The Best of Popcorn Comedy

Pleasance Dome
5-7, 12-14, 19-21, 26-18 August, 23:30

On paper, this sounds dubious. Why, after all, come to the world’s largest performing arts festival to watch some films? But in practice, it works extremely well.

Already a success with regular nights in London and other cities, Popcorn Comedy is an evening of fantastic, short comic film reels – it under-bills itself by referring to them simply as online videos; this isn’t Youtube wannabe-famous fodder or bloopers – interspersed with stand-ups performing live and introducing their own clips.

At Edinburgh, where it makes its festival debut this year, it’s on fertile ground for comedians, of course – and it offers those comedians a great opportunity to show another side to their careers. On the night I attended, The Idiots of Ants were on fine musical form live and shotgun-calling Victorian inventors on screen, while Jarred Christmas unveiled a clever sci-fi spoof, Kitch in Space, shot entirely in his kitchen, a cheese grater and other utensils put to ingenious use.

Definitely a different way to spend an evening. I’ll be booking up for future Popcorn Comedy gigs in London.

- by Terri Paddock