John Robertson's: the dark room

****** 6.66 (stars)

More like John Robertson has left the big light on!

When this reviewer walked in the first thing this reviewer thought is... hmm this isn't very dark is it? There is or are too many lights, there are simply too many lights on in here. Light Lights Light Light everywhere..but will they ever go out? I hate to fixate on the lights but if you advertise a show as a “Dark Room” there should simply be that: Darkness and, at least hopefully, a room. But this show only had one of those things: a room, and, lots of light! It really did start to irk me and it’s the sort of thing that I might expect from an Ian Smith show and then I thought.. are they just trying to do an Ian Smith here, that’s quite unoriginal?! However all this being said once the performance begun it did go dark and it is a very good show.

Review date: 21 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Dr. Hand
Reviewed at: Gilded Balloon - Patter House

Dusty Creases: Dance Your Life Away

***** 5.9108963 (stars)

Dusty Crease, more like can I have a sandwich please, thinks this reviewer. So yeah, okay I didn’t actually see this one but hell you gonna stop me writing this? Say less.. and then slay. Boing. This show ( if I had seen it ) made me think of how all the oceans are essentially the same ocean, so like… why even name them. Also think about the countries, most of them touch, so can’t they all be the same and nice to each other.. can we all not just get along, would that be so hard? Would it? Answers on a postcard y’all.

Review date: 20 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Dirk Hell
Reviewed at: Pleasance Dome

Molly Mcguinness: Slob

****** 6.0123 (stars)

Okay gun to my head have I seen this show, no I haven’t but if I had seen it, which this particular reviewer can imagine (in their head) I reckon it would be really interesting and good and I’d highly recommend it.

In this world I can picture myself writing something like: ‘Wardrobe direct were good to deal with wardrobes arrived on time with constant updates. The wardrobes were wonderful but I have marked down 1 star due to being advertised on their site as Luxury and for the cost I would have expected a solid backing like 18mm MDF instead of the flimsy board 2-3mm thick used which bends to the touch’ for something I perhaps had received by say, Wardrobe Direct who have one of the UK’s largest selections of wardrobes. In this case that might be beside the point and I suppose it is, much like the barrel (of gun not monkey) is beside my temple (side of head).

And relax.

Review date: 20 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Lady Subnet
Reviewed at: Monkey Barrel (Cabaret Voltaire)

PAT CAHILL: ST JULIAN'S SOCIAL CLUB

******** 8.49 (stars)

Post man pat? More Like Pat Cahill, thinks this reviewer, however he does deliver, a fantastic show & with Pete Lupton on the ivories. There was a risk, during this particular performance, that Pat was going to release a swarm of small bees into the room and that did unsettle at least this audience member (me) but I did then think it through and came to the conclusion that the performer (Cahill) had made no mention of that whatsoever and I think I was getting a bit scrambled as I was desperate to do the postman pat reference and so kept thinking about him during the show but my mind drifted to thoughts about Winnie the Pooh, (via the colour of red) and obviously he has a caper with some bees and I think that’s how I got here.

Review date: 18 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Keith Cant
Reviewed at: Monkey Barrel 2

JAMIE D'SOUZA: BROWNIE

****** 5.5 (stars)

Although the noise bleed from a man who claims to be dead was very loud it didn’t distract me from this show, that same show that I am writing about right now. Jamie has a great show here and is a very relaxed performer which is instantly undercut as he emerges from back stage inside a full sized and operating tank. Now a tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; their main armament is often mounted within a turret. They are a mainstay of modern 20th and 21st century ground forces and a key part of combined arms combat. However D’Souza subverts the use of a tank and replaces ammunition with jokes of which, this reviewer can reveal he (Jamie D’Souza) does.

Review date: 6 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Alan Spheres
Reviewed at: Monkey Barrel (Cabaret Voltaire)

Adam Greene: The Wizard of Ozempic

****** 5.87 (stars)

Laughter was a constant force in this hour long show by 'multi-award-nominated' Adam Greene. Who came out and did all of his show in a packed room. I don’t think I had actually seen Adam Greene before but after seeing him in this show I certainly had seen him and this reviewer can confirm he is real. In his fringe blurb he says: ‘super funny laughs and jokes about fun stuff that is funny, and you will laugh. It's comedy to laugh at. Funny stuff. He does jokes, don't worry about that. Funny jokes, you will laugh. I concur. Also gun to

Review date: 5 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Red Leicester
Reviewed at: The Counting House (The Attic)