Russell Howard "Don't Tell the Algorithm" Tour, Evening Show, King's Theatre, Glasgow. Sunday 12th April, 2026.

The first thing we notice as we take our seats in the front row of the Grand Circle is the loud music. Either the soundman is going deaf, or it's deliberate, to blast energy into the room. I don't recognise all the songs, but they get my foot tapping and occasionally actually mouthing along to the words.

Just after 7.30 pm, the lights dim and an unknown voice welcomes our first act, Andrew Bird. He's been on the circuit a long time, and it shows. He absolutely smashes it with his observations, especially about married life. He serves as an ideal warm-up for Russell. He is touring in January and will appear at the Glee Club in Glasgow on Wednesday, 27th January 2027 (Tickets). 

More loud music during the interval, before Russell's tour manager comes on and whips up the crowd, before introducing Russell.

Russell is a pro. From the off, he's joke, joke, joke. Shortly into the set, he admits he shat himself during the matinee performance and is now full of Imodium, so his movements might be restricted. He confesses he can't do a Scottish accent, demonstrating his best effort, choosing to go Welsh instead when need be. 

He is incessant. If anything, there are too many jokes to laugh at them all.

Afterwards, my wife said that he was just alright. I think she meant he was too slick. 

He definitely was funny, but this was an arena performance in a theatre. Maybe he should have turned down the volume and made it more intimate. You can't beat his laugh rate, though. 

Ticket Price: 2 x £41 & transaction fee £3.95 = £85.95 from ATG Tickets

Preshow music:

You are the Generation That Bought More Shoes and You Get What You Deserve by Johnny Boy

Shine A Light by Paolo Nutini

Beachball (Andry Meets Schalli @ Monkey Island Remix) by Nalin & Kane

Fans by Kings of Leon

The Bartender and the Thief by Stereophonics

Bros by Wolf Alice

My Delirium by Ladyhawke

Stumble and Fall by Razorlight

I Hope, I Think, I Know by Oasis

Interval Music:

Recharge & Revolt by The Raveonettes

Hate to Say I Told You So by The Hives

Sex by The 1975

Ça plane pour moi by Plastic Bertrand

Pink Lemonade by James Bay

Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes

Helter Skelter by The Beatles

Alan Davies "Think Ahead", GICF, King's Theatre, Glasgow. Sunday 29th March, 2026

Alan Davies is a national treasure, beloved by many for his 24 years on QI, his lead performance on Jonathan Creek and his many years in stand-up. He has comedy skills, crafted over his sixty years on the planet. Yet, this show is awkward, with sudden gear changes that, without warning, bring shock and silence. He knows this, but hasn't worked out how to talk about the subject matter without it affecting him.

There's no support act or interval, just a straight eighty minutes of Alan. He opens by establishing the audience's general ages, the youngest being in their teens and the oldest in their nineties, and where people are from, one bloke revealing he's from the same place as Alan. It feels like he's warming up, finding his groove, before starting a show he hasn't performed since December. He has a reminder card with the show's running order on a table in case he forgets what's next.

He talks about his kids, about getting a prostate exam, about porn and about erectile dysfunction, wringing out laughs from each slightly hackneyed topic. He explains that in porn, you never hear real conversations, like "Am I squashing you?" He is mock surprised when only one person, a woman, admits to suffering from ED, given the age range in the audience, as statistically fifty per cent of men over fifty suffer from the condition. He posits that perhaps Scottish men with ED hate stand-up comedy and would never set foot in a theatre for fear of being laughed at. Alan uses the little blue pills. He's disappointed if, after taking one, his wife is not in the mood. "But I've taken it now. These things cost a fiver, you know." 

During his porn routine, he says, in real life, men never get to finish on a facial. They might try it once, only to be lambasted by their partner, who complains that it went in their eye and to fetch the eye bath from the medicine cabinet quickly before they get conjunctivitis. Shouldn't that be "cumjunctivitis", I wonder? (my joke, not his).

It's when he opens up about his relationship with his father that the laughs rightly grind to a halt faster than an emergency stop. With nary a warning, other than mentioning that he recently released a memoir, Alan takes us back to when he was ten, explaining his father would visit him at night for 'special cuddles'. He paints us a picture, his dad in the big pants, without going into too much physical detail.  You can see Alan still feels the chest-gripping anxiety as he opens up about it. There is silence in the room. 

