Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

In this end-of-lockdown (hopefully) report, stand-up veteran Vladimir McTavish runs through some of the biggest headlines and most common behaviours of the past 18 months.

Nothing will come as a great surprise to anyone who’s lived through this – all of us, in other words – let alone consumed any topical comedy during the pandemic. But jokes about Dominic Cummings, losing your sense of taste, going stir-crazy, Eat Out To Help Out and so forth are solid if unsurprising.

The material is informed by a despairing reaction about the shower of charlatans and incompetents that pass for our leaders, slow to act and quick to hand out PPE contracts to their buddies. It’s a grumpiness, but delivered cheerily and succinctly, as laughing at the shit-shower is the only response we have.

Beyond his month-by-month rundown, that same dismissive attitude is unleashed at the likes of vapists and those who would want to curtail his drinking. But it’s not all negative: there is praise for the likes of Greta Thunberg and the increased emphasis on mental health, so different from the uncaring teachers of his 1960s schooldays which he describes with a similar lack of affection.

Nothing here is breaking any moulds, but McTavish is genuine and self-effacing, and his set is driven by gags without much unnecessary padding. That’s probably the very definition of a safe pair of hands. 

• Vladimir McTavish: 2020 Re-Vision is at the Laughing Horse @ The Counting House at 5pm until August 29 (except today) and also at Bar 50 at 6.45pm from August 22 to 29.

Review date: 17 Aug 2021
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Laughing Horse @ The Counting House