Six local comedians to check out at Edinburgh Fringe – Vladimir McTavish

With a little over two weeks until the start of the Fringe, I suspect many of us are all still trying to plough through the programme. Faster readers will probably be around ten per cent of their way through the comedy section.

LOCAL TALENT: Jojo Sutherland is worth a punt (Picture: Danny Lawson)

It’s a bit like wading through the old telephone directory, looking for someone whose name you forgot but whose address you can remember.

There is far too much choice. Come next week, that choice becomes even more difficult as giant life-size posters are strung up all the way up The Mound, advertising the next big star in stand-up. Inevitably some white middle-class bloke in his 20s with a big haircut, even bigger glasses and skinny jeans.

He doubtless has a ground-breaking routine about the difference between cats and dogs. Much like last year’s next big star in stand-up who hilariously pointed out that men and women are different.

It puzzles me that many people only watch comedy at Fringe time as the city’s year-round stand-up scene is more vibrant now than it has ever been.

We have four permanent clubs, two of which are open seven nights a week. Furthermore, a number of Edinburgh acts walked away with gongs at this year’s Scottish Comedy Awards.

So take a punt on one of the many talented local acts at this year’s Fringe. Look out for Jay Lafferty, Liam Withnail, Gareth Waugh, Jojo Sutherland and Gareth Mutch. And I’m doing a show too. “60 Minutes To Save The World” at The Stand’s New Town Theatre.