Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

It must be terribly strange having spent nine years – from the age of 17 – playing a distinctive character on a well-known American sitcom. That was Eden Sher’s life until five years ago. On ABC’s The Middle, she inhabited the role of Sue Heck, a relentlessly positive but socially unsuccessful teenager.

Because of her age and commitment to the role, fundamental parts of herself became Sue, and vice-versa, and after a while she struggled to know who she really was – something that’s tough enough for most twentysomethings in the most normal of circumstances.

Friendly strangers would often recognise her, engaging in conversation with who they clearly believed to be Sue, the fictional character.

Although the blurb of I Was On a Sitcom says this is the thrust of the show, it’s mainly about a high-risk pregnancy – with twins – that Sher  endured two years ago. It was a harrowing experience, and no detail is spared as she uses strong storytelling (assisted by a lot of acting out, which feels, at times, like an enthusiastic drama school showcase when she should have put more trust in the writing) to bring it all to life.

Sher energetically takes us through the fears, challenges and frankly terrifying aspects of this journey of birthing her dangerously premature twins, as well as the emotional aftermath and practical realities. It’s vivid, involving and moving. But is it funny? In parts, yes, but it probably belongs in a section other than comedy, where I’d have felt comfortable giving it an additional star.

The concept and early development of twins both fraternal and identical proves a useful metaphor for the ostensible theme – that of Sher’s relationship with Sue Heck.

But true insight into the impact of appearing in 215 episodes of a sitcom before the age of 22 is frustratingly out of reach.

Review date: 24 Aug 2023
Reviewed by: Ashley Davies
Reviewed at: Gilded Balloon Teviot