Aficionados of Craig Hill know what they’re getting when they go to one of the Scots comedian’s shows. They know they run the risk of being the – double entendre alert – butt of his jokes, many of which are played out at the expense of those who have paid good money to see him. However, this is the undoubted appeal of the man – his shows at the Edinburgh Fringe sell out nearly every year and his audience lap him up right from the off.
On Monday night Hill bounded on to the stage in his usual style with his camp dance routine, but if anyone thought the slight technical problem with the sound might threaten to curtail the effervescent start to the show, they were proved wrong. Hill used the less than auspicious start to good effect and within seconds had the audience eating out of his hand. Those sitting at the front are most at risk of incurring his caustic wit delivered so outrageously that if you were to take offence you were clearly at the wrong show. Early ‘victims’ such as Fergus from Crieff and Riva from Glasgow certainly seemed to enjoy being the bait.
The laughs barely stopped during the one hour show. Hill’s observations about staff working in Gregg’s the Bakers all being called Margaret and having a fear of five pound notes ‘Can ye come here, Maggie, that’s five pounds going in the till’ and his experience of being spotted as a celebrity in Poundland were hilarious and had his highly appreciative audience almost begging for more.
If you don’t enjoy your comedy camp and are easily offended then it’s not the show for you. However, the sellout crowds at Craig Hill’s shows know what they want. And, year after year, the great man doesn’t disappoint.
Submitted by Mike Smith
