Tag: Yianni

The Aussie Invasion of the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe – Now With Extra Danger!

By Colin Flaherty

It’s almost August and that means Edinburgh Fringe time. Quite a few Australian performers are heading north for a Scottish summer.

Our London based Squirrel Ron will be covering Fringe for us; covering both Australian acts and other performers who may venture to our shores in the future.

A browse of the program reveals some interesting shows from the Aussies. Many comedians are bringing their current shows seen in the Australian festivals including David Quirk with the show that won him the “Piece of Wood Award”. Joint Newcomer winners in 2012, Ronnie Cheing and Matt Okine, are taking their current shows.

Tommy Little, Mel Buttle & Josh Thomas have recently cancelled their Edinburgh runs due to television commitments. Josh is going Hollywood instead, his TV series Please Like Me is being picked up by a new US cable channel Pivot TV which is aimed at young people and will air from August 1st.

Myf Warhurst hosts a chat show Showcatcher that features all manner of festival guests spruiking their festival shows.

Expat Bec Hill is going to be a busy beaver this Festival. She is performing in her own stand up show (Bec by Popular Demand), a two-hander show with Patrick Monahan (Bec Hill and Patrick Monahan’s Hour of Fun!), a children’s sketch show (Bec & Tom’s Awesome Laundry) and is hosting Pun Run, the UK’s only pun-based comedy club.

Yianni has an intriguing concept this year: a series of free shows at The Dram House leading up to a huge ticketed show at Venue150 @ EICC. Will he fill Edinburgh’s largest room?

The 2013 Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs from 02 – 26 August. Shows for 2013 are now on sale!

 

Here’s the list of shows. If we’ve previously reviewed a show we’ve added the link.

If we’ve missed anyone, please drop us a line.

 

Adam Hills: Happyism @ Assembly Hall
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/adam-hills-happyism

Ali McGregor’s Late-Nite Variety-Nite Night @ Assembly Checkpoint
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/cabaret/ali-mcgregor-s-late-nite-variety-nite-night

Alex Williamson @ Gilded Balloon Teviot
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/alex-williamson

Bec Hill: Bec by Popular Demand @ Gilded Balloon Teviot
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/bec-hill-bec-by-popular-demand

Bec Hill and Patrick Monahan’s Hour of Fun! @ Gilded Balloon Teviot
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/bec-hill-and-patrick-monahan-s-hour-of-fun

Bec & Tom’s Awesome Laundry @ Gilded Balloon Teviot
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/childrens-shows/bec-tom-s-awesome-laundry

Pun Run (hosted by Bec Hill) @ The Canons’ Gait
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/pun-run

Claudia O’Doherty: Pioneer @ Pleasance Courtyard
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/claudia-o-doherty-pioneer

Damian Clark in G’Damo! @ Gilded Balloon Teviot
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/damian-clark-in-g-damo

Daniel Townes – I Think So I’m Ready @ Laughing Horse @ Bar 50
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/i-think-so-i-m-ready

Dave Callan: The Psychology of Laughter @ Gilded Balloon Teviot
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/dave-callan-the-psychology-of-laughter

David Quirk – Shaking Hands With Danger @ Pleasance Courtyard
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/david-quirk-shaking-hands-with-danger-aus
Here’s our review from MICF 2013 :
https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=3355

Dayne Rathbone – It’s Me Dayne @ Gilded Balloon Teviot
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/it-s-me-dayne

Die Roten Punkte – Kunst Rock (Art Rock) @ AssemblyGeorge Square
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/cabaret/die-roten-punkte-kunst-rock-art-rock

Dr Professor Neal Portenza’s Interactive Goat Hour: There are no goats and the show is only 54 minutes long, excluding the bonus minute @ The Dram House Upstairs
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/dr-professor-neal-portenza-s-interactive-goat-hour-there-are-no-goats-and-the-show-is-only-54-minutes-long-excluding-the-bonus-minute

Eric Hutton’s Favourite Songs @ Laughing Horse @ Bar 50
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/eric-hutton-s-favourite-songs-free

Evolution of iMaAN @ Laughing Horse @ Espionage
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/evolution-of-imaan

Felicity Ward: Irregardless @ Underbelly, Bristo Square
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/felicity-ward-irregardless

Hannah Gadsby: Nakedy Nudes (Departs from Assembly Rooms, Bristo Place)
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/hannah-gadsby-nakedy-nudes

Hannah Gadsby: Happiness is a Bedside Table @ Assembly Roxy
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/hannah-gadsby-happiness-is-a-bedside-table
Here’s our review from MICF 2013 :
https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=3771

Instant Order: Trial By Audience (featuring Karin Danger, Scott Gooding, Katie Lockett & Sean Fabri) @ The Dram House Upstairs
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/instant-order-trial-by-audience

