Edinburgh Fringe Reviews
Day 2
Abby Wambaugh: The First Three Minutes of Seventeen Shows
(Pleasance Courtyard, Attic) *****
Without doubt, the best performance I’ve seen at The Fringe this year. Abby Wambaugh’s one woman show manages to be poignant, funny, and genuinely thought provoking.
In one sense, it’s classic stand up territory - a comic mining their personal experience - including, in this case, a miscarriage - for laughs. But wasn’t it the great Frank Carson who said, “it’s the way I tell ‘em?”
Wambagh deconstructs the key moments of her life, and chops them up in the most unexpected ways, under the guise of creating the opening salvo of seventeen different live shows.
She has real warmth, generates wonderful interplay with the audience and will send you away either blubbing or smiling, or possibly both.
Don’t miss.
Book here
Martin Angolo: Idiot Wind
Underbelly, Clover ****
Angolo reckons there are five Black Irish comedians - but jokes that he’s the only good one. I can’t vouch for the others, but he’s certainly got the patter to keep a decent crowd entertained for the best part of an hour.
His routines - which encompass weight problems, the English, and the biscuit related downsides of dating middle aged divorcees - are well worked, and he’s never too far from a punchline.
He’s also willing to flirt with trickier subjects - trans rights, Gaza - before swiftly heading back to safer territory.
If you’re after state of the world angst or Stewart Lee style navel gazing, he probably isn’t yer man, but if it’s solid, reliable stand up you’re after, Angolo won’t let you down.
Tickets here