Old Rope in the Balloon is a comedy club which gives comedians the chance to try out new material and jokes before incorporating them into their slick regular routines. The nature of the club means that there is likely to be a completely different line-up of comedians every night, each of whom get roughly 15 minutes of stage time.

Canadian comedian Phil Nichol hosts the evening in tandem with English stand-up Tiffany Stevenson. The duo introduce the acts and explain the concept behind the club - a noose dangles from the lighting rig above the stage and, if any of the comedians decide they want to perform old material, they must hold onto the noose to indicate it is 'old rope'.

Easy-going Aussie Dave Thornton kicks the evening off with impressively contemporary material about the unusually good weather being experienced at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe. A routine about going to a venereal disease clinic in Ireland is fairly disgusting in places but the performer's charm means he carries it off with aplomb.

Luke Toulson nervously checks his scribbled-on hand for every new joke. He goes as far as to use a pen to tick which jokes elicit a positive response and which do not. His success rate is roughly 80 per cent but he grabs the rope near the end of his performance to present some old material about his children's nativity play.

Before introducing the next guest, Tiffany Stevenson gives a fascinating insight into the business of writing comedy as she works on a riff about signs of ageing. Reading from a book for the most part, she tries out different ways of telling and phrasing the same joke to see which one works best.

Paul Foot is dressed shambolically, with an unbrushed mullet haircut. He takes suggestions from the audience and turns the topics into a ranting monologue taking up his entire 15 minutes of stage time. This particular rant sees him rail against double-yellow lines, fringe flyers, French people, dish-cloths, public transport and a locker in a Los Angeles airport. It's breathtaking improvisation and is one of the clear highlights of the show.

The 'mystery special guest' fails to arrive so, next on the stage, is Rhys Mathieson, plucked from obscurity by co-host Phil Nichol. Minutes before bounding onto stage, the New Zealander was checking tickets on the door to the venue. Despite his inexperience, he impresses with tales of his many romantic failures and a particularly unsavoury incident with a Coke bottle.

London comedian Ava Vidal delights with her wry observations about racial stereotypes and motherhood. It may be all-new material but it hits the mark every time and seems as polished and tight as an act she's been honing for years.

Lasting 75 minutes, Old Rope in the Balloon presents an intriguing glimpse behind the scenes of the comedy circuit and the chance to see how stand-ups fashion their material from the initial glimmer of an idea.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Paul Foot. Rhys Mathieson. Phil Nichol - MC. Tiffany Stevenson - MC. Dave Thornton. Luke Toulson. Ava Vidal.

Company Credits: Writer - individual performers / uncredited. Director - uncredited. Technical Operator - uncredited. Producer - Phil Nichol & Tiffany Stevenson. Company - Jeremy Meadow Ltd. Website - www.ropetoday.info.

END

(c) David Hepburn 2009

reviewed Monday 10 August / Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh UK

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com