Robert Florence and Iain Connell should be applauded for bringing their show this far north. It is unapologetically Glasgow-centric. There is no attempt to dial down the level of central-belt colloquialisms and the show is better for it. Too often comics try to tailor their show to each local area with clumsy and tired references. Uncles doesn’t do this.
Set in a pub, two middle-aged men are shooting the breeze over topics as diverse as gangster weddings, empty-hoose parties and viagra use (even when they don’t need it). The tone is varied moving from tame to crude without much warning.
Despite breaking through on TV with their hit Burnistoun only seven years ago, you might have expected their comedy to have moved on (while still retaining its popular elements). The audience are clearly enjoying themselves, but there is a feeling that this show is something of a stalling of their comic development. Uncles, whether knowingly or not, highlights the established and commercially-viable appetite for hyper-local, dialect-led humour.
Getting so close to the pair in the intimate setting of The Lemon Tree Studio is an added bonus and it is clear that the show is constantly adapting and evolving based on audience reaction.