Edinburgh Fringe comedy review: Parking LOL Comedy Night

The drive-in re-imagined in a novel format, but the entertainment on offer is hit and miss

The Parking Lot Social is Scotland's biggest ever drive-in tour.

Parking LOL Comedy Night ***, Dalkeith Country Park, Edinburgh

Among live comedy's current formats for survival, the drive-in gig is surely the most novel, at least for UK audiences. As with arena shows pre-Covid, having performers simultaneously projected onto big screens can make it feel like watching television. But there's perfectly synched sound via your car radio and an interactive element, with appreciation requested through horn beeps.

Opening act Marc Jennings took the cue for automotive material, from his incredulous anecdote about his car being stolen during its MOT, to likening condom application to engine maintenance, a crudeness he carried through a hit-and-miss set. Stuart Mitchell was nimbler with his coronavirus quips, before settling into the tried and tested, winningly macabre account of how he met his actor wife, a pattern he pursued with ungallantly funny lines at the expense of her medical condition.

Less ambitious was veteran comic Des McLean. His panto anecdotes and horse racing observations were workaday, but he got a big reaction repurposing 'Sweet Caroline' for these plague times. Finally, Susie McCabe amused with her wry take on the First Minister's daily briefings, before underwhelming with half-baked thoughts on English drinkers, ultimately pulling it round with the engaging tale of her grandmother's final moments.

The next Parking LOL Comedy Night is at Glasgow Airport on Wednesday, 26 August.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism.

Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director