From Luisa Omielan’s feelgood hour to Liam Williams’s pensive set, here are 10 fringe shows where you pay on the way out
Just as there is some dross on the paid fringe, there is gold in the
free bit. As ever, the Free Fringe is the landing strip for comedy’s
outsiders and experimenters. Over the past few years more and more
professional acts have moved over from paid to free, liberating
themselves from large upfront costs and obsessively checking ticket
sales. Here are 10 super shows where you pay nothing to get in (but you
do pay to get out).
Luisa Omielan – Am I Right Ladies?
Omielan’s 2012 debut show,
What Would Beyoncé Do?, was a smash hit that came from nowhere, and it took her across the world.
The follow-up
still has a feelgood party vibe and is more overtly feminist. It marks
Omielan out as an admirably honest, charismatic comedian.
Laughing Horse @ The Counting House
Liam Williams – Capitalism
One of comedy’s
most exciting prospects, whose gloomy debut earned him a best newcomer nod last year. His standup is pensive and perceptive, and his new show is a
deeply impressive hour on his own relationships, the failings of pop culture, and Fight Club.
Laughing Horse @ The Cellar Monkey
Rob Auton – The Face Show
More rough around the edges is Rob Auton, a genuine original, whose
show is a poetic, arty musing on faces (having tackled the big subjects
of the sky and the colour yellow in previous years). Rather than the
wacky, stoner comedy that that suggests, Auton’s shows have an innocent,
yearning quality to them. Contains no Rod Stewart.
Banshee Labyrinth
Carey Marx – Abominable
A classy standup – and one who has moved from paid to free this year –
and a well-established headliner on the UK circuit. His style is
cynical without straying into unpleasantness, this year skewering the
absurdity of a Snoop Dogg gig he went to, and finding humour in his
unlikely love for the family cat.
Canons’ Gait
Joel Dommett – Finding Emo
Were you in a band in your teens? Dommett was, and he’s laying his at
times excruciating musical past on the line for our entertainment. The
former MTV presenter is an excellent storytelling comic and always an
upbeat presence onstage.
Laughing Horse @ The Counting House
John Kearns – Shtick
Last year’s best newcomer winner is a strange act indeed, with his
monk’s wig, false teeth and extremely leisurely manner. Taking his sweet
time, he tells stories about his life with a melancholic edge, and he’s
an expert in his chats with the audience.
Voodoo Rooms
John-Luke Roberts – Stnad-Up
Wordy Radio 4 writer Roberts injects surrealist touches to his act
this year, keeping this break-up show silly rather than sad. His “insult
the audience” section – pre-written one-liners directed towards each
audience member in turn, such as “you’re as self-destructive as a man
with a soluble face who keeps crying about it” – has been updated and
remains a joy.
Voodoo Rooms
Sarah Campbell – Don’t Worry Guys It’s Sarah Campbell
A comic who’s pretty chirpy considering her many anxieties, which
include how the human race has run out of stuff to do, and how often she
is mistaken for a 12-year-old boy. Campbell has brilliant comic
delivery, and a great touch with the audience. If you don’t mind the
fact that there’s a bit of the kids TV presenter about her, you’ll leave
this show with a smile on your face.
Cabaret Voltaire
Ben Norris – Benny on the Loose
Another experienced standup, with 20 years on the clock, Norris is
one of the most bankable headliners around and is a brilliant
improviser.
The Liquid Room
Bobby Mair – Off Meds
Canadian scruff Mair is a devilish comic who will find the dark
underbelly of any subject. His second show is as strong as his debut
last year, and bigger things surely beckon.
Laughing Horse @ City Cafe
