That’s Fife Festival has just returned to the Kingdom in April 2017 with an eclectic programme of comedy, theatre, spoken word, magic and family entertainment. The shows will be staged at venues across the Kingdom from Saturday 1 to Friday 28 April 2016, with Rothes Halls, Glenrothes, the central Hub of the festival.   From the masters of stand up and comedy entertainment on stage, TV and radio to the UK’s most spectacular touring magic show – The Champions of Magic – to shows from Fun Box for younger kids, theatre and the spoken word, there is something to entertain every member of the family at That’s Fife. Over the weekend, The Mumble managed to catch its artistic director, Karen Koren, for a wee chat

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THE MUMBLE : Hello, Karen, so what got you into comedy in the first place?
KAREN: Its a long story – I had friends from London who were into the “alternative” comedy scene (early 80’s) – we are talking 35 years ago now! They were looking for a venue in Edinburgh as there were not enough venues doing comedy, so I found one and put them on – they attracted other comics and it grew from there.

THE MUMBLE : The Gilded Balloon has grown so big over these past three decades, are you surprised by this?
KAREN: I am very surprised by it. It has grown bigger than I could have imagined. I also instigated a lot of shows like Late’n’Live which attracted comics – as there was no late night hang out in the early days.  Now late shows are the norm during the Fringe.  The Fringe has changed and become the biggest arts festival in the world. I am only glad that I can still be a part of it and contribute with good shows.

THE MUMBLE : How has the comedy world changed since you first started out?
KAREN: There was a greater camaraderie when I first started. There weren’t too many comics and they all liked hanging out and learning from each other. The material was a little angrier in the Maggie Thatcher years, more political, its not so much now and I am pleased to say that there are much more women doing it now; there was only Jo Brand and a handful of others back then. I would say though, that comedy has changed for the better, there is more competition, which means the comics have to work harder at being good.

THE MUMBLE : A couple of years ago, you handed over SOME of the reins to your daughter. Did you feel she as keen on comedy as you were?
KAREN: Katy and I are working along side each other at the moment and she is still learning the ropes. Katy is very keen on comedy and making the Gilded Balloon the best venue on the Fringe. She is interested and looks towards the future. She has a good eye for comic talent and is enjoying the challenge of the Festival and the tours, That’s Fife and promoting our work and performances throughout the year.

THE MUMBLE : That’s Fife has just started, can you tell us about the Festival?
KAREN: That’s Fife has lots to offer, its great to get an opportunity to have Elaine C Smith on at the opening Gala. It has been a while since she has performed at Glenrothes. Alan Davies is back with stories from bringing up his young family.  Grant Stott brings his “Tales from Behind the Mic” and the very successful Doll’s Abroad are back after a sellout at the Alhambra earlier in the year.  The Burnistoun boys are also in the programme with their new show Uncles. There is lots more with Funbox for kids, Horse McDonald in Careful and Scotland’s National Poet Liz Lochead all performing.

THE MUMBLE : What does the rest of 2017 hold in store for Karen Koren?
KAREN: There is lots happening this year – but right now concentrating on getting a good programme together for this year’s Fringe. We have some exciting shows coming and there will be an announcement in a few weeks about an exciting new venue that we will be working with. We will also have a small venue all year round from September time. Watch this space!

Citizens Theatre

Glasgow

21/3/17

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Chris Ramsey at The Citizens was comedy genius.

A simple set and lighting echoed the title question mark in big inflatables, setting the backdrop for a domestic-based comedy that doesn’t slag off the in-laws. Ramsey is far too clever for that, being supernaturally funny. But first let me tell you about support act Carl Hutchinson, introduced to us over the tannoy service by Ramsay himself… ‘Don’t worry, he’s not shit.” How true.

Hutchinson bounced on stage with the energy of a lion, and launched full-blast into his job interview sketch which was good, but superseded by his Come Dine With Me antics. You will view Masterchef differently after hearing his take on garlic infused oil, certainly creative but superminging. Equally appealing was his take on vaping, and his vision of doctors twenty years down the line chastising us for being so vulnerable to inhale anything into our vital organs that has a 240 volt charge in it first…makes you think.

His twizzled take on the moustache and bearded modern man had the audience eating out of his hand quite deservedly. Politically correct Guess Who, veggies and his girlfriend spoiling their TV nights by fretting over where she had seen the actors before hit a chord with the crowd. This talented guy is worth seeing on his own and you can realise this by booking at The Stand in Glasgow, where he will be performing on May 21st.

