The comedy programme at the Festival is not the most inspiring line-up ever, but if nothing else, there's plenty of variety on offer from the following acts:
Adam Bloom: The Arts Theatre, November 19th, 8 p.m. The face will be very familiar to viewers of Channel 4's Edinburgh Or Bust where Adam's Edinburgh Festival ups-and-downs were put under the camcorder microscope. A very studied comic, who used his Jewish upbringing as source material for a lot of his work, he can sometimes be a little too earnest in his quest to convince audiences that he is a truly great comic. Quite fresh and off-beat though in his own way.
Mika: The Arts Theatre, November 21st, 10.30 p.m. Not strictly comedy, but since there isn't a category in this year's festival for "transvestite Maori cabaret artiste" he's ended up here. An exaerobic champion with a stunning falsetto voice, Mika is as camp as they come with his Eartha Kitt impersonations placed alongside Hakka dance routines. His hilarious finale features a wicked tribute to his compatriot, Dame Kira Te Kanawa.
The Nualas: The Arts Theatre, November 20th, 8 p.m. Going through a bit of a Spinal Tap "exploding drummer" crisis, the Nualas were recently down to two, but luckily enough they found a new actress/singer who is happily also called Nuala. Presenting their Hello Again, We're The Nualas show, expect the usual mix of Macra na Feirme laments coupled with some sassy seductive songs. The Nualas were recently nominated for a British Comedy Award for their BBC Radio 4 series.
Kit And The Widow: The Arts Theatre, November 21st, 8 p.m. Very much a revue style act, Kit and The Widow are huge in the West End of London where they have just finished their third sell-out run with the show, Meat On The Bone. Combining sketches, musical parodies and comic dialogues, they're a welcome relief from the norm.
Jaspar Carrot: The Waterfront Hall, November 22nd and 23rd, 7.30 p.m.
A huge mainstream success, Carrott has been a stalwart of television comedy for the past number of years. With his relaxed style of delivery and his cheeky Brummie charm, he still manages to fill out theatres wherever he goes. Not the most cutting-edge of acts and definitely one for the slightly more chronologically enhanced audiences.
