Win Win Win ........

Our host and compere for the evening was South Queensferry's comedy mum Jojo Sutherland. 

First up in the competition was another comedian from the town Tommy McKay. Tommy has made a name for himself over the past year with his award winning Daily Reckless website, which parodies tabloid newspapers. Live, this accomplished folky parodies songs on his harmonic 12 string guitar. Cleverly written and topical, there unfortunately wasn't enough punchy lines in them for his seven minutes on stage during a competition. A fine start to the night and a good crowd pleasing warm up.

Twenty four year old, tall blonde, but slightly balding, Edinburgh lad Jamie Stuart was next up. Filled with enthusiasm and clearly happy to be here, rather than in the mundane office he works, Jamie trotted out the kind of humour which is more at place in a student dorm. Jamie is very much a new comer to comedy who has bags of potential. He has decent enough timing, delivery and stage presence, but he needs to urgently realise that most audiences won't care about the size of his manhood or that middle aged female office workers can't control themselves around him.

Having spent all of August at the Fringe flyering and performing 3 times a day Shetland based Aussie Rowan Campbell showed us all how it should be done. He quickly grabbed the audience and took them on a whirlwind journey from the Royal Mile to Glasgow and back through the eyes of an outsider. Which is his real accent? The Southern Aussie drawl or the gruff Borders twang? Rowan had to rush back to Edinburgh for another gig. The audience didn't seem to mind, voting him their favourite act at the end of the night.

In comparison our first act after the fireworks display, Jane Walker,  felt a bit like a damp squib. Jane competed in the Funny Women competition two years ago, she has some nice self deprecating material, but I fear she has hardly performed in the 18 months since. More stage time, more confidence and less telegraphed punchlines are required.

By contrast the most highly polished, well written and exquisitely performed set of the night was by Martin McAllister. "Edinburgh based dead pan weirdo and random perv" [his words] Martin dabbled with comedy 5 years ago, then he did none until September 2006. This break and his continual gigging since then have served him well. Pipped by Rowan tonight, it will take some excellent performances from others for him not to get a best runner up wildcard spot in the final.

Dressed in a black shirt and black jacket Roddy McInnes is moulded in a particular school of young Scottish comedians who emulate... well I don't know who they are trying to emulate, maybe it's themselves. No matter he made the audience like him, then loathe him, then like him again. His material is fairly pedestrian, however his quick thinking and audience interaction was nice to watch.

Closing the show was Edinburgh based Ulsterman Jeff O'Boyle. Jeff has a likeable cheekiness to which an audience warms - well most of an audience. His tales of internet dating earned him third place tonight.

Overall the South Queensferry heat was a good representation of what is happening in the Fringe at the moment. Some great comedians, some not so great and hardly a proper Scot to be found.

Video clips from the night featuring those that have not made it through to the final will be posted here soon.

Next heat Thursday 30th August, Capitol, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow.

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Please note: Most comedians are lazy incompetent sods, who can't read a train timetable, or would pay 30 pieces of silver to appear on a pilot for a radio panel show. Thus all line ups are subject to change.

Please check with the venue 24hrs prior to the show for confirmation of line ups.