He moves on, barely mentioning it again until the end, where he explains why he chose to talk about it and what happened. The denouement is fitting.

I hope Alan found this show cathartic. With the revelation out there, laid to rest, perhaps he can heal and return to being properly funny again.

Ticket Price: £26 x2 + Booking Fee £2.60 x2 + Venue Fee £2 x2 =  Total £61.20 from See Tickets.

GICF Comedy Gala 2026, King's Theatre, Glasgow. Sunday 29th March, 2026

This was my third consecutive GICF Gala in a row, and it had probably the strongest line-up so far. 

As we were also seeing Alan Davies later on, we decided to make a day of it. We put the dogs into the kennels and arranged to have lunch with Colette and her hubby at The Griffen before the show. Graeme brought the car, not realising that on-street parking is no longer free on a Sunday, and ended up parking quite a distance away, on the other side of Charing Cross. He'll not do that again (they got soaked in the rain on the walk back after the show).

The lunch was good. We pencilled in doing it again next year.

The view from our seats.

The Gala opened with Almost Angelic, the musical double act of Karen Dunbar and Tom Urie, kicking the show off in absurd style. Afterwards, a stagehand pushed the platform, upon which Tom sat with his keyboard, across the stage the long way, much to Karen's mock despair. They'll be supporting Marti Pellow at the Bandstand in August.

Susie McCabe, as MC, wasted no time bringing on the first act, Des Clarke. My wife and I had heard his jokes just a few days ago, including one which I repeated at lunch, but they were still funny. 

Next up was Susan Riddell, using PowerPoint to illustrate the material relating to her arrest for (alleged) "Terrorism and Malicious Mischief". She's barred from Edinburgh because of this as part of her bail conditions and has to accept a 7 pm curfew. I'd love to hear the full story sometime.

Fred MacAulay referenced one of Susan's jokes at the start of his five minutes. A veteran of the circuit, Fred gave a quality set. I'm looking forward to seeing him on tour later in the year (though I'll probably skip his show with Ally McCoist at the Armadillo at those ticket prices).

Amanda Dwyer gave a funny but low-energy set, winning over the audience.

Likewise, the relatively unknown Ifrah Qureshi gave a fine set, demonstrating a good eye for comedy, especially at her family's expense.

Connor Burns closed the first half, giving a performance that ably demonstrated why he sold out five shows at the King's this festival. He is a comedy superstar in the making.

After the break, Susie gave us five minutes on why her life has been a struggle of late, with a heart attack being the least of her worries.  

Then, Karen Dunbar returned for a routine about when she and her sister (God rest her soul) went to the social club and got hammered on the new beverage, White Lightning.            

Another newcomer, Jack Brookmyre, looked uncomfortable in his sleeveless denim jacket patched with heavy metal band logos, but gave a confident performance. His voice work is great, especially his Gollum. One to look out for.

Stuart Mitchell's star is in the ascendant. He's always reliable for a laugh and today was no exception.

Mhairi Black was a more left-field choice, but she showed that her transition from politics to stand-up has gone well. She has always been a great speaker and knows how to be funny.

Rosco McClelland closed the stand-up element of the Gala, confident enough to throw in some new material which didn't hit the mark. 

After this, the Festival Director, Krista MacDonald, gave an impassioned speech about celebrating Scottish comedy, a flourishing circuit despite the lack of financial support it receives as an art form. She introduced a video highlighting each nominee for the Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award. They were:

Top Row:

Amanda Dwyer (Comedian) 
Chris Conway (Comedy promoter/owner of Blackfriars of Bell Street)
Kate Hammer (Comedian)

Second Row:

Kim Blythe (Comedian)
Susan Riddell (Comedian)
Zara Gladman (Writer, performer, and producer)

The winner was: Amanda Dwyer.

Accepting the award, she was speechless, never believing she would win, already assuming that her Material Girl partner, Susan Riddell, would take it.  The short video they showed of Billy Connolly praising Amanda was quite emotional. He looked unwell, with the moonface of a man possibly on long-term steroids. Lovely to hear his voice, though.

As we departed the room, the audience was treated to an airing of his 1974 song, "If It Wasnae for Your Wellies". Lovely to hear that again.

All the nominees were present, even those not performing (Chris Conway isn't a comedian). I know this because an old friend of mine managed to snatch selfies with each individual at the stage door. It's his thing.

Outside, we spotted Dave Flynn, producer of Breaking the News. My wife wouldn't let me take his picture. She didn't need to say it. She just gave me a look.

Ticket Price: £24.10 x2 + Transaction Fee £3.95 = £52.15 from ATG Tickets.

GICF: Harry Enfield And No Chums! King's Theatre, Glasgow. Wednesday 25th March, 2026

I attended this gig on my own. The irony.

I expected a nostalgia-filled trip down memory lane, with Harry sharing clips from his various series, but that wasn't what we got. Yes, there were a couple of videos, but the screen was reserved mainly for photos of his family and his various comedy creations to illustrate the narrative of his life. Maybe he didn't want to pay the TV companies for the footage.   

He opened the show as King Charles III, wearing a crown (as per his merch). He thanked us, his subjects, for coming along, setting the tone with a joke about his brother Andrew. Then, having removed his headwear, he began recounting the tale of his life, from foetus to the present, peppering the show with stories about his characters, the people he worked with and the celebrities he encountered along the way. He also performed new sketches as some of his favourite creations. Harry's vocal mimicry is superb. He surprised us with a perfect Bob Mortimer and a snivelling Ricky Gervais, transforming the latter into Gollum, who fawned over Harry's talent. 

Things I learned:

He was one of four siblings, the only son. His mum developed post-natal depression after the birth of his youngest sister, and he took to gurning to try to lighten her spirits whenever she took one of her turns. He also ate coal and was a late developer.

He got sent to boarding school until age fifteen, being transferred to a regular comprehensive after he admitted to his parents that the Benedictine monk teachers regularly beat him.

Having passed his O Grades early, he got moved up a year, so he got to hang around with the big boys, who would take him to punk gigs in London, where he could nervously approach the likes of Joe Strummer post-gig to tell him how good they were.

At York University, he reluctantly went to the theatre with his girlfriend and had his eyes opened to the possibility of performing comedy. The double act they saw blew his mind with their Monty Python-style humour. He went on to form a double act called Dusty and Dick with Bryan Elsley (who later co-created Channel Four drama, "Skins"), took the show to Edinburgh, then headlined on the London comedy scene, with the likes of Paul Merton and Mullarkey and Myers in support (as in comedy legend Mike Myers). 

Paul Whitehouse was a mate who lived nearby on the Hackney estate (Charlie Higson was his next-door neighbour). Originally, a plasterer, Paul would latch onto character catchphrases, wringing the comedy from them. Harry would nick the best ones, writing them up into sketches. He paid Paul back by inviting him onto his show, and the rest is history.

Harry was friends with George Harrison. Once, when he was over at George's house, Paul McCartney popped over, and they all had a few drinks. The conversation devolved into bitterness as George related how his business manager had swindled Handmade Films out of millions, the ippy trippy hippy turning more scouse by the second, requiring Harry to step in with his "Calm down" catchphrase in the style of his Scouser character. Whether that actually happened is debatable, but it made a good story.

Harry had a home in Cornwall, but much as he loved the beautiful views, the village was full of London hoorahs. One day, driving through the village to visit a friend, the road was chock full of these posh snobs, so in the car, Harry shouted, "Get out of the bloody way", a phrase his young daughter repeated with the window wound down as they passed by, only to realise one of the poshers was the then Prime Minister, David Cameron. They had a right laugh until David also turned up at the friend's house. And that was how Harry became friends with David.

The follow-up to that story came when Harry wrote the poshers' sketch, in which the pair of gentlemen surmise that David is queer. The next time David phoned Harry, he introduced himself as "Hi, it's Queers". Lovely man, terrible politics.

They hired Kathy Burke for the TV show because her acting was so bloody good.

He wrote a series of sketches for a character called Patrick the Paedo Priest, but bottled it when it came to using them on TV. His then-ten-year-old son even suggested a sketch for him, using the character.      

  

The Q&A led to a wonderful anecdote about working with Vic and Bob as minor characters on a Comic Strip film. Bob wanted to leave for the day because he had no lines and was only required to be in the background, so he asked Harry to ask the director, Peter Richardson, for permission to leave. Peter declined, so as revenge, Bob placed a turd of his own making on top of the privet hedge that divided the two leads' trailers. The turd was allegedly visible in the shot during filming. If that's true, I wonder how long it will take for Bob to share that story on "Would I Lie To You?"

      

Harry is now sixty-five, too old to perform as Kevin the teenager, but not too old to give us a really funny night. 

"Loadsalaughs!" 

