Twonkeys Bastard Christmas Stew. Leg of an ox/ A Hammer/ Bag of shoes/ Two hard plums/ Flat maggots/ End a pan by mucking it. Sour the shoes with plums. Use bow and arrow to pin flat maggots to a tree. Daft yourself with the hammer. Push it all in a bin with an ox leg. Then gas with a naked flame.........alright? Should take four hours as the crow flys. Mr.Twonkeys been busy doing gigs in Glasgow with the lovely folk at Spangled Cabaret. Guy Fawkes night never had it so good with Jukebox Jones up the Willie dick and the Creative Martyrs and Glasgow Glam Bangers really pulling out the stops all thanks to Paul Ross. Twonkeys 2013 show will be called Twonkeys Blue Cadabra hope to take it to the Brighton and Edinburgh Fringe but Glasgow got a work in progress peek first......alright? i said alright?

Twonkeys Kingdom ★★★★ Time Out

Certainly the most bizarro piece I’ve seen so far this Fringe, this is the third of Paul Vickers’s shows exploring the fantasy world of Twonkey, now installed as tyrannical (female) king of a land beyond easy description. Vickers is the outsider artist of comedy: ruddy-faced, bearded and curly-haired in t-shirt and jeans, on a stage adorned with a little yellow windmill, ship’s wheel and piles of dolls and puppets, he tells weird stories and sings rocky songs about deposed alpine centaurs, Lon Chaney and the offspring of Humpty Dumpty. It’s like peeking into an adult playroom of remarkable but decidedly sideways imagination. Basically, if you like the sound of panicked crocodile piss, crab-hunting at Voodoo Bridge and ‘another victory in the war against eggs’, this is the show for you. Ben Walters.

Twonkeys Kingdom ★★★★ Exeunt Magazine

Twonkeys kingdom is the product of an immersive imagination. Paul Vickers orchestrates the proceedings, and his stage is essentially a large toybox: his various props include a windmill, a prosthetic nose, a ship’s wheel, and a large collection of puppets. Each is briefly used and then discarded, as Vickers switches topic or breaks into song. The show as a whole is a chaotic experience, which at times requires some suspension of disbelief; but it also combines hilarity with intrigue in a way that elicits strong feelings of endearment towards him as a performer. The kingdom itself is a bizarre parallel universe, a place populated by the actor Lon Chaney and the doomed descendants of Humpty Dumpty, and ruled over by the iron fist of Twonkey herself. Although Vickers does use his props and puppets to physically create this world, it is his idiosyncratic imagery which really brings the kingdom to life. The imagery itself is primarily employed for comic purposes. At one point, Vickers enters the audience with his ship’s wheel, makes audience members choose sets of knickers from it, and uses this as a basis to guess at their oddly specific sexual preferences. The segment was not particularly intricate, but, given its combination of ribaldry, bluntness and the surreal, it was hugely entertaining.

A consistent comic thread was maintained throughout all of these little vignettes. In fact, it was interesting to measure the effect on the audience. Marek Larwood’s latest Fringe show sent up a certain kind of stand-up comedian who manipulates rather than entertains. Mainstream comedy always contains moments where pressure is put on the audience to laugh at specific jokes or stories. The refreshing thing about watching Vickers as a comedian is that his complete unwillingness to structure the ‘laughs’ in his show allows a spectator to have a more individual respone. Often I would look round to witness, amongst a sea of perplexed faces, one or two people creasing up with laughter—a rare and, I think, refreshing sight. Though Twonkeys Kingdom is very funny it also contains a good deal of pathos. The effect is discombobulating and more akin to cabaret in places. Vickers offers us original pieces of music. Some of these are more obviously comic – ‘Goat Girl’, a song about a young goat-herding girl in medieval Austria who ends up being sent on a psychedelic trip, is a particular highlight – but some are not intended to be all that funny. All suit the tone of the show; Vickers is, in his own right, a successful musician—he fronted John Peel favourites Dawn of the Replicants—and Twonkeys Kingdom feels like something between a comedy show and a concert. Admittedly, some of the audience were often perplexed by all this, but most, however, were quite willing to enter Twonkeys ramshackle Kingdom, and seemed to enjoy their sojourn through the strange land. My experience of the free shows at this year’s festival has been frequently disappointing but this was my personal highlight of the Fringe. Colin Bramwell.

