Sheridan: Socialist, Politician, Celebrity . . . Chat Show Host? The Arts: The Festivals the Arts: The Festivals Glasgow's Most Famous Leftie Takes On the Capital

Summary

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VIEWED from the fifth row, on the opening night of this year's Edinburgh Fringe, Tommy Sheridan's live chat show does not seem entirely a failure. There are some empty seats, but enough people have come to hear Sheridan speak, and enough of them are laughing at his bad jokes, that there is at least a convivial atmosphere. A student union debating hall makes a fine venue for a born orator, and his personalised brand of socialism - a Glaswegian combination of militancy and the banter - remains popular enough to draw a disproportionate number of audience members over to the capital from Scotland's bigger second city.

Edinburgh has always had problems attracting weegie neighbours to see festival shows in August, so Sheridan's might already be considered a success on that criterion. "I'm glad to see you've all got a seat, " he says. "That's more than I f***ing got at the last election." This is representative of the self-deprecation to follow, delivered from a stage decorated on one side with a glowing sunbed panel and on the other with tabloid sandwich boards, repeating headlines from last year. "Sex-Mad Tommy". "Tommy Snorted Cocaine". "Tommy Drops His Briefs".

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Sheridan: Socialist, Politician, Celebrity . . . Chat Show Host? The Arts: The Festivals the Arts: The Festivals Glasgow's Most Famous Leftie Takes On the Capital

If any of those allegations had been proven in the courtroom, a few hundred yards from here, where Sheridan's libel case against the News Of The World ended one year ago to the day, he would not now be inviting us to laugh either at or with him. If that newspaper had yet paid him the GBP200,000 he was awarded in costs and damages (an appeal against what it calls a "perverse" decision will come...

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