“Cheaper than Kevin Bridges and less offensive than Frankie Boyle” is how Fred MacAulay placed himself in the Scottish comedy canon on his first tour in three years.
And it is that centre ground where the former BBC Radio Scotland presenter belongs – not afraid to swear and cover racy material, but not pushing the boundaries of taste and decency either.
An hour with MacAulay was a pleasant experience as he self-edited his 90-minute tour show to fit the Brighton Comedy Festival’s designated timeslot.
On occasion it made for the odd disjointed segue – a piece about Brian Harvey seemed to come out of nowhere – but in the main he was in control, casually moving between the political and the personal.
Highlights included his take on the Scottish referendum as the UK prepares for its own decision about whether to remain in Europe, and his experiences on the road in California – including how it felt to be “skunked” twice.
His comedy expertise, despite the small crowd, was there to see.
But there were few belly laughs, aside from the reason why Donald Trump keeps two golf courses in Scotland executed with a brilliant mime.
Three stars
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