Entirely on brand, I turned up for a European comedy show and no other fecker did, so it was cancelled. It's a spectacular entrance tho.

New York Comedy Cellar's newest, biggest venue is certainly progressing but still has some way to go. Apparently scheduled for January, it will be a single performance space with a mezzanine.

After due consideration, the 2025 Fringe Monkey Talented but Ignored Award goes to Jake Baker! Congratulations Jake! If you DM me an address I'll send you a small, underwhelming trophy.

2025 Fringe Stats Shows entered: 74 Shows abandoned: 4 Reviews posted: 67 Average mark allocated: 2.9 Smallest audience I was part of: 2 Shortest Hour Show: 31 mins Best Show: Pierre Novellie Best Show Title: It's Pronounced "Ruaridh" Main downtime location: Monkey Barrel Bar

I'm done with Fringe 2025. Hopefully the reviews were of some help & you found something interesting/dodged a bullet as a result. I don't post much Sep-Jul so feel free to Unfollow. I'll hopefully be back in 2026. Thanks to all the performers & to the venue staff. Cheers!

Paul Hilleard (WIP): He's the reigning BBC New Comedy Award winner working out material for his first proper hour. His short run is over but if you enjoy oddball characters saying unusual things in a lo-energy but charismatic way, get him on your list for 2026's Fringe.

Dan Tiernan: Blimey, there's a lot going on here. The material, initially autobiographical, is relayed around a Glastonbury story. He ramps things up during a psychosis section that could be an unhinged Rob Auton piece & ends on a musical callback. Ambitious/impressive in equal measure. PWYW. 4/5

Pretty successful day at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards. Ate too many sausages, drunk too much white wine, bothered Mark Watson, laughed at Amy Gledhill & hung out with the Monkey Barrel cool kids.

Peter Jones: He starts solidly enough with accessible, generic material. Apropos of nothing he begins to enquire in detail what audience members had for breakfast. This ill-judged, anti-comedy diversion continues for an age & only really ends when the fire alarm goes off, allowing me to escape.

Liam Withnail: He takes us through his life, assessing whether the decisions he's made & the challenges he's faced have ultimately resulted in happiness. It's densely-written & expertly-performed. A beautiful example of what can be done in a Fringe show. PWYW. 4.5/5

It's the last weekend of the Fringe. Here are some of my favourites you might still get into: Paid: Daniel Kitson, Sam Jay, Rob Auton, James Trickey, Alice Fraser. Free/PWYW: Pierre Novellie, Ayo Adenekan, Oliver Coleman, Stuart McPherson, Rosco Mcclelland, Ian Smith, Liam Withnail, Jake Baker.

Ian Smith: Fans may recognise bits from his R4 show but there's tons to enjoy here. He's still stressing about stress - this time he themes the hour around a medical test. Rest assured, a vividly-realised diversion is never far away. He really knows how to construct a Fringe hour. PWYW. 4/5

Fast Reviews: Sam Lake: Solid start, long sad bit, enjoyable laddish ending. 3/5 Dan Muggleton: Parenting, masculinity, Australia (as always). Dependable. 3.5/5 Laura Davis: Captivating but not her most commercial effort. 2.5/5 CMB: Good at silences. Strong wee guy energy. 4/5

The 2025 EDI Comedy Awards shortlist will be out later today. Here are some of MY favourites so far: Paid: Daniel Kitson, Sam Jay, Rob Auton, James Trickey, Alice Fraser. Free/PWYW: Pierre Novellie, Ayo Adenekan, Oliver Coleman, Stuart McPherson, Rosco Mcclelland, Chris Cantrill, Jake Baker.

Ruaridh Miller: It's an assured hour of generic standup from this promising local lad. There's no theme but the set divides into personal material/things that bother him. Delivery is cheery & he keeps things moving along. No doubt he'll be in a bigger room next year. PWYW. 3/5

Dan Rath: Steven Wright is the most obvious reference - think low-energy precision 1 liners but with surreal twists rather than dispiriting puns. He dwells on some topics for a while, allowing momentum to build. Blunt crowdwork displays just how quick his mind works. PWYW. 3.5/5

Mark Silcox: He's a gold trader now apparently. It's a deliberately-shambolic PowerPoint lecture, often with irrelevant diversions. He's the poster boy for the phrase "marmite comedian". His hardcore audience are in hysterics while others stumble out early, dazed & confused. FF. 3/5

