Comedy: Roy Walker - Goodbye Mr Chips

Published on Thursday 21 August 2008 20:48

ROY WALKER – GOODBYE MR CHIPS *** ASSEMBLY @ GEORGE STREET (VENUE 3)

ROY Walker has finally made his Edinburgh Festivals debut and, at the ripe old age of 68, he's having a high old time of it.

The former Catchphrase host has achieved a certain cult cach of late, thanks to Chris Moyles's daft morning radio version of the popular ITV game show. This has elevated Roy Walker to (admittedly self-proclaimed) legend status, and accordingly his shows have sold well to the student fraternity. But his humour goes down equally well with the older generation, who presumably remember him from his 1977 New Faces win, or his stint on The Comedians.

It takes talent to keep such a broad audience demographic chuckling, but Walker has it in abundance. His humour is wry rather than uproarious, and it's fair to say he hasn't embraced alternative comedy, but he carries his routine off with charm and aplomb, and without recourse to blue language.

It's clear he's just delighted to be here; and the smiles on the faces in the crowd say the feeling is mutual.

• Until 25 August. Today 6pm