Jason Manford, Pleasance, Edinburgh

Julian Hall
Tuesday 23 August 2005 00:00 BST
Comments

Manford screens a succession of stills or films debunking urban myths, including that myth du jour: the terrorist who warns a woman away from a planned suicide bomb attack because she was kind enough to pick up his dropped wallet - as he if he needed credit cards where he's going. Then there arespine- tinglers such as the hitch-hiker who turns out to be an apparition, and the murderer in the back seat of your car whom the driver in the car behind is trying to warn you about. ("You have to be careful with that one" warns Manford "it could just be a yukka plant.")

This is a carefully prepared show and has the advantage of dissecting subject matter that is intrinsically interesting and funny. (I mean, be honest, did you really care how many namesakes the creator of the projector-comedy genre, Dave Gorman, had around the world?) The problem is that the premise obscures the promise that Manford clearly shows. Nevertheless some promising lines do get an airing, such as how his indiscretion made him a less-than-perfect cinema booking agent: "Hello, this afternoon's film is called Bruce Willis is dead all the way through" is probably not the best way to trail The Sixth Sense.

To 29 August (0131-556 6550)

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