Some of our favourite funny acts at the Fringe over the years have been pushing the boundaries in character comedy.
It's an artform somewhere between sketch and stand-up, as character comedian Alison Thea-Skot herself notes right here as she dissects the genre, namechecks her character comedy heroes, and revisits some of her own past creations. Read her column here.
'It's Thea-Skot In Here (So Take Off All Your Clothes)' is part of PBH's Free Fringe at Cowgatehead with shows through to 27 Aug.
PHOTO SHOOT: GOODBEAR
OK, so sketch comedy duo Goodbear appear in our Week One issue out next Wednesday. So we better take some bloody good photos of them, hadn't we? And here they are!
Goodbear are performing at Bedlam Theatre until 28 Aug.
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REACH THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF TICKET BUYERS ONLINE: THE TW DAILY/IFRINGE COMBO With the Festival now up and running, put your shows in front of ticket buyers as they make their ticket-buying decisions online. Get a banner in this TW Daily email and the brilliant iFringe app every day for a week for just £140 plus VAT. We can even help you with the banners! Other great offers are also available on the TW Daily and iFringe. Email TW.advertising@unlimitedmedia.co.uk to dicuss options and secure your slot. |
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PREVIEW ISSUE OF THE THREEWEEKS MAGAZINE IS OUT NOW - DOWNLOAD OR PICK UP YOUR COPY The preview edition of the ThreeWeeks magazine is out now! Pick up your copy from a Fringe venue of your choice. Inside you will find interviews with Ball-Zee, Amée Smith, Sarah Hehir, Lucy Garland, Matt Winning, Helen Duff, Amelia Ryan, Tim Carlsen and Kid Carpet, plus columns from Stephen Greer, Jinx Yeo and Penny Ashton, and plenty of Three To See show recommendations. CLICK HERE to check out the preview edition online. |
ThreeWeeks Co-Editor Caro Moses recommends shows at this year's Edinburgh Festival, in handy sets of three.
THREE MARVELLOUS MAGIC SHOWS >>
Laura London – Cheat | Voodoo Rooms | 6-28 Aug (pictured)
From what I have been told, Laura London is pretty much the only female sleight of hand card magician working today, and that's interesting enough all by itself, but she's also performing a show with a fascinating subject. 'Cheat' tells the story of Geraldine Hartmann, a card cheat from the 1920s, exploring her love affair with poker and the cheating techniques she used to part the unwitting from their cash. It also helpfully informs you how you too can cheat at cards.
Dave Alnwick – The Cult Of Dave | Voodoo Rooms | 6-28 Aug
When our ThreeWeeks reviewer saw this man's show back at Edinburgh Festival 2011, we gave him full marks, a five star review, or five-out-of-five as it's known around these parts, and our reviewer described at least one of his tricks as "jaw-dropping". I'm trusting on the general assumption that the last five years have been kind to Dave Alnwick, and that his super-powers of trickery have therefore only increased. Oh, and the fact reviewers elsewhere continue to talk about what a brilliantly entertaining, unconventional and charismatic performer he is.
Die Magik Kunst | La Belle Angele | 6-28 Aug
Now, to be fair, this isn't really a real magic show, but a parody of a magic show, a comedy homage to that overly theatrical Vegas style of magic. In their heyday, Grainger And Hans were stars of The Strip, but haven't performed since their show closed in 1973. Now in their eighties, they are back for one last performance... which ounds like a recipe for lots of ageing make-up and physical comedy.
THREE NEW MUSICALS >>
Confessions Of A Justified Song Writer | Assembly Checkpoint | 4-28 Aug
When it comes to musicals at the Fringe, we are always most interested in the newly developed or still developing ones, so here's the first of three you can experience in 2016. This first one sounds a bit meta, really, given that it's about the tricky process of creating songs, so that's interesting, plus, it's from The Royal Conservatoire Of Scotland, who always come up with great stuff.
Ghost Quartet | Roundabout @ Summerhall | 5-28 Aug
This already-acclaimed piece, first performed in 2013, sounds quite amazing, and puts me in mind of something like 'Cloud Atlas', given its interweaving narratives set in various different times. It draws on all sorts of different musical genres – "murder ballads, doo-wop, Islamic adhan, and raucous campfire drinking songs collide", apparently, to make this something of a haunting, mash-up musical.
Macbeth | C | 3-20 Aug
Time to brush up your Shakespeare, not just because it's the 400th anniversary of his death this year, but because Hackney Empire are bringing to the Fringe this rather intriguing sounding musical adaptation of the classic tragedy. Performed and created by young Hackney artists, the music falls into the categories of R'n'B, grime and afrobeat, so it's certainly not your average show tune fare.
THREE NON-FRINGE TREATS FOR CHILDREN >>
Raw | Edinburgh International Conference Centre | 27-28 Aug
The International Festival isn't normally the place I would be looking for a family show, but things have been a changing around those parts, and this year they offer up this dynamic dance theatre show suitable for viewing by adults and older children. It's made by young people for young people and deals in themes young people can relate to, and comes to Edinburgh with Belgian dance company Kabinet K. Sounds like powerful and entertaining stuff.
Jo Cotterill | Charlotte Square Gardens | 14-15 Aug
For many years there's been an excellent programme of children's events at the very marvellous Edinburgh International Book Festival, and every year I find it hard to select a representative session from all the excellent choices available to me. So please do have a look at the whole programme. But for children – girls especially – in the 9-14 age bracket, Jo Cotterill, appearing at two different events, is top of my list. This prize-winning author will discuss two of her most recent works, 'A Library Of Lemons' and 'Electrigirl', both of which have won much critical acclaim.
Art Early | Fruitmarket Gallery | 13 Aug
This is an early-in-the-day version of the Edinburgh Art Festival's 'Art Late' programme, but it's for children and families instead of adults, and of course the content reflects that. I can't help thinking that this morning of themed gallery tours and activities will be a fab introduction to fine art for those little absorbing minds, and rather good fun for their parents too.
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