Edinburgh Fringe Review: Jason Byrne – Propped-up *****

The Assembly Hall plays host to the annual gathering of the great and good of the Church of Scotland but its Jason Byrne’s Sunday sermon that has this full house blessed by an hour of side-splitting hilarity.

Within seconds, it’s clear that audience participation is set to play a significant part in Byrne’s show with a handful of front row victims/willing participants (you sit close to the stage at your peril) getting involved from the off.

Byrne teases and tickles the largely home-based crowd with the age-old commentary about people in Edinburgh having nothing to moan about if there is nice weather. He’s right you know!  Byrne is also spot on when observing that the Capital’s rain has to take a breather as it gets exhausted due to it being exercised so often.

As the show unfolds, it’s a guessing game on what to expect next from the Irishman who exudes such wonderful energy and creates untold chaos, apparently plucked from thin air, along the way.

The old saying of never work with children or animals may be one that rings true for many on-stage performers, but Byrne plays a blinder with his assembled quarter of ‘helpers’ – three of whom spectacularly go by the name of Chris!

It’s probably fair to say not many comedians out there can make their audiences fold like a pack of cards with laughter using a catchpole with a rubber hand tickling a rubber dolphin head, an owl and a duck.

The Irishman does it with consummate ease, which maybe explains why he’s the biggest selling comedian at the Fringe.

Outside after the show, Byrne is flanked by his stage volunteers whilst encouraging punters to part with their silver in aid of the Spartans Community Football Academy in the north of the capital. Byrne is an ambassador of the club.

Jason Byrne is at Assembly Hall (Venue 35).  Any remaining tickets can be found here.