Scott Agnew: (Pride) In The Name Of Love

Scott Agnew is a man with a lot to say. He just seems very unsure how he wants to say it, and tonight ends up with a cross between a standup show and a sobering theatrical monologue.

In the course of his one-hour show, he brings in some powerful stories from his own life, compellingly told. In fact, much of (Pride) In The Name Of Love would work excellently as a short, powerful piece of autobiographical theatre. Agnew does an excellent job of uncovering the emotions to be found in places such as the tactless extremes of journalism and a particularly tragic relationship.

The problem is that, however powerful Agnew's stories, often they are almost devoid of humour, standing at odds with a show billed as standup comedy. That's not to say that Scott Agnew is not a funny man; there is a chunk of perhaps 25 minutes in the middle focusing on his experiences of Glasgow's gay scene that shows off his skills as a comic very well. He has a brilliant and distinctly Glaswegian line in creative insults that could hold an act together almost on its own, and more of this would make a great replacement for the limp Raoul Moat material that begins the show.

Scott Agnew has some powerful and memorable things to say on the subject of love and pride, and he is also a talented comic. The result here is two half-hour shows, both good but barely related, that are unlikely to satisfy the same audience.