After the interlude came our main man. Rapid-fire slagging of the man in the front row began, who looked like, ‘a highlighter pen  in his neon garb, leading to much hilarity…. kryptonite and beige suit repulsion jokes flew out of Ramsey so fast you hardly had time to laugh before you erupted again. The fact that Stu worked for Scottish government and his wife Clare for the Inland Revenue did make you think that they were plants for our amusement, but so what if they were? When asked what she did specifically for the I.R. Clare replied, “Tracing.”

‘Why, have they not got photocopiers? ‘ Ramsey  laughed.

The Gorbal, 10 inch pizzas from Asda, a whole manner of grocery items that will make the weekly shop a far more entertaining experience were all closely scrutinised and ridiculed with every fibre (pun intended) of humour wrung out those vegetables and citrus fruits. The program The Undateables got a rollocking followed by an original insight into our mundane bodily functions. Grandparents was a later topic and their penchant for wrecking established routines and turning the weans into red bull and coffee addicts with a need for a Sunday roast at 2am.  Ramsey’s insight into toddlers’ sleepwalking, with full audience participation, was another funny moment, as was his complementary jealousy of how his dad would have handled random drunk women adamant that the hotel room belonged to them.

I can’t recommend this gig enough so if you get a chance to catch him you will not regret it.

Reviewer : Clare Crines

The Garage, Glasgow

18th March 2017

A macabre dance led by a pie-eyed piper. A congregation of mostly over 30’s, loads of over 50’s, squeezed in flimsy pews to witness and partake at the Devil’s Altar! It was a sharp, sardonic, cynical celebration of stupidity. The intimacy of the venue and his ability to articulate into local context, any and all wryly observed comments on the current global political and cultural situation. First, an hour of cheers and laughter, moments of realisation, and contexts spun and shuttled, packing laughter into the room like threads shuttled in a loom.  He has to have spent the intermission scouring google earth and facebook , weaving further threads of precise and perceptive improvisation to rattle off a great big musical tapestry.

In the second set, Rob Childs, who has backed Rich on UK tours for 17 years, along with Mark Hewitt on drums and James Morgan on Bass claimed a place in the Scottish songbook for the memorable “Fur on a stick” and the mental “Collie Dogs”.  Brian and Scott from the front row were like fodder to the fiddler, and at least one of them has a new nickname forever and ever, and ever.  Rich Hall, whether you think of him as a panel show regular, a documentary presenter, a cunt of a singer, or the king of stand up, his passionate finale, “Give me back my Whisky” could be a contender for the post independence National Anthem.
What price, pure poetry?

Reviewer : Cai Storrie

This weekend Gary Little will be headlining the Big Show

@ Monkey Barrel Comedy, Edinburgh

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THE MUMBLE : Hi Gary, where are ya from & where ya at, geographically speaking
GARY : Glasgow

THE MUMBLE : You’ve done the Monkey Barrel before, how do you find the audiences
GARY : Great crowd

THE MUMBLE : When did you realise you were funny
GARY : At school I was the guy that made my pals laugh, and the girls hated!

THE MUMBLE : What inspires you to write
GARY : I’m someone who likes to tell stories, usually about myself. I’m fortunate that a lot of shit things have happened in my life, and people seem to like listening to these things

THE MUMBLE : What’s your favorite joke (by someone else)
GARY : I can’t think of anything specific just now

THE MUMBLE : Ok, instead of your favorite joke, how abour your favorite comedians
GARY : That’s as hard! Billy Connolly and Chic Murray are just 2 of them

THE MUMBLE : You’re not afraid to admit you’ve served time – in fact it formed the basis of your 2009 Fringe show – where did you find the humour in incarceration
GARY : Prison is like a big school for adults, so there’s plenty of humour there.

