Fringe Comedy Reviews: Taking Stock

First impressions can be deceptive. Nick Cody comes across as something of a gruff, bear-like comedian for at least the first quarter of an hour of Beard Game Strong [★★★★☆]. Except for the not insignificant detail of him being an extremely good stand-up there's nothing really to mark him out in this opening section. His impatience with, say, food intolerances are only surprising for their predictability. But, we shouldn't judge on appearances or, indeed, audiobooks by their cover. An interesting but brief summary of his parents reaction to the benign essential tremor he's had since childhood shows a more reflective side – although even then the anecdote is impressively solid stuff. Gradually Cody builds to two stand-out sequences involving the strangely languid vocals of some talking books and how, as gruff and bear-like as he might be, he's as useless as any human when it comes to actually facing one in the flesh.

Heidi O'Loughlin arrives with a newcomer nomination from Melbourne and an interesting family history about her Tahiti ancestors. And history repeats itself, for like one of her forebears she has settled in London (though in O'Loughlin's case from New Zealand). The big smoke also proves a strong source of material as she takes down the high bar set for a menial job in an Odeon Cinema. There is one very simple problem with the show today: O'Loughlin talks a little too quickly, to the point where it's sometimes hard to get on board with the material. However, the material within A Woman Talking [★★★☆☆] is full of quirky insights and intrigue from a very capable storyteller.

In terms of delivery, Rhys Nicholson is at the other end of the spectrum and perhaps unlucky with the heat of the room. He's certainly stifled today and loses his thread a couple of times. Once he's in full flow though, Forward [★★★☆☆] shows Nicholson has an eye for the fast-paced changes going on around us. Nicholson can appreciate that, in the relatively short time he's been in a relationship, the way people date has completely transformed – and this sequence therefore gives a flipside to the popular online dating material that naturally pops up in many sets this year. Family history figures here too, but as he explains, the times he most notices the ring that has been passed down to him, it isn't what his ancestors quite had in mind.

Anna Morris' Georgina the Bride is more obsessed and traditional about her own ring, as her title says: It's Got To Be Perfect [★★★★☆]. Georgina could come across as a more populist creation, inviting questions as to whether the Edinburgh Fringe is really the ideal place to showcase the character. Yet Morris has chosen to bring this 'Bridezilla' to the Free Fringe, never allowing her audience to have less than a good time and aptly demonstrating what life and perspective a skilled comedian can breathe into an apparently stock character (although there is a little more to Georgina than first appears). Moreover, even though we'd expect hen parties to turn up at this show, when have two raucous groups of friends ever really helped a comedian out at a gig during an arts festival? Today, Morris has such control of the room she easily folds them into them into activities – this makes their afternoon, and also everyone else's.

That Pair also build their show Letting it Go [★★☆☆☆] around the idea of a social event, but it never quite keeps all the material housed within the 'Princess Party' we're all meant to be attending. Kathryn Boyd and Lorna Shaw have plenty of acting ability, comedic timing and rapport, all of which sees them through some of the weaker sections. Ultimately though, and despite their obvious talent and likability, they cannot conceal its writing, which comes across as a work in progress far more than the finished article. With more honing of their script Letting it Go has potential, but unfortunately it simply doesn't have the cohesion of a finished show.

Patrick Morris also uses a clear concept to thread his show together, overturning his middling lifestyle into a string of higher risk events such as, among others, committing a crime (train fare evasion) and visiting a dominatrix. However, Premature Bucket List [★★☆☆☆] is undermined by the machine gun-like delivery and a consequent lack of any sense of timing. As we've seen, stock or simple ideas can do well in the right hands, but Morris' delivery only exaggerates the bucket list ideas for their banality instead of making for the nice clean premise it could be – chiefly, that of putting Morris in uncomfortable comedic situations. A small section on traffic directions to the sex dungeon is, however, well observed and hopefully is more representative of Morris' potential than we see today.

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Nick Cody: Beard Game Strong, Assembly George Square Studios, run ended

Rhys Nicholson: Forward, Underbelly George Square, until 31 Aug, 8:20pm, £9-11

Heidi O'Loughlin: A Woman Talking, Underbelly Cowgate, run ended

Anna Morris: It's Got To Be Perfect, The Voodoo Rooms, run ended

That Pair: Letting It Go, The Caves, run ended

Patrick Morris: Fairly Premature Bucket List, Underbelly Med Quad, run ended