The Stand, York Place until 26 August (not Fri, Sun, Sat), midnight
As late-night Fringe entertainment goes, you could certainly do a lot worse than Political Animal at The Stand on York Place. Hosted by Fringe veteran and stalwart BBC Radio 4 stalwart Andy Zaltzman, the midnight show brings four different comedians to the stage every night to discuss the burning political issues of the day. While this ensures that the show remains fresh and unpredictable on a day-to-day basis, it does mean that actually booking tickets for Political Animal is something of a lottery. Unless you’ve had the foresight to check The Stand’s website beforehand, there’s no other way of knowing who’s going to be on the bill.
Paul Sinha
Thankfully, the line-ups are diverse enough to cater to most tastes, even if a few dud acts occasionally slip through the net. On the night we attended, we were treated to outstanding British-Asian comedian Paul Sinha, musical comic James Sherwood and a pair of relatively obscure (on this side of the pond at least) Irish performers; Keith Farnan from Cork and Dubliner Abie Philman-Bowman. Though not a natural compere, as he himself readily admits, Zaltzman fills the role admirably, managing to turn out just enough gags to warm up the audience without eclipsing the other talent on the bill.
Paul Sinha is up first and easily steals the show. His anecdotes of being a gay British Hindu produce genuine belly laughs, as he encounters intolerance ranging from xenophobic BNP members to extremist Muslim clerics. Sinha’s message is ultimately one of tolerance and by tackling racism and homophobia head on, he robs them of their power and shock value, instead leaving the audience writhing in mirth. Irishman Keith Farman is next, with snippets from his 2009 Fringe show No Blacks. No Jews. No Dogs. No Irish. Farman is entertaining and affable, though his material feels well-worn, leaving the audience wondering why he has chosen to regurgitate last year’s set on racism and fascism in the USA rather than sampling his 2010 outing on gender divisions.
Andy Zaltzman
After the interval, James Sherwood and his piano take the stage to provide a little musical relief. Sherwood’s political ditties are topical and witty but lack the invention and playfulness of established musical comics like Tim Minchin or Bill Bailey. Still, his tunes about the Conservative-Liberal coalition government raise a few cheers and his presence adds welcome variety to be bill. Abie Philman-Bowman is less well received as he performs snippets from current show Sex, Lies and the KKK. While the Irishman has earned a reputation as one of the Fringe’s more controversial comedians in previous years, his routines feel stilted and the politics naïve and juvenile.
When Andy Zaltzman returns to the stage, he quickly makes up for any disappointment Philman-Bowman has left in his wake. Falling back on a favourite old routine, he draws plastic balls from a velvet bag to draw which countries should go to war with each other. It’s a simple gag but one that works; his off-the-cuff quips are rewarded with chuckles all round and hearty applause. As with any variety act, so much depends on the line-up but Zaltzman is one constant who makes Political Animals unfailingly hilarious, night after night.
