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Three To See 2018: Three ‘dad stand-up’ shows

By | Published on Saturday 28 July 2018

ThreeWeeks Co-Editor Caro Moses helps you navigate the Festival with her Three To See tips. This time three dad themed comedy shows.

Gary Meikle – Before All This | Gilded Balloon Rose Theatre | 1-26 Aug
As I leafed through the comedy section of this year’s Fringe programme, I noticed a few different shows that referenced dads and fatherhood, and as someone who has a dad (remarkable), I was attracted to the idea of collecting some of them together. We start with Gary Meikle, who is ready to spill the details of his past life, with particular reference to the trials and tribulations of being a teenage father, and the challenge of raising his daughter as a single parent. It sounds like he’s got a great story to tell, and he’s a Scottish Comedy Award winner, so you know he will be good.

Adventures In Dementia: Steve Day | Laughing Horse @ Espionage | 2-26 Aug
“Steve’s dad has Alzheimers. There’s nothing he can do about it except remember the way he was. Steve has also been deaf since his teens but has new hearing aids so now he’s gone through all the music of his youth. It reminds him of his dad”. A different approach from this one, then, as Steve Day talks about his own father, in a show that promises music, song and laughter, and I imagine, a few poignant moments. “If you like bittersweet comedy about deafness and memory loss then this is the show for you”.

Ken Cheng – Best Dad Ever | Bedlam Theatre | 1-26 Aug (pictured)
You may have heard of him in connection with the fact that he won Dave’s Joke Of The Fringe at last year’s Festival for his one liner about currency (“I’m not a fan of the new pound coin, but then again, I hate all change”), and he’s frankly in good company, given that previous winners of that prize have included the likes of Tim Vine and Zoe Lyons. But I was mainly drawn to the title of this one. Not sure quite how much dad-talk there will be in this, but I think there will be at least some, because he’s set to tell stories of his very much atypical upbringing and his complicated relationship with his parents.

Photo: Steve Ullathorne



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