Edinburgh Fringe 2012 picks: First Hours

The Edinburgh Fringe brochure is, no matter how you slice it, a thumping information overload of a tome. It's hard to even know where to begin – so we've done the work for you, slicing August's bible up into 30 easy-to-consume guides. From the all-important first hours to Fringe favourites, and from the Free Fringe to the best flyers, these are intended as starting points to help you snaffle out the best shows. They're not exhaustive, instead picking out the shows that caught our eye in given categories, but when your brain can't process another flyer we're pretty sure this is the best way to work out what to see.

 

We're publishing them every working day until the Fringe as a sort of advent calendar of comedy, and today we're doing first hours. Everyone on this list has made substantial waves in Edinburgh or online, but how will they cope with their first full solo hours?

 

 

 

 

Pleasance Courtyard, 1-26 August, 20:30

Ed Fringe | Joe Lycett

 

The hair has been shorn. The puppy fat has been dropped. Actually, that was a while ago, but we've got a point to make: the boy-comedian has come of age with his first hour, and here it is. He's such a master raconteur that one suspects that Joe will be burbling on whether there's an audience there or not, but you really should go as he is tremendously funny and this is clearly going to be a 'hot ticket'. Look, we put him on a list a couple of weeks ago, so we must be right. Read our 2011 interview with Joe here. 

 

Chortle Best Newcomer 2010 and BBC New Comedy Award 2011 finalist Joe Lycett brings his debut hour to the Fringe. TV credits include Channel 4’s 8 Out Of 10 Cats and E4’s Show and Tell, whilst he has supported Jack Whitehall, Tommy Tiernan and Ross Noble. Included in The Red Pages Hot100 alongside Eddie Redmayne, Jeremy Irvine and Lana Del Rey.

 

Here, an overjoyed Joe messes around with vocal twin That E4 and X Factor Voiceover Bloke: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Underbelly, 1-27 August, 19:00

 

Doing a first solo show on drifting towards 30 and not being a functional adult is par for the course; Campbell makes it work with solid material and delivery. And Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's hair/face. But we should probably stick with 'solid material and delivery' as the selling point.

 

Can you become a fully functioning adult without growing up? In this highly anticipated debut from the So You Think You're Funny? and Amused Moose Finalist, Jim Campbell illustrates his attempts to become a real person in a scary world where 30 is the new 20, money is broken and supposedly normal grown-ups are all confusingly weird. As seen on BBC Comedy Online. 'Rich with beautifully phrased jokes... it's hard to imagine a subject he couldn't come up with an original and literate joke about' (Chortle.co.uk). 'An exciting new talent' (Tim Arthur, TimeOut).

 

Jim Campbell at the Cardiff Glee, recently: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pleasance Courtyard, 1-26 August, 20:45

 

This has to rank as one of the best bases for a show at Edinburgh this year: the lady-faced Geordie giant had a 'falling out' of sorts with a taxi driver, who started stalking him using upcoming gig times on his site. Strangely, his own site doesn't have the dates where he's at, presumably to stop cabbies hunting him down. Dear all cabbies: he's at the Pleasance Courtyard for the whole of August.

 

Two-time Comedian of the Year nominee's much anticipated debut show. Ever been stalked? The Geordie Giant brings you a joke-filled hour about petty acts of heroism 'He looks the part, he's got the talent' (Sunday Times).

 

Luke Benson tackles the 'height thing':

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pleasance Courtyard, 1-26 August, 18:00

Ed Fringe | Suzi Ruffell

 

The speed of maturation from Suzi Ruffell has been remarkable, as she's smashed through the comedy learning curve to become a confident stage performer. A comparison with a young Zoe Lyons might strike you as a superficial judgement on their sexuality, but there's a confidence and competence that brings to mind the Wright Stuff botherer.

 

Tales of social ineptitude, overbearing parents and desperately trying to fit in. 'Completely won over, thoroughly enjoyable' (British Comedy Guide). 'Owns the stage so convincingly she could take out a mortgage on it' (Chortle.co.uk). www.offthekerb.co.uk

 

A fast-paced chat with Suzi:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Underbelly, 1-27 August, 20:20

 

Big-time PLEB botherer Nish Kumar has a talk about where he has come from (in the grand scheme of things, not the Underbelly bar). Like all the PLEB boys there's an energy and sheer gusto that takes the audience with him. The most successful gigs at the purple cow seem to be built on loud conviction, so it should be a good match.

