comedy

BONNIE THORN – LITTLE JAZZ BIRD

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Even at the tender age of 21 Bonnie Thorn has generated great excitement and interest from music fans impressed by her soulful interpretations of the classic jazz repertoire and contemporary nu-soul songs, along with her own impressive original compositions. 

Little Jazz Bird showcases Bonnie’s vocal talents with selections covering the past 100 years of popular song from the Gershwins to Amy Winehouse and beyond. 

Her voice has echoes of the great 20th century songstresses and garnered comparisons with Judy Garland, Peggy Lee and Doris Day, and with her strong swing, faultless phrasing and deep musicality one hears the influence of her idol Blossom Dearie.

With Australian music theatre luminaries John and Fiona Thorn (Pastel Vespa) as parents, Bonnie has grown up immersed in the international cabaret scene, and is delighted to make her Edinburgh Fringe debut at the Royal Society of Edinburgh theatre.

She is accompanied on piano by her father John Thorn, well known as musical director to cabaret stars such as Meow Meow, Barb Jungr and Caroline Nin. 

Bonnie Thorn has an exciting new voice you will remember forever. Her Edinburgh debut is a show not to be missed.

SHOW DETAILS:
VENUE: RSE Theatre (Venue 431)
DATES: 5th to 27th August
TIME: 12.15
TICKET PRICES: £10 and £8

The Rain Men

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Wullie and Harry are two elderly comedians who were once a popular Scottish music hall comedy act known as The Rain Men. After 30 years together, they parted ways on unfriendly terms and have not spoken to each other since.

Now 20 years later their agent is trying to get them to revive the double act for a TV special at The Britannia Panopticon Theatre in Glasgow but the old animosity is still there.

Come along to see how the old timers revive their old school variety act. 

SHOW DETAILS
VENUE: RSE Theatre (Venue 431) Welcome East
DATES: 19th to 28th August
TIME: 18.30
SHOW DURATION: 1 hour 20 minutes
TICKET PRICES: £15 and £12 conc.

The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee

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A group of eclectic preteens (played by just as eclectic adults) learn that winning (and losing) isn’t everything at their local spelling bee.

Shy Olive brings her best friend – a dictionary; hyperallergic William has his trusty “magic foot”; former spelling champion Chip is struggling with the complications of puberty; easily distracted Leaf is just happy to be included; overachiever Marcy is disappointed by her consistent effortless success; and politically aware Logainne only wants to impress her dads.

The ‘kids’ are accompanied through the bee by Rona – child-spelling-champion turned star real-estate agent with a love for drama, Panch – the begrudged, short-tempered word pronouncer with a crush on Rona, and Mitch – the resident bad-boy serving his community service as a ’comfort counsellor’ at the bee.

With a vibrant score by William Finn (Falsettos) and a wildly funny, Tony Award winning book by Rachel Sheinkin, this bee is one unforgettable experience.

Spelling Bee requires three audience participants per show to take part in the bee – if you feel like trying your hand at spelling a series of (potentially made-up words) sign up in front of house on the day or email happysadpro@gmail.com with your performance date and full name!

SHOW DETAILS
VENUE: RSE Theatre (Venue 431)
DATES: 11th – 28th August
TIME: 20.00
SHOW DURATION: 1 hour 55 minutes
TICKET PRICES: £15 and £12 conc.

Spanking The Monkey: The Etymology of Onanistic Euphemisms

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The Distinguished Benny Hill Symposia at the prestigious Royal Society of Edinburgh is proud to present this informative, “hands-on” lecture by the renowned Oxford Professor of English Literature Richard (‘Dick’) Handler (“Hamlet and the Birth of Cancel Culture,” “Twits and Twats: a Case Study in Alliterative Vulgarities” and “The Secret Hip-hop References in Peter Rabbit”, to name but a few) on the word origins of the innumerable euphemisms for self-pleasure (self-abuse if you’re a glass half-empty type).  

Or, put another way, where on earth did all these slang words for wanking come from. Take a look around, and there are monkeys being spanked, dolphins being flogged and chickens being choked. Turn on the telly and carrots are being cuffed, bananas are being buffed, and gherkins are being jerked. Even at Sunday Roast, all Gran wants to talk about are the willies that are being whipped, the puds being pounded and the candles being bashed. 

Whether one is chugging it in Scotland, slapping the sergeant in Turkey, marinating the salmon in Norway, or flying a kite in Thailand, Professor Handler’s scholarly study of the foundations of onanistic euphemisms is guaranteed to have universal appeal because, let’s face it, we’re all wankers.

