Hannibal Buress: Still Saying Stuff

Nominated for Foster’s Newcomer award last year, American stand-up Hannibal Buress is no longer a stranger to Edinburgh crowds. The venue manager packs us together like sweaty sardines to make room for everyone in the stuffy overheated space. When the laid-back New York City-based comedian strolls out, he warns us not to let the heat affect our emotions.

Buress obviously does not need to worry about that, because he holds the audience’s attention for the hour, making everyone crack up even when he’s gently pacing back and forth on stage, pulling down the projector screen to fill in a gap or yelling to his friend backstage to check if he’s already done a joke.

Don’t be fooled by his ridiculously relaxed delivery, his jokes are sharp and his ultra-chilled demeanour makes the most observational comments hilarious. If you’re a fan, you will recognize some material, but his rant about English people’s use of ‘literally’ will still make you burst out laughing. Buress also mixes in a lot of new jokes, including an absurd idea for last-place runners at the Olympics and an unfortunate car accident that he somehow turns into a hilarious situation at a hospital. He claims to hate Scotland and England, but the feeling is definitely not mutual.