Mike Blaha: We're firmly in "He's seems nice but..." territory here. He's a well-travelled lawyer who appears to have forgotten to edit these travel tales down for public consumption. He's like a jovial uncle you try to avoid at a family gathering. A misjudged effort. 1.5/5

Rosco Mcclelland: If you've not seen him recently, he's got really good. He updates us on his life & what's been bothering him. No strongly-present theme but the material is well-worked & it's a very satisfying hour of accessible, charismatically-delivered standup. PWYW. 4/5

Courtney Buchner: Supposedly about her lesbian awakening & her wedding, we get many childhood stories of varying quality. There's strong drama-school energy with this one - she loves an accent & an act-out. The mainly female audience seemed a lot more on board than I was. 2/5

Chris Cantrill (WIP): He's definitely still working the show out but there's much to enjoy meantime. Bob Mortimer fans may enjoy his irregular, compelling delivery & slightly skewed view of life. ATM he's discussing living in the countryside. 2 shows left, so be quick! PWYW. 4/5

Gareth Waugh (WIP): It's a blend of new stuff (often about his growing family), some older material fans might be familiar with & improvised thoughts inspired by audience suggestions. He's always extremely watchable & quick-witted. If you have a gap at lunchtime he's worth seeking out. PWYW. 3/5

Stuart McPherson: It's an accessible hour as he considers ageing, his relationship & the pros/cons of having a child. It's densely-written & he belligerently forces you into laughing through sheer weight of jokes. He's a consistently impressive performer. PWYW. 4/5

Jack Traynor: The lad's not short of confidence. Delivery is fast & loud as he paces around the stage. There's no theme or much time spent on transitions. The performance makes a bigger impact than the material but there's clearly talent there. I'll be watching his progress. 3/5

Pierre Novellie: The delivery is measured & every word has been carefully planned - it's a brutally efficient hour of conventional standup. Nominally about a house move, he's also keen to discuss the state of the nation, all with a world-weary sigh. Unspeakably good. PWYW. 5/5

Alice Fraser: This is a mix of autobiographical tales, a love letter to books (especially romantic fiction) & a discussion on modern masculinity. She's smart & engaging & there's some precise, beautifully-florid language. Worth catching, especially for fans of The Bugle. 3.5/5

Daniel Kitson: "I'll fanny around for a bit & then you lot'll pop off" is the theme. Riffing on his genius/mediocrity, discussing cows & hydration, getting owned by some chopsy audience members, it's 75 mins of unique freestyling from probably the UK's most talented comic. 4.5/5

Visiting the Fringe & looking for suggestions as to what to see? Here are some of my favourites so far: Paid: Sam Jay, Rob Auton, Dylan Adler, James Trickey, Ben Pope, Seaton Smith, Alice Fraser. Free/PWYW: Ayo Adenekan, Oliver Coleman, Jake Baker, Michael Shafar, Eric Rushton.

Oliver Coleman: It's probably the closest he's come to "normal" standup. Expect an intense, vivid performance as he dwells on life, his relationship & the state of the planet. He has a razor-sharp comic mind & is quick to riff on any tiny detail. See him before he's famous. PWYW. 4/5

Joe Tracini: The energetic, camp delivery, coupled with the slideshow gives it a TED talk feel. He recaps his childhood before going hard into the many sad bits - drugs/mental health/ suicide. The audience were ecstatic at the life-affirming wrap-up but one jaded reviewer at the back was unmoved.

Haunted House: It's a combination of mime & clowning so the script is minimal. More notable is the theatrically-dramatic (hammy) performance, full of gurning & mannered hair-flicking. The extended mime sequences quietened even the most enthusiastic audience members. Not for me.

