Edinburgh Fringe 2012 picks: Young Guns

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 young guns. This is primarily of list of people on their second or third hours – they're not newbies, but they're not quite old hands. It's also quite an exciting line-up...

 

 

 

 

Pleasance Courtyard, 1-27 August, 19:00

 

Reliably wordy Welshman: a comedian with such an air of confidently addressing a pub on anything from Steely Dan to slippers that it's a surprise that he doesn't permanently have a pint of IPA in his hand. He's so assured we almost put him on tomorrow's list of New Reliables - as, in fairness, could many names on this list - until we sort of ran out of space. Read our chat with him from 2011 here. 

 

Speaking As a Mother... is the fourth solo show from one of Britain's finest emerging talents. Combining storytelling, characters and straight stand-up with the charming delivery that has made James such a favourite on the British comedy circuit, Elis James' Speaking As a Mother... will cement him firmly on the list of ones to watch. 'A complete joy' (TimeOut). 'Excruciatingly funny' ( Scotsman). 'Hugely appealing' (Guardian). As seen on 8 Out of 10 Cats (C4), The Rob Brydon Show (BBC2), Russell Howard's Good News (BBC3), Dave's One Night Stand (Dave) Chris Addison's Show and Tell (E4).

 

Good News compulsory clip: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pleasance Courtyard, 1-26 August, 20:15

Ed Fringe | Joel Dommett

 

Why has no-one picked up our description of Dommett last year and run with it? “Bobcat Goldthwait in Police Academy, trapped in a Gant model’s body.” I mean, that's it. Nothing to add. Probably worth it. 

 

Joel Dommett - MTV News, Russell Howard’s Good News (BBC3) – returns to Edinburgh with his hotly anticipated new show for 2012. Having gained rave reviews for his debut Edinburgh show, Neon Hero last year, Joel has established himself as one of the biggest rising stars on the UK comedy circuit. Do you have what it takes to be a Nunchuck silver medallist? Joel did. 'Hilarious ... delightful tales' **** (Scotsman). 'Manically funny act' **** (ThreeWeeks). **** (TimeOut).

 

Dommett, post-hoodie: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Underbelly Cowgate, 2-26 August, 19:45

Ed Fringe | Catie Wilkins

 

Mis-middle-named comedian who is also, oddly, a children's author. While she first came on the scene with a reputation for dry delivery coupled with shaky confidence, a fresh year almost certainly means fresh engagement. Added interest: lots of these stories are likely to be about her b/f Richard Herring – and perhaps even a response to his personal musings from recent years.

 

Did the name your parents chose for you reflect their unrealistic expectations? Hope? Faith? Moon Unit? Catie Joy Wilkins hates smiling. Her middle name makes things worse. Find out what to do if your tooth snags during fellatio, how men created a feminist Swiss Army Knife (basically by adding a sewing kit) plus good news for thousands of girls with no sex appeal. FHM Stand-Up Hero, ITV4. Dave's Top 10 New Comedians. 'Very funny' (Jimmy Carr). 'Exceedingly charming and self-effacing ... a nice line in acidic sarcasm' **** (Metro).

 

Testing new material. In, um, 2011:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pleasance Courtyard, 1-26 August, 20:15

Ed Fringe | James Acaster

 

There's always a risk with whimsy that it can collapse under the weight of its own cardigans and cups of tea, but Josie Long and Milton Jones have both chosen Acaster as their support for a reason: he knows how to do it well. Read our chat with James in 2011 here. 

 

James Acaster returns to Edinburgh with a show full to the brim of comedy. Prepare yourself for flights of fancy, remarkable gesticulation and maybe even some tempo changes. One thing's for sure - you will go absolutely bananas. 'Blisteringly funny and highly original' (List). 'An undeniable and wickedly original talent' (Fest). 'Blissfully whimsical' (TimeOut). 'Deliciously daft and no slouch in the surprises department' (Evening Standard). As seen on Russell Howard's Good News, Show and Tell, Dave's One Night Stand and Live at The Comedy Store as well as on tour with Josie Long and Milton Jones.

 

Acaster on the OH GOD PLEASE COME BACK Show & Tell:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gilded Balloon Teviot, August 1-26, 18:30

Ed Fringe | Jessica Fostekew

 

Fostekew is a marvellous gossip, a woman with an air of white wine-drinking, Silk Cut-chain smoking and something charmingly self-deprecating in her back pocket at all times. (These are supposed to be good things, incidentally.) How will her gossipy outlook fit with a word-based show? Is this some kind of bid for a Radio 4 audience? TIME WILL TELL. Here's a chat with Jessica from last year.

 

Jessica Fostekew: Brave New Word. Gag-suffused show about etymology, brave words, new words and brave new words. Not just for nerds. 'All about the jokes, winning delivery' (Chortle.co.uk). 'Sharp wit' (List). 'Tremendous charm' (Scotsman). 'Original, elegant and funny' (FringeReport.com). www.jessicafostekew.com.

 

Here's an utterly bizarre clip of her discussing onesies on BBC News:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pleasance Dome, August 1-27, 17:30

Ed Fringe | Nick Helm

 

'Direct' would be the polite way to phrase Helm's often-less-than-polite comedy rampaging. Between the poetry and the songs he's a multi-talented chap, and he's also not afraid to take the audience with him. So perhaps steer clear if you like to hide quietly at the back of the show.

 

Prepare to enlist as international mega-myth Nick Helm takes you on a blood-spattered tour of duty through the carnage-filled battlefields of his love life with the most epic and romantic show ever attempted at this or any festival. Romance has a new name. Ladies, bring a cagoule to sit on and get ready to leave pregnant. 'Genuinely exciting ' ***** (Telegraph). 'A loveable monster' **** (Scotsman). 'Funniest show on the Fringe' **** (Evening Standard). 'Laugh-out-loud' **** (Times). 'Hysterical and terrifying' **** (Time Out).

 

I mean really his Comedy Blaps have been great:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pleasance Courtyard, 1-27 August, 16:45

Ed Fringe | Cariad Lloyd

 

After her newcomer nomination last year took another sizeable step to putting the Free Fringe on the map, the prolific character comic brings characters including Andrew the child stand-up and David Lynch's mum to the stage. It's going to be one damned hot ticket...

 

Cariad was nominated as Best Newcomer in the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards for her debut Edinburgh Fringe show ‘Lady Cariad’s Characters’, and she won the EdTwinge award for having the most positively tweeted about show. She has appeared in Cardinal Burns’ acclaimed E4  series, is currently filming for new CBBC show Fit, will appear in BBC Radio 4’s My First Planet and she performs regularly in acclaimed impro show ‘Austentatious: An Improvised Novel’. She returns to the Fringe with a brand new show at the Pleasance.

 

Here's a recent entry from Cariad's series on BBC Comedy:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Underbelly Cowgate, 2-26 August, 16:55

Ed Fringe | Ben Target

 

Last year's Free Fringe show transfers to the Underbelly, taking audience introductions to the next level with kid-brother levels of amiability and excitement. Best seen when it's sunny: odds are you'll end up outside.

 

The words ‘genius’, ‘unique’ and ‘the best’ are often misused. Ben Target is a comedian. He will be with you for 53 minutes. Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year, 2011. ‘A hugely gifted prop comic whose shows are in equal parts delightful and unsettling’ (Guardian). ‘What a gem Target is… probably the most original, the most over-wrought and most audacious to be seen at the Fringe' ***** (BroadwayBaby.com). 'This is certainly an experience like no other' ***** (ThreeWeeks). 'Impressively funny’ (Scotsman).

 

Here's Ben on an ironing board: