USUALLY the venue for string quartets rather than strings of expletives, the Usher Hall played host to comedy legend Billy Connolly last night and the packed crowd got to see a maestro at work.
Nobody rambles with as much style and panache as the
windswept and interesting Mr C, and after a small technical hitch with the microphone, he took a story about an autograph signing and wandered happily away from it to cover the tragic state of Scottish football, Flower of Scotland (not a fan), the smoking ban and to give the audience a brief lecture on the correct way to swear, an art form on which he is, of course, one of the worlds great experts.
Connolly is in his seventh decade and so it's no surprise that there was a good deal of reminiscing on display in this show. From his recollections of the beige, pre-rock 'n' roll world of the early fifties to his run-ins with Pastor Jack Glass and his happy, hazy, drunken days of yore in the folk clubs and bars across the land, Connolly spun hilarious tales of a life lived to the full.
Fortunately for the audience, these trips down memory lane weren't an excuse for on stage self-analysis, which Connolly has been accused of indulging in of recent years – just a man with a wealth of brilliant stories and a room full of friends to tell them to.
Because Connolly is such a master of meandering storytelling, it's easy to forget just how good he is at physical comedy. Anyone who remembers his incontinence pants routine on An Audience With back in the 1980s will know what he can do, and last night his interpretations of various walking styles – from Elvis's family to his own attempts to moonwalk and his selection of drunken gaits had the audience doubled up with laughter. A man of many interests, the crowd were treated to his views on politics, religion, history, with particular reference to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the cultural differences between ourselves and our American cousins.
It's this butterfly mind of Connolly's that makes him such a special and interesting performer. Anyone can find a theme and stick to it but his particular genius is in finding the fascinating and funny in anything and everything that he comes across and what's even more impressive is transmitting that joy over to an audience.
Often cited as the godfather of modern British stand-up there's still nobody around like Billy Connolly. His reputation relies on the fact that his performance doesn't feel like a performance at all – rather it feels like a rambling chat with the funniest guy in the pub, it just happens to be taking place in the gilt and splendour of a theatre or concert hall.
This was a superb performance from a true comedy virtuoso. Connolly, the happy wanderer, is off on his travels again after this run but when he returns the people of Edinburgh will be queuing for his next symphony.
Runs until 23 September (excluding Monday 21)If you want to see Billy the price is a big yinPAIRS of tickets for Billy Connolly's sell-out shows at the Usher Hall are going for as much as £260 on eBay as demand to see the Big Yin outstrips supply.
Ever since tickets for the stand-up gigs went on sale at the beginning of July, at a cost of £30, fans have had to search high and low to secure them – often at a hefty price.
Following the crash of the Usher Hall's box office system on the morning of the sale, fans were forced to rush to various outlets across the city in a bid to grab the much sought after tickets.
An Usher Hall spokesman said: "Demand for extra tickets has been phenomenal."
Extra tickets were put on sale on Wednesday for the string of six shows which began last night. For those who can afford eBay tickets, two front stall seats will set them back £260, or £144 for two in the grand circle.
