Melting Pot Potomaniacs

Regulars to The Stand’s Melting Pot, a monthly showcase for new comedy writing talent, were in for a nasty surprise this week when it was usurped by a fundraiser for North Edinburgh Arts Centre. In place of the normal format, 15 sketches from the Melting Pot 'Hall of Fame' of the past five years were performed by Theatre Arts lecturers from Edinburgh’s Telford College.

The Stand was filled to capacity by loyal Telford students, which had the unfortunate effect of a pitch invasion and made the venue uncomfortably crowded and stuffy.

It became hard to judge the quality of the writing as together with orgasmic laughter at the suggestion of a naughty word from Mr Teacher, the attentive members of the audience had to battle That Guy on the Phone, or Her in the Front Row With the Irritating Laugh.

For those prepared to struggle on, Susan Lawrie’s Morningside Ladies really hit the mark as a conversation between two older women led into the darker side of family life. Sneaky German tourists in Simone Nicol’s The Camp Site also did well, but the highlight of the evening for me was Gordon Robertson’s Lady Latterday’s Chuffer, having lots of fun with her upstairs’ problems downstairs.

But it was all in a good cause and the evening raised £344 from ticket sales for the North Edinburgh Arts Centre, which provides opportunities for individual and community development through contact with the professional arts.

It’s unfair to judge this as a typical Melting Pot; it’s more of a one-off student night. A nasty turn. Poor dears. Have a lie down and everything will be back to normal next month.