A double-header at 11 a.m. in the Fringe can feel like a high-risk experiment: half-asleep audiences, a scattering of student tourists, and that general “gap-year chaos” energy. What you don’t expect is a set so devastatingly funny that it feels like it belongs in prime time — and one of the strongest double bills of the entire festival. Bold statement? Absolutely.

First up is Matthew Hayhow, another standout from the Livingston comedy mafia. If he keeps this up, he could very well be the new don. Wheelchair-bound with MS, Hayhow wins the crowd instantly. His handling of his condition is fearless, sharp, and utterly hilarious. From the off, he’s taking everyone down with razor-sharp riffs covering Lord of the Rings, sex workers, the Vatican, Stephen Hawking, Epstein Island, and the shocking lack of ramps at entertainment venues. The set is a rollercoaster of smart, biting humour — three jokes alone could be contenders for Pick of the Fringe. Hayhow has clearly earned his stripes, and his trajectory looks like it’s heading straight into the fast lane.

Next, the brilliant Alan Jay takes the stage. He’s almost the mirror image of Hayhow in style, but every bit as compelling. Growing up gay in Castlemilk, he recounts coming out to his dad — with all the caveats and complications that implies — and navigates a mostly straight audience through the world of Rice and Potato Queens with impeccable charm. Jay’s timing and stagecraft are superb, reminiscent of an early Stephen Bailey (who also played the same venue years ago), but with his own killer put-downs and a voice that’s entirely his own.

Together, Hayhow and Jay make for a Scottish comedy dream team: sharp, fearless, and on the rise. They balance each other perfectly — one wild and incendiary, the other polished and pointed — yet both share that rare gift of connecting instantly with their audience. The result is a set that’s both riotously funny and oddly heartwarming, a reminder that the best comedy is not just about the laughs, but about the characters and perspectives that bring them to life.

This double bill is a must-see for anyone looking for the next generation of Scottish comics at the top of their game. Whether you catch them together or separately, Alan Jay and Matthew Hayhow prove that the Fringe is alive and thriving with bold, original voices that demand attention.