Having your first hour-show at the Edinburgh Fringe is the gold ring for many new comics looking to make a sharp comedically suited-and-booted first impression. It’s where you tell your story, display your uniqueness, and display all of your best jokes for inspection. Here are our pick of this year’s newcomers.
Pairing the high with the low brow to create something completely different and delightful is Shitty Mozart at the Gilded Balloon, aka Aaron Nemo, writer for The Late Show, Comedy Central and songwriter for Adam Sandler. The premise is simple: they tried to clone Mozart but something went wrong, so we are left with Nemo, battling with a collection of musical gadgets he invented himself, along with some homemade cartoons and lasers. Sounds nuts and promises a fun hour.
Another new face with a tale to share is American Anna Akana, whose show Anna Akana: It Gets Darker at the Pleasance, sees her re embracing comedy after a hiatus due to her experience with a stalker. Add to that her sister’s suicide and her father’s guilt manifesting in a very military way and things get very dark indeed. Luckily she’s a safe pair of comedy-writing hands, able to dive deep, to mine a remarkable and unique story.
Hannah Platt’s Hannah Platt: Defence Mechanism, also at the Pleasance, sounds very intriguing, as she lays bare the juxtaposition between self-help and her northern roots, with positive affirmations not always cutting the mustard to deal with body dysmorphia. Thankfully her family is on board to support, leading Platt to explore how we could all do with a bit of help unpacking our defence mechanisms.
Alfie Packham has jokes, and lots of them – hence his show title Alfie Packham: My Gift To You at Underbelly. Having made an impact on the competition circuit with the BBC New Comedy Awards and Komedia New Comedy Awards, he is bringing his super sharp shooter storytelling skills together for his debut at Underbelly.
Rapidly rising star Jack Skipper brings his debut hour Jack Skipper: Skint to the Pleasance, after appearing at Soho Theatre in London and providing tour support for Russell Kane and Suzi Ruffell. Here he tells his journey from full time carpet-fitter with no qualifications to full-time comedian with no qualifications. It’s a Comic Cinderella tale with a TikTok fairy godmother.
Totally relatable, Alexis Gay: Unprofessional at Underbelly, mines her experience working at a tech start-up. (Gay also hosts a respected tech podcast ‘Non-Technical’). The juxtaposition between her hyper perfectionism and the company’s laughable unprofessionalism creates an utterly recognisable horror story for many, and a cautionary tale for others.
The curse to “live in interesting times” certainly seems to have landed hard with Vlad Ilich, award-winning Macedonian comedian, childhood chess player, and current UK immigrant. Bringing the personal perspective to larger international events, Vlad Ilich: Vladislav, Baby Don’t Hurt Me at the Pleasance, is not only a cracking pun but also a tender autobiographical show.
Helping your child through puberty is a tricky balancing act, and when your son is autistic – as is the case for comic Josephine Lacey – all kinds of visual aids and balloons come into play. Navigating this journey, there are hits and misses on both sides, turbulent times, and a whole heap of discovery, bringing fresh eyes to the emotional and physical mess, Josephine Lacey: Autism Mama at the Pleasance, is a show that will hug your heart.
Touring musician with a quick wit and an eye for social commentary, Chris Tavener is making his comedy debut Chris Tavener is Faking Cool at the Space with a set list of songs covering travel influencers, coffee drinking, life coaching, and the end of the world, amongst other things – heckled throughout by his own acerbic intrusive thoughts. Rock music with a kick to the ego as well as the id.
18:10 theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall – Theatre 3
US comic Kyle Ayers brings his dark, cathartic show Kyle Ayers presents: Hard To Say to Just The Tonic, where he connects with audiences in a shared experience pairing laughter with resilience. Battling with the brain disease Trigeminal Neuralgia, Ayers’ unique perspective emerges fighting fit with jokes and compassion.
For some fabulous escapism Michael Kunze: Infinity Mirror sends up stardom with aplomb. Kunze, who is at Underbelly, takes the role of would be Hollywood star Mitch Koony in a show filled to the gills with make believe celebrity gossip, ambition, sacrifice, and the hope of that big comeback on the horizon.
Finally, for a gentle, surreal, and enjoyable hour check out BBC New Comedy finalist Jin Hao Li in Jin Hao Li: Swimming In A Submarine at Pleasance Courtyard. Born in China, raised in Singapore, and getting his education in Scotland, he sets out his whimsical life story so far, involving national Singaporean conscription, an uneasy confrontation with a seagull, and lost childhood innocence. All with the aim to leave his audience revisiting childhood wonder by the end. A worthy comedy ambition.
