You will be spoiled for choice if you're looking for a local Scottish comedian at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Here are just some that I've seen recently and I recommend:
Billy Kirkwood
Billy Kirkwood brings two new shows to the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Hilarious tattoo-themed show 'Show Me Your Tattoo' and the work-in-progress, improvised 'Buzzin'.
The ADHD Ayrshire born comic known across the globe as the voice of Glasgow based wrestling company ICW and host of hit online Podcast 'Watch Bad Movies with Great Comedians' recently left his Breakfast show on Bauers West FM to join the drive time slot on Edinburgh's new hit music station, Jay Crawford’s Edge Radio.
Billy Kirkwood: Show Me Your Tattoo
The Stand’s Newtown Theatre
Daily: 5.45pm
Scottish Comedy award winner and one of Scotland’s busiest stand-up comedians, Billy Kirkwood, returns to the fringe with Show Me Your Tattoo which takes a look at the weird and wonderful world of body art: from the sublime to the ridiculous; the silly to the sexy; the brilliant, bad and downright bizarre.
With his trademark, energy and enthusiasm the show is a blend of stand-up, chat and improv from one of Scotland’s top comedy talents. Audiences can unveil their own ink, meet an array of special tattooed guests, play tattoo bingo and someone will even get the chance to be tattooed live on stage (don’t worry, it will wash off).
He got the tattoos!
To mark a return to fringe with this show, Billy couldn’t resist getting new tattoos and he chose The Stand Comedy Club's iconic Cowboy backdrop as well as the classic Fringe Logo. How's that for commitment!!
Billy said: “For me and many comics The Stand is home, and the best comedy club on the planet, so I'm getting the ball rolling, having some fun, sharing and showing the love and shamelessly plugging at the fringe of course. I’m not sure if the idea is my ADHD for once taking full hold, especially as it seems no one else has ever even entertained the idea, so I’m the first comic to ever do it and most likely the last! And it’s an all about my journey in life, with comedy running through it and first thing that came to mind was The Stand. I didn’t even tell them I was doing it. I have no plans to turn my body into a Billboard but I do have a Pepsi and Tunnocks tea cake tattoo so lads…. get in touch, those flyers won’t pay for themselves”
“The show is for everyone, the inked and non inked so to speak, young, old, liberated and conservative. It’s about having fun, stories, connections, laughter from making new friends. Think of me as your guide heading to a weirdest most interactive Ted Talk you’ve every seen. I wanted to make sure the show was different every day, and I think with 'tattoo' we’ve found that”
“It’s the perfect full circle returning the show to the fringe, it being on at The Stand, even down to getting the tattoo by one of my best mates Ian TC (who’s studio is based on a Canal boat.) Not only is he a fellow comic, but also an award winning tattoo artist… come on, can we get any more Meta!!”
Billy Kirkwood: Buzzin (WIP)
Scottish Comedy Festival @ The Beehive Inn
Aug 4-14, 16-20, 22-27 14:45
Billy will be performing his work-in-progress improvised stand-up show “Buzzin” at The Beehive Inn in the Capital’s Grassmarket as part of the Scottish Comedy Festival's 'Pay What you Want' scheme.
“Buzzin is that other aspect of the fringe: It's an open door on comedy, there’s no narrative, no sad bits, not real plan, just to leave folk energised and just realised by an hour (ish) of free-wheeling comedy. My filter over the last 2 hours has been almost eroded away by my ADHD- in a good way- and new energy, so lets pour out the bucket of some of surreal observations, the mad phone notes , new material and just have some fun…..there may also be singing. “
Scottish comedian Billy Kirkwood gets Edinburgh Fringe and The Stand tattoos ahead of 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
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