Fringe Preview: Udderbelly

4:48pm Monday 23rd April 2007

It's all "moo" for 2007 as one of the newest, and arguably oddest festival venues - a gigantic, upside-down purple cow called The Udderbelly - makes its English debut at the Fringe.

Named Best New Venue by the Sunday Times after its launch at last year's Edinburgh Fringe, the Udderbelly - standing to a height of four double decker buses, or 14 cows - provides a unique 396-seat performance space.

Picking up the gauntlet thrown down by the famous Spiegeltent previously tethered on the Old Steine, the Udderbelly programme has been designed to offer something for all ages, from children's shows to adult comedy.

AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS ARE:

• The Udderbelly's resident act - the Caesar Twins. Extraordinary twin Polish acrobats Pablo and Pierre, stars of La Clique which appeared in Brighton back in 2005, appear in their own full-length show. Their act combines acrobatic feats, dance and physical theatre in the air, in water and on dry land to breathtaking effect.

• Stand-up from top comedy names including sharp-shooting Aussie Jim Jeffries (supported by Brighton's own Stephen Grant), all-round comic master Stewart Lee previewing new material, and former Perrier Award winner Sean Hughes.

• Critically acclaimed family show The Yarnbirds, created by Whose Line Is It Anyway? star Richard Vranch and Leisa Rea.

Silly, funny or scary - it's up to the audience to decide as youngsters and the young-at-heart from seven to 97 suggest ideas for a team of storytellers to craft into gripping yarns.

• Adult comedy from leather-clad duo Topping and Butch. Repeated award-winners, the pair appear in new show Pigs Will Fly, crafting humour from the hottest topical stories and putting celebrities through their paces with twisted challenges.

• Chas Early's hit solo show Bill Hicks: Slight Return. Bringing the late, great American stand-up Bill Hicks back to life for one night only, the show lets Bill set us straight with his views on ending the war on terror, why drugs are better than alcohol and what the Bush family has done for porn.

The Udderbelly, which will feature two bars, is among venues staging gigs during the city's second Great Escape music festival for three days from Thursday, May 17.

The Udderbelly will also be home to the Festival Club, with a late licence for drinks until 12.30am from Sunday to Thursday and up to 2am at weekends.

Various start times, tickets £8 to £12, concs available, bookings on 01273 709709 or www.udderbelly.co.uk.