It’s the final week of the Edinburgh Fringe and this is when the comedians find out if they have been nominated for any awards and if performing the same show each day for three weeks has been worth it. Obviously the Fringe isn’t all about awards and many just enjoy playing to audiences and improving their shows before they go on tour or hit the clubs post Edinburgh.
RGM doesn’t have a trophy to handout but we can definitely name our top five shows that we saw this year. Good luck to everyone who has played the fringe and a big thank you to all of the staff in the venues I visited.
PIERRE NOVELLIE : WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?
One of the best-dressed men at the Fringe (even whilst performing in a sweltering hot basement). Pierre delivers plenty of revelations, including the joys of going to a Persian barbers as well as some of the finest urinal observations that I’ve witnessed. Without any spoilers, this has one of the best endings to a show that I’ve seen this year with just tears of laughter. A must-see show.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
@pierrenovellie
MARK WATSON: SEARCH
Mark likes to blur the lines between the stage and the audience. He will greet people outside and even become usher by finding seats for late comers and borrow water from the front row. Mark is one of the most consistently brilliant fringe regulars, engaging in improv science banter one moment, the next sharing important news stories of Joe Pasquale being impaled by a moose. He could have been on stage all night and had the crowd lapping up every word.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
@comedywatson
IAN SMITH: CRUSHING
Fellow teeth grinder Ian Smith unleashed a brilliant hour covering a two person only stag weekend, how to pronounce the letter H, and how he will try almost anything to de-stress.Ian is the only comedian to take the time to turn on the air con halfway through a show. Just don’t ask him to guess your name.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
@iansmithcomedy
PAUL FOOT: DISSOLVE
Dissolve is Paul’s most personal show to date. A big change happened in Paul’s life last year and this show takes you back to that moment in close detail. One thing that hasn’t changed is his ability to deliver big laughs. Tip top stand up, and a show unlike anything he has done before.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
@paulfoot
JULIA MASLI: HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA
Julia turned heads last year with her clown show ‘Choosh!’ and this year ‘Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha’ certainly lives up to its title.It can take a few minutes for the crowd to feel at ease with conversing with Julia and allowing her to discover their fears. Great interaction and creates a superb hour of clowning.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
@juliamasli
I must mention that there was a lot of brilliant work in progress shows and it feels wrong to review them as they are not the finished articles, however, Tarot, Catherine Bohart and Jordan Brookes’ were all superb. They are all going to be must see shows next year.
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