Kieran Hodgson has made his name over the years coming up with differently themed autobiographical Edinburgh Fringe shows. There have been shows about his cycling fixation, playing the violin and one about joining the Common Market that alluded to Brexit. This year he might have come up with his most potent, personal show yet, for reasons that will become clear further down this page.

Hodgson's Big In Scotland is loosely the story of how he decided to relocate from London to Glasgow when he was offered a role in the BBC sitcom Two Doors Down. He was already pretty well known but this looked like being his big break into the mainstream. Except that as with a lot of best laid plans in recent years, Covid got in the way.

But this is no Zooms and banana bread show. And nor is it a haggis and shortbread set, although Hodgson's Tartan jacket on the posters (and onstage) can't have done the box office takings any harm. He reveals his commitment to his relocation by even recalling how he tried to learn Gaelic. In fact there's a lot of Scottish references here. I think he might even have done a spot of Scottish dancing at one point, but there is nothing here to alienate anyone from down south (or, confusingly, up north, where he spent his childhood). 

You can rest assured that Hodgson always has a distinctive take on events. For your money you also get a handful of spot-on impressions. There's an anecdote about meeting Gordon Brown that's worth the ticket price alone.

One of the running themes here is a best man's speech he had to give. Hodgson steers clear of any soppy Richard Curtis-esque gags and has his own account of what can and can't go wrong with a best man's speech. His performance is outstanding throughout. While this is unashamedly acting rather than stand-up (don't @ me for thinking there is a difference) it is as consistently funny as any stand-up set.

The night I saw it, however, it was also particularly moving. It had been announced earlier in the day that one of the co-creators of Two Doors Down, Simon Carlyle had died. Hodgson was clearly shaken when he dedicated the show to Carlyle at the end. I know that sentimentality should not come into these decisions but Hodgson has been nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award three times. Could this be the year he picks up the prize?

Until August 27. Tickets here.

Read more reviews here.

five stars