Review by Steve Bennett

This is a romp through Edinburgh's history for those too lazy to tackle the city's inclines on a walking tour.

But whether it's particularly funny is another matter.

Morrison's a likeable and friendly performer, with an express delivery that demands attention.

Her fast-talking style also means she can rattle out obscure facts about 18th century Edinburgh at a machine-gun rate.

But that's the show's main failing. Morrison is obsessed with packing in information, and less concerned about the jokes.

So instead of using a historical nugget to launch off on a comedy tangent, she merely rattles off the facts, with a few light-hearted asides and wry observations on top.

Picking obscure topics for comedy is normally a good idea - after all, there aren't many comedians talking about the Scottish prostitutes of 1775, so you should be instantly distinctive, able to produce some unique gags.

But Morrison never maximises the comic potential of her subject, instead simply moving from one bygone anecdote to the next. And a few games that break up proceedings - such as sampling the white wine and marmalade Edinburgh lawyers used to drink, or recreating the fish wives' riots - don't add anything either.

It is a fascinating hour, but not especially funny.

Review date: 1 Jan 2002
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett