It takes guts to throw your own comedy showcase together at the Fringe. But that’s exactly what Matt Macdonald and George Leeson have done, curating an hour of stand-up that doesn’t just hold its own — it occasionally shows up some of the veterans playing down the road.

First on is Matt Macdonald, a confident but never aloof performer who immediately tackles his cerebral palsy head-on with sharpness and ease. He flips it into comedy without sentimentality, landing barbs about disabled horses, sausage-roll play, and the sort of Inverness Royal Academy initials that could give an entire PTA chest pains. His “aggressive tour guide” routine is a real highlight — fast, funny, and skewering cliché without resorting to cliché itself. He’s fresh, inventive, and very clearly a name we’ll be seeing a lot more of.

Next is George Leeson, and he’s stage-ready from the off. There’s real craft in his writing — a gnome turf war, the lurking menace of wolves, and two standout pieces Hercule Poirot picking through a radge Scottish night out and mafia veterinarians. The premises are strange, specific, and all the better for it. Leeson has that rare mix of well-constructed material and looseness on stage; he smashed it, and if he keeps pushing, the bigger stages will come calling.

Closing is Jack Brookmyre, who doesn’t so much walk on as detonate. “Harry Potter if he was a school shooter,” is how he self-describes — and the crowd knows immediately this isn’t going to be polite, safe comedy. His passion for death metal is both personal and absurdly accessible, the kind of niche obsession he makes the entire room care about. From there, he kicks into overdrive: Glasgow safaris, wildly inappropriate accents, and — no exaggeration — the single best Lord of the Rings skit at this year’s Fringe, complete with pitch-perfect impressions and storytelling. There’s not a wasted beat in his set; he owns the room like he was born to headline. An absolute delight.

Legalise Marinara isn’t just three comics in their 20s trying their luck. It’s a brave, swaggering statement of intent. They’ve built their own stage, filled it, and lit the place up. Track this show down — and then keep an eye on all three names. They’re only just getting started.

****

Reviewed by Steve H

Venue Hoots Grassmarket

Time 15.10 1hr

Daily until 24th Aug.