Here the latest reviews of Morecambe Fringe Festival acts

Comedy

Tom Little

Instantaneously you are greeted with a burst of stage energy and charisma which is Tom Little. If you’re looking for laughs then you’ve come to the right guy. Mr. Little has fantastic stage presence, hilarious commentary and highly relatable content which will have you in stitches from beginning to end.

If you too “would rather inhale faecal matter than engage eye contact with a stranger”, then Tom Little’s setup is just what you’re after. I would highly recommend watching, especially on T.V- someone put this man on the air already!

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Reviewer: Morgan Logan

Lear’s Fool, written and performed by John Slater, is a witty, intelligent and moving account of Shakespeare’s King Lear from the perspective of the Fool. Slater as Fool bumbles on tothe stage crowned with flowers – like his offstage master - and engages the live audience with some deft comedy, helped by his marionette. Slater emulates the wit of Robert Armin (the actor who originally played the Fool), by opening up sharp questions about the ‘vanity’ of Shakespeare’s characters and contemporary public figures.Slater’s warm-hearted, northern Fool gives a sharp critique of the self-interests of Goneril, Regan, Burgundy and of Lear’s own attempt to commodify love, which ‘our Cordelia’ and the ‘typically romantic’ King of France reject. The Fool’s judgement is even-handed: he notes Goneril’s harsh response to Lear’s knights, but also wryly observes they ‘were rum ones’: out of order in their drinking and wenching.

Ultimately, what Slater’s performance brings out most powerfully is the love the Fool has for his master, ‘God bless him’. Gestures to the off-stage Lear, who has already gone mad and is making daisy chains, vividly invoke a vulnerable old man. Such is the intimacy of their bond that the Fool too appeared to be losing his wits. John Slater’s talents allow him to juggle all these aspects of the Fool, to create a poignant ending to the performance where the fragility of the future for Lear and the Fool, and more widely of comedy and compassion, becomes tangible. Highly recommend!Rating: 4/5

Reviewer: Alison Findlay

Fatal Attraction

Musical Comedy

Chalk'n'Cheeze

Allan Gray aka “Gordon Zola” and Eve Nortley together as “Chalk & Cheeze” performed a musical comedy. Allan a lyrically rhythmic Salford poet and Eve a Brummie Bard known for her racy poetry are no strangers to the spoken word scene. Tonight’s cornucopia of mirth and madness ranged from operatic mayhem to “the pensioners rap” including a tribute to Victoria Wood in a raunchy “Tesco Express Blues”. The show sprinkled with political satire had the audience singing and clapping along creating sixty minutes of fun.

Rating: 3/5

Reviewer: Susan Griffin

Poets, Prattlers and Pandemonialists.

Spoken Word.

Steve Pottinger, Dave Pitt and Emma Purshouse.

This show was a real treat. On the surface, three friends having their first post-pandemic pint down the pub to share their lock-down experiences. In reality it was a sequence of very polished individual performances by three accomplished Spoken Word artists which were artfully blended within a setting of pub chat and banter. This light-hearted format gave the poets opportunity to reflect on both the humour and the sadness apparent in our culture during the covid pandemic whilst cleverly allowing them to expose some of the more poignant experiences of ordinary people. The poetry was exceptional, the whole idea was ingenious and the audience were captivated.

Rating: 4/5

Reviewer: Rowland Crowland.

Robin Boot's Rockomedy: Punaway Train!

Musical Comedy

Robin Boot

More musical mayhem from Lancaster's own Robin Boot. His guitar playing is artful enough to enhance the song parodies and his energy is infectious. A delight!

Rating: 4/5

Reviewer: Simeon Word

Clayhead

Comedy

Adam Flood

Babyfaced Adam Flood laces his set with unexpected darts of deft hilarity. His Stoke background provides the grist for his mill as he lays bare his strategies for world conquest. Excellent stuff from someone we can expect to see more of.

Rating: 4/5

Reviewer: Simeon Word

A bit more Rich.

Comedy

Richard Pulsford

The Winner of the UK pun championships 2022 sets his stall early. If you don't like puns, you won't like this. Half the fun is trying to guess the punchline before it's delivered, the other half is being wrong. The joy of a pun is its obviousness 'after' you've heard it. Rich delivers a masterclass in the form.

Rating: 4/5

Reviewer: Simeon Word

School's out comedy club

Comedy

Philip Simon

Philip gave a polished performance in a confident and relaxed manner putting his young audience at their ease. Using a measure of audience participation, he encouraged the children to share their favourite jokes interspersing jokes from his charity Joke book an anthology of jokes from other children. A fast-paced method that really engaged the children. This entertainment was created during the Covid lockdown to create content for a Joke Book to support “FareShare” a charity aimed at supporting vulnerable hungry families. As an educator teaching young children for over forty years, I found this an excellent show to excite and entertain young children who responded with great enthusiasm.

Rating: 5/5

Reviewer: Susan Griffin

Charmed, I'm sure

Comedy

Paddy Young

With charm deservedly in the title, Paddy assuredly delivers this great set of fish out of water comedy. He philosophically skewers the prejudices of North and South, Flatmates and shares, the Class system and jugglers.

Rating: 4/5

Reviewer: Simeon Word

Porcupine

Comedy

Stella Graham

Excellent set on anger management and counselling. Stella navigates life through a series of fumbles doing her best to contain her rage before it goes. Warmer and gentler than it sounds. An hour in her company is a delight!

Rating: 4/5

Reviewer: Simeon Word