Ted Hill just could be 110 percent normal. What do you think? There’s time to find out with this comedy that has audiences saying “he’s hilarious”. Don’t delay nor tarry though. Now’s the time to check this talent out on George Square Gardens, Studio 4 at 2:40pm to 3:40pmevery afternoon until and including 26th August, excluding the 13th August. https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/ted-hill-110-percent-normal
Ted Hill – ‘genuinely hilarious’ ***** (BroadwayBaby.com) – is weird. His clothes are weird. His vibes are weird. His comedy is weird. He’s always been a weird little ADHD weirdo. But now he must grow up and do some proper, traditional stand-up comedy. There will* be NO multimedia mayhem, definitely NO computer chaos and absolutely ZERO silliness. ‘Few comedians harness the frenetic activity of their minds quite as comprehensively as Ted Hill’ (Chortle.co.uk). ‘Hill’s childish energy belies the slickness of his tech and his irrepressible nerd’s fondness for graphs’ (Scotsman). *probably
Improv Comedy – Venue 17 – Assembly George Square Studios, Studio 2 4th – 12th Aug 3:40pm (1hr)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Description
Painfully funny improvised medical drama. For these brave front-line heroes no procedure is too convoluted, no disease too made-up and no relationship saga too inappropriate for the operating theatre. Sit back as we administer 50cc of laughs straight to your funny bone. Inspired by TV medical dramas, from Grey’s Anatomy to ER – and a few words from our audience, the all-star cast will improvise a brand-new episode of your favourite show St Doctor’s Hospital every day. Created by Graham Dickson, from West End smash-hit, Austentatious. ‘Incredibly talented group… hilarious… a truly brilliant show’ ***** (ThePhoenixRemix.com).
Review
Catch an episode on stage of St. Doctors Hospital! It could be your new medical drama but with comedy. It is hilarious! The audience gives a part of the hospital for the setting and another word and the cast work from that. This time it was the morgue and a vampire, so the staff followed this theme with laugh-out-loud results. It’s set-up like you’re watching Casualty or ER or Grey’s Anatomy in that it has its own theme tune and an incident happens and a bit of romance. When I saw it, the incident was like nothing you’d have seen before. For the whole hour, this theme was kept up and the humour just kept coming and you could tell even the cast were having fun doing this. St. Doctors Hospital is unpredictable, laugh-a-minute comedy. Tickets https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/st-doctor-s-hospital#
Venue 88 – Just The Tonic At The Caves – Just Up The Stairs
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Ben Miller, no, not that one but another one. If you’re into comedy and science then this is something truly different for you. Age 16+
Synopsis
What happens when a comedian walks into a volcano? In 2023, Ben Miller was the artist-in-residence at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, the first stand-up comedian ever selected. This was probably a terrible idea on their part. Come watch this show where scientist turned stand-up comedian Ben Miller explores volcanology, entomology, Hawaiian history, cats, cookies and more. And yes that photo is real. Ben has made people laugh in front of a burning lava lake, and he is not afraid of you.
Review
Scientists often have a joke or two up their sleeve. There’s a scientist in my family, so I know (and no it isn’t Ben Miller). Down in the Just The Tonic Caves is scientist turned comedian, Ben Miller who certainly knows his stuff when it comes to volcanoes. Nicely, he keeps it not from turning into a science lecture. You’ll learn something and then he skilfully adds in a joke that may involve food, pets and more… On the whole, it was very funny, a couple of times it felt a bit awkward, but then he picks it up and gets back into his stride and it becomes very funny again or very interesting again. There are times when you just don’t know where he’s going to go with a joke and that really works. It is full of surprises and the further it goes, the further this show has promise and the better it becomes, so worth a watch for something rather different.
Venue 20- Assembly Rooms – Music Hall 3:10pm (1hr) until 25th August
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Synopsis
After thrilling the world, with more than 600,000 spectators and astonishing appearances at the Royal Variety Performance, Monte Carlo Festival and Moulin Rouge, the ‘best circus show’ (TheatreWeekly.com) returns on a mission to entertain… for the last time! Don’t miss the farewell season of this acrobatic celebration joining the energy of Africa with a R’n’B sound. Five unleashed acrobats perform their comedy tribute to cult movie The Blues Brothers. In an elegant nightclub reminiscent of The Cotton Club, chairs, table and surroundings become props for breathtaking jumps, fire and somersault routines, human pyramids and much more!
