Noel Fielding made his Edinburgh name in oddball double act The Boosh with Julian Barratt. This year, he has returned with a delightfully deranged solo show, Voodoo Hedgehog, suggesting that while Barratt might have been the George Michael of the duo, his fey, skinny sidekick was no mere Andrew Ridgeley.
Things start off well, with a surreal Muhammad Ali-style rap ("I'll shave your blonde bouffant, I'll shave you again") before shaggy dog stories about a cape-wearing man with ram's legs and a shadow-stealing fox.
Fielding is clearly a disciple of the Vic Reeves School of Absurd Juxtaposition, while the spirit of A Midsummer Night's Dream looms over his woodland fixation.
A chalky-faced moon dangles and, via technology, intermittently delivers superb put-downs.
If only the live action was so smooth. Props go wrong, lines are forgotten and the pace dips. The result is a show running on shambolic charm rather than piercing wit.
Fielding should nurture his off-beat vision, but some discipline would be nice. The closing animation is one of the funniest minutes on the Fringe. If similar rigour went into the previous 59 minutes, Voodoo Hedgehog would be a sharper beast.
? Showing at the Pleasance Above until 26 August. Box office: 0131 556 6550.
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