Canadian comic John Hastings, a rock-solid performer and master of the funnies, will be bringing Christmas cheer to Edinburgh next Saturday 6 December when he headlines Gilded Balloon Comedy at The Studio at The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh; the final Gilded Balloon comedy gigs of 2015.
He will be joined on stage by Dumfries born Mark Nelson, whose confident and perfectly paced stand up is certainly not for the easily offended. Also on the bill will be the endearingly bonkers and naturally exuberant Harriet Dyer, whose weird and wonderful adventures have often ended in folk trying to section her. Glaswegian Chris Conroy is the perfect compere for both nights; he just wants to make his audiences laugh.
John Hastings is as fluid as he is dynamic in his non-stop routines, sometimes he’s powerful and declamatory, taking down drunken hecklers with impeccable ease, and at other times he will share an intimate confidence. As such he’s an expert technician, delivering with a winning mix of passion and intimacy.
Hastings’ hilarious and authentic comedy routines will fly across the comical antics of his life and misadventures unleashing thoughtful rants at the British use of language and the absurdity of his various experiences in the UK. Whether it’s the British becoming feral on drunken nights out or the terrors of travel by Megabus, he deploys some great turns of phrase without resorting to tired clichés or tedious puns.
This charming, self-deprecating and loveable comic is truly engaging, finding the funny in everything he does, whilst sharing his imaginative and smart sense of humour with the audience at every turn. But no matter what he throws out he will leave his Scottish audiences laughing from start to finish.
Mark Nelson’s mix of dark humour, cutting observations and superb one liners is on the menu for comedy fans in Glasgow and Edinburgh. As a solidly consistent and excellent stand-up he is not afraid of creating a stir. His likeable, quietly-spoken and laid-back style belys the stronger content that can push the boundaries of taste and has audiences laughing at things they know they really shouldn’t be laughing at. Yet the material is intelligent, well conceived and cleverly crafted.
As a relative newcomer to the comedy circuit Harriet Dyer has heads turning. She is an imitable raconteur with an animated and compelling presence and a whirlwind fizz of energy. Her oddball escapades highlight the thin line between being eccentric and “mental.” She weaves her surreal and hilarious tales of a misspent youth that are so outlandish they have to be true. Her delightfully offbeat delivery, with little filter between brain and mouth, and her bewildering anecdotes that veer off on entertaining tangents, give her a totally unique comic voice.
Glasgow comic Chris Conroy is the expert compere for both Drygate and The Studio. Since his first stand-up performance in January 2010 he has been to the UK’s major cities and carved a reputation as a comic that just wants to make audiences laugh and help them to leave with a grin on their face. Chris won the prestigious ‘King Gong’ competition at the Comedy Store in December 2010, supported Tom Stade on a recent national tour and regularly performs at major comedy clubs around the country
For further information on Gilded Balloon Comedy at Drygate and Gilded Balloon Comedy at The Studio at The Festival Theatre click here.
Twitter – @Gildedballoon
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Gildedballoon
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
