Lee made his name with comedy partner Richard Herring, his comedy partner, in the television series This Morning With Richard Not Judy. He has directed Jerry Springer — The Opera and is currently working on a project about folk song and the Napoleonic wars.
KETZAL, DEREVO
Aurora Nova @ St Stephen’s 0131 558 3853
I’ve seen about 20 shows so far this festival, and this Russian clown group from St Petersburg is the best. It was one of the most beautiful and frightening shows I’ve ever seen.
BLACK WATCH
Traverse 4 0131 228 1404
It was really interesting to see what the National Theatre of Scotland is all about. It seemed subversive to stage something about the Black Watch with military seating like at the Tattoo. The play is fantastically written and performed.
KEVIN McALEER, CHALK AND CHEESE
Stand Comedy Club II 0131 558 7272
This is an Irish stand-up comedian with a show about paranoia. It’s simply the best comedy on the fringe this year.
MARIA BAMFORD: PLAN B
Assembly Theatre @ George Street 0131 226 2428
This is an American character comedian in a one-woman show about having a nervous breakdown and going to stay with her family. There is no set, just a chair, but you really feel like you are there in her mother’s living room. It is really brilliant.
THE RECEIPT
Assembly @ George Street 0131 226 2428
A hilarious piece about a man who becomes obsessed with finding the owner of a receipt. It’s by the people who did Jackson’s Way two years ago. It’s like a Robert Lepage show in miniature.
AFTERPLANESMAN
Inlingua Edinburgh 0131 226 0000
Nick Pynn is an acoustic string musician, who performs in a venue that only seats 10 people. You get a free glass of wine and you feel like you are in this guy’s home.
STEPHEN K AMOS
With his easy good nature on stage, Amos has established himself as one of the most popular comics on the circuit.
This year Amos is appearing in All Of Me is at the Pleasance Courtyard.
GAMARJOBAT
Gilded Balloon Teviot 0131 668 1633
If you like your comedy physical, this Japanese couple are brilliant.You don’t need to speak any English to get them. I saw them in Melbourne and it was good to see them doing it for Edinburgh.
HA HA YUM, MAEVE TELLS JOKES WHILE LILLY MAKES CAKES
Gilded Balloon Teviot 0131 668 1633
This is a beautiful, very funny, gentle look at two sisters’ lives, performed by Maeve and Lilly Higgins against a 1950s’ backdrop.
INTO THE HOODS
E4 Udderbelly 0870 745 3083
Watching this made me feel amazing. Seeing a bunch of fit, gorgeous young people from South London showing off, dancing like that made me feel like an old fart.
CHARLIE PICKERING, AUTO
Gilded Balloon Teviot 0131 668 1633
I worked with him all over Australia, and I’m sure he learnt everything he knows from me. He has a brilliant mind.
CAREY MARX, WHITE NIGHT
Pleasance Dome 0131 556 6550,
This is a hilarious exploration of colours, with brilliant bits of pre-recorded stuff.
STEVE HUGHES, STORM
Pleasance Courtyard 0131 556 6550
This is another Australian comedian and he’s on fire. It’s hard-edged social commentary at its best. Definitely one to watch.
JANE IRWIN
She won the 1991 Kathleen Ferrier Prize and the Singers’ Competition at the 1993 Geneva International Music Competition. She sings Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde on Tuesday evening at the Usher Hall, and a programme of Britten with the Scottish Ensemble at the Queen’s Hall, on Aug 22.
ELEKTRA BY RICHARD STRAUSS
Usher Hall 0131 473 2000
I’ve always loved Strauss, and Elektra is absolutely crazy music. When he listened to it years afterwards he couldn’t believe he’d written it.
GUSTAV MAHLER JUGENDORCHESTER
Usher Hall 0131 473 2000
I love watching youth orchestras, there’s something so fresh about them. They are not doing it for the job, they are doing it for the joy, and there’s something really moving about that.
BERLINER PHILHARMONIKER
Usher Hall 0131 473 2000
With Simon Rattle and a good Scottish soprano, Lisa Milne, you can’t go wrong. Sir Simon is a great export, a lad from Liverpool who’s done good. And I love Mahler.
ARNOLD WESKER
Book Festival 0845 373 5888
I’ve always been a great admirer of Arnold Wesker, who is talking about Chicken Soup With Barley. It was such an exciting time for theatre when he was writing things like that.
JACKIE KAY
Book Festival 0845 373 5888
I’ve bought her new book of short stories but not got round to reading it yet so I’m looking forward to hearing her. I read one of her previous books, Trumpet, and I just love the lyricism of the prose.
TONY BENN
Book Festival 0845 373 5888
I’ve seen him talk before and he is very inspirational. Through the decades he has stuck to his beliefs and spoken his mind. That is something very rare in a politician and I have great respect for him.
LUCY PORTER
Nominated as a finalist in the career-launching So You Think You’re Funny comedy Awards in Edinburgh in 1995 Lucy Porter’s chatty, sweet solo stand-up shows have sold out at the fringe for the last three years.
TAKE A BREAK TALES
Pleasance Courtyard 0131 556 6550
This is a very endearing show with three women and one man. Danielle Ward wrote it and stars in it herself. It’s a bizarre play of sortsof thing. It’s hard to explain without actually seeing it.
LAURENCE AND GUS, NEXT IN LINE
Pleasance Courtyard 0131 556 6550
This is brilliant and very clever, so don’t go and see it if you’re drunk or stupid. You’ll love it.
SARAH KENDALL
Pleasance Courtyard 0131 556 6550
This is brilliant observational comedy, done really well. She is a bit like an Australian female Seinfeld.
RICHARD HERRING, MENAGE À UN
Smirnoff Underbelly 0870 745 3083
This is hilarious. I love his stuff about being a slightly lonely, single man in his thirties.
JUSTIN EDWARDS, UNACCOMPANIED AS I AM
The Pleasance 0131 556 6550
This is a charming show, with lots of slightly psychotic songs in it. It’s very good.
LICK AND CHEW, THE WORLD IS JUST ENOUGH
The Pleasance 0131 556 6550
This is a sketch comedy show with music, performed by two of the loveliest people that you could ever hope to spend an hour with.
JOHN CLANCY
Inspired by what he’s seen over the years at Edinburgh, John Clancy, founded the New York Fringe Festival 10 years ago.
PARTICULARLY IN THE HEARTLAND
Traverse Theatre 0131 228 1404
This is great, young political theatre out of New York, by an award-winning company.
TALK RADIO, E4
Udderbelly 0870 745 3083
It’s a great script and Phil Nichol is giving a terrific performance, with the inimitable Mike McShane.
FOOD
Traverse Theatre 0131 228 1404
Food explores perfectionism and the price you pay for ambition.
END OF THE RAINBOW
Assembly @ Assembly Hall 0131 226 2428
The story of the final months of Judy Garland’s life, as told by Caroline O’Connor, one of the most naturally gifted performers.
TWO MEN TALKING
Assembly @ George Street 0131 226 2428
A story of friendship which is part improvisation, part scripted. It's performed by two childhood friends — the effect is like overhearing a conversation.
CLEAN ALTERNATIVES
Assembly @ St George’s West 0131 226 2428
Great writing and beautiful performances. A political piece filled with ideas that delivers an emotional impact.
