Of kilts and Kylie

Scottish comedian Craig Hill will perform his latest puntastic show, Why Don’t You Come Down The Front?, at the Sydney Comedy Festival in mid-April.

The show deals with the funnyman’s travels around the globe in recent years, from playing a Scottish festival in Kuala Lumpur to hosting a comedy festival at the World Cup.

But enough about content, let’s talk style. Judging by his latest publicity picture, it would seem Hill’s traded in the leather kilt of days gone by for a fetching colourful number.

“Now, even I think a pink kilt is on the wrong side of poofy,” he admitted to the Star Observer.

“But it’s brushed satin, and my favourite thing about it is that it moves just beautifully. It’s a joy to wear.”

With Why Don’t You Come Down The Front? (“It took four years to persuade my agent to let me use that title,” he cackled) arriving in Sydney almost a year after its Edinburgh debut, one would assume Sydneysiders will be treated to a thoroughly polished night of comedy.

“One would hope! My problem is always actually getting around to the material. I like to chat to the audience, and once that starts I can get off track.

“I always think, go with what’s funny, and if you find a diamond in the audience, go with it.”

As the title suggests, audience members sitting within reach should expect to become part of the act. With UK audiences getting accustomed to Hill’s interactive style, some now come ready to steal the spotlight.

“I had a woman in the audience the other day who turned up with a backing CD and a cowboy hat and announced she’d like to do a duet with me. I told her I normally leave things like that to chance, I don’t plan it. But then she announced, ‘I’ve bought you a watch!’

“And I have a rule in life — you can’t knock back anyone who’s bought you a watch. She was one slice short of a loaf, God love ’er.”

While Sydney audiences might not see such musical hijinks, Hill announced he did have a few tricks up his kilt for his Down Under shows.

“I’ve added a new finale for my show in the last few weeks which is going down very well. I can’t give it away, but it involves your world and my world colliding in the most beautiful way. There’s Kylie Minogue and highland dancing — but I can’t say any more!”

Hill will also bring a new sporran to Australia, a kilt accessory that he explained was far more than merely decorative.

“Without a sporran — how do I put this? — there’s an unsightly bulge for a kilt-wearer. Now, in the gay world, we consider a bulge a blessing, but it would be very distracting if I stood on stage for an hour and all you could see was something promising.

“Would you focus on comedy? I don’t think I would.”

info: Craig Hill plays the Factory Theatre from April 13 – 16. Visit www.sydneycomedyfest.com.au