Tucked away in Coromandel Place, The Historian Hotel was the perfect venue for a very modest crowd to
attend the intimate preview night of what claimed to be the crème de la créme of UK Fringe Comedy.

Hosted by seasoned international comedy writer/producer/performer Nik Coppin, who kept the 20-strong
audience laughing like a crowd of hundreds with his geographical jibes and swift-witted rapport-building, this showcase of UK talent stood up to its title from the first round.

Next to hit the stage was the young, new on the scene and highly acclaimed Kelsey De Almeida whose
quick quips regarding gym junkies and his comfortability in his lacking toxic masculinity, had us all in
hysterics. Kelsey’s comic timing is a force – made even stronger by his humble nature and likeability. When
it comes to delivery, his less is more – and many a clever punchline can be found in or at the end of those
moments of silent contemplation.

A hard act to follow but alas… enter the second seasoned writer/performer Kate Smurthwaite aka Milo Standards the (drag) King of Comedy (in a bear mask), whose hilarious parody of commentary on the bear Vs man hypothesis (American men are roughly 20 times more deadly to women than bears) was delivered with so much machismo that it was impossible not to feel awkward about liking him. Milo is everything we dislike about toxic male behaviour delivered with a silver tongue, plenty of swagger and an affectionate wink to modern day feminism.

Last on the bill was Vladimir McTavish. The Scottish international comedy circuit veteran hit the stage rough and ready in a blinding tartan suit, with the kind of casual flare that makes him feel more like the highlight of your dinner party than a gig you’ve paid to see. His set was a rambling narrative of cynical but clever reflections and anecdotes about Scotland and beyond with a killer satirical finale involving a reenactment of the Last Supper that I’ll never forget.

This night was an intergenerational banquet of talent with a wealth of diverse experience to draw from. While there were a handful of times when the momentum fizzled, for the most part the energy and joy of the performance was palpable.

Not one to miss!