Comedy: Jamie Kilstein - The Stand, Glasgow

By Brian Donaldson
Published on 25/02/2013 04:25

IT MIGHT make his hero Bill Hicks spin in the grave, but Jamie Kilstein is not afraid to stick a cat story into a 70-minute touring show.

Jamie Kilstein -The Stand, Glasgow

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He does veer much closer to the Hicks legacy with his material about homophobia and misogyny or religious fundamentalism and rape culture, but while there isn’t a liberal among the crowd not nodding and laughing in agreement, these broad brushstrokes are actually the less potent moments in his show. When the just-turned-30 US comic gets personal, he hits home much harder.

Having convinced himself that he has won the Glasgow crowd’s approval, Kilstein is comfortable talking to us about the vegan beliefs which would normally split his room.

But even then, he insists that there are some strands within his community who can instil in him thoughts of bloody violence.

It’s this ability to be passionate rather than preachy with his world views that makes him such a compelling and complex stage presence.

He is also happy confronting his fears on stage. The closing tale of a diving board incident (he’s terrified of heights) which almost turns into a hostage situation does fritter away towards an ending less profound than it initially suggests.

But it still allows us intriguing insights into Jamie Kilstein’s life and family, and offers him the opportunity to unleash some striking imagery and poetic ranting.