Jen Carnovale: Not a Person Person @ Laughing Horse @ The Free Sisters
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/jen-carnovale-not-a-person-person-free

Jimeoin: Yes,Yes, Whatever…?! @ Venue150 @ EICC
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/jimeoin-yes-yes-whatever

John Robertson – The Dark Room @ Underbelly, Cowgate
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/john-robertson-the-dark-room

Jon Bennett: My Dad’s Deaths @ Underbelly, Cowgate
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/jon-bennett-my-dad-s-deaths

Karin Danger: Hot Box @ Just the Tonic at The Caves ​
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/cabaret/karin-danger-hot-box

KelFi & FiKel @ Gilded Balloon Teviot
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/kelfi-fikel

Lisa-Skye – Ladyboner @ C venues – C nova
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/ladyboner
Here’s our review from MICF 2012 :
https://www.squirrelcomedy.com/?p=1210

Matt Okine: Being Black & Chicken & S#%t @ Underbelly, Bristo Square
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/matt-okine-being-black-chicken-s-t

Not Suitable for Drinking (Sydney sketch trio) @ Ciao Roma
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/not-suitable-for-drinking

Ronny Chieng: The Ron Way @ Underbelly, Cowgate
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/ronny-chieng-the-ron-way

Rob Lloyd: Who, Me @ Just The Tonic at Bristo Square
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/rob-lloyd-who-me

Showcatcher (hosted by Myf Warhurst) @ Assembly George Square
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/showcatcher

Storytellers’ Club @ Pleasance Courtyard
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/storytellers-club

Unmanageable (Featuring expat Kim Hope) @ Laughing Horse @ The Free Sisters
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/unmanageable

Yianni in Think Big @ The Dram House & Venue150 @ EICC
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/yianni-in-think-big
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/yianni-in-think-big-the-big-one

Late Night Letters and Numbers.

By Lisa Clark This is a fun nerdy little comedy quiz show that is based upon the stupidly axed Letters and Numbers which was based on the UK show Countdown, but not called Countdown for very obvious reasons. Before that there was a French show called  Des Chiffres et Des Lettres, but you didn’t need to know that. The best way to see it on TV is being sent up in a stunning episode of The IT Crowd. called The Final Countdown.

The basic idea is; two contestants compete in various rounds, in this case they are guest comedians. The Letters round is like boggle where the contestants try to make the longest words out of 9 random letters. In the numbers round a random target number under 1000 is given by an audience member, then 6 random numbers are drawn and the contestants must use these to somehow reach the target number using mathematics. The final round is the Conundrum which is an anagram that the contestants must be the first to unscramble. Where it differentiates itself from the TV shows is that it is live, it is comedy and it is late at night.

The late night comedy atmosphere means that although they take the game seriously to a point, there is a lot of silliness, veering off topic and naughty language. They are also fairly encouraging of audience participation and will award points to impressive audience members. You could hear a lot of audience members around you guessing at words or getting the maths perfect, but not everyone was brave enough to pipe up when invited to do so. It can be pretty hard not to participate in this infectious show.

The night we were there guest comedians Karin Danger – nee Muiznieks (Hot Box) and Yianni (Numb & Number) made admirable adversaries while up the other end of the desk the Watson (Once Were Planets) duo played comedy relief with Adam McKenzie and Tegan Higginbotham as moderators in charge of the giant dictionary. Ben McKenzie (Splendid Chaps) makes a fair go at being Lily Serna, letter displayer/ maths genius but for reasons I can’t put my finger on, cannot quite capture her demure allure. The host, in great contrast to the cheerful and rather straightlaced Richard Morecroft, is the famously cynical & comically grumpy Nick Caddaye who does a great job of keeping it all rolling and not running too late.

Late night Letters and Numbers is a fun way to finish a full Friday night of comedy. Also keep your eye out for further Letters and Numbers nights happening outside of the festival at Trades Hall throughout the year.

Late Night Letters and Numbers is only on Friday nights of the Festival at Trades Hall in the Old Council Chambers
http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2013/season/shows/late-night-letters-and-numbers

Yianni – Numb & Number

Since relocating several years ago, Yianni has been kicking goals in the UK comedy scene. At last years Edinburgh Fringe he presented the show Numb & Number which had a hilarious YouTube promo video:

Yianni is currently in Melbourne & has been popping up as a guest on various MICF shows. While here Yianni will be treating us to a one off performance of his fabulous solo show about being diagnosed as mildly autistic at 33 years of age. We saw it in Edinburgh and can thoroughly recommend it.  

Numb & Number will be on this coming Monday 15th of April at Ding Dong Lounge (18 Market Lane, Melbourne).

The show starts at 8pm and tickets are $25 full / $20 concession (available at the door).