Venue 33, Pleasance Courtyard, Pleasance One,
3rd-24th Aug (not 15, 22), 1.30pm-3.00pm
"A vibrant, stimulating showcase of talent."
SATURDAY 3rd AUGUST 2024
Pleasance One, Venue 33
1.30pm-3.00pm
Tickets: £17.50
TODAY'S LINE UP
Janie Dee’s Beautiful World Cabaret
Cabaret and Variety (musical theatre, live music)
All the world’s a stage, let’s protect it. Multi Olivier Award-winning West End star Janie Dee (National Theatre’s The Motive and the Cue and Follies; Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends) confronts the climate crisis, and celebrates our beautiful world, through song and spoken word. Unusual and inspiring guests join this green twist on classic cabaret, asking how we can each make a difference in the fight for our planet. Playful, radical, informative, and ultimately hopeful. ‘Is there a more enchanting actress on the British stage than Janie Dee?’ (Times). ‘Passionately green... hilarious... pure class’ (MusicalTheatreReview.com).
Elf Lyons: Horses
Comedy (clown, physical theatre)
The first ever comedy show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe performed entirely by a horse. Made by award-winning Elf Lyons, performed by Treacle. 'Beautiful hind legs' (Horse & Hound). One of the 50 funniest comedians of the 21st century. 'Praise her genius and go' ***** (Telegraph). 'Lyons can't be accused of treading the conventional career path since none of her shows ever remotely resembles the next' **** (Guardian). 'Elf is funny and wise – and a hero of sanity' (Dylan Moran).
Diary of a Magician
Dance, Physical Theatre and Circus (magic, family-friendly)
Step into the world of the magician, where fragments of life are unveiled through a mysterious diary. Join a mesmerising adventure through mountains, seas, and the cosmos in search of creative sparks. Experience classical Chinese poetry fused with modern magic, witness centuries-old verses colliding with contemporary art. Diary of a Magician blends classic magic and sensational stunts into a spellbinding performance. ‘More than just magic, this is art’ ***** (KidsInAdelaide.com.au). ‘Moves like a dancer, everyone is enraptured… Keeping children’s attention is tough; doing it without saying a word is even more impressive' (DarkStoriesTheatre.com.au).
The Sex Lives of Puppets
Theatre (puppetry, comedy)
Blind Summit – makers of Fringe hits The Table and Citizen Puppet – pull back the covers on puppet sexuality in contemporary Britain. What do puppets look like naked? Fancy some no strings sex? What are you doing with your hands? Not so much the "birds and bees", more the "nuts and bolts", of puppet intimacy. 'Inventive, silly and visually arresting comedy... with moments of real, heartfelt tenderness.' **** (Stage). 'Uproariously funny' **** (PlaysToSee.com). 'Is it too early to start talking about the best shows of the year?' ***** (BroadwayWorld.com).
Plastic Jeezus: Leave Them Wanting Less
Comedy (musical comedy, stand-up)
Simon and Aaron are Plastic Jeezus, an award-winning, ukulele-pluckin', deadpan comedy duo performing hilarious (and often surreal) songs and stories, in their own straight-faced way. Performing comedy since 2021, Plastic Jeezus have entertained comedy clubs and festivals across the UK and now arrive for their debut Edinburgh Fringe appearance. Semi-finalists: British Comedian of the Year Awards 2023. Winners: Best Newcomer, Musical Comedy Awards 2021. 'Genuinely hilarious' (Ed Byrne). 'Dark, daft and bloody hilarious' (Chris McCausland). 'I'm pretty sure Jesus himself would approve' (Eshaan Akbar).
Justin Moorhouse: The Greatest Performance of My Life
Comedy (stand-up)
Get ready for an unforgettable experience as Justin returns to the Fringe with The Greatest Performance of My Life. The story covers subjects ranging from pantomimes to dreams, how to behave in hospitals, small talk, realising his Mum is a northern version of Columbo, and how being a smart-mouthed kid saved him from a life of continually being beaten up. Above all else, it's the Justin you have to come to expect. It's funny and interesting, and perhaps there's a little bit that warms the soul, too. **** (Chortle.co.uk). **** (Fest).
No Regrets: Christine Bovill
Musicals and Opera (musical theatre, cabaret)
Christine established her reputation as one of Europe's finest interpreters of French song with her smash-hit Piaf. A decade later she returns with No Regrets and looks back on her remarkable journey with a fresh take on this self-penned work. At the heart of the story is a young Glasgow girl, reluctant in school French until she heard 'that song'. Her journey is interwoven with Edith Piaf's life and those incredible songs. Christine's Piaf performances have become 'the stuff of Fringe legend' (BroadwayBaby.com). The Paris icon and the Glasgow girl.
Mervyn Stutter
Host and Compere
Mervyn has been in the entertainment industry since 1974. He started in theatre where he acted, wrote scripts, songs, and directed for around 14 years. In the 1980s, he became the 'regular topical song bloke' on the BBC TV's first ever daytime show, 'Open Air', fronted by a thin Irishman called Eamonn Holmes. Over the years he has performed weekly topical songs on many TV current affairs programmes and more of the same on radio. In the late 1980s, he took his comedy songs onto the Comedy Circuit and then touring theatres. Merv's first Edinburgh Fringe was in 1986 and he has been every year since. 'Pick of the Fringe' started life as 'Have you seen anything good?', a show to help answer the perennial Fringe-goer question. The title was changed to 'Pick of the Fringe' in 1994 and it he has built it up into one of the must-see Fringe shows.
“Mervyn Stutter is very, very good as compere of this chat show, for to make such a showcase work requires skill, talent and quick reactions. Stutter works the crowd like the showman he is.”
THE OBSERVER