As someone who reads every press release and plans their Fringe time with military precision I'm probably not a typical Edinburgh visitor. I went to see Emmy winner Brendan Scannell (Gilded Balloon, four stars) on a Saturday night and I was intrigued to know why others were there (but too shy to ask). I expect a lot were expecting some chirpy American stand-up, what they got was The Abyss, a powerful part-comedic monologue about trauma and therapy. It'a tribute to Scannell's storytelling skills that the packed house was enthralled and gave it a rapturuous round of applause at the end.
Scannell starts strikingly with his head inside a airlock helmet. Is he going into deep space? No, he's going into the deep – underwater in a submersible for a new kind of therapy. Once down there we hear his story, his Irish-American history, his dad, his brother's mental health issues. Trust me, it might not sound it but it is both funny and captivating. Gwyneth Paltrow and John Travolta get a mention. In an interview with BTJ Scannell says he used to drink and party so much he is surprised he survived his twenties. I'm glad he did. And glad he made the Abyss. Read the full interview here.
I was slightly suprised to see Fatiha El-Ghorri pick up an Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination for Best Newcomer. It's one of those eligibility anomalies that she qualifies as she has never done a full-length show at the Fringe before and does not front a TV comedy show in her own right. Though she's certainly a major TV presence, having been on both Taskmaster and Live at the Apollo. (see also Spencer Jones – on the main list despite having fronted two BBC series Mr Winner and The Mind Of Herbert Clunkerdunk, so riddle me that).
Anyway, if you've read this far you probably know who El-Ghorri is so I don't need to say much about her show Cockney Stacking Doll (Monkey Barrel, four stars). It's the East End-born hijab-wearing stand-up in full 'bruv' mode, telling us not to pre-judge muslims – she has friends who will down 20 sambucas, shag in a shopping trolley but then turn down a burger cos it's got pork in it, innit. She gets more personal talking about her large family and then her womb cancer last year. She's fine now but closes by saying how despite the NHS being brilliant, the aftercare was lacking, forcing her to go private. She talks passionately about how after her experience she wants to fight to make things better for others less fortunate. A show frontloaded with big laughs but not short on messages either. Tour dates here.
Roleplay (Summerhall, four stars) was one of the most talked about plays in the run-up to the Fringe and has largely lived up to expectations. Australian writer/performer Hannah Reilly penned and stars in this pertinent solo piece which touches on the tricky intersection between, sex, money, power and social media. Reilly plays Danni, a struggling podcast editor who gets snapped up and made into an online star by a corporate monster. Of course, you don't get breaks like this without making compromises and Danni finds herself inexorably tinkering with her own ethics to keep the clicks coming. Off Menu this aint.
Reilly says at the start that some of it is true, some of it isn't, but we are left to work out which is which as we see her meet a BDSM practitioner for a report where the in-depth research involves her becoming his slave. Then there's the inevitable podcast story about the life of a sex worker. Again Danni has to do it to report it. Listeners demand and expect total immersion. Which inevitably takes its toll on her IRL relationships. Her following goes up, but there is one person following her who becomes more involved than you might want.
Roleplay comes from producers Global Creatures and Francesca Moody Porductions, the latter the same producers as Fleabag and Baby Reindeer and one can see in this case how Roleplay already comes prepped and packaged for the screen in a way that Baby Reindeer (which I saw onstage at the Fringe) definitely wasn't. Maybe it was just me but as I watched it I could see how TV/streamer episodes would play out, how the simple set with the title in neon at the back, would be opened out into offices, homes, bedrooms...Nothing bad about this, but at times it felt less like a theatrical piece and more a series-in-waiting, which each podcast episode another series episode.
Reilly is certainly captivating in the lead, from her opening raunchy dance to portraying things turning darker as the story builds. Director Paige Rattray keeps the momentum moving forwards throughout and when the narrative arc is predictable at times it is Reilly that keeps us watching, even if there is a voyeuristic element that might make you shift awkwardly in your seat. There's also a have-your-cake-and-eat-it tone to the advertising (picture here of Hannah Reilly by Gracie Steindl). Roleplay doesn't dig as deep as it might claim – the tagline 'Attention is the new oil' feels clunky to me – but there's no denying that you are very much sucked into Danni's world. Roleplay runs at the Soho Theatre from October 22 - November 21. Tickets and info here.
I saw Crybabies' The Scaring (Pleasance Courtyard, four stars) on the night it was announced that that Tim Curry had died, which was quite appropriate. The Scaring is very much a comedy horror spectacular in the tradition of The Rocky Horror Show. It pays homage to seriously scary movies – the title I presume is a nod to The Shining – while making sure it never forgets that it's a comedy first and foremost.
The Crybabies trio switch and swap roles in this high energy thriller. The action starts ten years ago with a sudden death but all is not what it seems. And then a decade on at a deserted hotel there are more eerie events that cannot be explained. The plot is corny, silly and knowingly overacted in every way possible, placing the style somewhere between The League of Gentlemen and one of Garth Marenghi's ghastly sub-Stephen King novels. Michael Clarke plays it dead straight, with the emphasis on dead, Ed Jones can do clean cut and demonic at will, but it's lanky James Gault that dominates, whether dressed in a nightie/bath robe or as the tallest little girl you are ever likely to see on the Fringe stage. Lob in a few Exorcist and Psycho gags and the occasional genuine jump scare and you've got a classy cult chiller.
The Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer prize is announced this Saturday and Omar Badawy must be in with a shout. His debut full-length show Guided Detour (Pleasance Courtyard, four stars) is sharp and funny and he is immensely likable, quickly establishing a rapport with his audience. Although maybe it helped on the day that I saw him that a) he was buzzing from his award nomination and b) he has Egyptian roots and had three Egyptian software engineers in the front row nodding in recognition whenever Badawy talked about his family. But he's a very clever comic with a lightning fast brain and he's probably been just as good as this all month.
Guided Detour is a single extended story that takes place when Badawy finds himself in central London on the day of Tommy Robinson's march in September 2025. It just so happened that Badawy was dressed as a viking. Not for the march but because he was going to a fancy dress party. From this colourful intro Badawy takes us back to his school days – his family is muslim but his ambitious parents sent him to a Christian school to get better grades (nods from the software engineers).
He recalls his early encounters with racism, his time at university and his marriage plans. Part of the story involves his proposal to his girlfriend, which he is determined to get right. It's a deftly well-constructed show from someone who knows how to paint a comic picture with words. I wasn't surprised to discover he writes for SNL UK. He's up against some tough acts for the newcomer prize but even if he doesn't win it, Guided Detour underlines that Badawy is heading straight for the top.
Read more Fringe reviews here.
All tickets from edfringe.com
Roleplay picture credit: gracie steindl
