A few years ago, I was re-watching Fresh Meat, for probably the third time, and I came to the realisation that of all the great characters and actors within the show (Zawe Ashton, Charlotte Ritchie, Joe Thomas etc), Howard, the reclusive introvert, might be my favourite. 

He is a wonderful creation who is doing a hell of a lot within the show whilst seemingly having the least to work with. So, I looked up the actor who plays him, Greg McHugh, to see what else he had done and the first thing that popped up was ‘Gary Tank Commander’. This show initially ran on BBC Two Scotland but had thankfully been moved to BBC Three so I could check it out, and I am so glad that I did. As characters go Gary could not be further from Howard but both were easy to engage with and enjoyable to watch.

And that is how we ended up in the Gary Talks (Yous Listen), the chat show! Yes, this was not stand-up, or a play, it was a full-on Graham Norton style chat show with celebrity guests, a music act and a host who knows that regardless of all that, the show is really only about him.

A quick word on the guests, Sanjeev Kohli and the Jive Aces both played their part and were welcome additions to the stage, but the real highlight of the show was Mhairi Black, Deputy Leader of the SNP. No seriously, a legitimate MP turned up at the Fringe to take part in a chat show hosted by Gary Tank Commander… and she was brilliant! Very real, very funny and incredibly genuine. 

Why is it that whenever you discover a politician that you could actually support and believe in, they are always quitting the life? It’s a bigger question than this review has the right to touch on but surely these are the people we want in politics? Anyway, I digress.

This show is an absolute ball of energy which is all being generated by the sun at the centre of its universe, Gary! In other hands this character could get annoying but, in this clown’s, his momentum is simply contagious. 

We sang along to karaoke, we jumped with the Jive Aces and we laughed at the banter. This was an incredibly fun hour at the Fringe and if this format actually came on TV as a late-night chat show, I’d happily sit and watch.

ECUADOR! 

Clown Stars * * * * *

@Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh