Scotland’s biggest hero or disgrace, depending on your preferred newspaper, has returned to the Fringe for a second year. Though quite why he has bothered is anyone’s guess.
Using the tried and tested formula of having a handful of comedians on hand to be interviewed when the chat and the comedy has run dry, is just as well that Sheridan has an impressive guest list because the chat, quite frankly, is pretty poor. The much loved Karen Dunbar and Des Clarke (his two guests) never really get to shine, largely due to Sheridan’s lack of chemistry with them. It doesn’t take an expert to see that this non-existent chemistry is caused by Tommy being too busy laughing at their jokes, forgetting to be a host and properly interview them.
Add to that a novelty stage involving a sun bed, that blinds the audience for the duration of the show except when, every half an hour it switches itself off which becomes an irritating distraction.
Even after a second festival run it’s clear that Tommy Sheridan is not Fringe material. Politically he has nothing of merit to say in his own show and his jokes are surprisingly very sleazy. When an audience member asks him about how his wife is and he launches into a smutty story involving her being ill with a swollen mouth, queue a stony silence and much shuffling of seats from the crowd.
Crude, bland and surprisingly lacking character, don’t even be tempted by the free tickets they gave out in order to make it look more popular than it is.
1/5
Martin Miller
