A recording of the BBC Scotland comedy news programme as part of the Fringe. If you've not heard it before it follows a familiar format with a resident host asking four guest celebrities questions related to the news from the previous seven days. BtN chair is Des Clarke, and potential guests are generously plentiful in Edinburgh in August. For this recording there was series regular Stuart Mitchell, with comedians Jena Friedman and Ed Byrne, and novelist Val McDermid.
After Clarke reads out some joke headlines the rounds of questions begin. In the first two news stories are mashed up into one soundstream and panelists have to unpick them. Round two features voices to be identified and what the stories are about them, followed by some members of the public talking about a story which has to be identified. There's a quickfire round at the end.
Brexshit, inevitably, had to get it's ugly face in, along with Scottish exam results, Trump, non disclosure agreements, plastics clogging up the oceans, independence for Scotland and other subjects. Mitchell showed his experience of the format, with a series of smart one liners and impressive knowledge of what's in the news. Byrne was frequently very funny and had a good fund of stories. McDermid was very impressive, often as funny as the comics and the most erudite in her opinions and knowledge. It was hard not to feel a bit sorry for Friedman, and American not wholly familiar with the subtext of many of the stories and conscious that she wasn't firing on all cylinders. Mitchell, admirably, seemed almost protective in helping her out.
It was funny, the time passed quickly, and it was clear that, with a bit of editing, there was the makings of a good radio show in there. Always interesting to see the reality behind the final product.
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