Marc Jennings: If & When comedy review – Modern Scottish life
A sharply crafted hour of Scottish wit, viral jokes and brilliantly observed everyday absurdity
Marc Jennings is, he tells us, a modern Scottish guy. He doesn’t need to spell it out, though: his Scottishness is thoroughly woven through this hour. From picking apart stereotypes of Scots as tight, to taking aim at Peter Murrell and his propensity for ‘buying shit’ on Amazon, he has endless takes on what it means to be Scottish today. Although he draws a mostly local crowd, his appeal is universal and he’s careful to explain more nuanced references.
It’s not all about his nation, though. He also has plenty to say about Tinder, pervert glasses, the trials of living back home with his deaf dad, and the upside of climate change: all perfectly crafted jokes which command huge laughs. Jennings has a bit of a following online and while that doesn’t always translate well into Fringe shows, he’s just as sharp in person as in his viral clips. He loses his way somewhat in the last quarter of If & When, with a meandering tale of a girl he was seeing last August. The pay-off is good, but not quite as strong as the build-up would have you hoping for, and it’s enough to take the shine off an otherwise excellent hour.
Marc Jennings: If & When, Monkey Barrel, until 30 August, 7.35pm.