Comedy review: Limmy Live!, Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow

EMBOLDENED by his recent book tour, Brian Limond's first proper live performance since the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe confirms he can cut it as an arena draw.

Limmys latest live shows again show his distinctive humour. Picture: Robert Perry

Limmy Live! | Rating *** | Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow

To be sure, this is a patchy affair, with laughs predicated on obligatory minor “twists” on his unique array of established characters and the sketches of his cult television show, rather than dazzling new punchlines. But the likes of fantasy game host Falconhoof and reformed junkie Jacqueline McCafferty have always been “big” enough to make the jump from the small screen. Even shambling shut-in Dee Dee is brought successfully to life, though I’d wager that he’s incomprehensible for any newcomers to Limmy’s warped universe.

No other comic has captured the impact of the internet on our psyches as successfully as this Glaswegian. And he opens the second half with a spectacle he correctly anticipates the crowd will want their cameraphones primed for.

The inexplicable delight of his stomp through Tina Turner’s Nutbush City Limits becomes a ritualised communal moment, while the video inserts covering his costume changes prove as odd, disturbing and hilarious as ever.

Fan devotion (and his sloganed merchandise) demands that Limmy includes the occasional catchphrase. And he capably engages with the crowd, alluding to their favourites.

Unfortunately, the affection borne towards, say, Falconhoof, allows him to get away with flabby, often predictable skits that would benefit from judicious edits and more decisive endings. There are constant chuckles throughout though – and enough promise to suggest he’s found another new outlet for his mercurial humour.