Phil Kay - Oh Edinburgh Review by Nick Eardley

“Don’t end a gig, be a gig.” As he offers his advice on how to achieve success in the comedy world, it’s hard to imagine Phil Kay doing anything else. He acts like a madman during his show, and you can tell that this is no artificial persona made up for the audience's benefit.

The earlier of Kay’s two shows at this years Fringe sees the Scotsman offer some of his random stories from the past two decades of Fringe appearances. From storming Edinburgh castle naked on a drunken night out, to diving down the stairs at the Penny Black at eight in the morning, Kay’s stories offer an insight into some of the most surreal experiences one can have at the Fringe.

This is not the type of comedy that follows the same blueprint every night, or perhaps any pattern at all. It is clear that Kay is a fan of the ad hoc, and there are points where the performer himself doesn’t seem to know what’s coming next. But this doesn’t result in a rambled mess; rather, Kay’s musings become an intrinsic part of his act. When he asks audience members to suggest topics for Fringe-themed songs, it becomes clear that he is a master of the improvised.

It's obvious that Kay enjoys performing and engaging with his audience, as much as he does random digressions. His stand-up appears to be a simple continuation of his slighly batty life, a fact that makes this high-energy show all the more appealing.

Read Becca Pottinger's review of Phil Kay's Oh Edinburgh.