Michael Shafar (Inappropriate): An interesting mix of social comment & personal anecdote (including an odd "viral" story). The material is well-worked with all the fat trimmed off & the callbacks aren't crowbarred in. No real theme but it's a decent use of your time. PWYW. 3/5

Heather Marulli: It's her 1st Fringe & I'm sure she'll learn a lot during the run. We don't need to go into specifics but it's fair to say that this show needs a bit of work. And I think it's best to leave it at that. 1/5

What Men Want: A split bill featuring Katie Green & Evaldas Karosas. The former describes it as a WIP & there's some note checking but the comic timing is good. The latter is a much slicker product, moving quickly through everyday topics with confidence. An accessible 50 mins. Free Fringe. 3/5

Susan Harrison: It's character comedy so expect wigs & accents. Her background includes improv so there's significant audience interaction, culminating in an improv game with a punter that goes as badly as you would expect. The mature crowd were oddly thrilled by it all tho. 2/5

Gareth Mutch: He's incredibly relaxed on stage. There's no theme but the first half concentrates on learning to drive, then he moves on to shorter storytelling bits. He swears like a man with scant regard for delicate souls or, indeed, word economy. The room is very warm. 2/5

Chris Scott: Delivery is robust. There's no theme or segues, each bit barrels straight into the next. The material covers everyday subjects with the occasional impressive flourish, but also includes the 1st outing this Fringe for the old "...then it's you" hack joke. PWYW. 2.5/5

Andy Barr: Adam Bloom's book on standup talks about the material fitting the character & that's the issue here. These whimsical flights of fancy don't suit the person delivering them. They're unconvincing, almost jarring. I wish him well for the future. 2/5

Vulnerable White Passing Male: Delivery is energetic & skittish - sentences often don't get finished. The theme of male role models is vaguely present in this mix of social comment & personal anecdote. It's reasonably successful, generic standup with an American focus. 3/5

Seymour Mace: He's on new medication so this is slightly more cohesive than recent efforts. Expect stupid props, daft endeavours & expletive-rich surreal rambling. He's a genuine oddity & this might be mainly for existing fans but could be worth a punt for the adventurous. 3/5

Jake Baker: The theme is loosely "how to be a modern man". Delivery is gentle & slightly hesitant & he wears his beta male status with pride. The writing is solid & the gag rate can't be faulted. He excuses it as a "sort of work in progress" but there's nothing to complain about. FF. 3.5/5

Topical Comedian: His excuse for reading off cards is that it's topical/newly-written. Diana, Jeffrey Archer, Truss, Jan 6th - you know, topical. The script is a mix of vague statements, simplistic misunderstandings & worst of all, puns, delivered to a persistent silence. FF. 1/5

Any Objections?: She calls it "harp-based shenanigans" which about covers it. 3 songs, some lovely playing & a bit of loop pedal mullarkey. Her main skill, it's probably fair to say, isn't comedy but she gets by. The last 3rd goes slightly awry with a quiz & then some baffling astronaut stuff. 2/5

Edy Hurst: This is extremely broad comedy (think children's show or pantomine). There's some physical comedy, clowning, titting about with props & shouting. So much shouting. Initially about witch trials, it takes a turn 50 mins in & becomes exclusively about The Venga Boys. 2/5

Adam Bromley: This is remarkable but not in a good way. The loose theme is catastrophising but it's not dwelled on. He covers his drinking (as he did last year), then there's audience participation - revealing fears, waving a flag & pretending to be a dragon. Incredibly poor. 1/5

SMUT: This is a camp extravaganza of graphic sexual content with burlesque elements. It's a very theatrical character piece - the script is not strongly comedic in itself. The performance can't be faulted but I'm surprised it's not in the Cabaret section. Not for the prudish. 2/5

Liam Farrelly: It's personal, anecdotal standup of a solid standard. Oddly, he remains seated, hunched, for the whole show, which limits his options for expressing himself. There's no theme, too many fucks and he ends abruptly but it's a decent effort. 3/5

Tim Biglowe: Expect fairly generic anecdotal standup, interspersed with crowdwork sections. All the bits are quite short so we're not on any topic for long & some end abruptly. He seems relatively new to comedy & will doubtless be a better comic by the end of the run. FF. 2/5

Yukata Cowboy: I might have dreamt this. He has a deadpan Moldovan opener do 20 mins (she's actually ok) then, what I assume is an Andy Kaufman character, does the remaining 24 mins of the hour. When he wants to add emphasis, he turns his baseball cap around. No. Just no. 1.5/5

Friz Frizzell: It's an odd mix. Very short song parodies (an Aldi Adam Kay?) plus assorted tales of personal illness/medical challenges. You could argue that the former should be more to the fore but he keeps things moving. Worth a punt if you want a stupid laugh at 4pm. Free Fringe. 3/5