Stamptown Comedy Night at Edinburgh Fringe ★★★★½
★★★★½ Stamptown Comedy Night | Pleasance Courtyard | Aug 11-12, 17-19, 24-26 | 11pm
A batshit crazy variety night of lols, with everyone’s favourite slime ball Jack Tucker (Zach Zucker) and friends.
Expect crass comedy at its best in this epic late-night menagerie of colourful characters. It feels like watching the magic of Saturday Night Live being performed off script, with wacky sound effects, kooky characters including a marauding vampire, a rollerskating hipster, and a hilarious stage manager reading the legal disclaimers of the evening whilst dodging the Pleasance Forth wildlife!
Zach Zucker as Jack Tucker is a sublimely funny host, doling out a creepy overdose of comedy taboos, and he’s such a presence that the guest acts can feel a little secondary to his schtick – but the frat boy concept of the show does shine for a predominantly Gen Z audience. The lineup is high quality, our visit including the likes of the super strong Yuck Circus, deadpan flop/superstar Mark Silcox, and Australian newcomer Dane Simpson (whose show Didgeridoozy looks to be a hoot). There’s also an unexpected, cum-drenched, orchestral moment. Yes, you read that right. Don’t go to this show and say you weren’t warned!
The only danger is that it can all feel a little macho-smug – until, that is, the epically talented Elf Lyons comes on to smash up a watermelon in true anarchic comedy gold. Maybe she should host with Zach to bring the show right into 2023.
I am Joint Editor at To Do List. I like free, cheap & offbeat London, especially: cabaret, art, theatre, pop-ups, eating out, quirky films, museums, day trips, social enterprise & much more.
