Jamie Dalgleish:  Pablo Serski:  Jonny Thomson: Keir McAllister:

This comedy show went down in a popular pub in one of Edinburgh’s most well known streets and the venue itself was small so probably not hard to make it appear busy (I estimated capacity to be about 60-70 seats) but still, as embarrassingly-empty-yet-tiny rooms have proven time and again at the Fringe Festival, it takes a lot more than a small footprint to create a crowd these guys must be doing something right because the place was heaving. No doubt the presence of 2 testosterone-saturated stag parties and 1 gaggle of semi-soused hens added to both the numbers and the atmosphere, all 3 groups becoming the collective butt of many a biting joke throughout the night.

One gets the impression that this comedy night will always deliver the goods and at a fairly reasonable price for a Friday night- yes, there are many cheaper or even free nights out in Edinburgh but they are a bit ‘hit and miss’, at best, whereas the quality here was consistent and the performers obviously racked up a fair few comedy miles on the clock.  Overall, the show was well organised, with loud music pumping out of large speakers helping build the excitement of the crowd, and the room was packed well before the start time. In total, the night lasted around 2.5 hours and was very well spaced out, with 2 decent breaks in between the 3 sets allowing for ingestion or excretion of liquids, according to individual needs- there’s even time for both, if you’re quick…nothing more annoying than racing out and back again, only to find that the show has already started and you get picked on for the rest of the night by a scathing comedian looking for an easy target.

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The compere, Rick Molland, was animated, sharp as a razor and flashed his sardonic smile often, which made him likeable (when he was looking at anyone else) but somewhat frightening (when his beady eye was leveled near a defenceless review writer). His style was tough, fast and decidedly un-PC so if you like your comedy sugar-coated then please stay home with a cup of cocoa and a slanket because he pulls no punches and will push the boundaries of what is considered savoury, as one poor, unsuspecting father-of-the-bride found out…I’m still cringing at the memory of it! His comic timing was excellent, as was his ability to constantly engage the audience and keep the pace trotting along nicely but this comes as no surprise since he is one of the most in demand comperes around, with extensive experience working at The stand, Breakneck Comedy and The Beehive. He has also gigged at T in The Park, Wickerman and Rockness festivals, and was runner up in the 2010 Scottish Comedy of the Year (despite being a Scouser) and makes his own films, to boot.

 Laughs:   Material:   Delivery: 

 Act 1 was Jamie Dalgleish, a wee Weegie with a winning smile and winning record- he was Scottish Comedian of the Year 2011. His comedy had a heavy slant on Glasgow life and Scottish stereotypes- think alcoholism and a staple diet of frozen breed- and he touched heavily on the class cliches that are so often completely true. His chat was cheeky, sweet and raised giggles throughout but did not lead to side-splitting laughter- my lasting impression is of someone who has heaps of potential and the ability to win friends with no effort but who needs to be braver and, frankly, meaner- I imagined, expected and wanted him to soften us all up to then deliver a killer line that would make the audience scream with glee and horror but it never came and there is definitely space for it. Come on, Jamie, find your dark side, it’s in there somewhere!

Pablo Serski

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Next up was Pablo Serski, a relatively new name on the scene but one who has garnered much attention.  His name conjured images of a huge Russian wrestler and, although a foot smaller than the image I’d created, he was pretty fierce nonetheless.  His jokes were fast, fluid and some really rather brutal (Frankie Boyle styley).  His material made all sorts of references to recent current events, from ice-creams and ISIS, to life in Glasgow, crude references to the reality of married life, working for Scottish Gas and a Lost Prophets joke that was…just…er…let’s move on now, shall we!  He is a confident performer that oozes intelligence but be prepared for a few sharp intakes of breath at his material- then again, what’s comedy for if not to make us laugh and then be shocked that we did?!