SHOW DETAILS
VENUE: RSE Theatre (Venue 431) Welcome West
DATES: 12th – 28th August
TIME: 18.20
SHOW DURATION: 1 hour
TICKET PRICES: £10 and £8 conc.

REBELS WITHOUT APPLAUSE

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Coming off a sell-out tour of Edinburgh in 2021, up-and-coming stars Luke Terry, Katie Kamola and Ed Thorne (with appearances from Jonnie Smith on select performances) return to the greatest arts festival in the world to split an hour of brand new stand-up. With each comedian bringing solid gold jokes and their unique perspective, it’s bound to be a night as varied as it is hilarious. Observational, sensational, relatable, unduplicatable: it’s live comedy, the way it’s supposed to be.

SHOW DETAILS
VENUE: Hill Street Theatre (Venue 41) Dunedin stage
DATES: 5th to 28th August
TIME: 22.00
SHOW DURATION: 1 hour
TICKET PRICES: £5 and £3 conc.

OCD ME

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A one-woman comedy about what it’s really like living with OCD (for Sarah anyway)

Written and directed by Aisling Smith

Sarah was diagnosed with OCD a decade ago. She’s been managing it pretty well, but it’s hard living in a world that tells you to follow your gut when your gut wants you to touch the door handle 64 times. She wants to tell you her story and let you know that there’s much more to it than the stereotypes we see on TV, like obsessive hand- washing (though in Sarah’s case that’s definitely part of it). 

Performed by Laura Whelan and written and directed by Aisling Smith, OCD Me is a semi-autobiographical piece about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Aisling and Laura are both Irish artists working in theatre and film. Laura trained at Bow Street Academy for Screen Acting in Dublin and Aisling holds an MA from RADA and a PhD from NUI Galway. This is their Edinburgh Fringe debut!

SHOW DETAILS
VENUE: Hill Street Theatre (Venue 41)
DATES: 5th – 15th and 17th – 28th August
TIME: 15.10
TICKET PRICES: £13 and £10.50

HEY! THATS MY WIFE

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Hey That’s My Wife! is a comedic spin on the classic works of Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller that follows two advertising executives, Charlie Moore and Roger Sloan, as they navigate a tale as old as time, who’s sleeping with whose wife? Jam-packed with enough cigarettes and scotch to kill 10 horses, this satire of 1950s Americana will have you laughing ‘til you cry. Featuring New York City’s brightest young comics, Joey DeFilippis (The Comedy Shop), Matthew Ferrara (Spiderman: Homecoming), Espi Rivadeneira (BBC Reel), Caroline Hanes (Reductress) and Ryan O’Toole (Jerry Springer).

SHOW DETAILS
VENUE: Hill Street Theatre (Venue 41) Dunedin Stage
DATES: 5th to 28th August
TIME: 17.50
TICKET PRICES: £15 and £8 conc. (2 for 1 – 8th and 9th August)

HERE GOES NOTHING!

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A far cry from his South Florida roots, 26 year old Brandon Barrera has become a staple of the New York comedy scene. While best known for sellout affairs at venues such as The Stand NYC and the Dania Beach Improv, he’s most often found popping up at various spots such as Zanies Nashville and the New York metro area. 

A true man of the people, Brandon’s “find the funny” outlook brings relatability to his eccentric lifestyle. From working on a marijuana farm, running with the bulls in Pamplona, fraternizing with Dutch sex workers, to his burgeoning golf caddy career, he knows the importance of taking the good from the bad; that the craziest situations make for the best stories; and that sometimes when you find yourself in an unfamiliar situation, it’s best to say, “Here Goes Nothing!” embracing the outcome however it may come.

SHOW DETAILS
VENUE: RSE Theatre (Venue 431) Welcome East
DATES: 5th to 28th August
TIME: 21.40
SHOW DURATION: 1 hour
TICKET PRICES: £10 and £8 conc. (2 for 1 – 8th and 9th August)

HEALTHCARE ANTI-HERO

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Shaun Patrick Flynn RN is a US-based comedian and critical care nurse. While working 50-60 hours a week throughout the pandemic, Shaun started writing new comedy material while caring for critically ill Covid-19 patients. Shaun’s stand-up incorporates a unique mix of his funny experiences as an ICU Nurse and absurd observational humour about American society. His comedy has been described as dark, dry and full of surprises. In an emergency, Shaun could totally save your life, but only if he feels like it.

SHOW DETAILS
VENUE: RSE Theatre (Venue 431) Welcome East
DATES: 18th August
TIME: 18.30
SHOW DURATION: 1 hour
TICKET PRICES: £10 and £8 conc.