Ivo Graham takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride through his past and present from light silly memories, such as an embarrassing sculpture made as a child and reenacting The Tiger Who Came to Tea with his daughter to more sombre memories, such as the death of a friend and the breakdown of his relationship with his daughter’s mother.

Graham revolves through a multitude of tones with a speed and adeptness that show how well his comedic skills transfer to the theatrical medium. He is, of course, an experienced Fringe performer, barrelling from standard setup/punchline routines to dramatic reenactments of marathons whilst reflecting on the sadder moments in his life.

In addition, Matt Hassall’s direction provides an impressive level of stylistic variation, ranging from a rear production video running throughout representing Graham’s train journey from Edinburgh Waverley back down south, to using assorted props such as a giant digital stopwatch and tiger costume to represent his his similarly assorted memories.

However, it’s Graham’s handling of the most serious moments in his life that impressed the most, with the depiction of his grandmother’s deteriorating health during the pandemic and the death of his friend being particularly moving.

Despite the strength of these recollections, the standout dramatic moment comes near the end, as Graham details the deterioration of his relationship with his daughter’s mother. He lets the audience feel every emotional aspect of the relationship, from its inception to the present day, with each emotion being conveyed so realistically by Graham that the audience are placed completely in his shoes and experiencing the event along with him.

The success of this conveyance is what proves the viability of Carousel as a showcase for Graham to display his dramatic as well as comedic progress. It marks him out as equally talented a serious storyteller as he is as a comedian.

Carousel is at Assembly George Sqare – The Box until Sun25 Aug 2024 at various time