THE MUMBLE : You’ve also done a number of comedy workshops for the prisons – can you tell us about the experience
GARY : I went in to give young offenders the opportunity to get some confidence. To feel ok about expressing themselves in front of their peers

THE MUMBLE : What does the rest of 2017 hold in store for Gary Little
GARY : Hopefully just getting more work. Along with Julia Sutherland(comic) I’ve just had a 4 part radio show (Jail Mates) broadcast on Radio Scotland. Radio 4 might be interested in commissioning a second series. That would be nice

Liberte

Glasgow

16th March

The Mumble likes to look at everything really. to get the full panorama of the cultural landscape; so when faced with the vast panoply of stars at this year’s Glasgow International, we thought first up to try somebody new. I was lucky enough to catch born & bred Weegie, Karin Nixon’s first ever full length comedy show in the intimate but busy confines of the Liberte basement bar. Prior to this night, her normal shows have been 5 minutes at comedy open mic nights, so it was understandable who entire routine was etched in giant prompt cards at her feet. However, this really didn’t effect the flow of a set in which her comedic, analytical mind seems to handle pretty well any situation life may throw at her – she sees the comedy in everything, so to speak. Perhaps that is down to the circuitous route she has taken towards the comedy stage; from doctor’s receptionist through post grad primary teaching, with a massive love of Coronation Street tossed in for the darker hours. Of her transition from wee snippet sets to hour long comedy, Karin told the Mumble; ‘Two days before GICF deadline last October made decision to put on solo show (having only been doing 5-10 minutes). Madness – but March was miles away. Luckily had built stash of writing. Cut lots of it up – put on bed – rearranged it and Hey Presto – Show! First performance was on show night – 16th March.’

Spending an hour with Karin is rather akin to having that mad auntie round for afternoon tea, who rattles on with hypnotizing monologues at break-neck speed, taking time out only to share out the oven-fresh brownies she’d baked that morning. Karin had instead put plates full of sweets about the tables – but you get the idea. As she rumbled through her set, I soon came to discover that Karin is a gentle soul, empathetic to elastic bands & coffee lids, to her all existence is personified into her little pals. Also, not many comedians take an interval during their hour-long show but Karin did, branding it a ‘ten minute comfort & beverage break’ adding to the joyous informality of it all. Whilst getting our drinks, we were also invited by Karin to write on a slip of paper what they thought Braehead shopping centre had forbidden people to do alongside more traditional shopping centre no-nos. After the break, Karin began to read them out; vajazzling & Irish dancing were two of the funny, but incorrect replies. The answer is quite astonishing, &  I urge a future possible Nixon virgin to go along & find the answer for themselves, by which time, I am sure, this very funny comedian would have lost her nerves & become comfortable with her own funniness so much that she has enabled herself with a delivery to match.

Reviewer : Damian Beeson Bullen

This weekend sees Eddy Brimson headlining the Big Show at the Monkey Barrel Comedy Club in Edinburgh. Last weekend, The Mumble managed to track the fellow down & grab a few moments;

THE MUMBLE : Hi Eddy, so where ya from & where ya at, geographically speaking?

EDDY : People hear the accent and think I’m from London but I’m not. My folks are cockneys but I was born and breed in Hemel Hempstead, which makes me a Haemorrhoid. I now live in Edinburgh and absolutely love the place. I’ve been very fortunate on the travelling front, but you’d go some to beat Edinburgh.

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THE MUMBLE : You had a particularly circuitous route into stand-up, can you tell us about it:

EDDY : My Dad worked the folk circuit for 40 odd years. He was a fantastic story and joke teller, and so I owe most of it to him. That said I never thought I’d end up being a comedian. I used to write books about football, mainly factual.

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THE MUMBLE : When did you realise you were funny:

EDDY : My mates are all far funnier than I am, but being funny on stage is very different to being funny off it. My Dad taught me how to tell a joke to a crowd.

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THE MUMBLE : What makes you laugh personally:

EDDY : You can’t beat real life. All the best stuff happens in front of you. Most of my material is based on real life events. Life is funny, even the bad bits.

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THE MUMBLE : What inspires you to write:

EDDY : I’ve got fish to feed. Those flakes don’t grow in fields … well … you know what I mean.

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THE MUMBLE : You’ve toured the world as a comic, including Burma : what was that gig like:

EDDY : Flew out Tuesday morning, did the gig and then straight back to the airport and home. Might as well have driven to Bathgate.

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THE MUMBLE : You’ve been up at the Fringe before, how do you find Edinburgh in August:

EDDY : The Festival is both brilliant and brutal. So many talented people beating themselves up for not being noticed.

THE MUMBLE : You’ve made a few films concerning football, where do you own allegiances lie:

I follow Watford and Hemel Hempstead Town. I’ve been to a few games up here but … really!

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THE MUMBLE : What is your favorite joke:

Not a joke as such but a great mate and comedian once tweeted from a toilet: Opps no paper, goodbye socks. I’m laughing just typing that. I can be in the most random place, that will come into my head and I laugh like an idiot.

