Star Trek vs Star Wars @ The Banana Skin
Can the great Sci-Fi debate be settled once and for all?
Pitting two of the biggest sci-fi franchises against each other produces a simple and effective show, with host Rik Carranza introducing two guest comedians to battle for the audience's favour.
Today, a poorly-placed TV means that most of the crowd can't actually see the intro pieces without sitting in the first couple of rows or standing at the back of this sold-out show – a shame as the pieces are executed in the finest Star Wars and Star Trek styles. But given Carranza nearly didn't make it to Edinburgh at all due to a lack of space, it's pleasing to see he's ended up having to put on extra shows to deal with demand.
Questions on whether phasers are better than lightsabres yield an obvious win, but the contest between Star Trek's Data or Star Wars' CP30 and R2D2 is smart and amusing. The show is heavily reliant on the guest comedians' skills but they give it their all, and subsequently the show is never dull. If you're feeling the urge to geek out this is definitely worth a watch.
Star Trek v Star Wars, The Banana Skin, Blair St, 27-28 Aug, 11pm Free