Craig Hill: I’ve Been Sitting on This For a While – Just The Tonic Nucleus

This wis sae, sae funny! Seriously. It wis hilarious. I wasnae sure tae begin wi’. I thought it might be humour at others’ expense, but nah, nah, ye ken, it wis pure dead magic. Unlike my current attempt at a Scottish accent. I cannae dae it, hailing frae Essex, as I do.

But Craig Hill can. He can take whatever the audience offers and make a comedic feast from the smallest offering. He can mimic accents and tonality with ease and create a personalised skit based on you alone. For some it is thrilling, for others maybe not so much, but this man knows his stuff and he’s not about to crucify anyone who’s not up for it. He’s got discernment.

That’s what happens when you’ve garnered 25 years of Edinburgh Fringe shows under your belt and you’ve been blessed with a quick wit. He’s never missed a year in a quarter of a century and I suggest you don’t miss him this year either.

A lot of his material tonight focused on the age of the audience. He even managed to elicit from one man that his job, before taking up gardening in retirement, was fixing wheelchairs. It was perfect comedy fodder after a series of former employees and current “gardeners” had been highlighted in the audience. You couldn’t make it up.

But a true comedian appeals to all, surely, and I’d say this is true of Craig Hill who danced in a pink cowboy hat with a plucky medical student before the show was over. If you like an all-round entertainer: someone able to sing, dance and crack a joke, then this Scottish born-and-bred comedian is for you.

Reviewer: Kathleen Mansfield

Reviewed: 8th August 2024

North West End UK Rating: