Scottish comedian Stuart McPherson is back at the Fringe with a new show that is – unlike the title suggests – not about horses. In fact, he cracks only two horse-themed jokes. The show instead marks the first anniversary of the entrance of two important women into his life.

McPherson’s ease on stage is enviable. The immediate intimacy he envelops the room in makes it seem like he’s regaling friends at the local pub. While his last couple of Fringe shows were focused on a break-up and coming to terms with being single, interestingly this latest routine is about celebrating one year with his current partner and the accompanying thoughts of longer-term aspirations. The usual house, maybe kids, and of course not carrying money to the bank in a pillowcase. Here enters the other woman that the show is dedicated to – the shouty bank manager of whom McPherson promises he does an uncanny impression.

These newer, more conventionally ‘grown-up’ aspirations are at dissonance with the only adult life McPherson has known. He is a performer, first and foremost, to the point that he cannot help but view a Star Wars Segway Sex Spectacular (yes, you read that right) from the lens of performance and empathises with the actors. It is hard to switch off the expertise part of the brain, and McPherson welcomes the audience into his. He vocally evaluates which jokes may not land on the night or nods to himself when a joke is received exceedingly well. This is where the show takes a turn for the meta and helps us appreciate the mechanics of his craft.

McPherson is also skilled at painting vivid images and observational comedy – he has the audience chortling and nodding along. What’s most impressive is the high gag-rate. He promises a laugh every couple of sentences. In the continuing laughter though, it is easy to miss a smattering of jokes and a bit more breathing space would help ensure the audience can appreciate all of the rich material – the best problem a comedian can have.

‘HORSE’ is at Monkey Barrel Comedy 2 until Sun 25 Aug 2024 at 19.10