Munnery's entrance is one of the most stunning things on the fringe. In a hail of dry ice and double-entendres, the bespectacled maniac rides in on top of a silver ice-cream van that doubles as a time machine. An enormous computerised screen declares Munnery's self-styled superiority. We, the humble masses, are "scum", our church McDonald's. Sadly, thereafter things fall flat.
On a good night Munnery can be one of the funniest, most thought-provoking experiences in comedy, but on a bad one he is infuriating. You'd think that after four years this inconsistency would have been ironed out, but no - things have hardly got going before the computer that controls his video screen (an integral part of the show) crashes. Catastrophe can trigger Munnery's finest rapid-fire wit; this time he fails to seize the opportunity, even when Abba blares in from the next tent. Instead, we feel sympathy as the "superior" being is all but drowned out by Dancing Queen.
When you can hear them, Munnery's sniping one-liners are wonderful. However, much of the material seems familiar, and some are just not very funny. The technical problems will presumably be overcome, but this is a weak show.
Till August 27. Box office: 0131-667 0202.
