Sid Ozalid Returns to Aberdeen with Socks, Rhymes and Nonsense
A surreal, family-friendly show shaped by recovery and decades of performance.
When Sid Ozalid stepped onto the stage at Aberdeen Arts Centre as a teenager in the 70s, it kicked off a performing career that’s taken him everywhere from punk gigs to poetry slams. Now in his sixties and recovering from a traumatic brain injury, he’s just returned from a five-star run at the Edinburgh Fringe. On Friday 29 August, he brings his latest show back to where it all started.
Sid will perform 1 Very Silly Old Man With Magical Rhymes in support of the Save Aberdeen Arts Centre campaign. It’s a personal return. He was once a member of Aberdeen Children’s Theatre, where he first experimented with nonsense verse, physical comedy, and surreal energy that now define his act. This time, he’s throwing in magic, mentalism, and a few sock-based surprises.
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Rebuilding through rhyme and nonsense
Sid became a cult figure in the late 70s and early 80s alternative scene, performing as the “One-Legged Tap-Dancing Poet” and opening for bands like The Clash and The Specials. But the version of his act you’ll see now came much later, shaped during recovery from a serious brain injury.
He returned to Scotland in 2019 to continue rehab and started testing out new material in schools, spoken word nights, cabaret evenings and open mics. The rhymes were sillier, the dancing more awkward, and a new thread of magical showmanship crept in. Audiences loved this new version of Sid.
“I was a bit slow getting it organised after a health scare in January, but once I got the green light, I’ve had a great time,” Sid said. “After giving my brain a good old bashing, my sixth sense really kicked in.”
A full-circle moment for a local performer
Sid’s shows have sold out across UK festivals, including the Glasgow Comedy Festival, Brighton Fringe and Belladrum. He also won Best Family Show at Aberdeen’s Fringe Festival and was a finalist in the Scottish Poetry Slam Championships.
He’s someone who knows what the Arts Centre means. Not in cultural slogans, but through lived experience that began in youth theatre and has stretched across decades, continents and comebacks.
“The Arts Centre and Children’s Theatre gave me so much,” he said. “It’s important to keep that going for future generations in Aberdeen.”
Sid’s shows balance silliness with sincerity. They’re chaotic, daft and family-friendly, but you can tell they come from somewhere real. His recent health struggles aren’t centre stage, but they shape the energy. The show starts at 7pm on Friday 29 August at Aberdeen Arts Centre. Tickets are available now from Aberdeen Arts Centre. Don’t forget to bring your favourite sock!
