SHOW TITLE: I Swear, Tom Stade
VENUE: Gilded Balloon Teviot, until August 27
By WULLIE MARR
I SWEAR, the title of Tom Stade’s first Edinburgh Fringe show for two years, just might win the award for the most apt title of the Festival. He does. A lot!
Tom provides 60 minutes of fast paced, no holds barred stand up. His stage persona is big, despite his stature, but having met him previously, this is just his everyday personality. It is really him.
He is as boisterous, cheery and funny off stage too. As he paces the stage, addressing all parts of the audience, he covers topics like becoming middle aged, the social network habits of today’s youth, and the benefits of driving a 2002 Honda Civic Executive.
With his gruff, nasal, Canadian drawl delivery, and his audience interaction, coupled with quick thinking when the audience answers don’t go as planned, he has the large room in laugter almost constantly, with a few gasps here and there, at some of his more risque jokes.
The show is funny: good old fashioned stand-up, with no gimmicks. However, should you require political correctness in the acts you see, this might not be the show for you.
For me, Tom Stade was a must see show, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Definitely one to see, but my advice is to book early, as he has been selling out a lot.
