Tom Cairns steps onto a stage the way some people step into their favourite shoes, with a mix of comfort, confidence and a spark of mischief that tells you he is exactly where he is meant to be, and this Saturday he brings that familiar energy to Inverness Town House for a Christmas comedy night built by and for the Highlands.
Originally from the Cotswolds but now firmly rooted in Highland soil, Tom has become one of the region’s most loved performers, a storyteller whose quick wit, musical flourishes and gentle unpredictability have made him a favourite in rooms from Dingwall to Aberdeen.
There is something instantly likeable about him, a presence that blends warmth and sharpness, the rare combination that allows him to win over a room even as he teases it, reading faces and rhythms like a man tuning an old radio until everything lands just right.
He is also, as anyone who knows him will happily confirm, a complete science fiction geek, the kind of comedian who can explain how a lightsaber works with the same conviction he brings to explaining the behaviour of humans in a Highland Co-op queue.
Doctor Who references slip from him with the ease of a man who has spent years practising with a sonic screwdriver, and it is alleged, with suspicious regularity, that he is on first-name terms with Jeremy Clarkson, a rumour he neither confirms nor denies with a grin that suggests he enjoys the question more than the answer.
His affection for geek culture is part of what makes his comedy so inviting, because beneath the jokes is a man who loves stories, loves their shape and their mischief, and has made a home in the Highlands where audiences have embraced him not just as a performer but as a kind of honorary local with a talent for turning daily life into something brighter.
He has appeared at the Aberdeen Fringe Festival, supported acts across the country, hosted shows, headlined others, and in 2024 was crowned Inverness Comedian of the Year, a title that seemed less like a surprise and more like an acknowledgement of what audiences already knew.
His style is a blend of observational comedy, musical interludes and the soft self-deprecation of a man who finds humanity endlessly baffling and endlessly funny, and the result is a performance that feels as warm as it is sharp.
He returns to Inverness Town House on 6 December as part of the Rude and Good Christmas Special, joining Big Rab Mulheron, Stephen Clark, Matt Black and Joe Sweeney for a night that promises festive mayhem, proper Highland storytelling and the kind of laughter that feels earned rather than canned.
This is the sort of evening where Tom’s charm and quickfire wit become the glue that binds a room together, a reminder that comedy in the Highlands has its own rhythm and its own stars, and that he has become one of the names people here talk about with genuine fondness.
If you want to see a performer who can move from gentle ribbing to sci-fi nonsense to razor-sharp observation without missing a beat, Tom Cairns is the man to watch.
Rude & Good Christmas Special
Saturday 6 December
Inverness Town House
Doors 7.30pm
Tickets £15 + booking fee
Scan the QR code on the poster to book.
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