Review: ROSCO MCCLELLAND: Sudden Death, Oran Mor
Part of the 2025 Glasgow International Comedy Festival
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You'd be hard pushed to find a better atmosphere at the festival on a Sunday night than in the basement of the Oran Mor when Rosco McClelland is performing his show hours after winning the Billy Connolly Spirit Of Glasgow Award. Holding his trophy aloft as he walks onstage- its a pretty special evening.
Rosco McClelland is a Glaswegian comedian who is incredibly comfortable on stage. His delivery is informal and you could be forgiven for thinking that this is just a casual chat but the pacing of the show has been well thought out.
When Rosco was a child, he was diagnosed with long QT syndrome. A heart condition that is also known as "sudden death". He shrugs it off as not a big deal and there are a lot of laughs to be had. McClelland is a master at building and breaking tension with this show.
Bouncing between childhood anecdotes and a story about being worried a childhood friend would ruin his comedy taping, McClelland is great at getting the big laughs. Lesser comedians would struggle to strike the delicate balance between the lighthearted stuff and the more serious parts of this story.
There's no question that Rosco McClelland is indeed the Spirit of Glasgow and an extremely skilled comedian.
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