 

1. A stand-up comedian. 2. One half of acclaimed sketch duo the Gentlemen of Leisure. 3. A 'rising star' (TimeOut) who is 'ludicrously charming and razor sharp' (Spoonfed.co.uk). 5. A British Asian. 6. An idiot. The answer is all of the above. A stand-up show about being proud of your roots and ashamed about everything else. Praise for the Gentlemen of Leisure - ***** 'gloriously entertaining' (Scotsman). **** 'a comic force not to be ignored' (Chortle.co.uk). 'Highly skilled writing - touched with genius' (Guardian). 'Intelligent. Cultured. Literate. I laughed anyway' (Emo Philips).

 

A nice chat with Nish Kumar from our friends at Com Comedy:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Underbelly Cowgate, 2-26 August, 14:30

Ed Fringe | Jessie Cave

 

So that whole Simon Amstell Twitter video thing on the Guardian was a bit of a headache, but this looks much more promising: a rifle through five inspirational fictional characters. This is a solo show that her sister Bebe is apparently also in, which has piqued our curiosity if nothing else. Grab your granny's glasses and give it a try.

 

Jessie played Lavender Brown in the Harry Potter films and will play Biddy in Mike Newell’s film adaptation of Great Expectations, out in late 2012, alongside Helena Bonham-Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Jeremy Irvine and more. She created Project Amstell with Simon Amstell as seen on The Guardian, made a guest appearance in Simon’s show Grandma’s House in May and has just completed a run as the lead in theatre production Mary Rose at the Riverside Studios. She also runs www.pindippy.com for which she makes comedy sketches, illustrates and sells her own clothing range. In ‘Bookworm’ she is the head of a book club in what is her full debut at the Edinburgh Fringe, with her sister, fellow actress Bebe Cave (who also appears alongside Jessie in Great Expectations), also appearing in the show.

 

Bookworm-related video 'content':

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pleasance Courtyard, 3-27 August, 19:00

 

What is it with Norway and its surprisingly large volumes of comedy exports? This is very much a Nordic take on Stewart Lee-esque (or -derivative, depending on your take) joke deconstruction. We haven't seen him in rather a long time but he was good then so we'll stick with that assessment.

 

Fresh from Russell Howard's Good News, the Simon Amstell tour and the benefits office in Bethnal Green. ‘You knew he was funny before he even opened his mouth’ (Scotsman). ‘Exquisitely crafted gags and out-and-out surrealism, at its best like a fusion of Emo Philips and Vic and Bob’ (Guardian). ‘A warm and engaging personality with a rather original and humorous take on life’ **** (ArtsInLeicestershire.co.uk).

 

Compulsory Russell Howard's Good News clip:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Underbelly Bristo Square, 1-26 August, 21:40

Ed Fringe | Iain Stirling

 

While everyone else in comedy is charging headlong into children's TV, CBBC presenter Stirling is trying to go in the other direction. He's very much a comedian you would expect of such a young age: there's amiability, mad skillz and sharp jokes, we just have to see if it's had enough time to all come together. Still worth a gander mind.

 

Hotly anticipated debut stand-up show from the Bafta and Chortle Best Newcomer nominee, Iain Stirling. Ever wondered why your life ended up the way it did? Iain does, and attempts to work out why he is such a clown. Trains, Hinduism, Cliff Richard and clown shoes will all be discussed to varying degrees of hilarity. Russell Kane tour support. As seen on Russell Howard's Good News (BBC3). 'Exceptional talent' (Herald). 'Hugely talented rising star' (TimeOut). 'Enjoyable, clever and - most importantly - funny stand-up' (Fest). 'One of the best joke writers on the circuit' (GQ).

 

Another compulsory Good News clip:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pleasance Courtyard, 1-27 August, 16:30

 

Jonni Music (it was a spoof music thing on the internet, where have you been) creator Thomas Nelstrop with his debut hour. Expect big and stupid stuff: if you 'get on' with music and dicking about, this could be worth a whirl.

 

A barnstorming debut solo hour at the Fringe from Thomas Nelstrop, a man who has quite literally been on television. Great(ish) Hits is a euphoric mix of character comedy and riotous songs from the creator of internet phenomenon Jonni Music. Be prepared to fight for a ticket to this hilarious one-man music festival - so awesome Michael Eavis cancelled Glastonbury this year. As seen on The Impressions Show, Doctor Who (BBC), Two Pints (BBC3), Honest (ITV), Comedy Shuffle. 'Hilarious' (Sun). 'Absolutely f*cking brilliant' (HolyMoly.com). 'All hail Jonni Music' (Q). 'Gleefully vicious' (NME).

 

The test: how do you get on with him in full-on Jonni Music mode?