Stand-up variety shows at the fringe can often be hit-and-miss, but this one just gets it spot on. Three great comedians at the top of their game and about to break giving some late-night belly laughs with their observational and often absurdist routines.
Laura Lexx is our first comedian for the show and our host for the night. Bounding onstage with the energy of a puppy about to be taken for a walk, she immediately charms the audience with her quick quips and seamlessly improvised banter with the collected comedy-loving punters. This is mixed in with observational material about her life living with her boyfriend and the various pitfalls of relationships, which is at times surreal but is consistently funny and charming.
The second act of the night is Nick Dixon, whose slightly shy and unintimidating charm immediately puts the audience in the palm of his hand. His material is sharply written and neatly observed, while clever one-liners of unexpected gold are all he needs to have the audience in pieces. His skit about London and its inhabitants is particularly well done, with all his material shining through to show a comedian who is on the cusp of breaking the national comedy circuit.
After a further interlude from Lexx, again chatting with the audience in a fantastically offbeat and hilarious patter, on comes Stuart Mitchell, the final comedian of the night (who, incidentally, is missing the tops of three of his fingers – as he points out to the delight/terror of various audience members). Another huge talent, Stuart uses clever gags and material about his Glaswegian upbringing and his childhood maiming which don’t cease to amuse, with a particularly well-placed visual gag about a stolen jacket and a healthy dose of chat with the crowd. Between the three acts performing as part of the night, there is something to please everyone – be it the imaginative oddball style of Laura Lexx, the self-deprecating charm of Nick Dixon or the brilliant asides of Stuart Mitchell.
