There’s an old Fringe adage that is nearly always true – any show with a brilliant name, or one that make outlandish promises, is bound to be dire. While previous experience has backed up this maxim, The Free Beer Show lives up to its promises ie you get a free beer.
In many ways the show is a Late and Loud for beginners – it’s not too late and it’s less rowdy, but you’re likely to be drunk and see some of the Fringe’s top comedians on one bill. As with Late ‘N’ Live, the line up changes every night so you’re never sure who’ll you’ll get. However, you will always be guaranteed one of the Fringe’s hottest shows, but not in a good way.
It seems that The Free Beer, and any other show booked into Teviot’s Balcony Bar, is actually being performed in Hades instead of the pool room at the UoE Student Union. It’s unclear if this is a temporary technical set back, or just an oversight from packing a hundred or so paying punters into the space usually filled by two pool tables and a fag machine. To be fair, the staff try their best to ease the situation by abandoning the stage lighting in favour of strip lights, installing fans and distributing
iced water, but you will sweat like a pig. Luckily everyone else is in the same boat so the community feeling is increased. Lob in a superb compere (in this case Rob Deering) and the show passes incredibly quickly.
The Free Beer Show may contravene many health and safety laws, but it’s worth enduring for the experience.
Richard Biggs
