and Stages – Lou #ScaramoucheJones @turlygod #EdFringe #Hoots #Yurt #PottersRow #EdFringe25

Scaramouche Jones
Performed by Thom Tuck

Scaramouche Jones is a 100 year old clown played by Thom Tuck, who you may know from the likes of Horrible Histories and Penny Dreadfuls. He tells the story on Millenium Eve, after he’s come off stage after a show. What unfolds is a fascinating journey through history and tragedy, with a bit of well-placed humour.

Thom Tuck brought a fabulously engaging informality to the show, which brought increased and wonderfully uniquely intense experience that takes you through historical events, some other clowns are also mentioned, which between that and the events of times gone-by creates an authentic play, even though Scaramouche Jones himself is made-up. As the story comes out, Thom Tuck makes you feel, deeply for what unfolds and catches your eye, creating an even deeper, meaningful experience, like he casts a spell on his audience, who lapped up all that they were being told.

If, for now, if it goes on tour, or in 10 years time, when he plans to bring it back to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, this is a show that fascinates and educates as he brings historical events to life and makes you feel all the emotions. Thom Tuck takes some traumatic events of the earth’s history and tells them in an original narrative on one hand and on the other hand, sitting at the juxtaposition, he has elements that will make you laugh. It’s all masterfully woven together to create a performance about a clown with a difference from all the clowns you’ve ever known.

You can still catch it at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Check it out here: Scaramouche Jones

#Review By Lou of Out of My Head – Alan Watts is Alive and Well… Dead Performed by Jeremy Stockwell @jeremystockwell Directed by Terry Johnson @PleasanceTheatre #EdFringe

Out of My Head – Alan Watts is Alive and Well… Dead
Performed by Jeremy Stockwell
Directed by Terry Johnson

review written by Louise Cannon – Bookmarks and Stages

Review

Prior to seeing this play, I hadn’t heard of Alan Watts, but it intrigued me. The set is interesting, with blankets and cushions and looks rather comfortable and cosy.

There’s a fascinating potted history through time, which also gives a flavour as to who Alan Watts was. I didn’t know who he was before seeing this play, but came away with a good sense of who he was. Themes of spirituality, politics, challenges of travel are weaved into conversation and life observations between both Alan Watts and the actor who’s playing him, Jeremy Stockwell, as himself. It’s a unique play that’s well worth going to see.

A lot is thrown up in this play to contemplate, some of which is wise. It’s a rather powerful play with added themes of the audience being told they are enough and more phrases to that ilk being used.

Out of My Head is quietly deep, contemplative and reflective of life and death and what that last day on earth might look like. There’s also, surprisingly some humour in this as well.

Jeremy Stockwell is engaging, some of which could be impactful in a positive way for some people. He holds his audience’s gaze expertly well, drawing you deeper, both cerebrally and emotionally.

Jeremy Stockwell seems fascinating, whether playing someone else or himself.

Interestingly there is a section where people can ask questions, which were answered with rather enlightening answers, which comes in the form of as though you are talking to Alan Watts.

Synopsis

Join Alan Watts, hippie, philosopher and pioneer of the counterculture, for his last night on Earth. In his Californian hilltop hideaway, Alan contemplates his mortality and his life as a freewheeling guru and spiritual rogue. From his hospital bed, Jeremy Stockwell imagines what might have been if he had met his hero. What results is a wild ride through an eccentric landscape of love, sex, vodka and mortality. Written and performed by Jeremy Stockwell, directed by Terry Johnson.

#Interview By Lou with Alex Prescot about comedy show, Cosy @alexpcomedy #EdFringe #Underbelly @followthecow #Cosy

Interview with Alex Prescot
By Louise Cannon – Bookmarks and Stages

Welcome Alex Prescot to Bookmarks and Stages to talk about your new comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival: Alex Prescot: Cosy, which runs until 25th Aug at 11:45am to 12:45pm.

Alex Prescot has created a “tailor-made show for each audience.” He also says you can “expect a warm and fuzzy blend of joyful musical comedy and quick-witted improvisation.“

Here we talk about becoming a comedian, the show, Cosy, improvisational comedy and more…
Some people may know Alex Prescot around the Fringe already from the sell-out show, A Jaffa Cake Musical.

Who or what inspired you to become a comedian?

When I was younger, I wanted to be an actor since doing loads of youth theatre and school plays (classic). Then I went to university and decided I wanted to be not just an actor, but a director and writer too (having studied…French and Spanish). After uni, I moved to London and started to do double act comedy with my mate Nick (another wannabe actor, big ick) until we broke up cause he moved to Australia, I had to go solo and write a debut musical comedy hour about…my double act partner leaving me for Australia. 

Improv is, like all comedy, a skill. What attracted you to improvisation in-particular and how did you learn to do this and hone your craft enough to be shortlisted and finalist in comedy awards?

I started doing improvised musicals at uni because all the kids I thought were cool from the musical theatre society were doing it (spoiler: they were not “cool” as the word is widely understood).

