2,036 stories by "Brian Logan"
Assembly HallMuppets? Improvising? For adults only? What's not to like? Quite a lot, as it happensMuppets? Improvising? For adults only? What's not to like? Quite a lot, as it happens, in th…
Predicting stars-to-be is a haphazard business " as I know only too well. Plus: a grizzled comic gives us a blast from the past, and Edinburgh gets a glimpse of the futureTomorrow's stars to…
Laughing Horse @ the Counting HouseBehind this talented musical comedian's wholesome, naive facade, a story emerges of a woman on the verge of cracking upIt's been a year of striking debuts …
Pleasance CourtyardAcaster compensates for meaningless material with fine joke-writing and some lovely gagsJames Acaster's comedy couldn't be less important if it tried " although that's not…
Pleasance CourtyardIn terms of technique, Kane is at the top of his game " it's the so-so stereotyping that lets him downRussell Kane is not an obvious person to expound on the British prope…
One performer suggests that it's not always healthy to go for the gag above all else. Plus: dreams come true on the fringe, and a computer tries its hand at standupBeyond the jokeWhen people…
Laughing Horse @ the Counting HouseCharacters, plot and some very good jokes are conjured up in one of the most enjoyable 60 minutes on the fringeYou won't remember the Jane Austen nove…
Underbelly, CowgateAn improvised, eight-hour mime marathon was an often gripping celebration of the spirit of playThere's no orthodoxy for how to follow winning the Edinburgh comedy award. B…
The free fringe is beating some other comedians pants down " but can it last? Plus: is Scottish independence a huge joke?Free for all?I was at The Wrestling last night (see below). Joe Lycet…
Pleasance Courtyard, EdinburghBrett Goldstein returns with another comic yarn about sex and society, but while there are some good laughs, it doesn't ring quite true enoughTwo years ago, Bre…
Assembly, George SquarePascoe's lively mind teases out big questions with intelligence, silliness and self-deprecation to make a near-perfect show"So, let's go over the lovely things we've l…
Liam Williams and Bo Burnham point the way to an anxious comic future. Plus: to sweat, or not to sweat?Anthems for doomed youthIs the age of anxiety upon us? Among comics, there's definitely…
Pleasance CourtyardFrom neuroscience to paedophile frogs, the creative profusion of this former YouTube star makes for an exhilarating showWow. Bo Burnham is back, with a full-frontal assaul…
Standup Brendon Burns suggests that putting comedians in pigeonholes doesn't make sense. Plus: old-school laughs on the Free Fringe, and comics have the last laugh on the football fieldNo al…
Pleasance CourtyardSome of the best shows come when their creators stop caring about pleasing crowds, and make what they damn well please. Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen Volume 2 has that …
What's the right balance between thought-provoking and laugh-inducing? Plus: Jewish Mom jokes on the fringe and why money is the root of all evilComedy by focus group?"There's two ways you c…
Pleasance DomeThis ex-teacher needs to find a subject more worthy of his angry intelligence than disingenuous ad campaignsTV Burp meets Brass Eye, with added self-loathing. Interested, commi…
Pleasance CourtyardHelm's incarnation as Evel Knievel makes for an exhilarating start to the show " but it's his songs that redeem his shoutingYou can shuffle on stage to a smattering of app…
Pleasance DomePuns, pinging punchlines and geographical foreplay make this comic play a warm-hearted winnerAmong the many characters in their new comic play The Reunion, Max Olesker and Ivan…
Pleasance CourtyardO'Doherty's overconfidence is amusing and her gags are good, yet her fantasies about fame lack real substanceNominated for last year's Edinburgh Comedy award, Claudia O'Do…
The assumption that laughter is a dish best served drunk is being challenged. Meanwhile, Mark Thomas baits Ian Rankin and Gráinne Maguire elects to go politicalHalf past four is cooler th…
Assembly RoxyAnyone whose self-consciousness has loomed large will find much to enjoy in this Australian comic's showWe've all had issues with self-esteem, right? But how many of us have alm…
Sara Pascoe is thriving at standup, but she'd rather be an 18th-century essayist. She talks to Brian Logan about politics, philosophy " and gigging with the RSCUsually, when you interview a …
Stand Comedy ClubFrom shoplifting smut to protesting at an Apple store " the riskier Thomas's exploits, the funnier his comedyIt's hard to believe, but Mark Thomas took a break from politica…
At the Edinburgh festival, Nat Luurtsema battles bad acoustics and a broken heart, David Quirk ponders cheating and Eric Davis's alter ego sets about demolishing some inhibitionsNo money: th…
