Atmosphere counts for a lot with live comedy. Even if the acts are great, the wrong mood can turn a potentially good show into something quite uncomfortable. As compère, Charlie Baker managed to create such an atmosphere within the first five minutes; making the audience feel like they’d done something wrong by paying £12 for a ticket (a fact Baker kept mentioning) and coming to the sketch special of ‘BBC Comedy Presents’. As snapshots of much longer shows, the showcased sketches were all of a high standard, with Totally Tom’s version of ‘Drive’, Sheeps’ Northern take on Hollywood, and Max and Ivan’s epic ‘Brothers Mario’ standing out. It’s a shame Baker made everyone feel like they weren’t enjoying it enough.

BBC @ Potterrow, 3-26 Aug (not 4, 13-17, 21, 23), 11.00pm.
tw rating 3/5 | [Holly Close]