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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 comedian's comedians: the special inner sanctum of comedians who are spoken of in hushed tones by their peers. Marvel as we struggle not to write in cliché about how wonderful Kitson et al are...

 

 

 

 

The Stand, 5-26 August, 23:59

Ed Fringe | Daniel Kitson

 

It sold out in double quick time so this is something of a moot point, but this would look like a rather strange list without him on it. It's almost two hours long as well, those lucky ruddy ticket holders. Tickets are still selling for Kitson's theatre piece, mind.

 

A new stand-up comedy show about impossibility, change, not joining in, love, haircuts, loneliness, courage, defiance, knowledge, despondency, cutting the head off a pig, meaning, tattoos, obscenity, opinions, truth and something a Spanish footballer once said.* Thirty-four years old, predictably fond of snacks, surprisingly capable at sport and increasingly uncertain about absolutely everything, Daniel Kitson - comedian, legend and intermittent tool – tries to work out what he actually thinks about things whilst demanding people pay money to watch. *Other topics may be addressed in addition to or in place of the topics listed here.

 

Make yourself feel better with some vintage Kitson clippery:

 

 

 

 

 

The Assembly Rooms, 2-26 August, 18:05

Ed Fringe | Stewart Lee

 

We wrote last week about how Stewart Lee himself has commented on how his popularity waxes and wanes – but has he broken the cycle this time? He's ridden the crest of the wave for a convincingly long time. If you haven't already seen Carpet Remnant World, expect to see mastery of form, craft and tropes that makes Lee so copied among youngsters.

 

What can a sexless middle aged married man, whose life now consists mainly of watching Scooby Doo cartoons with a four year old boy, possibly find to write comedy about? Formerly stand-up’s youthful iconoclast, Lee now gawps blankly at News 24 as Britain burns down around him and blinks weirdly at the vast wayside retail outlets during endless journeys to and from increasingly indistinct provincial theatres. Once he lived on the pleasure planet. Now he is trapped in Carpet Remnant World. And so are you. ‘Superlative’ (Metro). ‘Marvellously funny’ (Observer). ‘Masterful’ (Telegraph).

 

Here's Lee on Russell Howard and Mock The Week: 

 

 

 

 

 

La Concepta @ Whitespace, 4-25 August, 12:10, 13:10

Ed Fringe | Simon Munnery

 

One of 2011's hottest tickets, La Concepta returns. Major changes from last year: this time, the non-dining dining experience is for eight people instead of four. Although that might just be because the show is on twice a day instead of once. We'll get back to you on that. Either way, it remains an indication that this is comedy done intimately, and one that maintains the original experimental aims of the Fringe if you're feeling a little Big Venue'd out. At time of writing, incredibly, one two days were sold out.

UPDATE: Show and Tell have got in touch to say it IS for eight people, because it's a 'much more developed show'.

 

All the rigmarole of haute cuisine without the shame of eating. An exclusive non-dining restaurant experience for eight persons. Created by Simon Munnery. Chortle Innovation Award winner 2012. 'The fringiest Fringe experience of 2011' (Guardian). As seen on BBC2's The Culture Show. 'A delicious opportunity to enjoy a performance from a real pro, served directly to your table' **** (Independent). www.showandtelluk.com.

 

Here's him talking to STV about La Concepta last year:

 

 

 

The Stand, 1-27 August, times vary

Ed Fringe | Simon Munnery

 

Current king of alternative comedy, wasn't it stupid Attention Scum didn't last, did you read that thing on Cluub Zarathustra a few weeks ago, etc etc etc. No other detail to work with on this, so we'll just leave you with a question posed from the press release below: when the heck was Simon Munnery on the News Quiz?

UPDATED: Simon was apparently on the News Quiz in January, so Lord only knows how we missed that...

 

Experimenting with a tiny camera and big screen, Simon Munnery presents a new show. Stand-up, monologues, sketches and fylms. As recently seen on BBC2's Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle and heard on Radio 4's News Quiz. 'He’s nothing less than a genius' (Guardian). 'There are more brilliant ideas in one of Simon Munnery's shows than most comics will manage in a lifetime' (Times). 'A true original' **** (Scotsman). *****(Edinburgh Evening News). **** (Independent). www.showandtelluk.com.

 

Here's Simon almost twenty years ago, imagine: 

 

 

 

 

 

The Stand, 1-27 August, times vary

Ed Fringe | Tony Law

 

Excitable children's drawing Tony Law has really knuckled down to his comedy work in the last couple of years, and it shows on stage. He's keeping the deconstructionist spirit alive, hacking up jokes wherever they spring up, but it's done with so much gusto, and with trips down so many surreal side streets, that it never quite collapses in on itself. Read our chat with Tony from April here. 

 

A kind of comedy show about the meaning of life. Or not. Bloody award-winning! This year featuring cliché. Mrtonylaw is a way of doing comedy but is it proper? No. Award winning! Loads of stars! 'A gloriously virtuoso display of absurdism... Law is a master of the deconstructionist style of comedy' (Scotsman). Ludicrous. 'A stream of joyous nonsense ... as clever as it is loud, ridiculous and hilarious ... a gem' (Comedy.co.uk) and another! 'Clever and blithely zany...' (Telegraph). Big words, but I sense they are positive. Start your day with lawunch, geddit? Quality.

 

Here's the entire episode of Buzzcocks that Tony was on, unexpectedly forming comedy's best double act with X Factor ray of sunshine Stacey Solomon:

 

 

 

 

 

Assembly Rooms, 17-18 August, 22:25

Ed Fringe | Jerry Sadowitz

 

There's only two nights of Sadowitz's stand-up and it's not booked up yet. The big question is: can you take it? 

 

Very funny, totally offensive and he hates your guts. What more do you want? Emptied the room in Edinburgh, 2006 with his warm-up material. Punched in Montreal. Gay, public school, untalented, humourless middle class Jew, yet banned by the BBC ... eats children as part of his ‘five a day’ ... people would rather pay to see Frankie Boyle than sit through five minutes of his set... ‘Always very quiet’, says his neighbours. Catchphrase: no refunds. Even hated by Australians and they can't afford to hate anyone. Two nights only. No refunds. ‘Funniest comedian in the country’ (Guardian).

 

 

Assembly Rooms, 14-18 August, 12:30

Ed Fringe | Jerry Sadowitz

 

The magic half of Sadowitz's 2012 contribution to the Fringe. 'Contains material some people might find offensive.' They mean he might use Playboy playing cards, right? RIGHT?

 

Jerry Sadowitz is best known as an offensive comedian but he is also one of the world's most skilled and creative card magicians. In this show you'll get to see some amazing sleight of hand and some original magic projected on a large screen which means you automatically get a front row seat without having to actually sit near the ****. Please note that this show is not suitable for anyone with less than £15.50. ‘Truly astonishing sleight of hand’ Guardian. ‘Genius ... astounds, amuses and appals in equal measure’ (Times).