 Laughs:    Material:   Delivery:  

Jonny Thomson was third and very different to the others, a loveable, lanky bloke who has one of those faces that just makes you laugh instantly (and I mean that in the nicest possible way).  His expressive features had us in stitches more than once and, after the audience members being mercilessly targeted by the compere already, it was a sigh of relief to sit back and enjoy his calm yet entertaining observations about the little things in life.  He has a real knack for pointing out the obvious and making it seem very, very funny, with a particular focus on awkward and ridiculous social situations that we’ve all experienced (you know the ones- someone sits right next to you on the bus despite there being 50 other empty seats…cringeworthy but oh so real!).  His style is quirky and unique, and his gentle humour reminds us that jokes don’t always have to go for the jugular in order to be funny.  If the show were a meal he would be the soothing sorbet between the heavy courses.

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The headline 4^th act was Keir McAllister, a well known face on the Edinburgh comedy scene but one who burst forth out of absolutely nowhere and was a winner from the start.  After a real-life stint as a born-again Christian he decided to change tack completely over a decade ago and entered a Jongleurs competition in Dundee, only to find himself the winner of both that and the next heat, in Glasgow, then found himself thrust into the limelight at the final in London (at the famous Criterion Cafe with hosts such as Jasper Carrott) where he came second.  He has since had his ups and downs but has been a stalwart on the scene.  His material ranged from the mundane to the ridiculous, with great audience interaction and banter, and covered all manner of things from sex to jogging to Scottish truisms, perfectly timing his swings between pure, Meldrewesque grumpiness and bright, boyish charm.

Eden Court, Inverness

1st February 2016

Material  Delivery   Laughs

Not to be confused with the Boston University student residence, Rich Hall is a familiar face to anyone who watches panel TV shows like QI, Have I got news for you, 8 out 10 cats and many  more. However as with many comedians his TV appearances do not give justice to how, funny and dark he really is.

A brash and unapologetic American he has much affection for the UK and this comes across in his comedy. Like an angry firecracker he was straight into a tirade of profanities and blues guitar, his jokes came out like bullets of side achingly funny observations and super sharp jibes. The audience immediately took to him and there was absolute hysterical laughter coming from all round the theatre.

Although his style is that of an angry man (he is apparently the inspiration for Mo in the Simpsons) he certainly is not that at all and he takes great joy in his art. His ability to make up hilarious lyrics on the spot is also quite amazing.

His act consists of many parts, he tells straight stand up, then improvises a song, he has strong observational humour and sharp wit and he jumps between these styles with the attention span of a goldfish with ADHD. At some points he is so fast that you find yourself lost in laughter, in his story telling he dances along boundaries of political correctness before crashing head first over it with devastating effect. Rich is obviously a savvy and astute observer and showed this throughout his observations on the American and British political scenes, but even when talking about more complex subjects he never excludes the audience.

Overall it was a brilliant night in an excellent venue and a great time was had by all.

Certainly for an adult audience Rich Hall is one of the funniest acts you can see live.  Rich is next taking his show to Shetland, Kirkwall, Ullapool, Skye and Forres and if you can go just go!

Reviewer : Stewart Tonkin

Hot Bed

Opium Bar @ The Cowgate

28.01.16 

Planet Caramel – a duo, with a guy who keeps following them about to all their gigs and endlessly writing himself into their sketches.

Imagine a man who looks like a cross between Lois Theroux and Frankie Boyle, performing with another man who looks like the love child of Orlando Bloom and Tim Minchin, then imagine watching them bulling a man, who can only really be described as a Crazy Wee Bear. Well, thats basically Planet Caramel. The trio took us on a journey through around ten, creative, slightly abstract and at times, pretty funny sketches. All lasting between thirty-seconds, to a minute and a half long. The pace was good and it suited the material well. Down lights signified the end of each sketch and on one occasion, they even managed to pull off a punchline which was essentially a sound effect, and actually got a really good laugh from the crowd.  About 46 heads were in the house, mostly students, but a couple of mature audience members made it out too.

The introduction was an explosion of ridiculousness, not ever quite reaching hilarious, but certainly lubricating the comedy chords, ready for a good giggle further on in the show.  The guys used lots of props, some insinuation and played on literal meaning, to execute punch lines and I enjoyed the variety a lot. The nervous paper aeroplane, the drums and the back gammon gags were my favourite; I think the audience agreed too. A theme of Robert Burns ran loosely throughout and a lot of gags could be particularly appreciated by 90’s kids.

