A beautiful day of Highland sunshine had put the Inverness audience in a great mood ahead of the arrival of A Scottish Comedy Collective at Eden Court.
With the warmth still lingering on our skin, and smiles on our faces we took our seats, relaxed and ready to laugh; a gift to MC Graham Mackie.
Mackie engaged easily with those in attendance, and succeeded in navigating a potentially problematic exchange with the audience still on side, before handing off to opening act, and collective founder, Cubby
Cubby’s anecdotal comedy addressing the pitfalls of being a blind man in a seeing world garnered much mirth, emboldening the act to stray into other territory.
His pithy puns drew genuine giggles, but some material fell a little flatter with an audience unwilling to validate tropes better consigned to comic history.
Engaging enthusiasm
That said, the comedian’s energetic delivery evidenced an enthusiasm for the art that was engaging; cue authentic applause as he exited stage left.
Following more amusing anecdotery from Mackie, Liam Farrelly took to the stage, bringing a tight twenty that kept the audience enthralled.
His delivery was spot on, with a conversational style that felt fresh, and a polished performance that made Eden Court feel like the Apollo.
The set was cleverly crafted with superb storytelling interspersed by some more staccato segues, leading to a lots of laughs.
As he bid us farewell, Liam Farrelly certainly felt like one to watch.
The final act of the night was Jojo Sutherland – whose Radio 4 standup special tackling themes of class and privilege had been eminently enjoyable.
This evening, however, Sutherland opted to open with some ageing gags and generational jibes that didn’t fully succeed in keeping up the momentum built by the previous performer.
Fresh voices needed in comedy
Sutherland’s willingness to share potentially shameful stories endeared her to the audience; but we did come to question that connection when she seemed so relieved to take her leave.
Taken in totality A Scottish Comedy Collective’s Eden Court performance was an entertaining evening that highlighted the importance of allowing fresh voices the opportunity to lead the comedy conversation.
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