Glasgow Comedy Festival
Andrew Learmonth - All The People I've Ever Loved Will Die, The Old Hairdressers
Lorraine Wilson
four stars
With no curtain, no stage, and no microphone there's little point in Andrew Learmonth introducing himself in the great stand-up tradition. We already met him at the door anyway, where he was taking his own tickets. He's not exactly a newcomer and these surroundings aren't lost on him, having shared bills in the past with stand-ups now playing bigger rooms, like Kevin Bridges.
There's a theme of sorts - the clue is in the title. This an exploration of our mortality, primarily through culture and particularly Disney films. It's executed with the assistance of two actors who he claims were recruited (free) on Gumtree, with the laughable promise of exposure. He is wonderfully dismissive of the pair, treating them dreadfully and constantly changing the goalposts to bamboozle them.
Whether it's truly ramshackle or planned down to the last hesitation is hard to tell, but it works. Any charm lacking in the room is made up by Learmonth himself. There's the tension of Lee Evans at times and an Izzard-esque love of tangents. From unrequited love poetry to his chagrin that cousin Kezia Dugdale would get the press if he decided to murder someone, these are just close enough to stay on theme. With an inventive twist on the bucket list concept, he shows an ability to find something new in the hackneyed.
Those looking for the slick dry ice of the Apollo stand ups will be disappointed here, but if a genuinely inventive mind and a hefty dose of charisma ring the comedy bell then put Andrew Learmonth on the list next time.
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