Mat Ewins @ Just the Tonic, The Mash House

Nothing less than ambitious, Mat Ewins’ latest goal is to set up the first newspaper on Mars; presumably more reliable than other peer celestial publications. Also, we should note that this is all happening in a future 1960s London where computer graphics will have reverted back to mid-90s quality.

It’s another exceptionally inventive hour, made all the more entertaining by being able to adapt his show to each night’s audience; particularly when calling out attendees as the true (imagined) bigots they (hopefully) are(n’t). There’s a metric ton of jokes to wade through, but most are gone in an instant. However, this only emphasises Ewins' writing ability, in that he can afford throwaway gags to fly under some folks’ radar because it’s otherwise so dense.

The plot does seem to be spread thinly and not quite so meticulously planned compared to last year’s award-nominated efforts. This is evident when Ewins seems more interested in showing off his gaming skills, but the audience could never be bored or feel hard-done-by in such a show. Flooded with jokes, the survivors emerge almost battle-scarred from the most chaos the Fringe has to offer.

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Mat Ewins – What Sorry? My Mistake! The Doors Are Not Open; The Show Has Been Cancelled. Do Not Have Your Tickets Ready!, Just the Tonic, The Mash House, 2-26 Aug, 8.50pm, £5/PWYW

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