Latest news with #TrainMan
Scotsman
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Fringe comedy reviews: Sam Nicoresti: Baby Doomer
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... COMEDY Sam Nicoresti: Baby Doomer Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker Two) (Venue 33) until 24 August ★★★★☆ Sam Nicoresti's evolution as a stand up has been inextricably bound up with their journey as a trans person. And very specifically in this show with their quest to find the perfect two-piece skirt suit. A mortifying experience in the changing rooms of a high street clothing retailer – during a Pride march no less – could be seen as symbolic of the culture wars. And it unquestionably is at a superficial level. But Nicoresti focuses on the very personal fallout of the tale: the humiliation and novelty of the scenario, those fundamental bedrocks of good anecdotal humour. Sam Nicoresti in Baby Doomer | Contributed Blessed with an interrogative intelligence and self-lacerating streak, they're living at the vanguard of social upheaval, just scrambling to be themselves with audiences the beneficiaries. No shrinking violet exactly, fond of tossing out a challenging aphorism such as 'all kink is autistic' or observations like the trans community being inherently drawn to magic, then winning you round to their point of view, Nicoresti nevertheless radiates fragility and insecurity. Any big laughs they elicit, and there are many, feel like bigger affirmations of self. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There's trauma, certainly, though Nicoresti is bleakly, hilariously forced to confront the reality that their flavour of PTSD may not be quite of the same strength or vintage as those of others. Related in characteristic asides, their parental support network is ambivalent at best. And the episode of their sperm donation is an eye-opening account of what some people have to go through in order to sustain the possibility of a family. With a lovely, precise turn of phrase and an extreme insider-outsider perspective in such ultra cisnormative environments as the gym, Nicoresti remains a highly distinctive act who doesn't seem to have peaked quite yet, with a long way to seemingly go in every respect. JAY RICHARDSON COMEDY Caroline McEvoy: Train Man Assembly Roxy (Venue 139) until 25 August ★★★☆☆ Caroline McEvoy's impressive Fringe debut draws its title from the YouTube channel and abiding obsession of her younger brother, one of the most important shapers of her identity. Jonathan is profoundly autistic. And her family's adaptation to his needs has massively impacted the London-based Northern Irish stand up's upbringing and present circumstances, while likely dictating her future. As the big sister charged with additional responsibilities, McEvoy nurtures some lingering resentments. But she's simply outgunned in the war of sibling rivalry thrust upon her, with the more consequential conflict of sectarian Ireland a backdrop that she archly and tonally astutely weaves into their story. Disney films are another recurring metaphor that she leans on, contrasting their optimistic sentiments with her own, somewhat more jaded perspective. She doesn't lay all of her issues at her brother's door though, with her teenage sexual awakening a confusion entirely of her own experimentation, though girls-only education unquestionably played a part. Keeping it light and entertaining for the most part, the self-mocking McEvoy is alive to her own foibles. But she fully conveys the magnitude of Jonathan's challenges, not just in his endearing, atypical quirks but also the ways in which society fails their family. JAY RICHARDSON COMEDY Sam Williams: Touch Me Not Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) until 25 August ★★★☆☆ Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Such is the idiosyncrasy of Sam Williams' first full-length Fringe show, that the stand up's claims of scratching a living eating cat food for marketing purposes and to be dating an Olympic champion, facilitated in an online netherworld that maybe has some overlap with the real, physical realm, aren't the most remarkable aspects of his debut. If all had gone to plan, the garrulous comic would be in a French monastery right now he maintains, having undertaken a vow of silence. Truly, God moves in mysterious ways. Because as a proudly sex-positive and articulate bisexual, Williams seems an unlikely adherent to the Christian faith. With two queer brothers, and parents who run the gamut from evidence-based rational thinking to hallucinogen-induced mysticism, Williams is that most scallywag of rogues, the charismatically Byronic storyteller with an exposed belly of vulnerability and overarching need to belong. As a lost soul, evoking the parable of The Prodigal Son through the clumsily cringe retelling of Rob Lacey's Street Bible, the text rendered in grasping yoof speak, this is a real curate's egg of an hour. Williams seems open, intelligent and painfully self-conscious. But his naked admission of embellishing his story somewhat undermines the spiritual epiphany, not least as he can't help getting a little too serious in his conclusion. JAY RICHARDSON Make sure you keep up to date with Arts and Culture news from across Scotland by signing up to our free newsletter here. COMEDY Fisherman Jon: What's on the End of My Rod? A Clown Odyssey Underbelly, Bristo Square (Venue 302) until 25 August ★★★☆☆ Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A fishy tale to be sure, Coral Bevan's drag clown show has a mythic quality that belies its modest staging. Alone on his