Neil Delamere: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Pensioner

• Marissa Burgess
• 17 August 2017

This article is from 2017

A frenetic study in classy stand-up, audience chat and tangential ruminations

Framed by the story of how Neil Delamere accompanied his 82-year-old dad on the last meals-on-wheels delivery the octogenarian undertook, he recalls how they both rushed home in time to watch the horse race his dad had a dead cert tip on. There are more diversions in the Irish comedian's show than there were in Edinburgh during the tram works. Delamere constantly appears to get distracted and goes off on a tangent, telling us of childhood swimming competitions and feeding alligators for charity as well as the little old Catholic lady they met who was shaped like a question mark.

A bit of crowd work is also skilfully incorporated and, given that tonight's audience was compactly formed, he talks to pretty much everyone at some point, acting as his own consummate compere. You certainly get more than your money's worth in a Delamere gig: he's like one of those 50% extra-free offers, so fast-paced is his dialogue. It may be a special offer but there's no dip in quality in this stand-up masterclass.

Amazingly, Delamere finishes on time, but does he manage to squeeze everything in? Were all the diversions planned after all? Well, we won't give that away.

Gilded Balloon at the Museum, until 27 Aug, 9pm, £12.50–£13.50 (£11–£12).