For all the avid Terry Pratchett fans gathered around me, a comedy lecture based on comedian Marc Burrows’ biography of the late fantasy author is a pretty easy sell. But would it work for someone like myself, with a much more basic knowledge of the Discworld? I mean, Pratchett did actually once phone me to inquire “whether I need to sue you”, but that doesn’t really count as fandom. Either way, while I’m sure a few of the in-jokes went above my head, Burrows does a fantastic job of navigating both the super-fan and the novice through the story of Pratchett’s life, work and legacy. He also explores the impact of good storytelling, and how Pratchett – as a genius storyteller – used that to good effect. As does Burrows in this show. Pratchett didn’t sue me by the way. Which is a shame. That would have made a great story.

Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Chris Cooke]