Adam Larter: Happy New Year

Forget sitting in front of the telly with a cuppa watching Jools Holland. Boring! It’s the chaotic, wild and adventurous New Year celebrations which you really remember. Thankfully Adam Larter’s Happy New Year is nothing short of undiluted madness. 

Here the mind of the absurdist Londoner has been allowed to stray in all manner of conflicting directions, taking in singing, dancing, impressions, puppets, flying kites and a deluge of other homemade props. His hoover bagpipes are especially impressive, wailing out Auld Lang Syne while the audience attempt to sing along.   

With so many DIY touches the atmosphere really captures the independent spirit of the free festival. This makes Larter’s continual insistence that the show is sponsored by a certain pervasive brand of lager even more hilarious.

While the material is undoubtedly strong, it’s clear that others would struggle to make it work. Larter is a confident performer, even at his most intentionally maladroit, and he prompts continual enthusiastic audience participation – quite impressive for early Sunday afternoon.

His whimsical humour won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but for most of today’s crowd the party atmosphere is welcome, a perfect antidote to today’s damp Edinburgh streets. It might be a bit miserable out there, in here it’s all just fantastically daft.