Friday 18 September 2015

The Thursday Show, The Stand, Edinburgh

Exactly the same format of show as the one I reviewed last week, but with a different line up.  Hosting tonight was another Stand regular, Stu Murphy.  Like Susan M last week he got to know the people in the front row (including a couple of slightly confused looking Slovenians) and got the audience warmed up with his banter.  His approach is less acerbic, but still very funny.

The first act was UK domiciled Dane Sofie Hagen.  Good stuff on dealing with people who dare to mock her body shape, the problems she has with colloquial English (and Scottish!), and the strange things some of her Danish girlfriends come out with.  Her tone is chatty, confiding, with some curveball surprises in the punchlines.

After the interval a disappointingly short set from Christopher Macarthur-Boyd.  He began with a great opening line, about his vague resemblance to Gok Wan, and gave us stories about life with his ex girlfriend and moving back in with his parents.  Laconic, with great comic timing, this is man I'd like to see more of.  But he'd just about fit in the back pocket of the next man on stage, the larger than life Glaswegian Scott Gibson.  He starts loud, he stays loud.  A great start talking about the first experiences of life his nan gave him, but the tales of life with his partner and of holidays with the boys sometimes verged too much towards the stereotypically laddish route.  He was very funny, which is what we we were all there for after all, but I did sometimes feel this was a talent in search of better material.

Final act of the night was one of Scottish comedy's big names, Vladimir McTavish.  It's not that long since we saw his Fringe show so most of the material was familiar.  But it was almost as funny second time around.  McTavish is an accomplished a pro and mixes up the material, throws in new lines and ad libs, and keeps it fresh.

An excellent night of laughs.

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