Every year at around this time journalist are asked for their tips for the best shows to see at the Edinburgh Fringe in August. Professional critics can’t just pick all the things they have chosen before and know are the best because, like the low rent entertainers they essentially are, they too need to vary their repertoire to stay on top. I have done the fringe 23 times and have no axe to grind, so the only top tips list you need is this one. But remember, seeing something a bit rubbish that hasn’t really worked is a vital part of the fringe experience, so at least two of these may well be deliberate duds.
1) It’s Always Right Now, Until It’s Later (Theatre, Assembly) The world’s best stand-up comedian, the hair-shirted Yorkshireman Daniel Kitson, presents another of his usually superb theatrical monologues at the typically truculent time of 10 a.m daily. Have a bowl of bittersweet romanticism for breakfast.
2) Hans Teeuwen (Comedy, Pleasance) The Dutch comedian’s no-prisoners approach to the art from takes in stand-up, music, vaudeville, confrontational embarrassment, and dada-ist performance art, and is sure to disappoint and confuse as many as it delights. My wife and I were on the floor laughing during his bongo-powered song about the life of Nostradamus but, to be fair, half the room was just irritated. In the future, when Teeuwen’s genius has been recognised by The British, you will boast that you saw him way back when.
3) Dick Gaughan (Music, Acoustic music centre) One night only, August 25th, from the impossibly intense Scottish folk veteran who makes English people feel thoroughly told off, and leaves Scottish collaborators ashamed. But seriously, the force and focus with which Gaughan, alone at the guitar, delivers his annual Edinburgh set of modern protest songs and ancient folk ballads is a wonder to behold, a force of nature that leaves you shaken up and exhilarated.
4) Harlekin (Dance and physical theatre, Pleasance) The St Petersburg troupe Derevo, whose impossibly imaginative and stunningly precise devised shows have barely visible roots in European clowning traditions, were responsible for the single greatest piece of theatre I ever saw, 2002’s La Divina Comedia, and I am so delighted they are back at The Fringe. In ’97 I shared a venue with them. My warm-up process was drinking a half of lager. Theirs appeared to be discovering entirely new purposes for their limbs. Nightly.
5) Nick Pynn (Music, Inalingua Edinburgh). For the best part of the last decade, Nick Pynn’s intimate one man shows, in the candle lit twenty seater room of a Hanover St language school, have been the festival highlight I save up as a treat. Pynn plays a succession of home-made contraptions and exotic stringed instruments, often simultaneously, using loops and pedals, with naggingly unforgettable tunes that seem to reference half-familiar folk tunes through a prism of borderline avant-garde practise. I liked him so much I toured with him last year and now I am no longer really allowed to recommend him without being nepotistic.
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Meninblack, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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A D Ward, Twitter
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World Without End, Twitter
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Danazawa, Youtube
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Stuart, Chortle
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube