My pal was in town for his very first Edinburgh Fringe – Irish born, Manc raised and now a resident of Glasgow – what a combo! Normally when newbies come to town it’s not always easy to pick a show that will instantly resonate, but this time I was pretty sure I had it nailed. 

I had first seen Adam Rowe a few years ago on an advert for Nationwide, the fact that from that short clip I felt compelled to look him up isn’t surprising, that I remember all the details and now regularly enjoy his podcast (Have A Word) should tell you how much I’ve enjoyed his work and been looking forward to catching him live.

We grab drinks and settle into Monkey Barrel 3 (easily one of our favourite Fringe venues) with the rest of the sold our crowd. Our clown hits the stage with far more energy than I was expecting and within seconds he is up to speed and in flow – no real crowd work our man had something to get off his chest!

The next hour was a true joy, Adam talks about his family, his relationships, mental health, all the standard topics, but in a way that is 100% him and original. A highlight for me was an anecdote about watching football in bed with his girlfriend. I honestly didn’t think that the line … “he’s gone past Javier Mascherano, who at the time was arguably the best defensive midfielder in Europe…” was a joke but it was at that exact point that my pal literally doubled over with laughter and, whilst still laughing, somehow says “I know the exact game he’s talking about”.

It is a brilliant part of the routine but would not be half as funny without the expert delivery and timing of our clown.  

Easily one of the best shows that we saw at this year’s Fringe and almost singlehandedly guaranteed my pal returning for a longer stint next year. 

Adam is starting his tour dates in Scandinavia but is back in the UK in late September, if he is coming to a town near you, you should really check him out – adamrowe.co.uk/tour

Clown Stars * * * * *

@Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh