Feb 12th, Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh
On Sunday I was in Edinburgh for one night and one night only to visit my old friends from uni before heading back to the States. Incidentally they’re the ones who introduced me to stand-up - St Andrews’ Comedy Society 4ever baby - so some joshin’ was obviously in order. We saw Monkey Barrel’s 7pm show and what the heck it was so good!!! At this point this website is just a straight up fan account. Four reviews in and I barely have a professional leg to stand on. Whatever bro. Sometimes a show just slaps and that deserves to be acknowledged.
For context, Monkey Barrel, which is located right off the Royal Mile, is one of the major comedy clubs in Edinburgh and it shows. Everything was tight, tight, tight. The show started with some hyped-up BEATS as the house lights went down and the host, Liam Withnail, took the stage. Tbh why doesn’t every event start like this?? Wedding inspo perhaps?! It all took place over an hour and a half and included four acts: George Fox, Giulia Galastro, Chris Thorburn, and Daisy Earl. Everyone slayyyyed! Fox had some great bits about how he discovered he liked being choked in bed when a partner reached to answer her phone mid-coitus and instead of grabbing a pillow with the other hand, grabbed his neck… Meanwhile, Galastro raised the very good point that, as a queer woman, dating ladies involves things like joining a book club, learning to roller skate, playing roller derby - basically effort -, whereas the only prerequisite for finding a man is stepping outside. I only wish her set had been longer as I feel like the party was just getting started when her time was up.
Chris Thorburn’s set was another W. His material was very Wholesome™. Fox’s kink might be choking, but for Thorburn and his wife, booping each other on the nose does the trick just fine. Other wholesome content included how much he loves said wife, how he feels lonely when she rolls away from him at night (same), and how he’s the last stop on any woman’s heterosexual journey: you either marry him or you come out. His presence was warm, bubbly, a little anxious, and very endearing.The audience seemed a bit reserved at the beginning of his set, a little slow to laugh (sad 4 them!), but by the end he’d definitely won them over.
Last but not least was Daisy Earl aka a multi-talented queen who got the most laughs of the night. From her hysterical impressions of her Scottish mum and fat-phobic English ‘friend’ to her crowd work to her radiant blue-purple eye makeup, she had it all. I especially loved her suggestion that all super posh people are just a step away from becoming horses. A true woman of the people. Another gem was her story about doing a set at a Glaswegian men’s prison when she was new to stand-up. Strangely, the men were very rude and yelled insults at her. At the end of the show she informed them that she’d had a terrible time but at least, unlike them, she could leave…
Everyone who performed on Sunday was on form but my favorite part of the show was undoubtedly the MC, Liam Withnail. Not every comedian is made for hosting but he absolutely is. For starters, the crowd work was incred. He made his way around the whole first row, bantering with a barber from Greece and his Spanish partner, a Norwegian couple, two young professionals from France, and four Americans studying at Oxford. The through-line connecting this diverse cast of characters was Withnail’s self-deprecating wit. For example, he only knows countries’ capitals so don’t bother bringing up your obscure hometown. In the same vein, as a dude who dropped out of uni and got addicted to ket, the jargon you use to describe your fancy degree means absolutely nada so just chill and call it maths. He also just had really funny facial expressions?! Like sometimes his eyes would get really wide when he did certain bits??? Idk if this was intentional but it ended me<3
Alsooo, even though Withnail had everyone in the front row spill some tea about themselves, he was still very kind and didn’t put anyone on blast. Some MCs can be so scary!!! You see them scanning the audience for a fresh kill and just pray you make it out with your life and your dignity. Withnail was not like that. His chat was all about breaking the ice and getting to know the crowd without making them cower in their seats, and his self-deprecating attitude definitely helped put people at ease. That being said, as a St Andrews alum I appreciate that he asked the Americans to apologize for going to Oxford. Big ick, guys.
This review would not be complete without mentioning the crowd, who dropped some punchlines of their own. At the beginning of the show, Withnail asked the Greek barber what brought him to Edinburgh and he replied with a simple, melancholic “Life.” Comedian poet? Similarly, when Earl asked a middle-aged posh lady (read: horse) who she’d brought to the show, she responded with a grunt: “Husband.” The husband in question then emitted a long, guttural grown. Their passion for each other inspires me. The rest of the audience was very respectful but keen to contribute when prompted, just good-natured really. A show can’t slay without an audience that’s open and willing to receive the jokes and this one understood the assignment.
Basicallyyyyy, I just had a really lovely time. The professionalism of the club was a 10 and the comedians knew what the heck they were doing. No waffling, just bits. The way it should be. The cherry on top of everything was of course being with my besties, my favorite comedians of all💫
