EDINBURGH FRINGE - POST 4

Eh up! Managed to get an interview with none other than comedy guru and Free Fringe founder Peter Buckley Hill. Fascinating man, with wonderful views on comedy, critics, and the commercialism of both. Some more shows to recommend also; mainly the hidden gem that is Barry Fox (Newsroom, 4pm, Free). Barry is an artist and poet from Newcastle, though his first Edinburgh show is a peculiar mix of powerpoint presentation, excrement, poems, tramps, cardboard, pornography, and letters to national Athletic authorities. Though the material twisted and explicit in places, Barry balances this with a likable, almost nervous delivery which coaxes the audience confused into his strange world. Most of the audience left muttering the words 'Fucked up' but this simmering insanity makes for unique and brilliant hour of artistic comedy. Five star stuff for me. Secondly I'd like to talk about Matthew Highton and his show 'Shadowed Vagery' (Just The Tonic @ The Caves, 10.15pm). The 20 year old instantly appears as an accomplished stand-up comic with a style not dissimilar to master surrealist Ross Noble. Although the night I saw him was slightly marred by Matthews mouth paying the price for the heavy night before, the hour saw him telling us a series of far-out (and eventually interlinking) anecdotes which the storyteller obviously could never have been a part of. Be it stealing a magic feather from the tail of Mickey Rouke's peacock, or losing his shadow whilst trying to jump a gate, Matthew's 'observational' delivery gains the audiences trust into almost believing these daft yarns. I predict this is just the beginning for a genuinely nice lad with a confidence which even stretches to letting the audience exorcise any negative heckles at the top of the show. Wonderfully imaginative. As for us, we ended our short run on a high with the last Animals of Butter Bridge show pulling in a record 70 people! Peaks. Troughs. x