Gilded Balloon Teviot – Billiard Room

£10-£12.50

5-25 August (not 11)

20.45

Scottish comic Mark Nelson enters the stage dressed in a suit and welcomes the audience with the usual banter; the bi-polar weather in Scotland!  How we Scots deal with heat waves at 27C degrees?  His new material mainly consisted of his recently acquired collection of responsibilities.  Responsibilities that most of us can relate to at some point in our lives: marriage, mortages, DIY and having children. He tells his own tale of adjusting from carefree youth to settling down, although it might seem like familiar ground, as Nelson’s not the first 33-year-old comic to find himself with a pregnant wife, child and mortgage, suck against the odds. But at least these routines allow him to put more of himself into the comedy and he’s a likeable lad, so we can sympathise with him.

The stereotypical gags follow such as, long arduous marriages, drunken Scots and trails of having kids, however the laid-back comic does touch on some interesting points, where the handshake came from? woman being the better sex and encourages all except those who wear pyjamas to the shops or 17 years olds to vote in Scottish Referendum.

While Nelson may lack energy and an enthusiastic stage presence, he does convey some well-crafted punch lines.  Here you can learn the ultimate statement a woman can say to cut a man down and the possible benefits of global warming for Scotland! FOUR STARS

Reviewer : Sarah Lewis