“If there are any reviewers in tonight, please geez a break,” Kim Blythe pleads as she contends – quite effectively – with a rowdy Wednesday night crowd and what she refers to as a “weird show” unlike any of her others. While it might not be her first choice show for review, it gives us a chance to see the up-and-coming Scottish comedian tested by the very premise of Cowboy, a story about her attempts to be braver while winging it through life.
She handles it well and steadily brings things under control. The content creator is early in her stand-up career and refining the knack of owning an unpredictable room, a difficult task for anyone, but her sharpness and natural humour shine through. There are glimpses of a true pro in the making, in the scripted moments but also the improvised ones, such as a top-timed joke when an audience member ducks out for a bathroom break halfway through.
Blythe is able to hit her stride a little more in the second half. Weaving personal and professional anecdotes together with projector slides that document parts of her journey, she brings it all together with an unpredictable ending that the audience loves. If she continues to build her well-deserved confidence and succeed at braving it as a cowboy, Blythe could be a serious one to watch in years to come.
Kim Blythe: Cowboy, Gilded Balloon Patter House, until 25 Aug (not 11), 7.30pm (extra shows Aug 22-23, 9pm)