boat, endlessly polishing his rod to a gleaming shine, grizzled old sea dog Jon chatters away to himself and casts into the ocean, taking a more than famished interest in what he might catch. To the calming lapping of the waves, What's on the End of My Rod? opens as a gently beguiling character comedy hour, as the wild-eyed, mostly toothless mariner baits and swims amongst the crowd. After reeling in a beauty however, the show takes a starboard lurch for the surreal and becomes epically Homerian, with the storm-tossed angler doggedly clinging to survival, a dream of love and resisting sirens' call. With the grotesquely made-up, utterly unrecognisable Bevan portraying both Jon and his screeching nemesis, the slippery characterisation plays with gender and even species specificity. You wouldn't call it particularly challenging or radical, beyond having a woman artfully assail an environment historically depicted as masculine, from the Greeks to Hemingway. Yet this Asparagus Mousse production is peculiar, throwaway silliness that charms with the fulness of the briny world it evokes. JAY RICHARDSON COMEDY Peter Buckley Hill and Some Comedians Whistle Binkies (Venue 158) until 24 August ★★★☆☆ This can be a tricky room to play as the noise spill from the bar can be overpowering. But it is an absolute joy to see Peter Buckley Hill back on stage with the show that started the whole Free Fringe – and paved the way for all that came after. And he doesn't let us down. Opening with a good old knob gag and moving on into a selection of his finest and jolliest musical ditties, he herds his baby audience from bemused through disbelieving to loving every moment. It is an object lesson in MCing a gig. We herald the start of each new song with the traditional 'Ohhhhhhhhhhhh,' giggle our way through a rousing rendition of Nobody Gives a F**k If You're a Vegan and even join in Peter's highly controversial take on babies' foreskins. The titular Some Comedians tonight are Vinay Sagar who's extraordinary ability to remember (today) Pi to the 467th digit is not best displayed here, thanks to an audience who seem unsure as to what Pi is, and Sam Love, who seems less than enthused about the entire thing. But we are given the parting comedy gift of The Ballad of Adolf and Eva and we all go out singing.
Scotsman
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Rising stars: 12 new comedians to see at the Edinburgh Fringe
Caroline McEvoy: Train Man: Assembly Roxy (RoxyBoxy) at 1:20pm Stand up comedian, host of Chortle Award winning comedy night Comedy Bandits and three time Funny Women Stage Awards nominee, Caroline McEvoy makes her solo debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Train Man - a captivating, hilarious and heartfelt tale of sibling rivalry in post-Troubles Northern Man is a brand new stand up, storytelling hour packed with gut-punch gags and emotional blows as Caroline reckons with her lifelong battle with her autistic younger brother, who loves trains and getting his own way. Ada & Bron: The Origin of Love: Pleasance Courtyard (Attic) at 11pm BAFTA nominated newcomers Ada & Bron invite you to third-wheel an unmissable hour of weirdo soulmates, cursed couples and debauchery. The Origin of Love is an absurd, larger-than-life character comedy for lovers of the strange, stupid and sexy. Wildly inventive and emotionally kaleidoscopic, The Origin of Love plunges headfirst into a surreal mythology of yearning, heartbreak and hope. Told through a patchwork of absurd vignettes, confessional letters and romantic misfires, this genre-defying show examines our messy attempts to connect. Tickets at Rohan Sharma: Mad Dog: Pleasance Courtyard (Below) at 7:10pm British/Indian comedian and reigning Leicester Square New Comedian champion Rohan Sharma presents his hotly-anticipated Edinburgh Fringe debut - a fast-paced and surreal, multimedia stand-up odyssey through his harrowing/comfortable upbringing. Rohan will talk about how he's faced racism/no racism and will criticise/champion Britain and its checkered/flawless history, all from the perspective of a man whose brain has been corroded/nourished by modern society. Come see truth become lies, lies become truth and the dog become mad. Moving between seemingly earnest confession, cultural critique and sheer absurdity, Mad Dog is an ambitious, stupid and densely layered exploration of identity, belonging and spiritual disconnection. Tickets at Su Mi: Underbelly Cowgate (Iron Belly) at 6:40pm Award-winning stand-up and drag performance artist Su Mi presents their debut show: an immersive surreal eccentric comedy extravaganza resurrecting every nostalgic moment left forgotten and healing the inner child through play. Seeking to destroy archaic stereotypes of Asian women and challenge the narrative of comedy. Su Mi promises a gripping and raw social commentary on intersectionality, queerness, racism and mental health and a wild exploration of human existence. Join this reckless, spineless chucklehead on a surreal dystopian punk adventure through face melting and untamed (metaphorical) thrash metal solos to your own self discovery. Tickets at Becky Umbers: Put that Cat Back in the Bag: Assembly Roxy (Snug Bar) at 8:40pm In her debut hour at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, New Zealand's award-winning comedian Becky Umbers dives into the delicate art of keeping your metaphorical cat (inner weirdo) hidden in a bag. A joyous hour of unique storytelling and observational stand up, told with the voice of a kids cartoon and the cheeky adult wit that has quickly made Becky one of the most exciting rising stars