Here is a fairly good indication of why reviews are total pants from the official Edinburgh fringe website on August 18th, 2007...

Alistair Barrie - Obviously

Aug 18
Reviewer: David Quirk, United Kingdom
"Excellent, well thought out comedy delivered in a gentle but cutting manner. Look out for his act in the future, this guy is a rising star (*****)."

Aug 18
Reviewer: Richard, United Kingdom
"Didn't find this funny at all - his humour was arrogant and egotistical. I'm fed up with comedians who think they're really funny but just bang on about themselves all the time but really don't have anything to say. Don't bother with this one (**)."

See what I mean? Still, some people just can't get enough of them, so here are loads more ...

BYE GEORGE
QEH
The Southbank Centre
Jan 19 2009

Here's a couple of reviews from the London papers should you be interested:

The London Paper Review

"It seems an odd criticism of Bye George, this comedy farewell to the now former US president, but for much of the first half this show didn't have enough material about George W Bush.

Organised by Alistair Barrie (pictured) and human rights lawyer Clive Stafford-Smith's charity Reprieve, this was something of an all-star lineup; the great and good of right-on leftie comedy, from Rory Bremner to Mark Thomas via Marcus Brigstocke, all trod the boards to mourn the passing of the easiest comic target ever to occupy major political office."

READ FULL REVIEW >

(FRAIL AND ANGULAR!?! What? I beg your partridge?)

Evening Standard Review

"No, not a misprinted benefit for Boy George as Rory Bremner suggested. This fundraiser for human rights charity Reprieve offered some top stand-ups one last chance to air their George Bush material.

The Bush-whacking was not actually non-stop, which was a relief, because we’ve surely heard every gaffe-inspired gag. Instead this was an impressive display of wide-ranging wit. Andrew Maxwell, Marcus Brigstocke, Shappi Khorsandi, Paul Sinha and compere Alistair Barrie offered quickfire value, while Kevin Eldon as over-earnest poet Paul Hamilton nearly stole the show. American Dave Fulton did not need satire — relocating to England spoke volumes."

READ FULL REVIEW >

(I know it says three stars, but it was printed in London Lite as four stars, so I'm choosing to believe it was a typo in the Standard. Anyone who's ever read The Londoner's diary will know that complete accuracy is not always their strongest suit.)

One from The Telegraph

"This wasn't, as Rory Bremner felt compelled to point out, a misspelt benefit gig in aid of incarcerated pop-legend Boy George, but a snide, far from sorrowful farewell from a bunch of British stand-up comedians to George W Bush after eight long, satirically fertile years.

In aid of the human rights charity Reprieve, the event mingled laughter with relief and occasional stirrings of poignancy as the assembled wags contemplated tougher times ahead under Obama, when easy jokes at America's expense may well prove as rare as candy at a dentist's.

The show's keen-witted organiser and M C, Alistair Barrie, kicked off with the familiar observation that Bush's hapless way with words yielded far funnier material than most professional comics could muster themselves."

READ FULL REVIEW >

and Kate Copstick also gave us a very lovely write up in the Scotsman, but more about that on the News page.

Cape Town Comedy Festival 2007
Assorted Review Highlights

"Barrie has a casually sardonic sense of humour and is sharp as a guillotine blade. Woe betide the bloody fool who tries to heckle him" - Cape Town Argus

"The show starts with the dark comedic brilliance of Alistair Barrie. Subject matter ranges from his parody of the Blair/Bush alliance, his fear of growing old and bald to his dislike of 'happy' people. Done in his heavy British accent, this seasoned star proves to be an ultimate hit with the audience" - Cape Times

"He had the Cape town audience eating out of his hand" - 48 Hours

"And you thought all comedians could do was make you laugh. Turns out they can warp time too - speeding it up or slowing it down as they make their way through their act. Even Einstein would have been impressed by MC Alistair Barrie, a livewire Brit with a mouth as fast as his wit." - entertainment.iafrica.sa

Alistair Barrie – Obviously
Edinburgh Fringe Comedy 2007
one4review .com, August 2007
Rating:

Alistair Barrie’s mission at this year’s Fringe is to point out the obvious. A ‘Fascist Liberal’ he mused for an hour on topics such as Climate Change, the Olympic bid, Terrorism and Religion. So far, so obvious – it could be considered fairly routine stand-up material. However, delivering it in a laid-back style, Barrie managed to keep his observations fresh, sustaining my laughter for the full 60 minutes.