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THE MUMBLE : What does the rest of 2017 hold in store for Eddy Brimson?

I shall be at the Festival doing a show titled Knee Pads & Lemons. I’m also currently writing my 2nd novel, which is very exciting.

Russell Kane is a changed man. For his Right Man, Wrong Age tour, you may encounter someone with a new look, fresh perspectives and a different approach to his comedy. “In the last year I’ve been married and had a baby. I’ve changed my hair, I’ve changed my look, I’ve thrown all my eyeliner in the bin. I literally went to my wardrobe one day and got all my ridiculous clothes and took them to the Sue Ryder shop for some other man having a midlife crisis then bought the four exact same suits in different colours from Topman. Then I got my hair as flat as it can go and I thought, ‘that’s it: this is me now’.” 

In fact, Russell can pinpoint the exact moment when he needed to alter his outlook and write a new show. It started with somebody at the door . . . “I’m always looking for the moment that can make me look ridiculous in a way that is compelling. I was in the middle of spray-tanning myself upstairs in these tiny pants when the doorbell went. I went downstairs in my dressing gown and this window cleaner was touting for work. He leaned in and said, ‘I’m really sorry to disturb you: is your mum or dad in at all?’ Initially you might have thought this was a compliment, but it’s really not. He could be talking about how I’m putting myself across so I thought: ‘clothes in the bin’. And at that moment, there was Right Man, Wrong Age.”

In the world of stand-up, acts are continually expected to evolve and grow and turn over a significant amount of material every one or two years. For some this burden might prove too much, but for Russell Kane this is a challenge he relishes. “I’ll keep changing, and I don’t really ever want to stand still. I don’t care if it confuses people about where I’m coming from. I’m protean; I don’t want to be recognisable in five years’ time; that’s what keeps my writing going. One day I’m learning Spanish, the next I’m learning survivalism. I might do my maths GCSE next week: who knows?”

For now, though, Russell is focused on making Right Man, Wrong Age the best show it can possibly be. His topic this time around is how we never quite feel the life-stage that we’re in and the age that we’re at, whether we’re 80 or 18. “When you’re 18, you look in the mirror and think ‘I know what I want to do, so why am I trapped in this 18-year-old body?’ while the 80-year-old is still waltzing and dancing around in her head. That’s going to be my jumping off point and from there I’ll do lots of accessible observations as well as the odd thinky bit. But I don’t want to disappear up my own bum with this show, I just want to go on in my suit, like Michael McIntyre or Peter Kay, and just be funny and have lots of big laughs. My only job in life is to be funny.”

Inevitably, his new fatherhood status will have to be addressed in his show. As ever with Russell, he’ll work hard to avoid easy clichés and tired stereotypes as he tackles a subject that has been raised on many a stage by several generations of comedians. “It’s so hack to talk about having babies that I need to find another way in. It’s like walking into Pret at 5pm and there’s one boiled egg left: that’s what’s left to say about childbirth. But when you’re coming at it from a male point of view, you need to find a way in. I’ve never heard a man talk about caesarean section, so that might be the way to go.”

If you’ve seen Russell on stage, you’ll know there is a physicality to his act which matches the blizzard of ideas and words. So, how does he wind down after a show? “Nothing exotic, just a glass of red wine. I would like to get to bed earlier, but I need a good movie or, if I’m feeling particularly tired, something like Towie or Take Me Out; something that lobotomises me. I’m always reading good stuff, but now and again you need a burger because you can’t live on quinoa all the time. So I need something mega mainstream to bring me down.”

Normally in the run-up to a touring show, Russell will have almost a month of preview gigs under his belt. This time around, he had to ditch most of those plans to film his BBC series, Stupid Man, Smart Phone, for which he jetted off to various inhospitable parts of the world (the Arctic Circle, North Africa and Costa Rica among them) to see if he could survive purely with the aid of a constantly fully-charged mobile device with a permanent Wi-Fi connection. This is another example of a man who constantly wants to stretch himself, both physically and intellectually, whether it’s going on to Radio 4’s Saturday Review alongside AS Byatt to discuss the new Julian Barnes novel or writing his own next literary work. In 2012, two years after he won the Edinburgh Comedy Award, Russell published The Humorist, the tale of a tormented comedy critic who discovers the secret blueprint for humour, and he is continually working away on future literary projects.

