Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Alexandra Haddow’s sophomore show finds her dipping her toe into a few different comedic pools in a jack-of-all-trades approach that makes for a fun, casual evening but doesn’t do much to distinguish itself. 

The clearest divide here is between the political and the personal, as the opening half of this show presents Haddow as a satirical comedian, kicking off with an extended recorded intro; a party political broadcast for her own invented party in which she talks about punishing landlords, reducing train fares and ‘making Idris Elba Minister for Women’ etc. 

All of the standard East London leftie talking points are dutifully ticked off, although just to use that last one as an illustrative example, is there a more obvious comedic reference point for sexy man than Idris Elba?Almost any other choice might have said more about her as a personality, but Haddow is somewhat dedicated to the straight bat.

Kicking politics into the long grass, the second half of the show is dedicated to Haddow’s explorations of sex and drugs with her boyfriend. Previously a little sheltered, she’s been experimenting more in her 30s and has a couple of good stories to share about going to sex parties, and the difference hanging out at someone’s house in your 20s vs in your 30s. 

There’s less of the cookie cutter to this material, but I wish she’d go a little deeper – she’s professional to a fault, alighting on each topic just long enough for a serviceable zinger and then quickly moving on. Even with the sex party material, she affects a breezy distance, almost puritanical in its polite refusal to engage, and then gets the hell out of dodge.

She’s at her best when she has skin in the game. You get a little anger and self-righteousness out of her when she’s discussing 21Soho’s refusal to pay comics or Barclays’ role in financing Israel’s attacks on Palestine, and it shows a potential way forward for her voice. 

Not all comedy has to be deeply personal or startlingly original, but in the context of the world’s biggest arts festival, more is needed to stand out from the pack.

Review date: 20 Aug 2024
Reviewed by: Tim Harding