CARDS ON the table time, I love Ian Stone.
For the past four years he’s been a 4pm Free Fringe fixture at the Counting House for Aldo.
Just a naturally funny stand-up, “Stoney” has never disappointed but for me, this year’s hour is his best yet.
The concept, such as it is, is that our democratically-elected politicos have failed us and what he’s doing is holding an hour-long brainstorming session in which us plebeians debate our opinions of today’s travails, and potential solutions to them.
To that end he starts with a pithy summing-up of our PMs since Blair and Ian gets every single one spot on – Johnson especially.
The show’s schtick is that he’s using a list of 50 questions randomly picked by the crowd to trigger these “discussions” and, while that might sound to some like a lazy gimmick to hang a show on, it actually allows Ian to display his mastery of crowd work.
For my money, he’s the best in the business at this.
That said, I got my arse handed to me when he asked if anyone was annoyed about anything and I proffered, “Young people who start every bloody sentence with ‘so’.”
“What, not the Middle East or anything like that?” was his response that elicited gales of laughter from the crowd – me included, as well as reddening cheeks.
The formet also demonstrates just how quick he is, dealing with anything that comes up though he himself admits that some of the posers are simply set-ups for some cracking gags.
Some comedy-goers live in fear of being involved in a spot of audience participation but you’re in safe hands with Stoney, though he was sort of stuck for a comeback when Dougal the cockapoo decided to heckle him halfway through.
This was the first show of the run and as a result the crowd was modest but that just made it all the better. The question-led idea added to a feeling of togetherness and made for a hugely enjoyable shared experience for those of us lucky to be there, and it’ll be the same when you go, too.
It’s a Free Fringe show so you don’t have to book but for the love of all that’s holy, go and see this show, you’ll grin for the rest of the day.
Ian Stone: The Pleb’s Pow Wow, 16..30, Counting House, August 6-30 (not 11, 18 or 25)
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-pleb-s-pow-wow
