Article by Jessica Ratcliffe
New Talent at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August
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The countdown to the kick off of the annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival has well and truly begun. Through the whole month of August comedians, performers, poets and dancers galore will descend on the city with new material, exciting acts and wonderful originality. There will truly be something for everybody on offer in the Scottish Capital. With such a wealth of new and established talent it is quite daunting to select the best shows to see, so if you are thinking of making a trip or maybe a long weekend here are a few recommendations of the new shows that we have already spotted.
‘LadyGarden’ have taken the live circuit by storm since their debut in 2008 and are becoming one of the best young and original sketch groups around. Six women play characters that are as awkward and bizarre as they are sexy and charming. These girls really have their finger on fresh and topical comedy, and with a new critically acclaimed Director, this show is set to be a cracker. Pleasance Beside, £8.50/£7.
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Joe Lycett and Andrew Ryan’s Hour of Humour’ will be a sure fire hit at this year’s Fringe Festival. Winner of many prestigious awards Joe Lycett uses his ‘middle class’ humour to great effect and he is wonderfully complemented by the relaxed demeanor of Irish comedian Andrew Ryan. The White Horse, free.
Henry Paker is already sparking rumours of becoming the winner of all the Newcomer awards. Fresh from writing material for Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Mock The Week, his clever but silly show is one not to miss. Pleasance Courtyard, £9.50.
The Five Pound Fringe presents a wonderful opportunity to see over 60 acts all for the wonderful price of five pounds apiece! This is bargain comedy at its best, some of the acts that we have selected out of the bunch are; Ellis James, Robin Ince and Ivo Graham. Venues all over Edinburgh, all £5.
With many previews going on all over London at the moment, early reviews and recommendations are pouring in and with special offers on tickets, there are so many reasons to make a trip up to Edinburgh this August. A great website that has all the inside info on hotels and restaurants as well as Fringe performances is www.edinburghspotlight.com.
