Comedy: PSSTT!!!
Want to know what’s good in the Brighton Fringe? Listen to the word on the street
The month of May is in full swing, which means that you’ve got a bagful of flyers – either that you’ve been given or to your own show – and brains are a-whirr with all of the shows you keep hearing that you’ve missed that were excellent. Darn it! Fear not, we’re only halfway through Fringe month and there’s still plenty more to catch. And here are a few that the rumblings are already starting for.
Dan Fardell’s work in progress,
‘At Least 100 Jokes’ is a free (donations) show and his first full hour of comedy. It delivers on its name, and also offers up a few insights into the working of Fardell’s mind and his process. Do get there early though as the first performance was so packed I was sitting on the floor at the front as all of the seats had gone and there was precious little standing room left too.
Lamb Comedy is a new venture set up just off Western Road by two huge comedy fans and is already getting a busy buzz around it. They programme shows every weekend, and are proving very popular with the grass roots comics attending shows as they include quality shows from across the South East that are emerging onto the wider comedy scene in a very exciting fashion. Already Joe Foster and Mike Cox’s ‘JAM Comedy’ is begging for a repeat viewing, and Louise Reay’s ‘It’s Only Words’ piquing interest on a national scale as a show spoken in Chinese but aimed at people who can’t speak Chinese.
Shows that I’ve been tipped to see include Stuart Black’s preview of his show ‘Lemsip and Cigarettes’, Paul Kerensa’s ‘Back To The Futon Part II’, and Michael Legge and Caroline Mabey’s joint show – ‘The Two Stupids’. All of these are on at the Caroline Of Brunswick, which is always so packed with good and interesting shows that I have been known to stay on when I have a spare hour, simply to take a random punt on whichever comic is scheduled to come into the room next. And the last person I did that with is currently a YouTube sensation and touring Australia. So
worth it.
If you find yourself at a show that you’re enjoying immensely, and the person next to you is enjoying it too – ask them what else they’ve seen that they could recommend (ask after the show’s finished!). It’s all about grass roots, spreading the word and keeping your ear to the ground. That way you’ll have the Fringe working for you, rather than forever hearing how you’ve just missed the best show of the season.
www.brightonfringe.org