> READ FULL REVIEW ...

Alistair Barrie – Obviously
Edinburgh Fringe Comedy 2007
Three Weeks Review, August 2007
By PETER MOORBY
Rating:

According to Alistair Barrie, you can get the experience of putting on a show at the Fringe simply by "standing in the shower, ripping up tenners". I, for one, was glad that he'd ditched the loofah and made the effort.

> READ FULL REVIEW ...

Comedy: Alistair Barrie - Obviously
Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2007
The Skinny Fest, August 14, 2007
by ADAM KNIGHT

Barrie is dangling on the edge of the big-time.

"High concept" comedy irritates Alistair Barrie. While that particular genre tends to be weighed down by its own pretentiousness, he's happy to theme his act … if only to provide a title for this year's show.

> READ FULL REVIEW ...

ALISTAIR BARRIE
Chortle.co.uk, November 2006

The casually urbane Alistair Barrie has an inherent authority he can stamp on any room, deftly ensuring all eyes are on him, and all ears attuned to his smart material. 

In approach, he's a comfortable middle-class man racked by a liberal guilt which shapes his broadly topical material. 

> READ FULL REVIEW ...

Alistair Barrie: Uncertainty Principle
Show type: Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2002
Chortlel.co.uk, August 2002
by STEVE BENNETT
Show Rating:

As yet another middle-class white male comedian, it can be hard to find a distinctive voice. Yet in his impressive fringe debut, Barrie plays with some original themes and ideas - for the most part very successfully.

First thing to clear up is that this isn't a show about quantum physics - so fans of theoretical science may be disappointed. Fans of comedy won't be.

> READ FULL REVIEW ...

Alistair Barrie: The Uncertainty Principle - comedy review
Metro.co.uk, Wednesday, August 21, 2002
by ROSIE WILD
Show Rating:

DON'T LISTEN TO Alistair Barrie's protestations that his show is a plea for tolerance. For a man who has just spent the last hour urging audience members to punch any living statues they come across on the Royal Mile and viciously lampooning easy targets such as George W Bush, Ann Widdecombe and The Countryside Alliance, it's an empty request, writes Rosie Wild.

> READ FULL REVIEW ...

SHORT CUTS

"Impressive ... Barrie's a natural, with an incisive intelligence behind his hilarious punchlines (****)" - Chortle.co.uk

"... can drop from the highbrow to the gutter in the draw of a breath (****)" - Metro

"Right on the ball with contemporary politics and exquisitely provocative." - Paul Taylor (Aljazeera.net)

"Eloquent, slick and dynamic, his hour positivey races by in a blur of opinions, flippancy and indignity." - Chortle.co.uk

"Cracking good jokes ... a slew of unique observations and gags ... Quite brilliant" - 352 News Luxembourg

"He is a class act" - The Scotsman

"Barrie exudes a reassuring confidence that draws you into his world and holds you there" - The List

"A massive talent " - Brenda Emmanus BBC London Live 

"A highly topical comedian who exudes a confidence of delivery envied by many other comics" - Venue magazine

"Really excellent" - Stewart Lee. (Actually he said this to me after a gig last night, but he is the 41st best stand up ever, a thoroughly nice chap and an excellent judge of comedy. Which I would say, but it did make me glow in a manner that actual reviews don't.)

"Alistair Barrie: Angus Deayton without the smarm." - Don't know who wrote this but I quite like it