bookmark_borderA day at the Fringe

Last Saturday we headed to Edinburgh for some Fringe frolics, with only a vague plan but no real expectations of what we might see, so as we walked towards the Gilded Balloon we accepted a few flyers and made some quick decisions!

First up was a musical comedian from Boston, Katie Goodman. She got things off to a great start with some lovely little songs and raps. Funny, crude and provocative, she certainly doesn’t mince her words; She thinks that some men are probably Gay, there are some things she doesn’t remember, she didn’t fuck it up and is a big advocate of Unfuck It Up.

Next up, and the highlight of the day for me, the Wellington International Ukelele Orchestra. Cover versions, sing alongs, laughter, glow sticks, inflatable palm trees, DIY spotlights and mirrorballs not to mention some brilliant performances and delicious harmonies! It was an hour of joyous music and fun, I only wish it had lasted longer! (they do a nice line in tea towels as well). I am a ukelele convert!

Finally, we head down to the Pleasance and after some sustenance decide to pick whatever was next. And so it came to be that we found ourselves in the audience for Pete Firman, a magician with a nice line in cocky comedy, and some clever magic. He delivered some laughs, a some good tricks and it nicely ended the, somewhat random, day on a good note.

We struck it lucky for sure, three random shows that were all great, but of the three it would have to be the WIUO was definitely the pick of the bunch.

bookmark_borderExcerpts from the Fringe 2005

No, I’ve not been near Edinburgh – if you are looking for some inside info check Alan, or Richard or pick an Edinburgh blog – but received the following in an email which made me laugh:

“I realised I was dyslexic when I went to a toga party dressed as a goat.”
Marcus Brigstocke at the Assembly Rooms.

“Cats have nine lives. Which makes them ideal for experimentation.”
Jimmy Carr.

“The right to bear arms is slightly less ludicrous than the right to arm bears.”
Chris Addison at the Pleasance.

“My dad is Irish and my mum is Iranian, which meant that we spent most of our family holidays in Customs.”
Patrick Monahan at the Gilded Balloon.

“The dodo died. Then Dodi died, Di died and Dando died… Dido must be sh*tting herself.”
Colin & Fergus at the Pleasance

“My parents are from Glasgow which means they’re incredibly hard, but I was never smacked as a child … well maybe one or two grams to get me to sleep at night.”
Susan Murray at the Underbelly

“Is it fair to say that there’d be less litter in Britain if blind people were given pointed sticks?”
Adam Bloom at the Pleasance

“My mum and dad are Scottish but they moved down to Wolverhampton when I was two, ’cause they wanted me to sound like a twat.”
Susan Murray at the Underbelly

“You have to remember all the trivia that your girlfriend tells you, because eventually you get tested. She’ll go “What’s my favourite flower?”, and you murmur to yourself “Shit, I wasn’t listening – self-raising?”. “
Addy Van-Der-Borgh at the Assembly Rooms

“The world is a dangerous place – only yesterday I went into Boots and punched someone in the face.”
Jeremy Limb, at the Trap

“I saw that show ’50 Things To Do Before You Die’. I would have thought the obvious one was Shout For Help!!”
Mark Watson, Rhod Gilbert at the Tron.

“I went out with an Irish Catholic. Very frustrating. You can take the Girl out of Cork …..”
Markus Birdman at the Pod Deco

“Got a phone call today to do a gig at a fire station. Went along. Turned out it was a bloody hoax.”
Adrian Poynton at the Pleasance.

“Employee of the month is a good example of how somebody can be both a winner and a loser at the same time.”
Demetri Martin at the Assembly Rooms.

“A dog goes into a hardware store and says “I’d like a job please”. The hardware store owner says “We don’t hire dogs, why don’t you go join the circus?”. The dog replies “What would the circus want with a plumber”. “
Steven Alan Green at C34

“Hey – you want to feel really handsome? Go shopping at Asda.”
Brendon Burns at the Pleasance.

“I like to go into the Body Shop and shout out really loud “I’ve already got one!”. “
Norman Lovett at The Stand.

“It’s easy to distract fat people. It’s a piece of cake.”
Chris Addison at the Pleasance.

“I enjoy using the comedy technique of self-deprecation – but I’m not very good at it.”
Arnold Brown at The Stand.

“If you’re being chased by a police dog, try not to go through a tunnel, then on to a little seesaw, then jump through a hoop of fire. They’re trained for that.”
Milton Jones at the Underbelly.