The next act was made up of two guys and a girl. The entire audience had been well prepped for the style of comedy by this time and everyone was in the correct mood. It’s a difficult thing to warm up a bunch of strangers, mid week, on a windy and wet as shit evening in January. Watching the second trio was like being a fly on the wall in a typical student flat, and watching them do their housework on ketamine. They made a good gag at the start which made reference to the venue, and they performed throughout with good comedic timing and annunciation. They had great body language techniques for delivering insinuated lines which all built towards the punch line, and also used a change of props to signify a sketch change, instead of lights, making for a very dynamic performance. The material content was nothing short of brilliant, just when you think it was getting grown up, it didn’t. They played friends we all have and don’t need when sharing advice, they did a rather “Christmas in Holland” type homage to an international treasure; which was either gonna make or break them, but luckily they pulled it off well and got many laughs. And I have to say, their Taggart style sketch was excellent. Listening to them was like watching the cast of Made In Chelsea preform Trainspotting. So funny! And the Africa sketch had my eyes on the verge of precipitation. Was almost sad it ended, but by now it was time for the interval. Usually I notice these things, because I am not great at sitting still for very long, but I have to say, I was being so well entertained that I barely noticed the chair on my bum.

Post drink and loo break, I took to my seat and my notebook, for round two.

We were warmed up again with more by Planet Caramel, which was actually much better than their first slot, especially since “Frankie Theroux” had relaxed somewhat and was a bit less awkward on stage. They had asked the audience to write a short sketch of 8 lines or less for them to preform after the break. It actually went quiet well, with one joke getting good laughs all round. Another actually tickled the “Crazy Wee Bear” a lot, and I personally got a lot of enjoyment out of watching him have a proper wee giggle to himself of stage. They went back to doing a couple of sketches before introducing the final act. Tea in a tiny lift gave me emotions of meeting my mother-in-law for the first time. But, my favourite was the Italian sketch, particularly as my partner whom was with me, is Italian. I was doing “Tiny Hands” at him for the rest of the evening. I may get years of enjoyment from that joke, so thank you very much Planet Caramel. Shortly after, the next and final act were introduced, The Twins.

The Twins were compered by a pair of really annoying Scouser’s who were dressed like a pair of 18th Century hippies. Anyway, they were annoying me so much, I decided to take another toilet break. Even my bladder agreed we needed a prompt excuse to leave. If there is one thing that gets my goat, it’s when a compere pre-emptively apologises on behalf of the act. Piss off if you think it’s gonna be shite, why the hell I’m I gonna want to stay now?  So, anyway, you can imagine my disappointment when the lights dipped and lifted again to reveal the final act, was in fact the same two people, minus the outfits. My heart sank as I checked the time. Shit, I thought.

But then something happened. The twins, Jack and Annie started being themselves, and oh my god, they were absolutely hilarious. I mean, at times I was doing that laugh thing where no noise comes out but your nostrils are just flaring at 60mph. They had me absolutely decked. They were doing classic twin jokes, but you know, one is a tall bloke and the other a tiny wifey, so that was pretty funny, but actually what made them wasn’t their material as such, it was their chemistry. Their ability to banter ad-lib at an incredibly high speed, and finish each others sentences with a flow that makes their communication seem subliminal, all made the comedic timing seem well practiced and professional, but actually, as a sibling myself, I realise that biological chemistry can just come naturally like that for siblings who get on well. These two used it to their advantage well on the stage. They made you want an invite to their family’s house for Christmas, in no time at all, and soon you felt like you were less watching a show in a club, and more listening to a conversation between siblings over the phone, when they think no one else is listening. It gets weird as fuck, but what comes over is how normal that is. I loved the way they gave fast response banter to the audience, it’s different to observational comedy, it makes you feel like one of their pals, rather than a subject source for them to create material on. Party in America made me lose my shit. I remember talking like that with my sister when we kids after watching some American crap on telly, and the nostalgia made it seem even funnier. These guys nailed it.

