THERE are more than 2000 shows on at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 265 venues. You can try to go to them, or you can just go to the excellent Stand Comedy Club where all your Fringe needs can be satisfied under one roof. The Stand is cheaper than the other venues, celebrates Scottish talent and isn’t run by the commercial comedy machines.
OK, advert over, because not everything at the Stand this year has been as good as it could be – much like the Edinburgh Festival, in fact. Following the greatest financial crisis in 80 years, I expected great things. Some things were indeed great – such as the inspired revival of the Gregory Burke play, Gagarin Way, a farcical tale of incompetent boss-napping which is much more topical today than when it was first perfumed at the Traverse in 2001. Phil Nichol’s anarcho-psychotic Eddie is seriously scary.
However, much of the comedy that I saw seemed to miss the political mark – though it hit other marks pretty accurately. David Longley is a very clever comedian who manages to combine Taoist philosophy and coprophilia in one very funny and literate hour. His commentary on the crisis of capitalism is that we’re all just basically greedy. But his poo jokes were good.
Steve Carlin is a Scottish comedian who’s as dry as the dust on the floor of a pub with no beer. His set explores the petty disappointments and humiliations of Scottish working-class life. Scottish financial planning? Keeping your toys in a box in case they’re worth something some day. Curiously though, his funniest routine was about the way they needlessly close and open the curtains at cinemas. Stewart Lee says Carlin is one of his top 10 comics, which is praise indeed from the comedian’s comedian, author of Jerry Springer – The Opera. But what happens when the comedian’s comedian isn’t very funny? I’m afraid the great Lee was having an off night when I saw him. Fine to make jokes about Jeremy Clarkson but only if you’re funnier than he is. Lee’s humour is all about repetition and digression, but a riff about a pear cider advert overstayed its welcome and went nowhere. Even brilliant comedians need material.
That’s a lesson Lee could re-learn from Mark Thomas’s absolutely brilliant Manifesto, in which he gets the audience to submit policy ideas for a better world. A maximum wage? Free public transport? How about making perpetrators of homophobic hate crime serve their sentences in drag? Most popular on the night: allowing people to vote against parties in elections as well as for them. It’s much funnier than it sounds. The show is laced with visual accounts of inspired stunts like kidnapping Margaret Moran MP’s expenses-funded potted bay tree. On Wednesday, Thomas will put the Edinburgh manifesto to real live MSPs in a free lunchtime show.
Yes, some real comedians.
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com