Edinburgh Fringe Reviews

Day 4

THE LAST LAUGH *****

Assembly, George Square Studios

Bought a ticket for this on the recommendation of another Fringe-goer who said it was “must see”. They were right.

Paul Hendy’s scalpel sharp script imagines three great comics of yesteryear, Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse, sharing a dressing room, swapping anecdotes about their careers, and chewing the cud about what makes a great joke.

Monkhouse, brilliantly mimicked by Simon Cartwright, is the cerebral gagmeister; Cooper (Damian Williams) the instinctive funnyman; Morecambe (Bob Golding) a referee between the other two.

There’s a real sense of what made each of the trio tick, and we get to enjoy some of their best gags and routines along the way.

That might make ‘The Last Laugh’ sound like an exercise in nostalgia, and while that is part of its appeal, it’s also a very contemporary examination of how comedy works.

There’s pathos, too - the tears of the clown are never far from the surface. Nor at the end of this wonderful hour, were mine.

One of the very best shows at this year’s Fringe.

Tickets here

SUSIE McCABE - MERCHANT OF MENACE *****

Assembly, George Square Studios

It was only after watching this show that I discovered Susie McCabe suffered a heart attack little more than a fortnight ago. Even without that knowledge, I was wowed by her energy and astonishing comic flow.

Knowing what I know now, I find it scarcely believable that she could deliver a performance of such panache so soon after a life threatening trip to A&E - but deliver it she did, to a hugely appreciative audience.

McCabe is joyously indiscreet about her personal life. and a sharp social commentator - comparing Waitrose to Asda, she asks if the UK is the only country where supermarkets are stratified by social class.

She takes no shit from chattering audience members either, as one noisy observer discovered to their cost.

I loved her take on the numerous Xmas shows she’s been forced to watch as the lesbian godmother to her mates’ kids; and her reflections on visiting a posh Edinburgh hotel for the first time.

She described her heart attack as a “shot across the bows”. I hope she’s paying attention to it, because the comedy scene would be all the sadder for her absence.

Tickets here

SEX AND DRUGS AND GROWING OLD ***

Laughing Horse at Eastside, The Lounge

I’ve seen loads of shows this year that I haven’t reviewed because why make someone miserable just because you didn’t enjoy their work?

The whole point of the Fringe is to dive in and sample as much as you can, knowing that some of it will be brilliant, and plenty of it won’t.

Andy Zap’s ‘Sex And Drugs and Growing Old’ certainly isn’t a five star classic, but of all the ‘pot luck’ performances I chanced upon, it was my favourite.

Some of the gags were crude, others tickled the funny bone, but either way, there was something genuinely affecting about his story of recovery from addiction that made you want to root for him.

I wouldn’t normally mention his age, but it’s relevant in the context of the show that Andy is 76, and still has things he needs to say. Good for him. Oh, and he plays damn fine harmonica too.

This kind of show is the beating heart of The Fringe.

Tickets here