A show that assumes erudition on the part of its audience is a rarity on the comedy circuit. Such is the latest offering from Priorité à Gauche, the spoof musicians from across la Manche, whose act takes for granted punters' knowledge of at least GCSE French. The joke here is that while Jean-François and Didier (in real life, Ben and Arn) fancy themselves as famous pop stars, each detail they leak of their UK tour reveals the bathetic reality. "We are," proclaims Didi, with a characteristic malapropism, "the worst act on the fringe." He means baddest.
The flaw in the concept, if not in the show, is that the duo's tunes are rather good. Leçon d'Amour sees the pair share the secrets of their nation's traditional expertise; Savoir Fayre imagines British pubs Gallicised. The lyrics to a precious skit on Les Mis ("Tous les garçons et toutes les filles, let's all go and storm the Bastille") are premised on a revolving stage, which duly fails to work.
Another number sees the affronted Jean-François supplying actions to a blue refit of a children's song. What's funny is seeing Didi victimising his partner on stage; the two are constantly vying to be more cool. When challenged, they respond with a defensive "J'ai l'air de clown?" - "Do I look like a clown?" Their act succeeds because, behind the hip, Daft Punk-era topicality, clowns are precisely what they are.
Until August 27. Box office: 0131-556 6550.
