Shows (V)
Vaudeville Cabaret Club
Vladimir McTavish: A Brief History Of Scotland
Show Details
Vladimir McTavish: A Brief History Of Scotland
Show type: Edinburgh Fringe 2006
Starring Comics:
Paul Sneddon
Vladimir McTavish

Vladimir McTavish: A Brief History Of Scotland


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Description

A Brief History Scotland is a tongue-in-cheek debunking of the "glorious" past and a wryly satirical look at the less-than-glorious present of this nation of contradictions. Who we are, how we got here and the struggles we have confronted on that journey. In particular, the struggle we have had with our larger and more powerful neighbour.

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Reviews

Original Review:

Show Rating:Vladimir McTavish: A Brief History Of Scotland rated 3/5

Vladimir McTavish is a character ably played by Paul Sneddon, although it's only really the silly name that give this away as the character is fairly simple and therefore believable, a Scottish comic who talks about Scotland a lot.



The show is ostensibly about Scotland's history, though it actually covers a whole host of issues: the smoking ban, the Scottish parliament, war, the World Cup and TV schedules.



It's a strong, solid show, but fairly unremarkable Sneddon's writing is good, most of the gags work, there's some clever callbacks to previous jokes, the occasional smart pun; it's all clearly the work of someone who knows exactly what they're aiming for and hits the target.



There's also some banter with the (predominately Scottish) audience and some slightly darker stuff considering which was worse: the Highland cleansings or England winning a World Cup.



There are some drawbacks - non-Scots (and particularly non-Brits) may find bits difficult to follow due to references to Scottish historical events, and the accent can make it harder to catch everything when McTavish picks up speed.



It's a good enough show, delivered by a consummate professional, but nothing special.



Dean Love



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Comments

I thought he was fucking hilarious and I grew up in London

Danuta O'Neill, August 2006


Accent difficult to understand? He's a Scot, performing in Edinburgh - the capital city of Scotland, doing a show about Scottish history to a mainly Scottish crowd. What do you want him to do with his accent? Get a grip.

Alan Anderson, August 2006



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