Power

〰️

Power 〰️

The Edinburgh Fringe is back for 2026, and with it, our annual feature series! This year, we’re taking on POWER: Who’s got it? Where is it? Where should it be? How do you get it? Our comedians are the only ones with the answers.

By Peter Buckets, editor, founder and illustrator of comedy industry website Honk Honk Honk (Davina Bentley)

Recently I saw a photo of 2025’s Brat summer’s Charli XCX adorned in a pink cropped t-shirt emblazoned with the words: “They don’t build statues of critics”. And the area above Charli’s chest is correct, they don’t. But oh, what a world it would be if they did! Me and Brian Logan, arm in arm, with a worn bronze patina astride a lion in Trafalgar Square.

I established Honk Honk Honk, an industry website for comedians, over 55 years ago, which is the exact age that all successful male comedians should be. At the start it was particularly hard because there was no internet or websites to speak of, but we pulled through as a team. My first role was as HHH’s intern, and I was soon promoted to scribe and illustrator, although after one tricky summer I was relegated back to intern. But that roadblock just spurned me on to work my way up to Editor, where I have been for the last 54 years. In that time, Honk Honk Honk has become a vital source of news and reviews to comedians of all levels.

What is Honk, Honk, Honk? Imagine the Financial Times but written solely in Comic Sans and with news updates about the latest Douglas Adams exhibition.

When I pen my reviews of comedians, I envisage myself as an auteur, a director, or dramaturg, albeit one who wasn’t employed by the act and who they would like to leave.

The Edinburgh Fringe festival is the life blood of the comedy industry and it courses through my veins like blood and IPA. Fun fact: before I started working in journalism, I gave ghost tours in the Old City O’ Edinburgh. Below are some of my most marked Honk Honk Honk Edinburgh Festival Fringe reviews.

Subscribe to the newsletter

Girl Interrupts

Girl explores Alice’s issues with her difficult mother, eccentric older father and her various aged boyfriends! If you ask me, she has more issues than Vogue magazine. Wait, she has more issues than The Big Issue being re-issued. She has so many issues, she’s probably putting her therapist’s children through university!

Overall, this needs a polish and I would like to see more sexual assault trauma being explored at the 40-minute mark.

Cheeky Boy

Not all the parts work in this show but it’s original, and performer Dan Benst is such a cheeky boy, he’s certainly on the path to brilliant town, population: him.

Although long stretches of the show don’t make sense and are excruciatingly boring, on balance it was surreal and weird which make it a real favourite of mine.

I hope we become friends.

Clown Town

I did enjoy this show. It was so long and it started late which is rude. We all enjoy a bit of anarchic fun, but that has its limits.

My favourite part was when Dan Benst came on stage.

Correction: The above review of Clown Town was from the first night of the Fringe. I went again on the final night of the fringe, and the Clown Town boys had much improved time keeping. The show was only 15 minutes late and ran for the exact length scheduled.

If you would like to contribute to Honk Honk Honk, please subscribe or donate here.

Davina Bentley: Dancing While Old is running at Pleasance Courtyard (Cellar) from Aug 5-30th (except 18th), 17:30. Tickets here

Donate to LMAOnaise

Read more about Edinburgh Fringe 2026:

Features