Full disclosure: we’d fallen asleep. In our defence, the day had started at the airport at 6am, with several drinks, an epic WiP from Huge Davies, and far too much sun. Thankfully, a cheery black cab saved the day, whisking us past Arthur’s Seat to the Roxy. And honestly? It felt like the most perfectly “Fringey” start to the Fringe.


We hit the queue just as it began snaking up the stairs of the old bell tower (first time I’ve ever typed that sentence, but let’s face it – deconsecrated churches make excellent venues) and grabbed our seats.


Most will know our clown tonight from Plebs or Friday Night Dinner. Anticipating weeks of hecklers yelling out catchphrases from those hit TV series, he opens by inviting everyone to get it out of their system. Suddenly, the room is alive with shouts of “Shalom!”, “Shit on it!”, “Salve Marcus!” and “Lovely bit of squirrel!” The irony, of course, is that Tom Rosenthal’s characters don’t actually say any of these lines – and that’s sort of the thread of the show.


Rosenthal is famous… sort of. He plays characters who are famous. He’s a celebrity – but only in the sense that he occasionally appears on programmes with “celebrity” in the title. Otherwise, he’s just a bloke you might vaguely recognise on the bus.


And therein lies the rub: as he grows as a performer, can he live up to – or break away from – those roles? His core example is the Arctic Monkeys’ infamous Glastonbury set, where beloved old material was served in their unloved new style.


The result is a clever, thoroughly enjoyable hour. Rosenthal commits wholeheartedly to every gambit, no matter how odd: the bizarre outfit, the toe-curling hand-kissing, and a creepy Barty Crouch-style tongue flick (intentional? who knows). And yet, despite the questionable choices, the material shines and the laughs land.


Actor. Stand-up. Nepo baby. Whatever you decide he is, he’s funny. And while we can’t quite match his WikiFeet rating (apparently a 4.6 – fame’s a weird beast), this show is pure Skill McGill.

Clown Stars: * * * *
@Upstairs at Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh

4*


@Upstairs at Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh

If you liked this, you may also enjoy – Tom Rosenthal: Manhood