Three decades into his career as a full-time comedian, Fred MacAuley has decided he’s a fan of summer tours.
The Perth-born stand-up’s latest show finds him extolling the twin joys of reaching pensionable age and becoming a first-time grandfather – milestones he reached in late 2021 and spring ’22 respectively.
He’s due to play sold-out gigs at the Byre Theatre in St Andrews tonight (July 7) and the Red Cap Comedy Club at Lower Largo’s Aurrie on July 22 as part of his What (Ever) Next? Again! odyssey – a reboot of Fred’s hit show from last year’s Edinburgh Festival.
Why is Fred not doing the Fringe?
“I decided to go out in the summer in 2022 because I knew I was only going to be doing half a Fringe,” he explains.
“Then I decided this year I wouldn’t do the Fringe at all, so it’s my own fault!
“The reason is, for so many years when I’ve toured it’s been in the autumn and there’s nothing more miserable than driving to Torquay on a Tuesday night in November.
“I don’t think at this stage in my career I can really fill places down south anyway, other than where there’s maybe a Radio Four heartland, so I just thought, let’s see if I can do 20 dates in Scotland in the summer and enjoy it.
“After 30 years I think I’m maybe done with the Fringe, so I’ll be doing another 20 venues next summer.”
Life as an OAP and grandparent
The Blairgowrie-raised funnyman is taking a close look at life as an OAP and grandparent – sardonically quipping that his state pension “just about covers” his electricity costs.
“I was speaking to a pal of mine and said I wanted to show him a picture of my grand-daughter,” MacAuley, 66, goes on.
“He said, ‘Woah, wait a minute, there’s something you need to know about photos of grandchildren.’ I said, ‘What’s that?’
“‘They’re like f**ts,’ he said. ‘You can just about stand your own, but put your phone away’ – the joy.”
Impact of lockdown
The other main subject the former Dundee University rector is reflecting on – hence the show’s title – is life as it was in lockdown.
“‘Whatever next?’ was just something we kept on saying to each other for two years,” adds Fred.
“In Scotland, the first time that we got lockdown announced it took about a month for all of my gigs to come out of the diary.
“By the time of the day the second lockdown was announced at the end of 2020, they came out in less than 24 hours.
“Everybody had cottoned on to just how drastic the measures were and there was no hanging about.
“Our First Minister said there was a ‘tsunami’ coming, which I thought was hyperbole at its worst.”
For his own part, the Greatest Hits Radio presenter admits his early post-restrictions gigs are filed away in the “very strange” category.
“Even just doing a 20-minute spot, I’d take notes on with me because you forget the rhythm of what you’re doing,” he muses.
“We all had a lot to say about Covid, so there was a lot of new material but also rusty edges as far as performance skills were concerned.
“It was really tricky, but the audiences were very forgiving and as delighted to be enjoying live comedy as we were to be gigging again.”
Taking aim at politicians
Now firmly back in his stride, Fred has a few familiar targets in his sights.
“Since I did this show last year, I’ve had people saying to me that I must have had some material about Liz Truss,” he chortles.
“I didn’t even get my pencil sharpened and she was away – I hadn’t written anything about her before she was been and gone.
“Boris Johnson, though, there’s just no shaming the man – and Trump as well.”
MacAuley delivers a swift anecdote to illustrate his point about the ex-US president.
“My wife had an unfortunate experience when a four-pint carton of milk fell off the back seat of her car and burst,” he recalls.
“I was speaking to one of the Wiseman brothers and asked, ‘What happens when you spill milk in your car…?’
“I didn’t even get my sentence finished and he said, (puts on a stern voice) ‘Sell it. You’ll never get rid of the smell.’
“And that’s what Trump’s like, he’s the bad smell that just never goes.”
How to get tickets
* What (Ever) Next? Again! ticket details are at fredmacaulay.com
