Comedy Tonight
They had asked me to be the Simon Cowell figure on the feedback panel, but I'm just too nice a person. Honestly. Well I am compared to my fellow panelist Raymond Mearns. He tells it like it is. Oh boy.
Tonight in the viewing theatre at Pacific Quay, seven would-be comedians had been selected to perform a three minute routine. They had spent the last few weeks attending our comedy workshops where producer Margaret-Anne Docherty had been helping them hone their material and their performance skills.
Tonight's finale wasn't exactly a competition - there were no winners or losers - it was just a chance to perform in front of an audience and get some constructive criticism.
Also on the panel was Jackie Bird. She writes comedy and is a seasoned after-dinner speaker. Raymond was the only one of us who has actually performed in Glasgow's late-night comedy clubs and he seemed to have the mental scars to prove it.
I was impressed by the sheer confidence shown by every performer. A couple were still in their teens. Most of the material was original but there was a tendency towards graphic sexual descriptions and, in some cases, actions.
I think I may have told one of them that they should have their mouth washed out with carbolic soap, which proves how old I'm getting.
To read comments on this post, click here