Review
Hugely entertaining and full of tricks! The Black Blues Brothers is lots of fun and very, very clever with high energy. Blues, soul, R’n’B, Jazz music converges with acrobats in an amazingly creative way! Back-flips, balancing acts, breath-taking stunts and tricks all tell stories. The narrative they produce is easy to follow and all is highly entertaining and awe-inspiring.
It all pays great tribute to The Blues Brothers in a phenomenally innovative way that is utterly impressive and great fun!
The Black Blues Brothers are stunning! The run-time is 1hr and it goes incredibly fast.
I highly recommend you catch it before they go in this farewell season.
Even if you don’t think Beatboxing is for you, give this show of world champion beatboxers a try and you may be surprised. This is music and familiar sounds with a difference. It is sure to lift your spirits with its sheer entertainment. Find out more below and then my review.
Synopsis
Witness mind-blowing sounds, beats, sketches and vocal agility performed by international touring beatboxers and world champions, The Beatbox Collective. Featuring a team of the UK’s top vocal artists: Bass6, Ball-Zee, Hobbit and MC Zani – ‘If you didn’t think you were a beatbox fan before, they will prove you wrong’ ***** (EdFestMag.com). This vocal supergroup creates a rhythmical masterclass that leaves you buzzing. They return with their hit show of 100% fresh vocal wizardry that is not to be missed.
Review
The Beatbox Collective are some of the coolest people in the city. Just ordinary guys doing extraordinary things to make every sound convincing, from a phone to songs and so much more as you feel the vibrations rush through the floor with the energy they produce as music and sounds come from within and out through their mouths.
They came into the room with the wind and introduced themselves with drums and beats with a difference. All these sounds came from them. They then introduced familiar tv sounds and took you into the natural world with David Attenborough and into other popular tv programmes.
The format changed to a gameshow as they spun a wheel with films on it and then another for the different beats, then the magic happened as the 2 collided to recreate the theme-tune as you’ve never heard it before. Seamlessly, they changed to songs you’d hear on the radio, with a bit of whole audience participation.
They ask What’s Your Sound? The audience participation ups its game so you too can learn the basics of beatboxing.
There was a change in tempo with different styles of music, from hip-hop to pop.
It’ll leave you with your heart soaring and in awe of what you’ve just witnessed.
The Beatbox Collective also do other jobs involving their art, including working with children in schools.
At Monkey Barrel Comedy, 12:05pm (55 mins) until 25th August
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Step down the stairs, careful as you go into the atmospheric, yet witty Eleanor Morton’s Haunted House. Haunted comedy with twists. Find out what it’s about below and then my review.
Synopsis
Have you ever seen a ghost? Comedian Eleanor Morton hasn’t… yet. Could today be the day? Let’s find out. Eleanor Morton is a Scottish stand-up, writer and actor. Notable recent gigs include tour support for Kevin James Thornton, appearances on Breaking the News and You’re Dead to Me. In 2022 her BBC Radio 4 one-off comedy special, The Rest of Us aired, in which she and comics Mary Flanigan and Esyllt Sears explored what it’s like to be British (but not English). ‘A nuanced and exceedingly funny hour’ **** (EdFestMag.com)
Review
Have you ever seen a ghost? Do you believe in ghosts? These are the pertinent questions Eleanor Morton is asking.
Down in the Monkey Barrel comedy theatre is a house that just might be haunted.
Class and living in Edinburgh, politics to a certain extent and of course ghostly apparitions and spooky books are the topics covered in this spooky show, where you can also learn about 3 different types of ghosts.
Hear the voices of the people of Edinburgh about the ghosts they’ve seen and a certain amount of history that’s revealed.
These ghostly tales then are brought back into the world we are living in.
This is a show with the most unexpected twists in jokes. One moment the auditorium is silent, the next there’s peels of laughter. This is skilful comedy!
Bookmarks and Stages by Lou 