Sean Kelly is doing two shows in Edinburgh this year, a stand-up show and a chat show. This may take some people by surprise, as they probably only know him as the fast-talking auctioneer from Storage Hunters. Kelly, however, has talents beyond selling people's old tat…. although that is partly what happens here!
Every day, Kelly has a group of high profile performers come on, and they talk about their shows, shared experiences, and anything else that happens to come up, before then auctioning their stuff for Help the Heroes.
On the day I reviewed, the guests were JoJo Bellini, John Hastings and Zultan Kaszas. Hastings sold his old phone case, Zultan a golden plate (with an elaborate back story I'm certain wasn't true) and JoJo sold the choice of either her spare pair of tights, or for someone to cut off the pair she was wearing. Kelly sold off one of his painting 'masterpieces'.
The audience then got to win prizes of their own with a White Elephant Gift Exchange. A trivia quiz saw members of the audience come up on stage, and pick a random prize out of a bag, and then the next correct answer let someone else either choose another bag, or take the prize you've already won.
I couldn't decide at the time - and still haven't - whether or not Kelly makes a good chat show host. While you could see he was having a good time and gelling well with the guests, he seemed a little bit awkward, and he talked a little bit too long before getting to a question. Yet, when the questions were asked, they were often pertinent, and gave the guest space to really open up.
What I could decide quickly was how genuine he was as a person, and how funny he could be when he got into the swing. Kelly comes across as incredibly warm and inviting, and I'd loved to have seen his other show: Sold Your Way!
Come to this show with money in your pocket. The charity raffle is all going to a great cause, and with Kelly being a wounded veteran himself, you know that this is a cause near and dear to his heart.
For tickets and more information visit the Ed Fringe website.
To find out more about Help the Heroes, visit their website.
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