Review: Danny Bhoy - Edinburgh Festival Theatre

By BRIAN DONALDSON
Published on Thursday 9 February 2012 00:00

AMONG the many sub-genres of comedy that have arisen during these boom years, the cult of observational mundanity is surely the most regrettable.

The likes of Michael McIntyre, John Bishop and Jason Manford have moulded their own particular brands of pub-banter stand-up to stadium-filling perfection. Scotland’s Danny Bhoy isn’t far behind.

Bhoy may now spend chunks of his professional life in more balmy climes, but that doesn’t mean he can’t rustle up a swell of demand that’s required to pack out two straight nights in the Festival Theatre. Especially when there’s a DVD to be filmed.

Bhoy’s popularity can mainly be put down to his ability to ride a tsunami of boyish charm. Yet for a comic as experienced as he is, it’s a surprise to see him make silly technical errors (announcing a punchline before the set-up as in his Ethelred the Unready gag), and it’s amazing anyone would still make reference to a London cabbie refusing to accept Scottish money or discuss “IT” as though it is a mystery acronym and express amazement at the dual meanings of LOL.

But Bhoy’s physicality is a pleasing distraction to some of the banal-as-bread routines and he has some amusing stories to tell such as the American golf buddies being treated to a traditional Scottish breakfast.

While you picture the likes of Doug Stanhope or Jim Jefferies having a shot of the hard stuff by their bedside table, Danny Bhoy’s recent admission that he necks a spot of Ovaltine before turning the lights out says just about everything you need to know about his comedic outlook.

Rating: ***

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