Planet Caramel came back on to wrap up the show, finishing with Babadook Dave, played by the “Crazy Wee Bear”. I actually nearly had too much fun at this show. Totally wanted more. For £2, go and see them when they are back in Edinburgh on 25th Feb / 31st Mar. They should be charging more.

Reviewer : Bobbi McKenzie 

6’ 2” skinhead Gary Little to kick off Gilded Balloon Comedy

 Carnegie Hall, Thursday 4 February

Gilded Balloon Comedy returns to Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline, Fife, for five nights of stand out, stand-up and riotous, comedy carnage, between February and June 2016. The line ups include a quality blend of up and coming comedians and the finest established comics on the UK circuit; with headliners Gary Little, Rob Deering, Al Porter, Loretta Maine and The Boy with Tape on His Face, providing some top class entertainment.

Kicking off the Gilded Balloon’s Fife Comedy Circuit on Thursday 4 February 2016 will be headliner Gary Little who is blessed with that special brand of Weegie banter: a gossipy, sharp-tongue with countless hilarious tales to tell.  He will be joined on stage by the delightfully deadpan, Stephen Carlin, and the one-woman voice machine, Amy Howerska.  Keeping both the comedians and the audience under control will be compere for the evening, Ray Bradshaw, one of the most dependable stand ups on the comedy scene.

Gary Little is one of the most consistently funny acts in Scottish Comedy.  He is forcefully opinionated but, with unflinching honesty and openness, he is not afraid to be up front with his failings.  His imposing physical presence – a 6’ 2” skinhead – and his masculine, sweary persona is undercut by his obvious warmth, personable style and slight vulnerability.

As a skilled storyteller he has that rare ability to weave mundane, every-day experiences, like dog walking and tenement living, into non-stop hilarity, which will have his Fife audience crying with laughter.  When Little speaks from the heart about such things as his man-of-few-words father, religious figures and sudden deaths, this is when he really shines.

Stephen Carlin, the Airdrie-born performer, rated by Stewart Lee in his all-time Top Ten stand-up list, has been described as one of the most inventive comedians on the circuit.  His exceptional use of language and off the wall references, brilliantly opinionated broadsides and trademark Scottish brogue make for hugely memorable routines.  From his sartorial elegance to his in-depth and hilarious knowledge of International snooker, Carlin’s performances take the audiences into the mind of a passionate obsessive.

Carlin has written for many radio shows including The News Quiz, The Now Show, Look Away Now, Recorded for Training Purposes, and Laura Solon Talking and Not Talking.  He has previously supported Stewart Lee, Stephen Merchant and Felix Dexter on tour.

Born to a trained killer father and a skydiving mother, rising comedy star Amy Howerska is a refreshingly unsentimental and gifted storyteller.  Presenting with vim, vigour and volume she’s a one-woman voice machine, populating the stage with barmy Welsh cousins, Bradford grannies and East End gangster-loving aunties. A stand-up since 2009, Amy Howerska has appeared on various ‘talking heads’ TV shows and was co-host of Edinburgh late night show Spank! in 2014, alongside James Loveridge.

Compere for the first Gilded Balloon Comedy night at Drygate in 2016 will be the thoroughly engaging Glasgow based comedian Ray Bradshaw.  His utter joviality and friendliness, coupled with witty and unexpected asides and great audience interaction, make him a real ‘people pleaser’; and raucously funny with it.  The double Scottish Comedian of The Year finalist has gained a reputation as one of the funniest and most exciting acts on the Scottish comedy scene.