Ticket Price: £47.50 plus fees = £54.25 from GICF (on presale)

Blurb

From the meteoric rise of Loadsamoney, a Thatcherite Visionary, to the fury of Kevin the Teenager, Harry will reflect on 40 years of being in comedy and bring some of his favourite characters vividly back to life on stage.

Then it’s over to your questions: your chance to ask how it all works for him, what he’s most proud of, and what he says to the many who ask, “You wouldn’t be allowed to do your stuff today, would you?”

Don’t miss an unforgettable evening with a brilliantly silly and strikingly insightful comedian

Chris Ramsay "Here, Man!", King's Theatre, Glasgow. Monday 9th February, 2026

No sooner had I flown back from Bristol than I was off out again to see Chris Ramsay at the King's. 

The audience was buzzing. When the lights went down, and Chris introduced his support act, the surge of applause felt more like a rally, with the audience cheering enthusiastically. 

Carl Hutchinson is a Geordie comedian whose star is in the ascendant, thanks to his close association with Chris. His material is mainstream, mainly about his family, but he knows how to build a routine, his closer tonight being particularly strong. His description and demonstration of the sound made by explosive diarrhoea were so true. 

I'll confess to tuning out at times during his set as weariness took over. Not that I had such problems staying awake for Chris. His energy and enthusiasm were electric.

Chris opened by sharing his concern that we'd think he'd deliberately copied Carl in choosing what to wear, since both were in the same style and colour of shirt. He even went so far as to bring Carl back out to prove that it was a different shirt from his own.  

Chris then moved on to his proper set, letting us know he is both a scumbag and a snob, and went on to explain why. If another child disses his kids, his first instinct is to want to beat up the disser's dad. He fantasises about it all day, knowing he'll never actually follow through with the intention.

Thanks to the money from the hit podcast Sh*gged. Married. Annoyed, Chris and Rosie aspired to move somewhere nice and chose Northumberland, not realising they'd reached too high and would have to slide down a couple of rungs to feel comfortable again. Chris knew they wouldn't fit in when all the local kids had names like Atticus, Balthazar, and even Aslan, or when he had to explain to a six-year-old what a cheese toastie was. The final straw came when one of his children asked if he could start to call Rosie his mummy instead of his maw. It was then that they knew they'd have to move somewhere closer to their level. 

Chris loves Rosie dearly, but needed to share with us privately how much her micromanaging gets on his nerves. I could relate to that, being asked to do something, then getting berated for not doing it the way my wife would have done it. 

"Did you not think?" she would scold.

"Not like you, obviously," would be my unspoken thought.  

The podcast brought them fame and fortune, but it was cursed. On the chat show circuit, he and Rosie were the last to be interviewed by Phil and Holly. On Graham Norton, they shared the couch with P Diddy the week the allegations against him broke (generating a nice gag remarking that Diddy is the only celeb whose name can be used in response to any wild statement, followed by the answer, "Yes, he did"). 

Their next appearance on Graham Norton elicited a star turn, which was later cut from the broadcast. When Graham introduced Lin-Manuel via video link, Will Smith began showing off by reciting the opening rap from Hamilton. He was surprised when Chris and Rosie joined in, both of them word-perfect. When Will fell silent after four lines, Chris and Rosie kept going, all the way to the end of the song, receiving a huge round of applause from the studio audience.

Now, Chris does not have definite proof that Will's team requested the cut... but he knows it's true. Fortunately, Chris's management recorded the whole segment on their phone from the Green Room monitor, and Chris was more than happy to share the footage with us tonight. The look on Will Smith's face when he realises he's been outrapped by two relative nobodies from South Shields is priceless.  

Chris posited the theory that the humiliating incident got under Will's skin, where it festered for a month, eventually boiling over into fury at a certain awards ceremony, where he stormed the stage and slapped a comedian... called Chris. 

This was a great night of comedy. Chris has a natural talent for being funny. Highly recommended.   

However, those of us on the right side of the stalls at the front were unfortunately treated to a second show within the show (as in she made a show of herself). A small blonde lady, a few rows from the front, three rows ahead of us, decided Chris was talking to her and kept replying. I don't think she was drunk, given how steadily she rose to her feet, put on her coat and exited immediately after the show, but she seemed definitely on something, her head resting against the back of the seat, her body reclining deeply, her arm frequently rising into the air like a garage forecourt dummy. 

Her voice was of a pitch that stood out, though often unintelligible. Chris would hear her and pause to listen, upsetting his flow. He engaged with her once, then quickly learned to ignore her rather than pander. But she kept on and on with her comments. 

After the show, as we shuffled out of the room, the man who had been sitting beside her received a pat on the back from a stranger and asked how he put up with that. The man shook his head and said he didnt know. He was a better man than me. I'd have stormed out to find an usher to have her removed. Or worse, done it myself. Nightmare.

Ticket Price: £32.00 x2 + Service Fee: £4 x2 + Handling Fees £2.75 = Total £74.75 from Ticketmaster.

Ardal O'Hanlon "Not Himself" UK & Ireland Tour 2025, The Pavilion, Glasgow. Sunday 9th November. 2025.

There was quite a choice of events in Glasgow tonight - Saxon at the O2, Palaye Royale at SWG3 & Will Mellor and Ralf Little at the Pavilion - but I stuck to my guns with the order I placed over a year ago for Ardal O'Hanlon at the King's Theatre. My wife loves him.

Last time I saw him, he'd been rusty, having been away from stand-up for a while. This time, I'm pleased to say he was on top form.

His support act, Tamsyn Kelly, unfortunately, was not. This Penzance comedian, currently residing in Glasgow, presents herself as dippy but might do better aiming for funny. Her act might work in a comedy club, but to a sober theatre audience, she appeared slow, clumsy and stilted, silences working against her. She elicited a few laughs, but the room got the better of her on this occasion.

After the interval, as if he knew the audience needed a lift, Ardal came on dancing comically to the intro music. Lambasting himself for allowing us to witness such a sight, he then did it again. It was a great way to introduce us to his silliness. 

Behind him was a screen, which he used irregularly to display photos and images to visualise particular jokes. He decried his position as the third-born of his family, commenting that those born into that situation practically need to raise themselves to survive. The paucity of family photos featuring him reflected this bias. With no expectations being placed on him, he was allowed to do as he pleased. Traditionally, third-born sons would join the ministry, but that was not for him (cue a funny picture of Father Dougal). 

His comedy thrives on confusion and exasperation as he struggles to understand the world as it has become. His delivery has a great rhythm, throwing gag upon gag and never in ways you anticipate. Even his takedown of Trump had a surreal quality to it (even his hair isn't real; it's grown by the worms in his brain). The theme of not being himself flowed naturally throughout the set, except for one segue, which deliberately didn't (I can't recall what it was).  

He discussed his dislike of receiving requests for feedback every time he shopped or went anywhere. Not everything is an experience worthy of rating. He also explained how creepy it was that a conversation between him and his wife about washing machines led to him receiving ads for those products while browsing the internet. Now they only chat about topics they have no interest in to confuse the algorithms. Likewise, he buys items he doesn't want, just so the internet cannot predict his needs. It's an expensive pastime, but worth it. 

For someone so anti-AI, he seemed to love using it for some of his photos, such as the one of the gentleman milking the cauliflower or Ardal in a cummerbund, which was actually a sash.   

The payoff to his third-born material came at the end, when he described being invited to an audience with the Pope. He struggled to understand why, and prepared a five-minute routine just in case he was asked to demonstrate his skills. Surprisingly, a number of the other comedians did the same, too. He showed us a picture of him meeting the Pope. 

Ardal gleefully shared that upon his return to Ireland, he became his parents' most important son and that they displayed his photos of the encounter throughout their home. Finally, he was their number-one child. Ardal then rambled on for another ten minutes until he ran out of material, at which point he informed us the show had actually finished with the Pope gag and he was only talking out of politeness until we left. Then the music started playing again, and he danced off stage. The house lights came up remarkably quickly after that, indicating we should get out.

I received a request for feedback about how ATG did less than an hour after the show. I didn't give them the satisfaction of a reply. This review would suffice.

Ticket Price: 2 x £31.02 plus transaction fee £3.95 = £65.99 from ATG.

To Kill a Mockingbird, King's Theatre, Glasgow. Thursday, 6 November, 2025

This matinee performance is packed with pensioners and teenagers in school uniform. The stage is hidden by the 'Fire Curtain', giving me cause to wonder why. Although I have never read the book nor watched the film, I am not given to believe it involves pyrotechnics. The only fireworks I anticipate hearing are likely linguistic, given that the script has been written by Aaron Sorkin, the master storyteller behind The West Wing.