on the comedy circuit. With a distinctive take on life and the voice to match, Put That Cat Back in the Bag sees Becky hilariously exploring why we're often encouraged to hide our quirks in an attempt to fit in with our peers. Tickets at Cabbage the Clown: Cinemadrome: Underbelly Buttercup at 9:45pm Minimum wage cinema employee turned multi-award winning tragic fool with over 8 million views online, Cabbage The Clown makes their hotly anticipated Edinburgh Fringe Festival debut with a genre-busting hour of multimedia drag-clowning about queer heartbreak, consumerism and the drudgery of working in a cinema. One-part breathless parody of cinematic history, one-part thoughtful dissection of working class career options and one-part rolling around on the floor covered in popcorn, Cinemadrome marries a buffet of genres in polygamous holy drag matrimony. Tickets at Ted Milligan: United: Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker Three) at 9.45pm Sketch Off Winner 2024 Ted Milligan makes his highly anticipated Edinburgh Fringe debut in United - a joyously funny, character led, live mockumentary which follows a fictional football club and their dedicated fans as they scramble to regain their position in the league. The town of Crubchester has fallen on hard times and Crubchester United F.C. finds itself outside the league. Having been purchased by a 6 year old billionaire who brings in a no-nonsense manager, can they return to their former glory in the 92? Inspired by Sunderland 'Til I Die and Ted Milligan's own journeys around the country supporting Plymouth Argyle, United is a unique narrative comedy hour packed with whip-smart writing and nuanced performances of sharply observed characters. Tickets at The Mayor and his Daughter: A Genuine Appreciation of Comedy: Assembly Roxy (Snug Bar) at 4:10pm Leicester Square Sketch Off Finalists The Mayor and His Daughter (Ciaran Chillingworth and Kit Finnie) make their Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut with their Leicester Comedy Festival Award Nominated, folk-horror, alternative sketch show. The Mayor and his Daughter are in crisis. The soul of their beloved village is in tatters, besieged by the demonic forces of modern Britain. But there's a light in the darkness; when they discover a sacred tome - a box set of Russell Howard's Good News (Series 2). They make it their mission to repair their fractured community with laughter. This timely exploration of Englishness in the current crisis of national identity will make you question the rules of sketch comedy like never before. Tickets at Douglas Widick: Paperclip: Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose (The Penny) at 10:20pm Microsoft Word's writing assistant, Clippy, has seen the future and it is bleak. Determined to prove his usefulness and prevent the impending techno-dystopia brought about by Artificial Intelligence, Clippy travels back in time to warn humanity in a thrilling adventure through the internet. Paperclip is a high energy, interactive and nostalgic musical comedy celebration of retro digital mascots, packed with rock tributes to a time when the internet was a simpler place. Paperclip also features some of the astounding musical improvisation that has already seen Douglas Widick become a celebrated performer in New York. Tickets at Jacob Nussey: Primed: Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker Three) at 7:15pm Award winning comedian Jacob Nussey spills the secrets of Amazon in a hotly tipped debut hour loaded with his trademark sharp jokes and deadpan delivery. Chortle's 'one to watch' 2023 unpacks the absurdities and chaos of warehouse life, exploring preconceptions, job interviews, stealing, and why things could always be worse. Before becoming a comedian, Jacob dropped out of university, was unsuccessful in a series of lengthy job interviews and finally ended up working for Amazon. From mascots to company scandals, Primed unboxes the realities of minimum wage jobs while hilariously and stealthily tackling issues around working class aspiration, workplace incentives and wealth gaps. Tickets at Josh Elton: Away with the Fairies: Hoots @ The Apex (Hoots 4) at 8pm Drawing on a chaotic and deeply funny reservoir of memories, Away With the Fairies is a riotously funny and disarmingly vulnerable exploration of identity, humiliation, and the strange places we find meaning. Blending rapid-fire stand-up, with vivid storytelling, Josh Elton spins comedic yarns that teeter between the absurd and the emotionally resonant, from playground trauma to public humiliation. Woven through with themes of sibling rivalry, mental health, romantic love and fairy curses, the show plays with truth and fiction to reveal a deeper honesty. Tickets at Steffan Alun: Stand Up: Hoots @ The Apex (Hoots 4) at 9:30pm Welsh optimist Steffan Alun finally presents his hilarious debut hour. As seen on BBC Wales, S4C, supporting Elis James on tour and performing slightly less than an hour of stand up at the fringe every year since 2015. Steffan returns to Edinburgh to work through his latest identity crisis with an hour of excellent comedy about sexuality, pop culture and, of course, all the best things about Wales. Steffan Alun: Stand Up is a rich, raucous blend of politics, identity and unapologetic queerness, anchored by a proudly Welsh perspective and a neurodivergent lens. Underneath the self-deprecating storytelling and playful irreverence lies a clear-eyed warning about complacency, and a passionate call to joy, defiance and community in the face of rising intolerance. Tickets at Related topics: EdinburghTicketsMayor