For more information go to Gilded Balloon website:

http://www.gildedballoon.co.uk/drygate/

Or Carnegie Hall website:

http://www.onfife.com/whats-on

22-23 Jan

The Beehive Inn

Edinburgh

 Jay Lafferty  Stuart Laird   Daniel Downie  Gareth Waugh 

For their 5th Birthday the Monkey Barrel Comedy Club put on for our delectation four top Scottish comedians to celebrate – & a right do it was n’all. Fate had conspired to propel them into the Beehive Inn’s bigger function room – for the Stand was flooded that night, & so over a hundred of us found ourselves in a salubrious, velvety-curtained, victorian-wallpapered, smoking seated chamber, described by one of the comedians – Daniel Downie – as a cross between the Shining & the attic he was abused in as a child. The whole party was welded together by the beautiful Rick Molland, whose banter flowed freely with the stag party from Montrose, all sat at the front & all dressed up as Star Wars characters, including a Storm Trooper with a bumbag & the groom-to-be’s cuddly Jabba the Hut.

Jay Lafferty

Material    Delivery    Laughs  

The first of our ‘four fabulous comedians’ was Glaswegian, Jay Lafferty, a 21st century woman who finds herself funny as fuc£, a brash & self-assured talent whose comedy is aimed at the female observation in the main, but also branches out into urban topology, whose chat about Glasgow & Edinburgh serves as the perfect introduction to the tourists who find themselves on the Grassmarket wanting to feel like they are in Scotland. Listening to Jay in full flow as like being with that noisy bird in a pub whose had a couple of drinks & decided to offload it all onto her pals – great fun. For me, the moment she described a fellow as having a ‘wee, young One Direction face,’ was class, as was her idea of placing kinder eggs in the female lady garden in order to increase the ravishings of woman kind.

Scott Laird

Material  Delivery   Laughs 

Wee Scotty Laird from Motherwells has a strong sense of ‘second son syndrome,’ which has led him into the his job as a Call Centre operative. The thing is, Scott seems to be able to find the comedy in anything, which when combined with that acute mind of his hits all the right comedy notes. The highlight for me was his description of Motherwell’s greatest addition to global culture – the Chindian, a single room in which you can get chinese AND Indian food. As the jokes passed by the crowd really warmed to him, a mutual snowball effect that made every joke seem funnier & funnier.

Daniel Downie

Material  Delivery    Laughs  

I first saw Daniel Downie backstage at the Beehive, scribbling down notes furiously as Rick Molland initially warmed up the crowd. ‘Was he a reviewer like me?‘ I pondered. ‘Nah,’ I realised, ‘he’s too cool!‘ It turns out he was thinking on his feet readying to introduce hypertopical comedy into his set. This, by the way, was wicked – especially his chat about the Highland’s anti-Isis terrorist response (hes from Dingwall). His material is cutting edge & perhaps the crowd were looking for something a bit more stag-do friendly – but I loved it. His star is definitely on the rise at the moment, with material totally on the pulse & Daniel is one to watch.

Gareth Waugh

Material   Delivery    Laughs  

After the prize raffle draw for £10 in drinks – a really good touch to the proceedings – our headline act waltzes on stage. Growing up in the age of, as he so effervescently stated, ‘Celebrity Paedophiles,’ Gareth Waugh is a sound fella & witty as hell, who somehow has managed to convert his sexual awkwardness into comedy gold. The crowd loved him & I absolutely adored his facial expressions – a real subtle but highly effective addition to his comedy armory. He’s also a very informative performer, for I now know what the Australian terminology for a ginga is, & he has also put quite keenly into my mind’s eye one’s own ‘lap-dance face’ – which is similar to the cumface, only less distorted. He really was a perfect finish to a cracking evening & roll on the next 5 years, Monkey Barrel!!!

Reviewer : Damo Bullen

The Old Fire Station

Carlisle

27^th November

Perrier Comedy Award winner Sean Hughes approached the end of his Mumbo Jumbo tour as he visited The Old Fire Station Venue in Carlisle. His political satire combined with middle aged hindsight was fused with a humorous ad-lib candour delivered in what seemed to be an off the cuff comedic show. After just turning 50 Sean shares the wealth of his middle aged life experience with the middle aged audience where he discusses, “the kettle in the garden moments!” This is defined as the moment you are standing in the garden holding a kettle without an explanation of how you got there. The stand-up comic led the audience through a nostalgic trip of the sexual prowess of the 50 year old male by explaining that when a man is in his twenties he wants “fast sex against a skip.” However when you’re in your fifties you begin to look at life from a pragmatic perspective, “the skip looks cold, better wrap up” or “look at the microwave in there – I think it still works.” He tantalised the crowd by declaring, “At 50 my libido has gone, but I’m growing my own tits so it’s not all bad.”

