THE SHOW

Join Award-Winning Comic Sam Lake for his brand new special recording of his two critically acclaimed shows: Aspiring DILF & Esméralda

Fresh off a nationwide tour of his critically acclaimed show “Aspiring DILF” & an award nominated Edinburgh Fringe Run of his new show “Esméralda”. Sam is the host of the podcast "I’ve Had a Rosé, Let’s Talk About Feelings". As Seen on Dave’s The Comedy Guide to Life, All4’s The Joy of Missing Out, Breaking The News (BBC Scotland) & recently as tour support for Ed Gamble.

Esmeralda

Esméralda is a heartfelt and hilarious romp through ludicrous anecdotes from Sam’s childhood, growing up in Cornwall, visiting Disneyland and the difficulties caused by not speaking the same language as half of his family. Setting out to better understand his Spanish Mum and the choices she made, Sam examines the lessons he learnt from her, the advice she shared and the lasting influence of her powerful last words. Expect stories about Zumba, edibles and a dash of Español as Sam embraces his heritage (he’s finally trying to learn some Spanish) and dives into themes of personal destiny, family legacy and living up to other people’s expectations. 

Best Show Nominee | ISH Awards

Top 12 Stand-out Shows From Edinburgh Fringe | Rolling Stone

★★★★★ 'Pitch-perfect... Consistently and brilliantly hilarious from beginning to end' | Ed Fringe Review

★★★★★ 'Has the audience in his hands from the opening with his quick-witted humour... A must-see' | Theatre, Film & Arts Review

Aspiring DILF

With the rise of formerly beloved male celebs turning into “anti-woke”,” why aren’t men men anymore?” toxic commentators on low-quality news outlets and podcasts, Sam has become scared of the man he may become in the future. So, to combat this fragile masculinity, he’s embarking on a mission to ensure he becomes what he believes to be the last respectable form of a man, the Daddy. Join him on his journey to Daddy-dom, as he chats about Furbies, Butlins & scandalous interactions with a rugby team.

Best Reviewed Shows of 2023 | British Comedy Guide

★★★★ 'Absolutely bosses the crowd from the word go' | Chortle

★★★★ ‘A certified comic star’ | The Wee Review

TICKETS

Wednesday 12th March 2025

20:00 (120 mins plus interval)

£12

FURTHER INFO

Seating: Every ticket-holder gets a seat, so you can leave standing-up to our acts. 

Suitability: 16+ (Restriction). 

Warnings and Additional Info: N/A

Accessibility: Full accessibility information for all our venues can be found on our website. Alternatively, please contact our Box Office with any access questions.

Groups: Please contact our Box Office for alternative group size arrangements or group bookings of 7 or more. See Terms and Conditions for more information.

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY

Monkey Barrel Comedy has been ‘Scotland’s Best Comedy Venue’ since 2020 (Chortle Awards) and was described by The List as “a year-round Edinburgh institution”. It has over 500 5-star reviews on TripAdvisor, making it one of the city’s top-rated year-round attractions.

The club was home to both of 2022's Edinburgh Comedy Awards winners, Best Comedy Show 2023 and Best Comedy Show and Best Newcomer 2024. It has been described as the "Beating Heart" of the Fringe by The Telegraph and “the best comedy club in the world” by comedian Olga Koch. 

“What a comedy club you’ve got there, Edinburgh!” (Kevin Bridges)

“Down there at the Monkey Barrel, there's something in the water, AND I CAN'T STOP DRINKING IT!” (Sam Campbell)

"Fringe Heroes" (The Metro)

"Redefining what weekend comedy can and should be" (British Comedy Guide

5.0★★★★★ Trip Advisor | 4.7★★★★ Google | 4.5★★★★ Facebook 

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DRINKS & MORE

Our adjoining bar, Barrel Bar, is open from 3pm on Fridays, 1pm on Saturday and at least 1 hour before every show every other day. It serves a wide selection of drinks, including locally-sourced beers, cocktails, and spirits. 

Table service is available in the venue throughout the show, so you can get drinks delivered straight to your seat without missing a thing. Order via the QR codes positioned next to your seat. Not applicable for all shows.