At the Arts Centre, Fred, the grandfather of Scottish comedy, trotted out some good-humoured observations and stories from his life. The largely older crowd (only one person under forty) lapped it up - I recognised a few Old Grammarians among them. I'd heard some of the jokes before, but as a comedy and broadcasting veteran, he knows how to tell them well. Most of the routines felt like anecdotes ending in a punchline. A few felt dredged up, thrown in to fill time. There was no narrative drive, just opportunities to be funny.
He name-dropped regularly (Ally McCoist, Sir Chris Hoy, Tom Farmer, Colin McGregor, Ewan's RAF pilot brother, Greg Hemphill, HIGNFY's Ian Hyslop), but that's the circle he moves in, thanks to his broadcasting career. There was nothing overly hilarious, and I smiled more than I laughed. He said he wasn't going to do the Edinburgh Fringe any more, and based on this material, I think that is wise. He works better as a touring comedian, where he can attract his core audience.
Fred was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year, but it was caught early, so he isn't overly concerned. Prostate Cancer UK volunteers were on hand in the foyer to provide literature and information. They also brought their collection buckets.
At the end, on a serious note, he asked us to keep going out to support live comedy, as it is increasingly being dropped from our television screens. That's one request I wholeheartedly support (and regularly do).
Ticket Price: £20 x 2 + booking fee £2.50 = Total £42.50 from OneRen
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