As Adam Kay closes in on becoming a household name, he is evidently an Edinburghhold name, packing out the prestigious Pleasance Grand to brimming point. His stage is merely populated with three tables in the shape of giant pill pots, setting a surgically appropriate tone for the show.
With the engaging repartee one would expect from such a seasoned pro, the entire audience hangs on his every word
Through the hour, Kay shares a range of medical anecdotes from his time before, during and since being an NHS doctor, bringing his tales to life with the engaging repartee one would expect from such a seasoned pro. While the show isn't laugh-a-minute, it's fully engaging and the entire audience hangs on his every word, joining him on journeys through hilarious to cringeworthy, heartening to grotesque.
Despite this being a scripted and non-interactive show, Dr Kay still shows the standup skills that established him before he launched his breakthrough book, spontaneously and affectionately berating an audience member who tried to go backstage looking for the toilet.
The musical interludes throughout the show are also real highlights, as he opens with a funny take on Eternal Flame, later inviting talented comic Sooz Kempner to join him for a character duet before epically channeling Dr Tom Lehrer.
There may be full minutes between laughs at times and this show might fit as neatly into theatre or spoken word category but if you go in expecting to be entertained and have your eyes opened wider rather than needing your split sides stitched together, then this does precisely what it says on the pill bottle label.
