Kevin Bridges Brings His Sharp Scottish Humor to North America with His First-Ever Coast-to-Coast Tour
Scottish comedian Kevin Bridges, one of the UK’s biggest stand-up stars, is officially bringing his acclaimed wit and storytelling to North America for the very first time. After two decades of selling out massive arenas across the UK and performing to packed theatres throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East, Bridges has launched a long-awaited North American theatre tour that kicked off in Canada in September and runs through November across the United States.
Bridges, known for his five hit stand-up specials, is taking the same grounded, observational humor that made him a household name in Britain to new audiences overseas. He’ll perform at major venues from coast to coast, including a stop at The Agora in Cleveland on Tuesday, November 11, as part of a packed U.S. schedule that runs into late fall.
Over his 20-year career, Bridges has built a reputation for being both brutally funny and deeply relatable. He started performing in Glasgow in the early 2000s, when the local comedy scene was still small and gritty. “When I started, there was one proper comedy club in Glasgow and loads of pubs running gigs in their basements or attics,” he recalled in a recent interview. He admitted that those ‘rougher gigs’ — from pubs and clubs to even a prison — helped him sharpen his craft. “Once you’ve performed to convicted criminals or drunk angry pensioners,” he said, “playing for people who actually paid to see you is an honor.”
Bridges’ humor has often been described as self-deprecating, honest, and unpretentious, the hallmarks of what he calls “Scottish humor.” He believes there’s no such thing as comedy with a postcode, but notes that Scottish jokes often come with “zero pretence, lots of charm, and plenty of strong language.”
When asked about his influences, Bridges credits Billy Connolly and Richard Pryor for shaping his fearless, storytelling-driven approach. Both, he says, “were unapologetically themselves and pushed boundaries when there were real boundaries to push.”
With five successful specials behind him, Bridges tried something new for his latest, The Overdue Catch-Up, which he filmed in a smaller, more intimate venue instead of his usual 10,000-seat arenas. “It let me tell longer stories and try something different,” he explained, adding with a laugh that his next one will probably be “in a big bastard again.”
He also pokes fun at social media in the special, joking that he doesn’t get Instagram — though he admits the platform helped him grow a global audience. “It’s a pretty grim app,” he quipped, “a hive of narcissism and misinformation packaged in fake tan and filters.” But he admits that without it, he might not be touring the U.S. today. His Instagram handle, by the way, is @kevinbridgescomedian.
Bridges has written two books: his 2015 autobiography We Need To Talk About Kevin Bridges, and his 2022 debut novel The Black Dog, which explores themes of mental health and everyday life.
As for his trademark Scottish accent, Bridges isn’t planning to tone it down for American audiences. “I’ll try to be clear, but my accent is my accent,” he said. “There’s about eight hours of my stand-up online, so take a quick course before the show and we’ll all be fine.”
When asked what he knows about Cleveland, he laughed: “The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and basketball! I started watching the NBA during lockdown and love it. Also, surely it’s time to get Oasis in the Hall of Fame!”
Bridges says performing in new places keeps him energized: “It’s exciting and fresh. It’s a good time to be a comedian from abroad in the USA — the place is nuts, even by your own high standards — so hopefully we can all take a night off and have a laugh about it.”
For full tour details and ticket information, visit kevinbridges.co.uk.
