COMEDY
****

The chat show theme is something which is appearing more and more on the fringe and this year due to Tommy Sheridan’s indisposition and following their success last year the Edinburgh Tonight team return to the fringe.

The show is simply the chat show of yore very much in the vein of Parkinson and Wogan with the exception that the guests get a small window in which to show a little bit of their act followed by a chinwag with the hosts.

The format from last year has been updated to include Joe’s onstage comedy partner, Michael Topping, (the best cabaret artist working in Britain today) at the piano to great comic effect. Also the delightful Lorraine Chase is added to the mix, which really gives the show a touch of celebrity glamour. Refreshingly, Lorraine comes across as being very grounded and gracious to the guests. Lorraine and Joe take microphone troubles in their stride as they introduce a mixture of acts taken from comedy, dance and cabaret. It was also a delight to hear Lorraine recall moments from her career but these never comes across as being showy but more memories from an interesting journey through life.

If this is the best talk show on the fringe, it’s because it comes a bonus. Each act who appears offers up a pair of tickets for their production to the assembled audience. The production is playing in the tea time slot of 16:45 and is a brilliant launch point for a night on the fringe. So get yourselves down to the bridges for a real treat.