Comedy review: Scottish comedian of the year

Published on Monday 28 September 2009 19:05

THE OLD FRUITMARKET, GLASGOW

IF CONTESTS like this reflect the nation's mood, then Scotland must be a relentlessly grim place.

The uniformly male finalists pulled few punches in their respective ten minutes and it's intriguing to speculate whether the recession, Frankie Boyle's pre-eminence or some other factor is fostering greater brutality in Scottish stand-up.

Certainly, there was little light-hearted whimsy on display, John Gavin's rabbit-christening gag a notable exception that left the audience distinctly underwhelmed.

Regardless, the father of three from Hamilton proved a worthy winner. In his ease onstage and unsentimental attitude towards parenting, he recalls John Bishop, an assured Everybloke eager to decry his emasculation at having to watch Gok Wan and Mamma Mia!, yet eminently capable of nailing a cheeky Rudolph Hess line.

Sharing joint second place were SCOTY veterans Teddy and Gus Tawse. The former has flourished through adding more topical gags to his repertoire and began strongly with cracking lines on Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi and John Smeaton's political ambitions.

Aberdonian Tawse was his usual dry, economic self. Alternately witty and crude, he took a needlessly nasty pop at Harvey Price but delivered an endearing insight into his grandad's senior moments.