Do everything you're not supposed to

Poem from the Glasgow Comedy Festival preview show

More Phil Nichol videos

2007: Nominated for best headliner in the Chortle Awards 2006: Appeared as the producer in Rob Brydon's BBC Three series Annually Retentive 2005: Appeared in BBC Two's Broken News, as camp showbiz reporter Josh Cashman on this BBC2 spoof 2003: Chortle Award nominee for best headliner 2002: Nominated for the Perrier for his Edinburgh show: Things I Like, I Lick 2002: Chortle award nominee for best male circuit comic 2002: Appeared as Philip Salon in the Boy George musical Taboo in the West End

School For Scandal - Fringe 2009
Live Review
Pleasance Courtyard

This Comedians’ Theatre Company production is a riot of corpsing, in-jokes and general mucking about, occasionally interrupted by a Restoration comedy.

It is, apparently, how Sheriden would have wanted it. His Georgian comedy of manners was intended to be loosely performed, allowing celebrity actors of the day free reign to embellish the script and play to their stage persona. In this way it’s the perfect Edinburgh play, able to employ stand-ups who are the stars of this particular month-long insular society, where they are temporarily famous for their individual styles.

The finer points of the plot do get lost amid all the high-jinks, making the overly-busy production more of a playground where the cast can don powdered wigs and extravagant bustles or breeches and run around the elegant set as if they’ve each just guzzled a litre of Sunny D. At one point, an exasperated character utters, with typically anachronistic nod to the audience: ‘It’s Restoration comedy, not Pappy’s Fun Club, for flip’s sake.’ Could have fooled us.

The star casting is 77-year-old Lionel Blair, as the henpecked Sir Peter Teazle, husband of a much younger wife (Bridget Christie, blowing nicely hot and cold), and butt of many a gag about his advancing years. The fact that the jokes could be as much about the character as the celebrity playing him is typical of the essence of the show.

He might be the big name, but he’s not necessarily the star. That honour probably goes to Amy Saunders – best known as sword-swallower Miss Behave – playing the scheming Lady Sneerwell (none-too-subtly named given her propensity to scoff at others) with over-the-top finesse.

King of the scene-stealers, in a cast riddled with them, is Steve Jameson as Moses. In many recent productions, the character’s Jewish heritage has been played down, for fear of anti-semitism. But here, he Heebs it up, wisecracking like Groucho Marx, and almost as funny.

Running him a close second is the foppish Paul Foot, who was born to prance around with such effete exaggeration. Sometimes his physical flourishes are over-the-top even for this unsubtle production, but you still just have to watch him.

Ella Kenion’s Mrs Candour is also a delight; her jaw quivering with delight at the prospect of imparting or learning some fresh nugget of salacious gossip. Marcus Brigstocke gets to be a supercilious, aloof wastrel, Stephen K Amos is a lightweight but flamboyant comic relief, and Phil Nichol is a central fulcrum of relative restraint – that shows just how out-of-control the extravagance has got.

In some ways, it’s an embarrassment of riches, with too much going on – both scripted and otherwise – as the flourishes overwhelm the actual play. Acclaimed director Cal McCrystal could do with tightening some segments up, while still allowing for improvisation, if the production is to have any life outside Edinburgh. Though given the size of the cast and the commitment needed, that may well prove impossible.

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What Zach Galifianakis does with ease and a welcome of laughter, Nichol expends sweat and blood trying to mine one titter from. Nichol's biggest fan is very obviously Phil Nichol and this alienates the audience almost as soon as he gets on the stage. He's missing that particular MSG that made look-at-me-ism palatable in the acts of Robin Williams and Steve Martin. Grim, with a very obvious contempt for his audience.

Mandy Allan, January 2010

Lawks-a-Lawdy. Saw this clown last night. I can't even describe how bad this guy is. Not just bad - but criminally bad. Cringe-worthy bad. So bad it makes you want to hit people.

Jamie Baxter, August 2009

I've seen Phil on and off over the last few years I guess 10 times and last night I just didn't enjoy his new show, I'm not saying it's no good, just it's very different from the stuff he normally does and just didnt work for me.

Chris, July 2009

Saw his new stuff for Edinburgh and it he looks like a man trying too hard to be funny to me.

David, July 2009

Saw him at the Tattershall Castle at the weekend - did the exact same sketch down to waving at imaginary parents in the front row. Great when he sings, everything else is pretty poor.

Michelle, May 2009

I saw him in Inverness recently. One of the best tickets I've bought in a long while! I'm a converted fan hence why I looked him up on here. When he's in Scotland next I will be there.

Greg McKeown, March 2009

Saw him at Eden Court in Inverness. A brilliant act, very, very, funny. Engaging, entertaining and enormously talented. All you other guys must have sen someone else. Don't miss him!

John Burns, March 2009

My eyes were watering with laughter. A musically talented package of fun. I loved it.

Nikki Flynn, February 2009

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