Edinburgh Fringe
PBH’s Free Fringe @ Opium – Upstairs
26th – 27th Aug, 2021
For this in person 2021 Fringe show called ‘Sam & Tim Present: Behind the Fringe’ we arrived at the Opium bar in Cow gate. The venue is used to having music gigs evident in its layout that looked like so many others but was a great space to feast on some comedy. Sam & Time arose on stage as colleagues in arms suddenly springing to life with their well travelling voices and into the first of their quick fire jokes.
All to do with what they called their show was in their delivery of the behind the fringe variety coming up with suggestions and hints at how to enjoy the fringe. As a comedy duo they informed us that as performers this was to be their first fringe but they had been visiting for 10 years where they saw their first Burlesque show.
They held some mock interviews pulling on stage two leather stools to perch on and to make their jokes. With one doing the asking of sensible questions the other; blowing them apart. Meeting in this way had a melody of comedic characters dressed to fill the space. There was no chance of gainful employment at that time.
The room had filled up a little as the jokes swung by and we were really caught up by the level of humour. The two danced well together balancing off of each other having very complimentary voices one large and more abrupt, the other more coy and bluesy creating the dynamics needed and nailed by their fast moving well pronounced dialogue, offering a gusto performance of their new status as comedians.
They had us twice with the interview skit. It doubled up into another interview that had the same answers of dancing, singing, pink fluffy scarf bearing and more importantly genuinely performing, with the same frustrated interviewer who didn’t have a square answer to any of it. There was a pleasure to it of youth and passion with jokes a wet as if they had just been baptised and without a sign of needing to offend or become distasteful, in fact the opposite was true
After we laughed hard and true at this collage of humorous insights it came to an abrupt end, I was just getting used to them. But we were left with a good feeling that our attendance had been rewarded with great quality and subtle and well earned place of worthwhile comedy. And with the feeling that we wouldn’t mind going back to one of their gigs knowing it will be a good time.
Daniel Donnelly
Mumble Comedy 