@ Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh, until Mon 31 Aug (not 19) @ 17:15
Although she performs solo, Abigoliah Schamaun’s set is punctuated with lines by other people. These give the show its name, Post-Coital Confessions, and are the results of Abigoliah’s inquiry into the weirdest things people have had said to them after sex. Although recorded by actors, the lines are from real people, and provide much of the humour as Abigoliah compares the post-coital bed to a confession booth.
While frequently returning to the topic of sex, the show often strays away from its premise: Abigoliah moves from discussing the impact of Royals on marathons to, for example, asserting the perfection of the ending of The Princess Diaries. Most of her anecdotes are as bright as her outfit—neon leggings and a doughnut-print T-shirt—but a couple of jokes about British accents and Fifty Shades of Grey risk pulling the show into slightly tired territory.
As well as Post-Coital Confessions, Abigoliah is also performing in a children’s show, Kids Do Forth on the Fringe; her enthusiastic and confrontational stand-up style seems perfect for this. Her heckling of a group who attempt to sit at the back is amusing, as is her teasing of a front-row couple. This early in the Fringe, the audience are too shy to respond to her inquiry about the weirdest things they have heard after sex, but hopefully this decorum will soon disappear. The show is at its strongest when it sticks with its novel topic; Abigoliah’s hilarious (and relatable) tirade on the horror of hearing ‘are you staying the night?’ is a highlight.