Kane also has ambitions to tap into the online market with his stand-up. “I’ve not really seen other stand-ups doing it; I’ve seen some using their social media and doing bits of sketches but I haven’t seen many take the risk of doing stand-up down the barrel of a camera, posting it and seeing what happens. I did a thing recently, which I called The Kaneing, where I looked at a celebrity news story and put it on my Facebook wall. I was worried it might seem a bit embarrassing and desperate, but it got 64,000 views overnight.”

The popularity of Russell Kane is in little doubt, but he’s keen to make the most of his time at the top of the British stand-up tree. His sense of gratitude for the job he’s doing is palpable and he confesses that touring the country and making people laugh is something he will never tire of. “I love it. If I ever have a bad day and feel miserable, I think about the things my family have done for a living. The fact that I can walk into a hotel, lie on the bed, watch a sci-fi movie, go and do an hour’s work on stage is incredible.”

Interviewer : Brian Donaldson

Russell will be performing in Scotland on the following dates:

Thursday 9th March – The Garage (as part of the Glasgow Live International Comedy Festival)

Thursday 6th April – Rothes Hall, Glenrothes 

Friday 7th April – The Nevis Centre, Fort William

Saturday 8th April – The Corran Halls, Oban

Sunday 9th April – Gaeity Theatre, Ayr 

THE MUMBLE – Hi Rick, so where ya from & how did you end up in Edinburgh

RICK – I’m originally from Liverpool, but been in Edinburgh for 15yrs now. I came to Edinburgh for a work placement that was supposed to be 6 months, after 2 days here I decided I wanted to stay. I love this city.

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THE MUMBLE –What made you get into comedy into the first place?

RICK – There’s a few things that lead to it I’d guess…. I developed a genuine love of comedy as a kid, through things like Who’s Line is it Anyway, Have I got News for You, Drop the Dead Donkey and Black Adder. Skip forward a few years, I’d just drifted though life and I found myself post uni in a routine i hated, 40 hours a week, hitting targets, new relationship, Insurance penetration, company cars, company mortgage, one holiday a year, get pissed at the weekend, credit card debt, relationship fails, giving a shit about x-factor results and who said what to who on jungle program, Monday morning hits, another fucking 40 hours. I figured It’s probably not a good sign, when you’re walking to work and hoping to get knocked over by a car. Something had to change.

One day I snapped. I quit my job, sold my flat, cleared my debt, inadvertently ended a shitty relationship, went back to uni to to study film production and started doing stand-up comedy.

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THE MUMBLE – Whats your favorite corny joke by somebody else

RICK – Gary Delaney’s Joke – They’ve got a special on at Tesco’s; He’s doing the trolleys!

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THE MUMBLE – MonkeyBarrel is expanding this year, can you tell us the shpiel.

RICK – Monkey Barrel is no longer the little gig above a pup on the Grassmarket, thanks to hard work of Ben Verth, John Millar, David Bleese and Chris Griffin, Monkey Barrel Comedy now has its own purpose built venue open 6 days a week on Blair Street. We opened at the beginning of December and since then the shows have just been going from strength to strength. It’s comedy by night whilst the cafe serves great food during the day. The beer is pretty cheap as well!

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THE MUMBLE – Who are we to look out for in 2017 at Monkey Barrel nights.

RICK – New Acts – Will Naameh is definitely one to watch this year. Personally I want to see more of Ben, Chris and John back on stage! Looking further ahead a the line ups, Matt Price, Jamali Maddix and Patrick Monahan are ones that I’m really looking forward to seeing.

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THE MUMBLE – Whats the best joke you’ve ever written yourself.

RICK – Tough one. I don’t really do short gags, and I compere so much that I’ve not written a new Joke down in years, I sort of just wing it. Glasgow Comedy Festival is fast approaching so most of my writing these days goes to the “Freedom of Speech” double act I do with Sully Sullivan. It’s difficult to lift jokes directly from it due to it’s format, but It’s the best show we’ve ever written. We get to talk about Issues of Freedom of Speech along with Fake News, Trump, Putin, Boris, Britain First and Sponge Bob Square Pants. We’re at Yesbar, on Sunday 12 March 4.45pm.

