Fred MacAulay

"If there’s anyone here to see that nice man on the radio then strap in," Fred MacAulay warns the packed house in the Lothian and Borders Police Club (aka Stand 3). Macaulay, who presents a regular show on Radio Scotland and is a stalwart of Radio 4’s News Quiz, needn’t have worried: the, er, mature crowd ("the oldest demographic on the Fringe") know exactly what to expect, and appear to love every minute of it.

Legally Bald 2 is less a show and more a collection of funny anecdotes about everything from Scottish trains and the Olympics, to getting old, all delivered with a wry smile, effortless comic timing and enough punchlines to keep everyone satisfied. MacAulay’s rapport with his overwhelmingly Scottish audience is excellent, and it’s easy to see why so many hands are raised when he asked who saw last year’s show.

Smiling a bit too often for his bona fide grumpy old git schtick, his tirades against corporate "bland shite" are admittedly well aimed and the overwhelmingly good-natured atmosphere (thanks to the adoring audience) also allows him to push the envelope occasionally, such as when he asks for a show of hands on that most divisive of subjects, Scottish independence.

He might not be cutting edge, but Fred MacAulay remains one of the most amiable acts on the Fringe.