Films are the best art form, declares Chris Thorburn, so he’s created a comedy show to evoke a trip to the movies. Thorburn studied film at university, then spent six years working at a cinema, “where you are essentially a glorified pick’n’mix bouncer”, so he’s earned his credentials as a “cineman”.
Part of Glasgow’s alternative comedy scene and a regular on BBC Radio’s Breaking the News, he has gained acclaim for his online sketches. There’s one about the awful moment you show someone a film that’s aged very badly (in this case, fictional noughties teen comedy Sex Times at Spring Break High) and his exploration of the six-syllable films that Deep Blue Something could have written about in place of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Both appear in his live show, sandwiched between sections of standup and other sketches that use song and screen to deliver their punchlines.
Thorburn doesn’t love Hollywood’s obsession with remakes and sequels. He gets mileage out of the ludicrousness of long-running franchises including Home Alone and The Fast and the Furious, and there’s a sweet sketch about Big Momma’s House. There are some slightly jarring tone shifts, where we jump from observations about, say, the internal logic of the Cars universe, to a paedophile joke or a smutty Toy Story reference that doesn’t feel well-developed enough to earn its place.
Thorburn is stronger when he’s more daring. A segment about separating the art from the artist, and a bit about the Israel-Palestine conflict through the lens of the Scream franchise, are far more interesting.
Elsewhere, there is fun in his imagined movie tie-in singles and upcoming releases. Both bits take up far too much space though, as the examples keep coming to diminishing returns.
Thorburn is a warm stage presence with an infectious love of cinema – anyone who is as passionate about film will get a lot out of the show. With tighter editing it could fulfil its promise.
At the Stand, Edinburgh, until 25 August
