Gareth Waugh @ Gilded Balloon

Standing in between two microphones, Gareth Waugh has a lot of stories to tell. Some are true and some are false, it’s up to you to decide which is which. Beginning with a nicely shot polygraph test sketch in which the young Scot explains the concept behind his show to an unconvinced interrogator, Waugh points out that the whole thing is pretty gimmicky, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good one. The two mics indicate true tales of an awkward millennial on one hand, and those that he’s made up entirely in his head on the other, though they’re not labeled as such, instead simply baring a ‘1’ and a ‘2’.

It’s a shame that in the time since Waugh first came up with the idea at last year’s Fringe that Neal Brennan’s excellent 3 Mics was released on Netflix, as it robs the show of a unique selling point a little. Though where Brennan used his mics to do stand up, straight one-liners and real life spoken word, Waugh blends all three elements, always carefully landing on a killer punchline to casually step to the other mic.

The structure sometimes slows momentum but all of Waugh’s anecdotes end on a solid gag. The problem is they’re all a little too believable for the gimmick to hold water.

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Gareth Waugh: Honestly, Gilded Balloon, Teviot (Turret), until 28 Aug (not 15), 1.30pm, £7-9