Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Sometimes star ratings are redundant. Fans come to the Oblivion Boys for some late-1980s/early-1990s nostalgia – and that’s exactly what they got.

The OBs are the OGs. Mark Arden and Stephen Frost first met more than five decades ago, and played the opening night of a new Edinburgh Fringe venue called the Gilded Balloon exactly 40 years ago.

Returning for a very short run of gigs to celebrate that anniversary, the pair set up the idea that the act fell apart as Frost swanned off to do improv, living off the proceeds of their old Carling Black Label ads,  while Arden  became a serious thespian with little left in the bank. It’s enough to re-establish the friction that defined the often-arguing double act. 

The circuit was a much smaller place when they emerged, so comics could make more of an impact with their jokes, as you’d see the same acts repeatedly. When they are given another run-out here, the audience greet them with a hearty ‘Way-hey’, like you might greet an old friend entering the pub. They’re great lines, too – some good enough to have entered the wider comedy lexicon. 

The pair are clearly, and understandably, rusty. The timing’s off, feed lines are fluffed and it’s not 100 per cent sure they always know what they were planning to do next. But they plough through – after all, Frost’s an improviser (he may mention it…) and the show works, not least because of all the goodwill in the crowd willing it to. Arden and Frost’s slightly ramshackle performance is all part of the charm of seeing two old comedy muckers back on stage.

For another throwback, Brenda Gilhooly revived her alter ego of former Page 3 stunner Gayle Tuesday. The Sun may have long dropped its daily naked boobs, but her character is possibly more relevant than ever – pretty, fun but preternaturally dim, desperate for celebrity without any noticeable talent.  

The ditziness is appealing, and the parody affectionate, portraying  Tuesday as charmingly naive, not grasping  ruthlessly for fame.  This incarnation of the character has not been hugely developed for a 15-minute slot on a three-night Fringe run… but she probably could be in the age of the reality TV star.

• Oblivion Boys with Gayle Tuesday's short run is now over

Review date: 18 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Gilded Balloon Patter House