EDINBURGH 2018: Review: LARRY DEAN: BAMPOT, Assembly Checkpoint

Larry Dean came to my attention earlier this year after catching him on BBC One's Live at the Apollo and the new Comedy Central show, Roast Battle. He is definitely a rising star and one of Scotland's fastest-growing comedians.

He returns to the Fringe with brand-new show Bampot. Right from the start, we know we are in for the unexpected when he tells the audience that after recently breaking up with his Australian boyfriend, he worried that he would have to rewrite the whole show. As it turned out the material worked whether he was in the relationship or not, although he said it did muck up the ending (but we would worry about that when we got there).

We go through a range of anecdotes and observations, from his mother, who sounds like a whale and looks like a turtle, to masturbating in public toilets. He has a wonderful ability to mimic voices, accents and can pull some quite strange faces, all in the name of a comedy tale.

This is a show that moves at an incredible pace; in fact, there was a superb audience interaction with a young man from Greece who was having to have it translated. Dean's comedy is also very close to the bone - he pushes the boundaries, but knows exactly when to stop.

What makes this show special though is his willingness to bare his soul. He talks about the destruction of his long term, long-distance relationship with honesty and emotion. I was really touched and connected to the material in a way I didn't expect to at a comedy show. The final moment would melt the coldest heart.

Larry Dean is razor sharp in his hilarious and surprisingly touching show, without doubt one of the funniest at the Fringe this year. Stop what you're doing and get a ticket now.

Larry Dean: Bampot is on at Assembly Checkpoint until 26 August

To post a comment, you must register and login.