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Bring Yer Bairn 4**** - One4Review
one4review | On 09, Aug 2025
Bring Yer Bairn is one of those Fringe curiosities that works far better than it has any right to — an 11 a.m. adult comedy show where you can bring your under-one-year-old without fear of frost glares or passive-aggressive tutting. The excellent Ross Leslie steers the pram through two headline-quality comedians, and yes, there’s adult material… just hopefully not repeated in the sandpit later.
Leslie, a Fife-dwelling father of four, hosts with the easy warmth of a man who’s survived every variety of toddler meltdown and lived to tell the tale. His crowd work — “Shout if you’ve only got one kid!” — is oddly reassuring, honed by years of reading the room in far less forgiving comedy clubs. He’s the perfect bridge between grown-up punchlines and the gummy critics in the room.
First up, Vladimir McTavish, opening with, “Nice to be in a room where I’m not the most sleep-deprived.” From his horror at silent discos to Australian gigs where punters bring their dogs, to ghost tours that refuse to die, he’s in unfiltered form. Adults lap it up. Babies? They look mildly concerned, as if grandad’s having one of his turns.
Then Joe McTernan brings sharp observational gold on Oasis, hangovers, and the etiquette of couple dinners. His constant movement across the stage seems to hypnotise the babies — either that, or they think he’s attempting the most elaborate game of peekaboo in Fringe history. For the adults, it’s a set with depth, polish, and bite.
On the laughs front, these are bona fide club-level sets — just played out to a room where the heckles come as squeals, rattles, and the odd mid-gig feed. The vibe is communal, almost cosy, And the babies? They are brutally honest audience: as unforgiving as a Saturday midnight slot, only with more dribble, nappy changes, and inexplicable giggles. And they love it!
****
Reviewed by Steve H
Gilded Balloon – Appleton Tower
11.00 (1hr)
Until 24 Aug (not 13 or 20)
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