Compelling and certainly original in concept – not many stand ups base their sets around theory texts from the 1910s – Callan produces a show fascinating for comedians and comedy fans alike. Moving from Buster Keaton to LOLCats, the show is a whistle-stop tour of all things funny, and the historical elements are enthralling, from Victorian dance moves to “Auto-Polo”. The screen-shots of Google and cat memes felt a little overdone, but Callan managed to present them in a fresh way that made up for the his slight over-reliance on the projector. The dance routine with which Callan ended felt a little incongruous, but overall the show was absorbing, and produced a constant stream of laughter from everyone in the room.

Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 26 Aug, 23.59pm
tw rating 4/5 | [Frances Greenfield]