Back in Edinburgh for the start of 2023 and I’m introducing a pal to the delights of the city – ridiculously we’d just seen Hibs win 6-0, so we were truly on a pretty remarkable high! – And I couldn’t possibly do that without a little trip to see some stand-up comedy. Despite my many years of doing this I actually managed to make a mess of the bookings (to my pal’s great amusement) as we ended up seeing this particular clown twice – once at his own solo show (this) and then as part of a mixed bill the next day! 

Thankfully, funny is funny no matter how often you see it, and his cameo role as the opening act of the Sunday Big Show just confirmed that this was a clown that we should look out for in the future. 

Robin bounds on to the stage with enthusiasm and a grin across his face that can only be described as beaming. He quickly wins over the crowd with a friendly interactive style and a number of self-mocking gags about how he hates having to “come out as straight” and confirming on numerous occasions that he has a wife! In fact, I would hazard a guess that “I have a wife” ran a close second for the title of this show. 

It’s easy to see why ‘Snip, Snip, Bitch’ won out in the end however as the core theme running through tonight’s gig is our clown’s vasectomy. This alone provides an obvious link to a plethora of comedy material, but the true highlight is how our clown discusses the topic with other men in the audience who have gone through the process – somehow, we are all laughing hard at a potentially sensitive and personal experience, without anyone feeling mocked or uncomfortable. That in itself is a rare skill. 

This was a thoroughly enjoyable hour of comedy from a Valley’s clown that I would gladly catch again…oh, and he has a wife. 

Clown Stars: * * * * 

@Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh