A typical Edinburgh stand-up by Richard Coughlan in the back room of an easily hidden pub, this is truly a gem hidden amongst the Fringe.
From the offset there is a definite feel to the space. Music ranging from death metal to rock ‘n’ roll with a quick burst from the Inbetweeners fills the pre set and it feels a bit like if your dad and brother shared an iPod.
Then Coghlan enters, the underdog of grunge, before unleashing a rant covering every topic imaginable.
With a name like “Eat a Queer Fetus 4 Jesus” you’re expecting the show to be close to the bone. Coghlan doesn’t disappoint, dealing with paedophilia, incest, disabilities, race, drugs and bodily functions, but all with a charm that leaves you in stitches. In case you were thinking this was a lowbrow show, he throws in a dose of clever political raving and cultural references to save some face. Occasionally these drag out a minute or two too long, but the responsive performer pulls back the crowd quickly with a mix of snappy one liners and clever slow burners.
Coughlan is undeniably funny and somewhat charming, having found the right balance between being funny rude and just rude. His skinny jeans, long hair, ‘I am the Stig’ T-shirts and, of course, wicked sense of humour set him up perfectly to be the next Noel Fielding.
Like any good comedian, he plays the crowd and singles people out, but his cheeky chappy charm means we don’t mind and laugh along.
By the end of the show any chances we have of being redeemed by a ‘higher being’ have been well and truly crushed as he has us literally crying with laughter in a story about an abortion, drugs and fruit in Tesco. However, if we’re all going to hell, at least Richard will be there to keep up the laughs.
