Pundits Culpable of Sedentary Blunders,

I doubted stand-up comedy, my Fringe schedule was to be a sole visit to see John Hegley but things change. The idea of amusement and laughter during pre-appointed times did not fit with my psyche and it probably still doesn’t. Nevertheless, when I was approached, in my capacity as a ‘barometer of quality and taste’, to help out in the arrangement of a venture to the Fringe Festival, I felt obliged to lend a hand and suggest a couple of shows to attend and, of course, I joined the party on their visit to Embra.

The trip was not planned too well, ownership of the project was ambiguous; it lacked my leadership. If I was leader, I would be organised with maps and knowledge of precise directions, but instead, in my role as event booker and party member, all I could do was try to make helpful suggestions. We arrived just in time to see Richard Herring: Hitler Moustache at the Underbelly. Negotiating our way through the crowded pavements and over busy roads, we made our way from Level 4 on the multi-storey car park to the Cowgate, where I wasted time trying to work out the sequence of the door numbers before conceding defeat and trading directions for the acceptance of a leaflet from a leaflet donor.

I know Richard Herring from his work with Andrew Collins on BBC 6music and their blogs and podcasts, his show seemed like a safe bet. The show is vehemently anti-racist and Richard tackles his subject matter through recounting his experience of sporting a Hitler/Chaplin moustache. Whilst describing the comical adventures of the moustache, Richard also touches on the mentality of racists and the public’s attitude to democracy with respect to extremists, the BNP. As the booker, I always worry how the party will receive my choices for them and I admit I did get anxious during some of the slower periods, they were not dull per se but perhaps too full of preaching for pure comedy fans. It was a professional performance, in my opinion, well-balanced between morals and laughter.

After the show, I spotted David Mitchell; he had also been watching Richard Herring. I did not want to pester him for an autograph as I’ve never been good at meeting famous people. During the Embra Fringe, famous people ought to be relieved of the public and for the most part, they are. Anyway, one of our party decided to have a cell phone photo moment with David before going on to perform the tiresome chip routine on the Royal Mile.

We padded north to York Place and the Stand Comedy Club to see Alun Cochrane: Daydreamer…at Night. Alun is a particular favourite comedian of mine, he’s been on many of the panel shows over the last few years but he is too polite to make a big impression on them, although when he does have his say, he’s prolific. The show on this particular evening was fantastic, it was non-stop hilarity in a ‘funny because it’s true’-stylee.

The evening ended with the mandatory wrong turn in the city centre and an eventual escape via Gorgie Road to the city bypass. The evening went well apart from administration blunders but I will now be returning to my belief that comedy is spontaneous and not for pre-arranged meetings and contracts with professional – perhaps that is why I won’t make a living out of my wit but I guess I’m happy for Michael McIntyre to have my slot on prime time BBC for now.