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