Fringe Comedy Reviews: Freshers

The Fringe welcomes new and old performers alike, and in the case of Tom Parry it’s a little bit of both. Despite being a veteran of the Fringe, Parry’s new show Yellow T-shirt [★★★★☆] is his first solo outing and he has a serious axe to grind when it comes to fancy dress. Those of us who dare to commit the cardinal sin of hiring costumes for parties, instead of hand-crafting them out of boxes provided by a supermarket on a Thursday night, live only to fuel his rage. It comes as no surprise that his show manages the perfect mix of mad energy, boyish charm and cheeky juvenile behavior. It's fantastically silly, gloriously petty considering the subject, good natured and plenty of fun.

Much the same could be said for Louise Reay, whose new show is a genuinely unique experience and altogether different thing. Reay has a way with words, as we might expect given her first Fringe show is titled It’s Only Words [★★★★☆], but she speaks those words in Mandarin for the entire duration of the show. In front of a British audience, her ambitious feat aims to show that there is far more to communication than just our first language. She plucks out audience members to star alongside her in a series of sketches, upon which she gestures, winks, shimmies, moves and shakes her way through a superb debut show that proves in comedy, there is nothing lost in translation. Her debut triumphs as a stand out show even in the context of a Fringe full of shows that are just as unusual.

As another newcomer to the Fringe, Joe Hart sets out to achieve two things with his show Dirty Rotten Apples [★★★☆☆] – make you laugh and teach you about apples. Relaxed and chummy, Joe describes himself as both a proud expressive gay man, and a shy nerdish fellow, a contradiction that fuels his comedy. He does his best to educate us as to the importance of apples throughout history, yet the apples are an altogether frail narrative device that feels too loose to warrant such attention. It does however, act as a springboard for for treat us to a cocktail of jokes about Doctor Who and algebra.

In the case of Corey White, whose first Fringe show The Cane Toad Effect [★★★★☆] dives headfirst into the wreckage of his past. There is little time wasted as he has quite the story to tell you, one that is not for the faint-hearted. Stories about his family upbringing, addiction and relationships will worry some and shock most. He is endlessly engaging, inspiring and uncompromisingly brutal. Above all, Corey’s candid honesty separates him from the pack.

Completing the round-up the newcomers is Omar Hamdi, with his show In The Valley of Kings [★★★★☆]. He ponders everything from the crisis of masculinity in today’s British youth, to his own cultural heritage, ISIS and spirituality. His mix of observational comedy with energetic stage antics is fresh and insightful. For Hamdi, there is a clear connection to be made between his absent father and his lack of traditional masculinity. He jumps from one idea to the next (sometimes literally) as the excitement of being on stage seems to almost overpower his stand-up.

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Tom Parry: Yellow T-Shirt, The Tron, until 30 Aug, 6:20pm, £5

Louise Reay: It's Only Words, The Community Project, until 30 Aug, 4:15pm, £5

Joe Hart: Dirty Rotten Apples, Gilded Balloon, until 31 Aug, 2:45pm, £9-10

Corey White: The Cane Toad Effect, Assembly Hall, until 30 Aug, 8:20pm, £8-10

Omar Hamdi: In The Valley of Kings, Assembly George Square Studios, until 30 Aug, 10.20pm, £8-10