Words: Izzy Toner

Kieran Hodgson’s set delighted this year’s Fringe Festival audience, as he details how his need for self-reflection and change triggered a metamorphosis from awkward Englishman to a proper Scotsman. Hodgson is honest and vulnerable about how and why this journey was far from smooth-sailing, which colours his show and adds substance and depth.

The set is filled with shameless self-plugs, teasing banter with the audience and cheeky quips galore. He removes the bells and whistles of the stage, presenting a stripped back set which features no props or lighting changes, and only the occasional short musical accompaniment. But he does far more than stand still in his tartan blazer. He is utterly dynamic, flouncing and dancing across stage, playing different characters with an impressive medley of accents and impressions. At one point he even bursts into song, and has the audience clapping and singing along with him in raucous delight. 

I was thoroughly impressed by how Hodgson can deliver such a jam-packed narrative in a short hour, with hardly a pause for water nor tripping over his words. 

Watching Kieran Hogdson present an intimate yet wittily self-deprecating insight into his shaky assimilation to Scottish culture is a masterclass on poking fun at all fronts of Anglo-Scottish politics. Big in Scotland is aptly named, a perfect show for the Fringe Festival and certainly a must-see for Edinburgh locals.

Kieran Hodgson: Big In Scotland
Pleasance Courtyard, Forth
Various Times
18-27 Aug