TWONKEYS KINGDOM MAKES THE TOP TEN FREE FRINGE SHOWS TO GO SEE IN THE SCOTSMAN:

THE musical storytelling of Edinburgh-based maverick Paul Vickers is frankly an acquired taste, but amid the ramshackle – possibly deliberately so – delivery and an approach to narrative which can only be described as stream-of-consciousness, there’s furious invention at work. Only the first few minutes of the show proceed as billed, as Vickers introduces us to the puppet queen of his kingdom Twonkey, who’s “half-dragon, half-witch and an accountant”, before the rest veers off the road – again deliberately, although you wouldn’t know it from the bearded Vickers’s madcap gibbering and his mishaps with the assortment of knick-knacks which double as a set. Each story is rounded off by a song, a gruff backing-track nursery rhyme propelled by Vickers’s naïve growl, like Tom Waits at a children’s party. Among the Dadaist flights of fancy he embarks on are the tale of Humpty Dumpty’s orphaned children Dick and Darren, both members of a vicious species called roundbellies who live in windmills, and the time he acquired Lon Chaney’s imagination and book of flowers at auction. “This whole act is a triumph over disability, ladies and gentlemen,” he intones self-deprecatingly, and for a finale the BBC World Service tells us Hitler is dead. David Pollock.

Plus I won an award: And the ‘Self-Publish or Perish’ winner is…

I could drag this out. I could say, 'Drum roll please'. I could wax philosophical about the decision making process and the extremely touch decisions that were debated by the judges. I could talk about self-publishing and new opportunities for writers. I could... Sorry, I got a bit carried away. I'll get straight to the point. The winner of the 'Self-Publish or Perish' competition is... Itchy Grumble by Paul Vickers. This novella and collection of short fiction won the hearts of our judges. Kirby Kana of Kirby Ink said that the manuscript had an 'extreme richness of visuals and a whimsical nature', and Paul's use of the imagery mixed with beautiful language caught our imaginations. Paul Vicker’s book will be released this autumn and showcased on ShortbreadStories. So keep an eye out for Itchy Grumble.

THE SKINNY ★★★★ REVIEW OF TWONKEYS KINGDOM BY BERNARD O'LEARY. PUBLISHED 04 AUGUST 2012 Half-dragon, half-witch, all accountant, Twonky returns to the Fringe as ruler of her own kingdom. Don't worry if you missed the previous installments, Twonkey's Cottage and Twonkey's Castle. Even if you had seen them, you'd still be confused. Twonkey herself only takes up a small part of the show before Vickers moves on to more pressing matters: the horrifying untold story of Humpty Dumpty's orphaned children; Lon Chaney's favourite flowers; and the results of last week's pub quiz. At one point we're all taken away on a ship sailed by the Queen of Ireland. It's quite lovely. This is not the hipster surrealism of The Mighty Boosh. With his charm, catchy tunes, music hall sensibility and a steadfast refusal to make any kind of sense, Vickers seems to be the natural successor to Frank Sidebottom. Like the sadly-departed Sidebottom, Vickers will cause immense frustration in those boring people who insist on understanding everything. So don't be one of those people. Just sit back and surrender to the stream of conciousness. Let it carry you away to a happy, magical place, a place where Twonkey is king and she is a kind ruler.

THE SCOTSMAN ★★★★ :Music review: Paul Vickers, Nest Of Knickers Published on Sunday 5 August 2012 00:00 Vickers serves up another generous helping of crazy, rendering reference points redundant now that his own surreal world is becoming freakily familiar. Paul Vickers Nest Of Knickers Simple Bounty (available online and at the show) **** We are in the lap of Twonkey, and his bizarre imaginings of gothic icons (Lon Chaney), vegetable hybrids (Morph Rooms) and, of course, the Nest Of Knickers of the title. There are characters of which Oliver Postgate might be proud, the inventor Botch Battersea for example, the creator of Jennifer’s Robot Arm.