THE MUMBLE – What does 2017 have in store for Rick Molland

RICK –This year is looking pretty busy. There’s always a lot of Monkey Barrel stuff on the go and the Freedom of Speech Show in development for the Fringe 2017. This year, as well as show commitments, I’ve taken over the running of the Scottish Comedy Festival at the Beehive which is going to make for an interesting August! Sitting iu the background of all this is a longer term documentary feature film project that I’m directing. So creatively, things are looking pretty rich! Monetarily not so much!!

This March, Rich Hall is bringing his Hoedown to Scotland for three nights only, as part of his spring tour.  Join Rich Hall and his virtuoso musical mates for a mash-up of music, comedy and gratuitous coloration as they return this spring with a UK tour of Rich’s infamous ‘Hoedown’. Rich’s Hoedown will be touring the UK from March until July this year, with a stop off in Lochgelly, Fife and Glasgow in March. The floor will reek of liquor and spent dreams. Tickets are on sale now!

Rich Hall is rightly regarded as one of the funniest comedians to come out of the US in recent times. And, as he is based here most of the time, we in this country have over the past three decades been lucky enough to benefit from his wonderfully grouchy sense of humour. The comedian, who has won both a Perrier (Edinburgh Comedy Festival) and a Barry (Melbourne International Comedy Festival) Award, is the most dazzlingly funny curmudgeon in The West.

Rich’s straight-talking and acerbic comedy leaves his targets reeling and his audiences in stitches. He sends up whichever country he is in, but perhaps reserves his most trenchant scorn for his native USA. He is a superb live performer but don’t just take my word for it. Critics have long praised Rich’s highly original deadpan style (which was the inspiration for the marvelously cantankerous barman, Moe Szyslak, in The Simpsons).

In the run-up to the tour, Rich takes some time out to chat with The Mumble. You will no doubt be very pleased to learn that this particular comedian is just as funny in an interview as he is on stage. Rich, who has presented such critically acclaimed BBC 4 documentaries as ‘Rich Hall’s Californian Stars’, ‘Rich Hall’s You Can Go To Hell, I’m Going To Texas’, ‘Rich Hall’s Inventing the Indian’ and his most recent, ‘Rich Hall’s Presidential Grudge Match’, begins by underlining how excited he is to be performing live once again. “I love being on stage”. “I love the fact that when a live show is over, it’s gone. It’s happened, and it will never happen like that again. It can’t be replicated. That’s a great magical moment.”

Rich, who is also an accomplished author and has released three books, ‘Magnificent Bastards’, ‘I Blame Society’ and ‘Things Snowball’, all published by Abacus Books, thrives on the spontaneity of live comedy. He observes that, “In every single show, there are always two or three moments where I’m thinking, ‘Wow, where did that come from?’ You’re constantly thinking on your feet.”

One of the many unique features of Rich’s act is that he goes out of his way to find out about the town he is playing in and then improvises a song on stage about it. He goes the extra mile to tailor-make his material for that particular venue. “I try to tap into what is happening locally and address that musically by writing an improvised song based on the town I’m in.” Audiences really appreciate this bespoke comedy. “Once they realise you’re not just trotting out your regular act, people think, ‘He’s made a real effort. He’s on our side, so we’re on his side.” Then you can take them anywhere.

“I like to do something custom-made every night, otherwise you would just be like a robot. That can really wear you down. Nobody gets more sick of hearing their own voice than a comedian.” Rich, who was also enjoyed huge success as his country and western musician alter ego, Otis Lee Crenshaw, carries on that, “When you’re improvising a song, you think, ‘I may never do this on again, but it’s a special moment for everyone here’.

“You want to reach the point where audiences say, ‘I’d like to see that guy again’. You want to deliver the goods and be Old Reliable.” The stand-up is one of only a handful of performers who can genuinely combine comedy and music in one act. He says that, “I will have such a great collection of musicians on stage for the Hoedown. Having a band there makes it a much richer experience – if you’ll pardon the phrase!”

Before he has to go, Rich reflects once more on what he loves so much about touring. “I’m not a big showbiz hound,” he muses, “but for me being on stage is the most satisfying thing imaginable.” A sentiment with which Rich’s legions of fans would no doubt wholeheartedly agree.

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Rich Hall’s Hoedown will be at the Lochgelly Centre in Lochgelly, Fife on Thursday 16th March and The Garage in Glasgow, as part of Glasgow Live International Comedy Festival on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th March. Tickets for Rich Hall’s Hoedown tour can be found at www.offthekerb.co.uk / @offthekerb / www.facebook.com/TheRichHall