EDINBURGH 2026: Review: TOM CASHMAN: NPC (Nearly Proficient Comedian), Monkey Barrel Comedy

"I do more jokes than any other comedian; I am that fast.” He’s not lying. 

For those who only know Tom Cashman as the meek assistant of the Australian Taskmaster, the bundle of energy that explodes onto the stage at Monkey Barrel may take you by surprise. His mind and mouth run at a million miles an hour and yet he still has time to be fastidious with his PowerPoint presentations. 

Nearly Proficient Comedian is a show designed to help Tom’s audiences become more confident, and it’s clear he’s taken this task seriously. There are graphs, equations, idioms re-written as code - this is some nerdy comedy. In fact after an interesting encounter with a barber on his first day in Edinburgh, Tom admits to three and a half hours worth of investigative work on said barber and creating accompanying slides for us. But fear not, NPC isn’t a dry lecture, it's a joyous whirlwind of stories and anecdotes that will have you weeping with laughter. 

Tom recounts tales from his teenage years and the early days of his comedy career. He has clearly experienced quite a few embarrassing moments in his life, but Tom just picks himself up, quite literally in some cases, and shares the hilarity with the room. He’s also found himself in more sinister situations, but he’ll still have you laughing about it. 

I  also have to give a particular shout-out to, presumably, the tech team who during the course of the gig edit Tom’s intricate slide deck to include fresh callbacks from that day's show. It is completely seamless on stage, and I’m mostly sure it's new every time. 

Tom Cashman is effortlessly likeable and his sunny personality shines on stage. Watching his stand-up can only make you feel brighter, and more confident. 

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