Karen Koren: Awsum autumn entertainment from Jonny

The Botanics Lights at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is only on for another week and is a not to be missed autumn evening out for all the family.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Nov 2016, 10:37 BST
Updated 16th Nov 2016, 15:22 BST
Jonny AwsumJonny Awsum
Jonny Awsum

The subject of the event is Exploration - exploring the world. The idea was taken from botanist George Forrest, who travelled in 1904 from the Botanics in Edinburgh to explore the world to discover plants.

This was the first of six expeditions around the world that made the difference to British gardens and scientific discoveries.

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Countries include the US, China, Chile, Nepal and the Tropics. The first stop walking around the Gardens is the Chinese Garden where there is a homage to Forrest, moving images projected on to sprayed water. It’s very clever and lasts a few minutes with a great ending, with oohs and aahs from the crowd.

Explore has been designed by leading Scottish lighting designer Grant Anderson working with composer Claire McKenzie and projection designer Ross Blair to create an all-new journey of light around the Garden, its well worth a visit and ends on Sunday.

Comedy is on the horizon this week, with Gilded Balloon presenting shows in Dunfermline, Glasgow and the Festival Theatre Studio in Edinburgh.

Jonny Awsum will headline with Felicity Ward and the 2014 finalist of The Gilded Balloon’s So You Think You’re Funny competition, Jim Smith.

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Croydon based Awsum is the guitar-playing comic rabble-rouser, blessed with gangly comic features and an old-fashioned, slightly surprised-looking face that radiates bonhomie and is irresistibly infectious.

He has risen from fresh-faced newbie to a highly sought-after headline act and TV warm-up in a very short space of time.

His endlessly entertaining sets of satirical songs and warm comedic musings will have Scottish audiences laughing, singing and maybe even on stage performing!

The support is the tremendously entertaining and charmingly funny Felicity Ward. The uplifting Aussie storyteller is an inspired clown, daft and enthusiastic with a nervy, quirky energy on stage and also in the line-up is Jim Smith, a Perthshire sheep and beef farmer turned talented comedian.

The shows will be compered by trusted compere Raymond Mearns. Comedy not to be missed.

n Karen Koren is artistic directgor of the Gilded Balloon

Related topics:Jim Smith