After graduating, I co-founded ‘The Bean Spillers’, a small cast improvised musical inspired by audience gossip, but occasionally started cheating on that show with solo musical improv.

As for learning to do it, I really believe it’s hours on the treadmill and watching/listening to your performances back to try and get better. There are also general things I believe makes better crowd work improv: being genuinely interested in the audience, making them the heroes (unless they’re proper twats), and recognising when something is ‘shiny’ and grabbing onto it immediately.

There’s a lot of improv at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. What sets your show, COSY, apart from the rest? 

There’s a fair bit of improv in my show but it also tells the story of my double act break-up and so I’d like to hope it has real heart at its core (something I’ve worked on extensively with my director, the brilliant Ben Target). So hopefully it is different from purely skill-based improv shows (which are great!) and offers something a bit more personal too.

But if you’re an improv nerd and looking for an improv-focused answer, what sets it apart is I am both improvising piano and singing at the same time.

What is the cosiest part of your show? 

The cushions! I have like 20 as part of the set and I give them out to audience members throughout as rewards for good behaviour.

Why did you choose the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for your show and what happens next? 

I am also in ‘A Jaffa Cake Musical’ which had a really great sell-out run last year so has returned this year (and, miraculously, is selling out again!). As I knew this show was coming back, for me it was a no-brainer to debut this year, as the support of a successful musical and my fantastic cast mates from that show has made my Fringe immeasurably better.

As for what’s next, I would love to do a UK tour of this show and maybe also take it further afield too…watch this space!

Where can people follow you on social media?

I’m on everything @alexpcomedy and regularly post clips of the best audience interactions – come along and join the fun!

Here’s the Edinburgh Fringe link so you can be cosily entertained: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/alex-prescot-cosy

#Review by Lou of Adele Cliff: Adele, Adele, Adele… Cliff It Isn’t The Consequences Of My Own Actions #AdeleCliff @JTTedinburgh Just The Tonic #EdFringe #Comedy

Adele Cliff: Adele, Adele, Adele… Cliff
It Isn’t The Consequences Of My Own Actions

Review by Bookmarks and Stages – Louise Cannon

Just The Tonic 13 – 24 Aug 17:05 1 hour

Adele Cliff is a stand-up comedian and has been to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival a few times. She has previously won Dave’s Funniest Jokes of the Edinburgh Fringe 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016 (Dave, unfortunately is no longer doing this for 2025), UK Pun Champion 2020. Leicester Comedy award nominee – Best New Show 2023.

This was the first time I saw Adele Cliff and I was glad I did. Once she, and the audience warmed up, the show improved. It’s good, more or less, clean, inoffensive comedy you can truly chuckle at. She also, rather refreshingly manages to avoid a “poor me” attitude that you get with some other comedians.

After her groan of a cat joke at the beginning, she found her stride and got off to a better rhythm that got increased audience response. Her anecdotes and stories have good humour about Spec-Savers, Gillette, her family, living arrangements, funerals, her gigs and more… Each story, even the cat one has relatability, so connects, on the whole, well, with the audience.

What is clever is the way how she puts something original in-front of her audience and then later on, picks it up again and links things up and creates new connections with ideas too.

You’re pretty safe on the front row, she isn’t a comedian who particularly picks on her audience.

All in all, it’s pretty feel good comedy and a nice way to spend an hour.

For an evening of laughter, check out more details here: Adele Cliff

#Review of ChristBride by Bebe Cave #BebeCave @ThePleasance #EdFringe #CHRISTBRIDE #Comedy

Bebe Cave: CHRISTBRIDE

review by Bookmarks and Stages – Louise Cannon

Is she a witch or not? What has made Batilda face this predicament she now finds herself in?

Set in Medieval times, Bebe Cave holds her audience in a bubble of laughter and draws you in with her gaze and compelling performance for an hour.

History and modern times is intelligently blended together in a powerhouse of energy of a performance by Bebe Cave, who comes across as absolutely fearless on stage whilst playing Batilda, Knights of the Realm and more characters… She does this with fun, farcical, caricature type comedy, but grounds it with elements of truthfulness and realities that people can also relate to nowadays.

Batilda is at that stage of life where she wants adventure and to break free of the shackles of what is expected of her as a woman. She is coming of age and has strong desires to be different from the rest of her family. She also wants big, radical change in herself and to become a Christbride, which throws up some interesting conversations between her and God and so much more…

To find out what happens to Batilda and if she is a witch or not, check out the Edinburgh Fringe Festival link here: ChristBride

Synopsis

In the dark, deathly world of the Middle Ages, one (annoying) woman strives to find the light. Join Christbride, a female mystic in a world of male dullards, as she escapes from a life of monotony to a life of devotion. Bebe Cave presents her debut character comedy show. In a time where people believe anything, Christbride is a wild historical farce about what happens when you believe in yourself a little too much. Previous Praise: ***** (Everything-Theatre.co.uk). ***** (TheRecs.co.uk). ***** (BookmarksandStages.home.blog). ***** (@theatrebab, Instagram). **** (List). **** (EdFestMag.com).