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.
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter