Hilary Wardle

Edinburgh Fringe review: Hayley Ellis, We Need To Talk About Kevin

Edinburgh Fringe review: Hayley Ellis, We Need To Talk About Kevin

If you’re worried about accidentally booking a book festival ticket instead of an hour of stand up, don’t be.

 Hilary Wardle

Edinburgh Fringe review: Martin Mor, [kuh-MEE-dee-uhn]

Edinburgh Fringe review: Martin Mor, [kuh-MEE-dee-uhn]

Gigantic, beardy Northern Irishman Martin Mor looks more like a circus strongman than a comedian, which is perhaps down to the fact he is one. He used to perform in the big top and still offers family circus shows under the name Martin Bigpig.

 Hilary Wardle

Edinburgh Fringe review: Gavin Webster, A Controversial Title In Order To Sell Tickets

Edinburgh Fringe review: Gavin Webster, A Controversial Title In Order To Sell Tickets

At one point in this extremely funny show, Gavin Webster pauses to let us know what he thinks of comedy journalists. Unsurprisingly, it’s not pretty. In typically vituperative style, he announces that we can’t tell our arses from our elbows. We’re thick. We don’t have a ruddy clue.

 Hilary Wardle

Edinburgh Fringe review: Tiffany Stevenson, Optimist

Edinburgh Fringe review: Tiffany Stevenson, Optimist

Tiffany Stevenson looks rather angelic with her blonde hair and shimmering blue-green dress, but the minute she opens her mouth you realise that she’s just the opposite. She’s a brash, complex, unhinged demon woman, and she knows it.

 Hilary Wardle

Edinburgh Fringe review: Patrick Monahan, Adventures In Monahan Land

Edinburgh Fringe review: Patrick Monahan, Adventures In Monahan Land

It’s impossible not to like Patrick Monahan. The lively, witty Irish/Iranian/Teesside comic is so friendly that his entire set feels a bit like it’s taking place in his living room over a pint of Newcastle Brown Ale and some traditional Persian snacks.

 Hilary Wardle

Edinburgh Fringe review: Simon Munnery Sings Søren Kierkegaard

Edinburgh Fringe review: Simon Munnery Sings Søren Kierkegaard

There’s a reason why no one has ever tried to base a stand up show on the books and diaries of an early 19th century Danish philosopher: it’s a ludicrously hard thing to do, something that even Simon Munnery admits, saying that as comedy material goes it rates about 8.5 on the difficulty scale.

 Hilary Wardle

Edinburgh Fringe review: Adam Of The Riches

Edinburgh Fringe review: Adam Of The Riches

Trying to review Adam Riches’ insanely creative, confident, character-filled Fringe show is a bit like trying to nail fog to the Forth Bridge: it’s virtually impossible.

 Hilary Wardle

Edinburgh Fringe review: Jason Cook, Broken

Edinburgh Fringe review: Jason Cook, Broken

Jason Cook is a broken man. He doesn’t look broken – a bit tired, perhaps – but he repeatedly assures us that he is.