Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Olga Koch claims to have only been recognised in public on two occasions, neither as a result of her television appearances. This will surely change...

On stage, she’s a force of nature, owning the room, standing on chairs, leading the singing at the start. And you’d better pay attention at an Olga Koch gig. You might at any point be pulled into conversation, or more likely, miss a key reference or line that only shows its importance 20 minutes later. 

Koch also owns her breakup trauma, making her a stronger person. This forms the narrative backbone of this show. Her bisexuality comes to the fore in the second half, with an extended routine about unintended consequences of seeking a threesome. The show’s title, Just Friends, has added meaning.

Cultural references come thick and fast, from Alanis and Mariah to Disney and Looney Tunes, via Notting Hill and a completely original interpretation of the MCU abbreviation. It’s a show that features Captain Tom, Dolly Parton and Nadine Dorries, almost in the same sentence. Koch embraces ‘ho culture’ and this becomes a running gag, with almost everyone and every situation fitting that description.

There’s a lot of sex in this show but not so much structure. It flies off in so many different directions that at times it feels out of control. At the end, Koch credits her director, Charlie Dinkin, who must take some credit for helping weave the disparate strands together and just about keeping it all on track. 

As the show progressed, it felt that Koch was trying to play a two-speed room, with pockets of the audience ahead of the joke and responding to everything, with others finding it harder to keep up with the pace. Unlike her pop culture idols, her break-up experience might not have led to great art, but it’s an arresting enough hour – if you can keep up. 

• Olga Koch: Just Friends is on at Monkey Barrel Comedy at 7.35pm

Review date: 22 Aug 2022
Reviewed by: Matt Carwardine-Palmer
Reviewed at: Monkey Barrel Comedy Club