Phil Kay - Oh Edinburgh by Becca Pottinger

Phil Kay loves Edinburgh. A lot. Touting two solo shows at this year’s Fringe; one about Auld Reekie and one about London, it’s a pretty safe assumption to say that this is the more sentimental of the two. His frenetic, breathless rants jump lovingly from tale to tale as he spans twenty years of Festival performances. The monologue runs from Augusts spent camping and shoeless Penny Black visits to storming the castle naked, all in an immersive and wholly life affirming 45 minutes. If you don’t come away from the Gilded Balloon feeling primed and ready to have the best Fringe of your life, then English probably isn’t your first language. Kay’s brilliance, in true falling trousers, belly-flashing style, lies in his complete embodiment of the stories he relays. These are the kind of glorious new-age hippie stories that you might hear a guy spouting in a festival campsite at 8am. You could only hope that Phil Kay is that guy – and to be honest, more often than not – he probably is.

Read Nick Eardley's review for Phil Kay - Oh Edinburgh