Derek Johnston: A Day Oot! @ The Stand

We all love a story we can relate to, and it’s this that Fife comedian Derek Johnston is counting on in his Fringe show. He takes us on a family road trip in the style of the Johnston clan, playing on the strangely universal nature of this kind of holiday: if you’ve been on one, it was probably very much like this. There’s an argument about the map, travel sweeties, and power struggles over the car radio. There are the parents who drag their kids to sites of ‘interest’, and the kids whose excitement soon turns to whining and mild carnage in the back seat.

This is a family-friendly show: the swearing is rare and mild, and the jokes safe. But it’s neither too daft for adults, nor too nostalgia-tinged for kids who can’t imagine car journeys before handheld consoles and mp3 players. When the time comes for a bit of audience participation (reviewer’s warning: this show may result in a dead leg), the adults are just as keen as their offspring. It helps that Johnston is a very likeable, enthusiastic guy, able to get the small crowd quickly on his side – a must in a venue this intimate.

Sometimes the show can feel a bit loose and chaotic, with new stories and anecdotes appearing within each other. Johnston manages to get back on track, though, and the looseness of the structure allows him to play around with audience participation depending on how involved they get. The show may not be groundbreaking, but it’s a solid hour of good fun and games, and a great start to your own Day Oot at the Fringe.