First Night: Ricky Gervais: Fame, Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh

The King of Comedy hangs on to his throne... but for how long?

The recent backlash against Ricky Gervais started in time to mute the metaphorical fanfare that announced this "super gig" at the 8,000-seater Edinburgh Castle stadium. The tide of opinion, represented by numerous articles asking whether Gervais was funny any more, turned mostly thanks to a non-descript performance at the Concert For Diana in July, but to be fair this was never going to be the easiest occasion to let rip.

The actual fanfare for last night was provided by a military bagpipe band and what followed was a cheeky riposte to criticisms that the gig was too expensive at £37.50 (although a percentage of proceeds go to charity), money that could have been used to see the majority of acts on the if.comedy shortlist for example - assuming that they had not sold out already.

Arriving on stage as the self-proclaimed King of Comedy, dressed in a crown and robe, fireworks went off at either side of him while his backdrop was his first name in lights. That's not to mention the over-sized statue of an Emmy award sharing the stage. Quite preposterous and quite hilarious too: "It's not as much as you think because I had to pay for the fucking castle!"

What followed was perhaps less spectacular but perfectly solid and enjoyable stand up. Fame now does more what it says on the tin to when it started but some of the most enjoyable elements are off-subject, such as his intolerance at the idea of obesity being a disease and belief that if aircraft seats catered for the obese "we'd only get 12 seats to a plane". He never loses sight of the celebs though and describes Johnny Vegas as his "canary down the mine" in terms of what physical activity and foodstuffs remain safe.

Routines on rape adverts and Aids (he imagines a musical consolation card from Clinton to the tune of Daniel Petwer's "Bad Day" but running :"You've had a bad gay") are apologetic and coy in their bad taste. Returning again to mesh celebrity and the grotesque, Gervais debunks the old chestnut of Richard Gere and his penchant for hamsters, a well-worn comedy route of yesteryear and one that doesn't merit the time spent on it. However, the next routine about a more recent urban myth concerning Marc Almond has a lovely pay-off about randy sailors getting excited about seeing Soft Cell.

Despite a backlash in full swing, fuelled by Gervais' ebullience (his poster on Princes Street reads: Ricky Gervais At Edinburgh Castle Is Sold Out - What A Pointless Billboard), the comic is not sweating it, which can only make his detractors even more peeved. Declaring himself the "King of Comedy" at the start will make some wonder if he has lost sight of the irony he peddles. It's doubtful this is the case but the Fringe this year has proved that, where stand up is concerned, there are comics, younger but more experienced than Gervais, that are pretenders to the stadium comic throne.

* The Australian comic Brendon Burns has won this year's Intelligent Finance Comedy Award and a cheque for £8,000 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for So I Suppose This Is Offensive Now. The show was described as "edgy and dangerous" by the award's director Nica Burns. The new Panel prize, which celebrates those who capture the spirit of the festival, went to the London comedian Arthur Smith.