Iain Stirling’s latest sell out Edinburgh Fringe Festival performance has a lot of
Iain describes himself as Michael McIntyre for psychopaths
The set begins in true Love Island style, with Iain well at home providing a voice-over introduction that has his audience in hysterics. Iain even has his personalised water bottle on stage with him, and is clearly bemused by the fact that for many of his audience, the water bottle is a bigger celebrity than he is. He’s found it quite a shock to the system to return to the Love Island frenzy that has gripped the UK this year, after all the first two seasons of the show slipped by fairly unnoticed. Iain does well though, rather than spinning his show entirely around his Love Island experience, he keeps it on his life and his own stories, which are the absolute highlight of the show.
Iain has a lot to say about approaching the big 3-0, but not feeling quite ready to grow up yet. There’s dinner party antics, and having to put up with a friend’s baby that may or may not be racist, it’s far too early to tell. These stories are the funniest and the best delivered.
Iain describes himself as Michael McIntyre for psychopaths, as he feels far too angry to quite manage McIntyre’s affable style; it’s a funny claim from a former children’s TV presenter. His anecdotes from life with CBBC and having to compete for fame with Hacker, a lifeless puppet, are amazing. For anyone that does want some extra Love Island goss, you will find it with Iain, but it is definitely a side course, not the main event.
Near the start of the show Iain complains that it’s far too hot to write a comedy set in Spain. He admits that it was only when he reached reliably grey Scotland that he could put pen to paper. Unfortunately, that much is clear throughout the show. There was little new territory covered this year, and while the ending was strong enough, the show missed a clear narrative throughout, giving it a slight feeling of cobbled-togetherness. However, though not his best work, Iain is an excellent comic, so this performance was still a cut above most of the comedians you’ll see advertised this festival.