For nearly three hours (including an interval), I am mesmerised by this production. Richard Coyle channels his inner Gregory Peck, giving a flawless performance as Atticus Finch, bereaved father of two and defence lawyer for the accused. The kids act as narrators, providing a contextual perspective and posing questions for the audience to consider as the story unfolds. The longer the show goes on, the more my inner writer wants answers, and happily, every question is resolved by the end. 

I can see why the text is studied for Higher Grade English, given how it raises questions around racism, incest, justice, and societal norms post the abolition of slavery. 

The set design is incredible. Elements descend and ascend, roll in and roll out, as the cast smoothly aids everything in transit to avoid needless delays. The show has a large cast, without requiring actors to double up in multiple roles. The casting is sharp, with each role filled by someone who looks, acts, and sounds the part. 

The most lavish praise should go to Richard Coyle. I was aware of his previous TV work in Coupling and Strange, but this performance was truly outstanding. At the very end, after all the other cast had taken their bows, when he came forward, minus his Atticus Finch spectacles, you could see he had shed his acting persona, relaxing into a more comfortable posture, thus revealing the extent of his transformation.    

I loved it. Marvellous!

Ticket Price: £52 x 2 plus £3.95 Transaction Fee = £107.95 from ATG.

Production Photos by Johan Persson 

2:22 A Ghost Story. King's Theatre, Glasgow. Matinee Wednesday 27th August, 2025

A quick review because they don't want spoilers ('they' being the producers, not the subject of the spookiness).

My thoughts: This is a play that is successful enough to be remounted regularly with brand-new casts, often featuring a famous person to attract the audience. This time, that position falls to celebrity couple, Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton. Not known for their acting skills, this would suggest the play is cast-proof. So, did I enjoy it?

A little. 

The stalls were packed out, more than I expected for a matinee. I must confess my senses were somewhat dulled during the first half by a full lunch and the heat in the theatre. Because of this, I barely reacted to the jump scares, some of which I didn't experience firsthand, but via the audience's reaction. These scares consisted mainly of loud screams and blackouts, accompanied by the fluorescent red tube lights that framed the stage. The scares in Ghost Stories were way better crafted than this.  

I didn't warm to the performances, especially the part played by Kevin. Sure, he got to show off a few dance moves, which may or may not have been in the script, but there was an artificiality to the performances that flattened the drama.   

The script effectively built and defined the character relationships, while also exploring topics such as gentrification, beliefs and class. The set of a half-renovated living room looked suitably shabby and creepy. The lighting was used effectively.  

The ending, which I won't spoil, wasn't a surprise as I'd already figured it out. I won't be rushing back to see the play again, unless there is a killer cast (I don't mean actual murderers, although that would give it an edge).  

Ticket Price: Stalls Row M - 2 x £35 plus £3.95 Booking Fee  = £73.95 (Summer Saver Promotion Price)

Taylor Tomlinson "Save Me" Tour, King's Theatre, Glasgow. Tuesday 8th July, 2025

When an American 'name' comedian comes to Scotland, I like to catch them, but I was particularly keen to see Taylor. I wasn't that familiar with her work, but I knew there was a buzz about her. She'd been the youngest comedian ever to be awarded the host role in Late Night with her quiz show After Midnight, and she already had three Netflix specials before turning thirty. Her crowd work reels showcase a talented comic, not surprisingly, given that she has been a comedian for over half her life. 

Tuesday had been a nice day, but by the time we were driving, the drizzle was on. The doors were supposed to open at 6:30 pm for an 8:00 pm show, but at 7:20, the queue to get in was only getting longer. There were punters inside, though, which was confusing. Was there a special early entry VIP exclusive that I'd missed? We stood in the rain for a while and eventually were let in, but we didn't get much further than the foyer. The house doors were still closed. Someone asked the usher what the reason for the delay was, but she didn't know. She guessed it could have been a late sound check by the artist or a problem with the room. 

The merch stall was selling T-shirts and tote bags, but none interested me. I'm not confident enough, sister, to wear a Taylor Tomlinson tour T-shirt as a personal statement.

Eventually, at 7:30 pm, they announced that the house doors were open, and we could make our way in. An usher handed us a glossy, folded leaflet. Excellent! A souvenir! No need to buy any merch. Our seats were fantastic (thanks, Kim), five rows from the front, in the middle, close enough for the perfect view but far enough away to avoid the comedian's eye. 

