Simon Schatzberger: Woody Allen(ish)

A nostalgic trip through some of the famed director's stand-up routines
Close your eyes and he could be in the room. British actor Simon Schatzberger's note-perfect delivery of the speech patterns and verbal quirks of Woody Allen (he's spot-on with crowd-pleasers such as 'New York', 'divorce', and 'nauseous') makes this an almost eerie experience. And, yes, Schatzberger also looks like him in thick dark frames and smart (but not too smart) suit and tie, as he takes a nostalgic trip through some of Allen's stand-up routines of the 1960s.
Schatzberger sticks to the script as he runs through routines about rabbis, Raquel Welch, vodka ads and how to cheat in your metaphysics exam. Here, there's none of the partially imagined, darker narratives which have blighted some of the theatrical Bill Hicks resurrections attempted at the Fringe in recent times. This is pure escapist fun for fans who know they'll never see Woody Allen perform stand-up comedy in the flesh.
As we troop out at the end, you have the sight of 'Woody Allen' holding a bucket looking for some spare change while behind him, Richard Shelton (a dead ringer for Ole' Blue Eyes) hands out flyers for his Frank Sinatra tribute show at the same venue. What would Mia Farrow have to say about that?
Frankenstein Pub, until 29 Aug, 3.15pm, free.