He may only be 5’3” but Christopher Macarthur-Boyd is set to become a giant of the Scottish comedy scene with this hour long Fringe show, Home Sweet Home, cementing him as an intelligent, articulate and most importantly, incredibly funny, comic.
The laughter flows from beginning to end in what seems to be an effortless stand-up hour from the young Glaswegian and the Turret at the Gilded Balloon is quite rightly sold out.
Too often comedians miss the mark and misread the audience reaction but Macarthur-Boyd tests us out before going for the jugular which places Margaret Thatcher in a very ‘unthatcherlike’ situation. He covers topics from the more routine – still living at home with mum and dad – to the more niche – his love for wrestling, and it is all done with a perfect combination of boyish charm and supreme professionalism.
He knows when to pause, allowing just enough time for the joke to settle before moving seamlessly on to the next, his audience still shaking with laughter. He knows how to engage the room without alienating them, putting questions out into the ether rather than picking on just one person. And he surely knows he’s good. He has an air of confidence that never comes across as arrogant and is able to laugh at himself. Macarthur-Boyd admits to feeling like the last few nights haven’t quite gone as he would have wanted, this Sunday night audience (he tells us anyway) putting a spring back in his step.
This is as assured and as funny an hour as you will see from any comedian at the Fringe and the only surprise is that he is not yet a household name. Macarthur-Boyd will no doubt sell out a much bigger venue next year and so Fringe 2018 might be your best opportunity to see this up-and-coming young comic.