Comedy review: Nordoff Robbins Comedy Gala, The Garage, Glasgow

By JAY RICHARDSON
Published on 19/10/2012 00:00

IT IS to comedians’ credit that so many give their time for free, but a common frustration with charity gigs is that they try to pack in too many acts.

Nordoff Robbins Comedy Gala

The Garage, Glasgow

Star rating: * * *

And so it proved with this benefit for musical therapy, featuring a broad cross-section of the Scottish circuit.

As compere, Des Clarke recalled his role as an Olympic torch bearer. John Gavin with his mockery of his kids and deconstruction of ads, and Scott Gibson with an Amsterdam stag-do tale didn’t break much fresh ground. But at least they endeared themselves, which is more than can be said for Darren Connell, whose spew of crudity for the most part just unsettled. The forthright Gary Little looks and talks hard as nails and built expertly to the unfortunate occasion of his being thrown out of Auschwitz, before the reliable Raymond Mearns wrung an impressive number of chuckles out of his tax affairs, winning his biggest laugh for confessing the contrivance of his anecdote.

Elsewhere, Joe Heenan’s cheeky chappie charm carried him through some lazy American characterisations before he nailed an amusing portrayal of Sherlock Holmes as over-observant housemate. Michael Redmond struggled with his absurd musings, just about succeeding with some daft conflict resolution and a sharp paedophile gag, while David Kay’s posturing proved a slow-burning hit, the crowd lapping up his knowingly mundane reflections on scones and wallpaper.