Mat Ewins

THANK GOD FISH DON’T HAVE HANDS lllll

As the show title might suggest, this is an hour full of fantastic nonsense and glorious misdirection which, as we eventually learn, is symptomatic of ADHD. Marjolein Robertson has crafted a masterful arc around a series of events leading to her diagnosis, a fact she only reveals in the set’s latter part, cleverly calling back to jokes from the first half. For both tourists and locals, she offers a cultural introduction to her home of Shetland, its many unusual customs and traditions, and how these shaped her identity in life and love.

With a childlike quality and vulnerability to her humour, she never alienates her audience, instead bringing them into her playful, self-deprecating brand. Moments of dark comedy wisp through her show like Sawney Bean with a smile. She can paint a vivid picture for her audience too: from being drunk in the bath with a handbag while shaving her legs and putting ‘raw toast’ in the ‘bread heater’, to quite literally painting a picture for them of how ADHD works.

A regular on BBC shows, she intuitively knows how to interact with a crowd; she’s a natural and this show is filled with memorable moments. Robertson is Shetland’s greatest export since reestit mutton: salted meat to us non-islanders. (Zara Janjua) n The Stand 2, until 28 August, 4pm.

LARRY DEAN

FUDNUT lllll

Larry Dean is on fire tonight in front of a packed-out, largely local audience. It’s joyous to witness and not surprising for an act who has been nominated for both Best Newcomer and the main Edinburgh Comedy Award, and whose star has been steadily rising over the last few years.

The Glaswegian is a master of stand-up and structure. He’ll take a staple, such as addressing how he looks (a bit of a ned) but offers the observation with a beautiful turn of phrase: ‘I look like I carry matches but don’t smoke’. His tale weaves through an eclectic bunch of topics and settings (Abu Dhabi airport, art gallery visits, farting in the bedroom and, finally, a funeral). But the through-lines are clear: Dean’s relationship issues and the value of strong friendship. There are knowing moments when the structure refers to itself, yet elements that are signposted early on still pleasantly surprise when they arrive. (Marissa Burgess) n Monkey Barrel, until 28 August, 8.30pm.

PICTURE: TRUDY STADE PICTURE: MATT CROCKETT

MAT EWINS

DANGER MONEY lllll

Despite the low profile he maintains across the year and that phalanx of tech, sound cues and audience game-playing moments he jams into his shows (all with the eminent capacity to go wrong), Mat Ewins has come to be seen as close to a safe bet in Edinburgh. A late-night draw for the cognoscenti, he is an easy diversion of daftness in stark contrast to the earnestness elsewhere in the comedy section.

With little social media presence, how Ewins monetises his uniquely quixotic humour while keeping the entertainment industry at arm’s length is surely a genuine question. But he’s sending it up in a message of hard-headed defiance to one broadcaster, after they turned down the chance to make his police procedural series, Good Cop, Bad Cop, a hilariously rendered misreading of the police cliché.

Meanwhile, he’s created the gameshow Danger Money, a series of rudimentary computer games where the audience compete for nominal cash that never materialises anyway. All good throwaway fun, supplemented by sarcastic, pre-prepared slams that pop up in response to volunteers’ answers and an ongoing dialogue with a robot sidekick which elicits more laughs. Highlights include Ronaldo over-celebrating a goal in a rejected FIFA 2019 sequence, and The Matrix allegedly accelerated to normal speed (think arthritic Morris dancers). Throughout, you’re aware of the thought and feverish labour that must have gone into producing such snappy gags. So come on Sky, give Mat Ewins a show! (Jay Richardson)

n Just The Tonic At The Caves, until 28 August, 10.30pm.