Little Lark of London

“What if Lizzo was a wee Scottish guy?”

Stuart McPherson: Love That For Me gives McPherson the opportunity to share a bit about his life with audiences, mainly focusing on how a comedian he had been dating for five years left him for an older, more famous comedian. But, as he says at the beginning of the show, “I don’t want any sympathy tonight.” McPherson is telling these stories for laughs, not for the audience aww’ing to his heartbreak. And have no fear – there are certainly plenty of laughs to be had in this hour-long comedy. 

For those who missed McPherson’s show in 2022, we are caught up through a quick recap of the last show on what has been going on in his life, as Love That For Me is an examination of the past year (or the year when it was written, as this show was at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023). We are introduced to McPherson’s family, including his dad who has a deep love for Minesweeper and a tendency to hide his emotions, as proven in a brilliant story about Takeshi’s Castle.

McPherson has some truly fantastic comedic timing and a strong stage presence while still being vulnerable and discussing topics like therapy and loneliness without letting the sadder aspects overshadow the funny parts. This is proven through his section on the World Snooker Championships and how they have adapted to focusing on the importance of men’s mental health, leading to a hilarious reenactment of a moment that McPherson observed while watching the game on television. 

There are several relatable concepts that McPherson brings up that had the audience nodding along with him. He admits that he is “very needy” and a hopeless romantic, two things that make it difficult for him on dating apps, something I’m sure that many people can relate to. There is also a bit on dating yourself, which McPherson considers to simply be “rebranding loneliness,” explaining his reasoning through a solo trip to the cinema. One moment that I particularly related to was one in which he discussed bringing an American girl to a pub quiz and saying that she didn’t understand what was going on. I have to agree with her, as I didn’t understand a word of what McPherson was talking about during this segment!

Throughout the show, there are a few moments in which McPherson will read out things from a list with muzak playing in the background. These ended up being some of my fabourite parts of the show, particularly the recap of what has happened since he first wrote this show and the weird parts of his breakup. There is also one bit about all of the different sex he had while on the road, which is quite amusing as well!

Ultimately, Stuart McPherson: Love That For Me is a great hour of comedy with an unexpectedly sweet ending. I look forward to seeing what comes next with his upcoming show, HORSE!

Stuart McPherson: Love That For Me ran on 1 and 2 July at Soho Theatre. His next show, HORSE, will be performed at the Edinburgh Fringe 2024. More information on McPherson can be found here.