Fresh Faces at the Free Fringe

A daily event with short standup slots, Fresh Faces gives new comedy talent an accessible platform to perform at the Fringe. The show starts off with the chatty compere, Elise Harris, who tries her best to cheer up the audience. Harris doesn’t take herself too seriously which is always a bonus, however, although charming, she does appear a bit too scatty at times, making the show disorganised to the point where the comedians are confusedly asking how much time they have left on the stage.

The quality of the material and the exuberance of stage presence vary with each comedian, as some of them haven't got much experience, while some simply haven’t performed at the Fringe before. A few of the performers are a bit shaky on stage, which is actually kind of endearing. However, if you like your comedians smug and confident, then this show would probably not be the best choice. The material of the acts is somewhat unoriginal at times, though luckily, each slot only lasts about five minutes, not providing many chances to get bored.

Nonetheless, The White Horse pub might not be the best location for this particular format. A lot of people ending up at the show are random punters who venture into the back room not knowing what is going on, many of them then proceeding to walk out again. This is always likely to happen at free shows held at public places, however, the beginner comedians on stage might be better off in a slightly more encouraging environment.