So onwards, good biscuiteers, to the first in our series of venue by venue guides for this years Fringe...
Ah Pleasance, Pleasance, Pleasance. Such a beast. Such a behemoth. Such a hub of poor quality hotdogs and poorer quality celebrity sightings.
While it can often feel a bit like one big royal rumble for a guest slot on Mock the Week, between the Dome (like getting drunk in a swimming bath) and the Courtyard (‘Is that Jimmy Carr? I think that’s Jimmy Carr!’) the enormo-venue usually offers up more than its fair share of cracking shows: its dominance of the Used To Be The Perrier award in recent times - three out of the last four winners of the main prize have been of Pleasance stock - stands testament to a line-up that isn’t always as conservative as one might first imagine.
This year is notable for the absence of some stalwarts: for the first time in yonks there’s no Pappy’s or The Penny Dreadfuls (whose Pleasance presence will still be felt via the debut solo shows of its members, Humphrey, David and Thom), which means there’s a spot open for a new King of the sketch-making sort. It’s a title that you wouldn’t bet against Idiots of Ants stealing for their own - though they could face tough competition from young upstarts Late Night Gimp Fight and Sheeps.
On the stand-up front there’s the same old line up of Live at the Apollo faces: Rich Hall, Shappi Khorsandi and last year’s Comedy Award winner Russell Kane are all back with new shows. More interesting is a new piece from wonderfully surreal character comedian Colin Hoult, while the highly anticipated return of Tim Key - everybody’s favourite oddball comedy poet - should make waves. Also worth keeping your eye on is Alex Horne, who follows up his terrific leadership of last years suprise hit The Horne Section with a brand-spanking solo hour.
Over in the theatre pages – often a little sparse at the Pleasance – there’s actually some pretty striking stuff. Stephen Berkoff’s Oedipus is bound to be worth a look, while innovative Fringe favourites Les Enfants Terribles return with a new show, The Infant. And whatever you do, don’t miss the internationally acclaimed (and politically astounding) Belarus Free Theatre in their first visit to Edinburgh. Destined to be a talking point.
Finally, no one should miss the completion of Joe Bone’s fabulous Bane trilogy, a one-man extravaganza that’s as feel good a Fringe experience as you’re likely to find. If you have time, try and see all three in a row: it’s worth it for the in-jokery.
Not a bad selection all in all, eh? And who knows, you might even spot David Mitchell having a cider.