Through the first half of the show he mocked the ailments and the miseries that become an ageing male whilst taking a sentimental stroll back to his youth by comparing the Bay City Rollers with One Direction. It’s not until we are nearing the end of the first half that we are introduced to the Sean’s Mumbo Jumbo philosophy.  The comedian defines Mumbo Jumbo as the battle one has between nonsense and common sense. It is the little voice inside of you that tells you to behave in a nonsensical manner. Sean explains by stating, “You wake up in the morning and your common sense tells you, have a cup of coffee and catch up on world events” but the Mumbo Jumbo inside says “drink the left over wine instead.” or touch the lamppost because it’s lucky. It’s the voice of unreason and illogic spontaneous behaviour.

As the first half closes the crowd is lively and in good spirits. However the second half of the show lacked the pace and laughs of the first half. As the show took a murkier twist the comic began using offensive and crude material based upon Rolf Harris, “Catholicism, Jesus and other mythical creatures.” Raised a Catholic – Sean was unrelentingly tasteless as he mocked how he had drank the life force of Christ and it tasted salty. An angry Catholic responded to the ill tasting humour by heckling the dumb struck comedian with an anti-Muslim slur. However Sean didn’t remain silent for long as he shushed the critic quickly with his antagonising wit whilst developing his tag line of the evening; “You people are really weird!” Despite the lull during the start of the second half, Hughes entertained the audience with laughs, poetry, life stories, music and his love of animals creating an amusing atmosphere within the intimate venue.

So what’s next for Sean Hughes? The writer, actor comedian will be guest starring in the Casualty Christmas special which airs in December – so tune in.

Material  
Delivery
Laughs

Reviewer : Katrina Hewgill

Spiegeltent

St Andrew’s Square

Edinburgh

28th November

The highly anticipated Annual Scottish Comedy Awards, held in Edinburgh for the first time, brought together a selection of fresh comedic talent competing for not only the sought after title, but a launch-pad for possible world domination. The Spiegeltent in festive St Andrews Square blasted a bagpiping We Will Rock You as the full house settled in, drinks in hand, for an evening with the best amateur comedians hand-picked from across Scotland.

The charming Highlander Chris Forbes kept the audience in high spirits throughout the evening, beginning with an introduction to the judges, who spelled-out criteria they would be looking for. Original material, style, stage presence, international appeal, transferable humour to appeal to all cultures and nationalities and likeability are key. Beyond this, they were looking for an ability to rise to the occasion, as this would be the largest crowd that most of the young talent had performed for. Could they rise to the occasion on this special night?

Comical competition is a ruthless arena, & of the eight performers, half of them struggled with the pressure of the event, some jokes were met with an awkward silence.  Stand-out performances included Christopher MacArthur Boyd, a young cross between Gok Wan and Ronnie Corbet, whose engaging, insightful, and intelligent material was very funny indeed. His delivery and fresh perspective engaged the audience as soon as he walked onto the stage and made him the front runner for 1^st place. Another young performer, Gareth Waugh, rose to the occasion with fresh, accessible material delivered with witty, sharp, and engaging style. A comedian with a gift who will no doubt grow into his talent. The Spanish, tartan-clad “Camp Scottish Pimp” Jelly Bean Martinez injected much needed energy to the evening. With a whirlwind of frenetic silliness, his material became perhaps a bit too crude, and he may have lost his appeal by the end of the set. It was as if he was entertaining himself as opposed to being integrated with the audience.

