Karen Dunbar

Karen Dunbar is a huge comedy talent in Scotland with numerous TV credits as both a comic and a comedy actress and although I was well aware of her from this, it was the first time I had ever seen her live on stage.

The lady is already packing the huge Teviot Debating Hall to the rafters with what seems to be a largely Scottish audience, if the show I saw was anything to go by. Yes, she does play the Scottish card on occasions, much to the crowds delight, but her many and varied routines certainly can appeal to most if not all the vast majority of the time.

Prancing round her stage to the music of Stephanie de Sykes, demanding the audience join in sets the tone, she has them with her from the start, and ne ver looses them.

The major concession this Ayr born comic has made is to slow down her delivery to allow non- Scots a chance to keep up with her gags, and just occasionally this slips, much to her amusement and that of her 'locals' enjoying the lack of comprehension of the visitors from south of the border.

Ms Dunbar will certainly be a top notch draw for a long time if she can reproduce this standard of show in the future, and given her undoubted talent I have no reason to doubt her ability to deliver.

Venue & Venue number

Gilded Balloon Debating Hall V 14

Dates

7 to 27 August 2006 (not 17,17,19,20)

Times

18.30 to 19.30

Company

Gilded Balloon Productions

Fringe Programme page number; 31