Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

It’s often assumed – and not without evidence – that comedy award judges favour high-concept shows with big themes over the purely funny. But Josh Pugh’s inclusion on the shortlist for Dave’s Edinburgh Comedy Award this year demonstrates that this isn’t always the case.

Certainly there are some recurring ideas and personal stories in the ridiculously titled Sausage, Egg, Josh Pugh, Chips and Beans. However, they are never used for philosophising or pathos, merely as the basis for stories and gags with an enviable frequency of inventively silly punchlines.
 
The stupidity of men is one such strand, with his own behaviour as an incompetent husband and human providing many examples. Him accidentally grooming a Serbian teenager – in which the comic emerges as the hapless victim – is a specially fine routine. There’s also a joyously accurate description of how British dads behave abroad, forever afraid of being taken for a mug. Meanwhile, his own father not connecting with his anger hints at toxic masculinity, but dumb masculinity is much more likely to be the West Midlander's focus. 

Pugh and his wife’s five-year attempt to become parents adds something of an emotional narrative – and the basis of the heartwarming conclusion – but any struggles are lightly played. Likewise, his ADHD is quickly dispatched with a strong joke about its diagnosis, and his visually impairment is raised primarily to explain how useless he was at his Royal Mail job. For Pugh is always the punchline of his own joke – at least metaphorically, for he’s not short of real payoffs. Even his bucket speech includes a smart, funny callback.

He portrays himself as a mild-mannered beta male, eager to blend in, unthreateningly affable and prone to being a bit useless. Ironic, then, that this hugely entertaining show makes him stand apart for being far from useless when it comes to writing smartly silly jokes.

Review date: 29 Aug 2022
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Monkey Barrel Comedy Club