Assembly Roxy: Run Ended
Twisted Edge Comedy is a new company that can currently be seen presenting a variety of stand-up comedy at the Edinburgh Student Arts Festival. The company itself gives students free workshops, training them in stand up and giving them the confidence to perform in front of audiences. The shows themselves are extremely engaging and provide something for everyone, from surrealist humour to comic anecdotes to one liners.
Andrew Sims, one of the company’s founders, hosts and warms up the audience, involving certain audience members to ensure that the various comedians receive an enthusiastic reception when they come out to perform.
The eclectic range of comedians perform a few minutes of stand-up each, with their style being mostly anecdotal. The comedians are a combination of amateurs, who have never performed before, and more experienced performers. One criticism of this style of performance is that, at points, it is quite clear which performers are less experienced and which are more so. Therefore the sense of continuity is slightly less cohesive than it could be.
Much of the humour arises from the subtlety of the performance — the taller acts taking the time to slowly adjust the height of the mic before they start their act — as well as pauses and changes in the nuance of tone which show that the performers are both confident and well versed in their individual acts. The sheer energy of the performers, the diversity of approach to comedic venture, and the pure boldness of the performers ensures the enjoyment of the audience.
Image Credit: Travelita