Iain Stirling: At Home

There must have been a collective groan across Scotland when Kevin Bridges broke into mainstream television. No longer could comedians do teenage bawbag jokes about modern Scotland without being eclipsed by Bridges. For good reason too, as this line of material is often funny but lightly observed, instead relying on colloquial Scottish terms that have infiltrated everyday life (“fannypad” and “wee prick” leading the field).

So Iain Stirling has decided to stay at home, a comfortable standup relying on these axioms all too readily. Early on, he jokes that he’s a right-wing comedian, since there are hardly any on the touring circuit. Perhaps this gag would be more appropriate as a central conceit, allowing him to explore territory largely undiscussed in comedy. In a sense, it’s easy to be liberal: generally suspicious, critical and progressive, all vital parts of an advancing society for sure, but a lot of economic conservative beliefs can be introduced intelligently (just very rarely).

Instead, Stirling touches on this but mostly sticks to his guns, deciding to portray typical life on the streets of Edinburgh and Glasgow via London. He confesses that he always looks awful in pictures and takes a swipe at the hipster culture that he himself has bought into (with chequered shirt and thick-framed nerd glasses). Perhaps his most crucial trait is his improvisational skill, quick to sidestep heckles or join in with an audience’s laughter to lift any awkwardness or discomfort. Certainly very natural and competent, this is praiseworthy comedy that just lacks novelty.