At a competition such as this, with a panel of judges sat at the back of the room, it’s hard not to consider what makes great stand-up. Beyond the obvious criteria, there is a certain something, the X Factor. Whatever it is, the final comedian Daisy Earl had it. The young English lass had instant amiability and a natural stage presence, with raw talent and undeniable potential. She was down to earth and the material flowed effortlessly, providing a platform for the uncanny accents of several well drawn characters to shine. Daisy delivers very funny stuff, without the clichés so many female comedians fall into. This girl is going places.

After brief backstage deliberation, the judges made their decision. Comedy Awards founder Alan Anderson came to the stage with the announcement, putting Gareth Waugh at 3^rd place, Christopher MacArthur Boyd 2^nd, and Daisy Earl at a well deserved 1^st place. Daisy earned a £1000 prize, will be flown to Fringe Festivals in Adelaide and Perth, Australia, and will be showcased at next year’s Edinburgh Fringe. The prize is an amazing opportunity for this rising star to polish her craft on the international stage. On the whole, the calibre of talent was rather mixed, but ultimately it was a fair result which the audience agreed with.

Reviewer : Rachie Fradgley

Eden Court

Inverness

9 November

Andy Hamilton is a prolific comedy writer and performer he has written for Theatre, Radio, TV and Film. He is a regular on TV panel shows and has also presented documentaries. In his new show he uses his observations of the changes he has seen affect him and other people to impart his philosophy on how to deal with life’s changes.

Opening with how he grew up in 1950’s East London and describing in the most humorous fashion the complete lack of health and safety culture that perhaps inhibits children growing up today. He went through the evening telling many hilarious stories from about getting in trouble for being recognised as Satan (who he plays in Old Harry’s game) to being sung at by Captain Kirk (on Have I got News for You) and being hit in the head with a dart.

His observational humour is amazing and he appears to be continuing to observe even during his performance. Throughout the evening he would check with the audience on what they had experienced themselves and as he told jokes he also had a running gag of writing down jokes that may not have got a huge laugh whilst loudly explaining them inevitably leading to the audience cracking up.  Both funny and fascinating Andy Hamilton’s humour is of the highest quality it should appeal to a wide range of people.  Andy is next taking his show to the Gardyne Theatre Dundee on Nov 12^th and I would recommend this show very much.

Material 
Delivery   
Laughs

Reviewer : Stewart Tonkin

Festival Studio Theatre, Edinburgh

7th November

Keara Murphy   Chris Forbes    Rob Rouse   

In recent months, the Gilded Balloon comedy nights have begun to dip their comedy wicks in Fife, & has seen their comedians’ weekends begin on a Wednesday. Thus, by the time they reach Edinburgh’s Festival studio on the Saturday, one of two things has happened. (A) : they have honed their routine to perfection; or (B) they have one hell of a hangover & have lost their golden touch. For tonight’s MC, Scott Gibson, it was clear;y a case of A, for the guy is a rip-roaring class act who warmed up the crowd nightly, getting us all familiar with the front row, which consisted of a group of mums on tour, & a couple of young sailors stationed in Edinburgh. The highlight of his wee sesh was going on about Tindog – the tinder for breeders, which set him off an a hilarious canine-comparison flounce ending in coco-pops being sprinkled in dog-poo, rendering it crunchier for the little mutts when they munch it.

KEARA MURPHY

Material     Delivery    Laughs  

For me, it seemed that Keara Murphy, a self-confessed lover of the booze, was more of the B category as stated above. The facade was there, a hard-living Weegie-bird who takes no prisoners, but it felt like she was just going through the paces. Her material was classic Glasgow-Edinburgh fare, & it seemed like she had been thrown into the mix to please any visitors to Scotland that were in the crowd – so the mums in the front row loved her. Likeable, but slightly annoying, her best stuff was her rendition of what really goes on inside another Weegie woman’s mind – Lorraine Kelly. This was genuinely hilarious & I think on another night she could have had us all eating out of her hand – but she just wasnt on it tonight.

