Having begun performing comedy in Amsterdam nearly a decade ago and subsequently emerging on the Scottish scene, Marjolein Robertson has blended nakedly personal stand-up with the folk storytelling rhythms and imagery of her Shetland roots, the two traditions blurred at the edges by her more surreal inclinations. 

Refining her approach year on year, with ever-more sophisticated, theatrical structuring, it’s a shame that it took trauma in her personal life for her to all but perfect the process. However, this August’s Edinburgh Fringe show, Marj, was a tour-de-force performance of varied and difficult subject matter, that saw her not only commanding The Stand’s main room but transforming it into a place of intimacy, magic and mischief, wrapping the audience around her finger. An award nomination and strong reviews followed.

Despite being a BBC New Comedy Award and Funny Woman finalist last year, Robertson is currently below the radar of most of the UK comedy press. Don’t expect that to last. It’s not really an issue anyway, as she’s already built a sizeable following online that’s bypassing the mainstream media, delivering her offbeat, otherworldly humour to a dedicated fanbase. 

Discover who else made the cut in the The List Hot 100 on our site or in our latest issue, available at all good stockists across Glasgow and Edinburgh.