There are tunes that might make LMFAO grin knowingly, such as the infuriatingly catchy Goat Girl and Sheep Woods, and banter which crackles with the invention and innuendo of Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer in their pomp. It is absurdist and mischievous, constructing improbable scenarios involving Castrol GTX, and reaches back into the past to reclaim Vickers’ days as a John Peel favourite. That was with Dawn Of The Replicants, and the massively infectious Yabba Yabba makes you wonder why pop success evaded them. The tormented Magic Invisible Song may serve as a reminder why. Little matter now, as Vickers is turning out magnificently warped albums on an annual basis. You can catch him performing during the Edinburgh Fringe (at The Hive at 3pm most days, until 26 August). Your Edinburgh experience will be all the richer and weirder for it. Colin Somerville Download this: Yabba Yabba, Jennifer’s Robot Arm.

Twonkey's Kingdom TWONKEYS KINGDOM ★★★★ IN THE BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE Paul Vickers Alternative Fringe @ The Hive From 03 August 2012 to 26 August 2012 Review by Seth Ewin A polished performance with a strong narrative and slick transitions into beautifully choreographed song and dance numbers this is not. Paul Vickers is certainly a comedian but not of the hip, fresh-faced, trying-to-prove-themselves variety. Vickers is from a different, less hectic, time, perhaps even a different, less hectic, planet. Despite his Harpo Marx on heroin appearance and at times spaced out gaze, Vickers is very with it. He spouts endless eloquent nonsense, comparable to Edward Lear or Lewis Carroll, though there are plenty of modern references. The small cavern is very much Vickers's kingdom, with his collection of strange props assembled around him. Most of them disturbing creatures probably picked up from one of Edinburgh's many weird antique shops. All the more disturbing when he starts to introduce them. The show has a very hand made feel, with Vickers doing everthing, even fiddling with the music player for his songs. These songs are sung in exactly the same relaxed manner as the rest of his material and contain equally imaginative language. It is short and shambolic, quintessentially fringe; honest, silly and enjoyable for what it is............ITS A FOUR STARS HAT TRICK FOR TWONKEYS KINGDOM DO WE GET TO KEEP THE BALL!!

TWONKEYS KINGDOM IS COMING FOR YOU-

Paul Vickers Presents Twonkey’s Kingdom Alternative Fringe@The Hive Venue 313, 15-17 Niddry Street, Edinburgh.

2nd -6th, 8th -20th & 23rd -26th of August 2012, 3:00pm.

‘Mr.Twonkey is a true comic original’ Four Stars The Scotsman. THE LATEST.CO.UK (BRIGHTON & HOVE): Mr. Twonkey entertained us with an unhinged hour of quirky songs, peculiar props, fanciful stories and hand puppets. Twonkey’s brilliantly warped imagination and surreal love of language owed something to ‘Big Night Out’ era Vic Reeves, but given a distinct psychedelic twist. That Twonkey is actually Paul Vickers, from John Peel favourites Dawn Of The Replicants, turned out to be the icing on the cake. What an absolute treat. PLAYBOYS WITH HUNCHBACKS BLOG. There’s not a weak moment in any of the new songs or sketches. I wont spoil them for you, but look forward to finding out more about Humpty Dumpty’s offspring. And the less you know about Captain Chips going in, the better.

Twonkey’s getting very big for her boots sense she inherited her own country. She has me up running up the bleedin' the wall what's wrong with her? Paul Vickers Presents Twonkey’s Kingdom Laughing Horse @The Temple Bar, 121 Western Road, Brighton 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th of May 2012, 9:30-10.30 pm. ‘Mr.Twonkey is a true comic original’ Four Stars The Scotsman. A melodrama fit for a king’s supper with known loon and likeable surrealist comedian/musician Paul Vickers. He is nothing less then the Walt Disney Mark E Smith. This show is full of vintage buffoonery handled with ease by a charismatic oddball raconteur. Twonkey is coming to the Brighton Fringe armed with the third part of a triumphant trilogy of wonky cabaret. Bringing chaos shanties from a cliff edge and stories from Frankenstein’s liquorice castle. ‘Arguably the hit of the fringe’ Four Stars Scotland on Sunday. Paul Vickers AKA Mr Twonkey is a gift to entertainment having cut his teeth with John Peel favourites 'Dawn of the Replicants'. He is fast becoming known for his work with musical curiosities 'The Leg'. His shows at the Edinburgh Fringe have delighted the press and the public alike and Brighton is not going to miss out. “Its close to genius” The Herald. Paul also springs on us his third album of stories and songs ‘Nest of Knickers’ available at all shows. Featuring the magical collaboration of 'Paul and Pierre' and four unreleased 'Dawn of the Replicants' tracks.