CHRIS FORBES

Material   Delivery  Laughs  

Chris Forbes, however, was completely different. A young comic on the rise, his delivery was bang on, coming with a nonchalant conversational manner full of quips & clever subtleties, all born from a clear genius in the craft. From a small town in the highlands, his arrival in the capital is a breath of fresh air, his hearth-side humour as refreshing as a walk beside Loch Tollaid. Way up north, with no proper football team for miles, he & his family are fans of the national team, & for me, wonderful expose on the world of the Tartan Army’s song-selection was the highlight of his set.

ROB ROUSE

Material  Delivery    Laughs

When a comedy selection’s headliner uses the word ‘undercrackers’ you are know you’re in for a good do. Hailing from the Peak District, Rob Rouse & his soul-touching accent is a surreal spot of comedy emerald, who gives us a well warm window into the funny moments of his life. Blending amiability with theatrical virtuosity, Rouse is a real treat & his talented ‘truth-bombs’ were a perfect way to finish the night’s entertainment – although his brilliance definitely came on in waves with the occasional lag in momentum. His extended, gag-packed finale was the reportrayal of the time his 5-a-side football pal & doctor, Andy, gave him the finger… up the bum in a Prostrate-gland examination.

Reviewer : Damo Bullen

The Stand, Glasgow

9th October

Joe Heenen was the compere for the night’s line-up, and he launched straight into heckling the front rows, in particular a young woman whose out celebrating her birthday with her mates, ‘So, do you have a tight fanny then?’ Most women don’t mind getting the arse ripped out them if there is a reciprocal male genitalia slagging going on, but unfortunately the banter was a tad one-sided by Heenan’s continual harking back to said lady’s privates throughout all his appearances in between acts. Come on Joe, why go all passive-aggressive-stalker-psycho on her when there was much more fun to be had in the form of Haley, the History and Politics student who cited her favorite politician as David Cameron – a classic comedy moment of silence ensued while the entire room computes before reacting with expected jeers boos and grunts of disbelief.

Next up was the wild and crazy radgepot Fern Brady, who recently tweeted how she wants to do a parody of Showgirls, is an ex-review writer who chose who to review by how much she fancied them. Good review = good shag, totally works apparently. Sound principles indeed! Fern’s balshy attitude to Guardian Soulmates, ‘tinder for posh people’ was a great icebreaker. We also discovered that Fern was a target of Twitter hash-taggers, whose cruel comments led her on an insecurity-fueled search for  hand-reduction surgery… such self-depreciating humour is a strength she expertly exploits Hearing Fern’s tales of falling in love with the biological dad & other such neurotic delights was a pleasing contrast to Joe’s weak warm up, and her witty observances made me think of Lena Dunham of Tiny Furniture and Girls fame. Fern is fearless in her content and well worth tuning in to.

Next up was primary-teaching joke-slinger John McGoldrick, who lives in a house with a holocaust-survivor & a poet who never flushes the toilet. When they are not arguing about peeing over the dishes they go to west end poetry nights where everyone, ‘ drinks smoothies and are aff their tits on kale’ John’s a witty fellow, with his jokes delivered with a lively & novel, yet  well-rehearsed deadpan monologue. Good stuff.

By far the funniest act of the night, with their incredibly sharp ‘make it up as we go along’ routine were Stu Murphy and Garry Dobson.Their improv had the audience in stitches as they worked their way through the alphabet combining romance scenes, sci-fi, western & period drama genres. ‘Do you dispose upon yourself to speak to me?’ is equally as funny as the Speedy Gonzalan accent, ‘It’s not racist if it’s accurate.’

Highlight of the night was Ben Norris. A nostaligic anecdotal romp through childhood; with many a pop at Jimmy Saville en route. He also came out with a cracking one liner; who declared that he has three nine-year old children & ‘it was nightmare when they were 6.’

Norris also like a good ol’ sing-song, & his hunt-sab number , ‘Sticking up for Mr.Fox,’ sung in Billy Bragg style was highly entertaining. To this we must add many an canny observation of life in our techno-modern times with a dollop of audience interaction. Watching Norris = a sore jaw & I left in a jolly good mood, still chuff’d that at the Stand the phrase ‘never a dull moment;‘ is still guaranteed.

Reviewer : Clare Crines