The audience is predominantly female and young, often in pairs. That should have been a clue about the nature of the show, but I hadn't done my research. 

The opening act was Sophie Buddle, a Canadian comedian who'd worked with Taylor on After Midnight. The leaflet revealed that "she has a gluten allergy but not in an annoying way, in actually a very cool and seductive way". Mmmn... that doesn't sound foreboding. 

It took me a while to tune into her voice. I found the pitch of her Canadian accent and her delivery style difficult to follow. That could have been down to the sound in the room or my hearing. I don't remember much about her material, except to say I switched off around the time she veered into her vibrator speed bit. I'm sure it was hilarious to the women in the audience, but I didn't find it relatable.      

After her twenty minutes, I expected an interval, but no (theatre scowls at missing out on ice cream and alcohol sales). Instead, she introduced Taylor. 

That girl has some comedy chops. Her performance is exquisite. She knows how to deliver every line in the best way to elicit laughs. Toppers appear casual, throwaway lines on the way to the next joke, but you know she's crafted them deliberately (sometimes, she'll pause to tell you that). The writing is key, but she's not afraid to play around with the audience. She's loving that, in Scotland, she can go darker with her material, even swear occasionally (using the C-word, gasp!) without causing offence, knowing the audience will respond appropriately with laughter. Her set covered her religious upbringing, her family background, touched on her mental health, relationships and finished with her recent coming out as bisexual. Not my favourite topic for comedy, but she brought the funny. The parts where she interacted with the audience seemed playful and warm, but with a comedic edge. She knew precisely when and how to put someone down strongly enough that it wouldn't spoil the atmosphere.   

Her performance didn't come across as another 'let's plough through this shit one more time'. It felt present and in the moment. It was her first time performing in Scotland, and she worked that into her routines. She had trouble understanding our accents, but that was okay. 

After the show, both Taylor and Sophie conducted a crowd-confessions Q&A, answering the questions submitted via the QR code on the leaflet. This was a nice, relaxing way to end the night. It was so evident from their giggles just how close their friendship is (not in that way - Sophie has a boyfriend!).

My favourite comedic bit from the night was when Taylor acted out the differences between girl-on-girl and girl-on-boy sex. With girl/girl sex, both parties have to remain present because they know instantly when the other's mind has wandered. Whereas with girl/boy sex... well, she showed us what can happen. One of the best physical comedic performances I've seen, that wasn't Elf Lyons.

Ticket Price: £57.62 x 2 = £115.24 from ATG+ (Thanks again Kim)

 

 

Rhod Gilbert & The Giant Grapefruit, King's Theatre Glasgow Saturday 21st June 2025

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The Book Of Mormon, King's Theatre, Glasgow Matinee Friday 23rd May 2025

 

I went into this show blind, and Hallelujah, I have now seen the light. This show totally dismissed any apprehension I had that touring productions were weaker than the West End runs. The choreography, acting, and singing were top-notch, the stagecraft smooth, and the humour appropriately vulgar. I won't forget General Butt Fucking Naked or Maggots in my Scrotum for a long time. Jeez, the main characters even had fulfilling story arcs. The script is so sharp. The audience loved one particular script adjustment for the Scottish run. Elder Cunningham, who had been comically misnaming Nabulungi throughout the show, called her Nicola Sturgeon, cheekily side-glancing at the audience. 

I wholeheartedly loved this musical. 

Ticket Price: £50 x 2 plus booking fee £3.95 = £103.95 from ATG Tickets

Derren Brown "Only Human". King's Theatre, Glasgow. Thursday 1st May, 2025

The show theme is about how the human mind relates to probabilities and predictions (and how it can be manipulated). 

Spoilers prevent me from detailing anything that occurred. 

He was mind-bogglingly clever. I had no clue how he pulled off some of the predictions. 

Props:

Laughing gas canisters.

A4 cards, yellow on one side, green on the other. He knows what we'll pick.

Divining rods.

Phones.

A five-pound note.

Electric shock equipment.

Playing cards.

Photographs.

Smarties.

Audience suggestions on coloured post-it notes.

A suit of a particular colour.

Before the show, he played videos of people for whom previous predictions had come true, three separate things manifesting in one place at one time.

The message was that if you tell humans the future, they'll seek out the signs to confirm the prediction. Nostradamus would be spinning in his grave.   

 

Ticket Price: £45 x 2 (Grand Circle Row E) plus £3.95 Transaction Fee = £93.95