Comedy review: Jimmy McGhie, Laughing Horse @ Pear Tree

Jimmy has, he tells us, completely changed his show in the last two weeks because the original one was 'dull'. I suspect he says that to all his audiences. But part of his great skill as a performer is that he makes every audience feel like the audience.

Jimmy McGhie, Laughing Horse @ Pear Tree (Venue 257) ****

After some pretty expert crowdwork he gets stuck into midlife crises, trash telly, Lloyds Bank and a trip down memory lane to talk about landlines and coke. This is all tightly-packed, twinkly, high-octane funny. And it is just his opener. I have no idea why this man is not all over Live at the Apollo like a rash.

Nicely warmed up, we get to the heart of the show. Jimmy, he tells us, has decided to embrace his thirty-something, bedsit-dwelling, bachelor status.

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Although from the sound of the three dates he describes over the course of the next 30 minutes, his bachelor status is not so much embracing him back as punching him in the nuts. Jimmy likes nasty women and niche internet porn, he flounders in this new world of woke and he is prone to Jamie-Oliver-related panic attacks.

To be fair, anyone who has has the kind of back of a taxi experiences he has is probably quite anxious. He has thoughts on non-gender specific toys and the psychological havoc they store up and, as always, we dig a little deeper into the mine of tragi-comedy that is his relationship with his father.

This hour is like a boyband hairdo – plenty of product, and quite a lot of skill spent making it look casually messy. If you like a good laugh in a comfy chair, it would be hard to find a better opportunity on the Fringe.

• Until 25 August, 5:15pm