As his 2025/26 tour ‘Wait ‘Til You See My Entrance!’ rolls across Scotland, the ‘kilty pleasure’ talks about his 26-year evolution, why Shirley Bassey is a hero, and which Scottish venue holds “a little piece of magic.”
“I think when you’re a comedian, there’s nothing like the feeling of getting out there and doing it live on tour.”
After 26 years in the game, Craig Hill knows that feeling better than most. “It absolutely keeps you on your toes and reminds you why you do it in the first place,” he says. The “kilty pleasure” is currently bringing his signature blend of sequinned jackets, camp anthems, and “light sabre brollies” across the country on his massive new Scottish tour, ‘Wait ‘Til You See My Entrance!’.
The show, which celebrated his 26th year at the Edinburgh Fringe, is a full-throttle, two-hour version of his festival hit, promising a “huge big dollop of Barbra Streisand” and the comedian’s trademark improvisational chaos.
After 26 years in the game, Craig Hill knows that feeling better than most. “It absolutely keeps you on your toes and reminds you why you do it in the first place…”
From Paisley Police to Rude Singalongs
For those unfamiliar with Hill’s particular brand of “glorious, camp, comedy magic,” the new show promises a high-energy mix of juicy gossip, re-imagined childhood songs, and, of course, a spectacular finale.
“I’m more than a little bit excited to bring my latest show… on tour all over Scotland,” Hill says.
He promises a wild ride for audiences, teasing the show’s content: “Take Shirley Bassey reinterpreting the songs you learned as a kid, add juicy stories about the Paisley Police gatecrashing a gig, a chorus of 600 South Africans in Capetown joining me in one big helluva rude singalong and a big finale about that time one of your holidays goes completely tits up and you’ve got some hot gossip! Cannae wait!”
The show’s title is another entry in his long-running catalogue of saucy show names. When asked where it ranks, Hill places it “sandwiched in between my favourite ‘Why Don’t You Come Down The Front?’ and ‘This Gets Harder Every Year!’”
Where to See Craig Hill’s ‘Entrance’
The ‘Wait ‘Til You See My Entrance!’ tour is currently underway. Upcoming Scottish dates for 2025 and 2026 include:
PEEBLES: Eastgate Theatre (Sat 29th Nov 2025)
INVERNESS: Eden Court (Sat 24th Jan 2026)
STIRLING: MacRobert Arts Centre (Sat 31st Jan 2026)
LIVINGSTON: Howden Park Centre (Fri 6th + Sat 7th Feb 2026)
DUNDEE: Dundee Rep (Fri 13th Feb 2026)
KIRKCALDY: Adam Smith Theatre (Sat 14th Feb 2026)
MUSSELBURGH: Loretto School (Fri 20th Feb 2026)
GLASGOW: Oran Mor (Fri 13th + Sat 14th Mar 2026)
HADDINGTON: Brunton at Corn Exchange (Sat 29th May 2026)
Tickets for all shows are on sale now.
A Favourite? ‘There is a little piece of magic’
While the tour hits venues from Aberdeen to Haddington, a true journalist always asks the forbidden question: is there a favourite?
“Dundee Rep!” Hill admits without hesitation. “It is mainly about that venue. There is a little piece of magic in that venue that just works beautifully. Obviously the people of Dundee are an absolute riot to banter with but there is something special about the design of that theatre that makes everything funnier and more exciting. I really really look forward to playing there.”
The Craft: ‘Something Funny Happens Every Day’
That enthusiasm for the road is matched by his passion for the craft itself. For Hill, the well of new material never runs dry.
“I honestly think something funny happens every single day, if you stop and observe it,” he says. “I would say I actually enjoy writing and putting together a show now, more than ever. I really like the whole process of taking little funny observations and turning them into actual material, then trying them out in front of an audience. It’s challenging and creative, but that’s what’s great about it.”
The Thrill of the Unknown
This passion for the process fuels the performance. Hill is candid about the challenge—and the joy—of taking a Fringe show on the road. The biggest task? Expanding a tight festival hour into a full-length, two-hour performance. But for him, that’s “a good challenge.”
It “really gives you the first half to get to know the audiences in each city,” he explains. “I think the audience seem to appreciate that interaction and personalised comedy just about them and where they live, too.”
That level of improvisation wasn’t always part of his act. Hill’s show has evolved significantly since he was first hooked at an open-mic spot at The Gilded Balloon in 1998.
“When I started, I just sang and did musical parodies to get myself on stage,” he recalls. “Then I started telling stories and anecdotes that had made me and my friends laugh. Then eventually I worked up the courage to improvise and that’s when it became much more fun! That was almost 7 years in before I actually really started playing with an audience.”
It “really gives you the first half to get to know the audiences in each city,” he explains. “I think the audience seem to appreciate that interaction and personalised comedy just about them and where they live, too.”
From Parody to ‘Cabaret’
Today, Hill sees his performance as a fusion of all these skills: “Dancing, singing, storytelling, and improvising with what you get from the audience. I suppose in a way, it’s almost become a little bit like a cabaret show.”
It’s a style heavily influenced by his heroes, including the aforementioned Shirley Bassey. “I’m a fan and I’ve always admired her amazing voice,” he says, “but the thing that really appeals to me, is her style of performance. It’s so, kind of brilliantly over the top and camp, that it’s hugely entertaining.”
It’s a description that could just as easily be applied to Hill himself. And after 26 years, it’s that sense of live, unpredictable entertainment that still drives him. For Hill, the appeal is simple: “It’s exhilarating and you don’t know who’s gonna be in the audience every single night so it’s fun flying by the seat of your pants!”
Featured Image: Craig Hill – Photo by Steve Ullathorne
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