This is not, as the title suggests, a solo show (one that, incidentally, Zetina sold out at the Glasgow Comedy Festival in March). Rather it is a mixed bill of comedians, with the aim of exploring the darker, messier side of the Fringe and life in general. Consciously edgy shows are a staple of Edinburgh, but what feels less usual to witness is the amount of love and support that the performers here have for each other. Such an atmosphere creates a feeling of friendly rather than full throttle anarchy, and allows for easy intimacy with the crowd.
Craig Campbell (previously of Live at the Apollo and Russell Howard’s Good News) comperes, and immediately delights in irking the entire front row (who all bizarrely work for Scottish Water) by expertly dunking on one of this country’s sacred cows. Ryan McCready follows and has a good line in why there are certain kinds of porn you might not want to download at your granny’s house. Kyle Lucey of Toronto, and Jordan MacDonald of Austin, both explore fish-out-of-water material. Lucey has fantastic golden retriever energy, interspersed with moments of unhinged frenzy, while MacDonald fires quick witticisms while slinking across the stage in a more relaxed manner. Zetina’s own style is carefully measured and full of skilled misdirection, with a soft velvet-like tone to his delivery.
The stand-up takes turns with burlesque performances, which slot nicely into the overall mood. Madame Hazey especially brings a strong comic element to her routine, stripping to reveal endless layers of googly eyes – some tiny, some huge – in strategic places, all soundtracked by songs heavy on eye lyrics (‘Hungry Eyes’ etc). Fearne Fatale keeps things deliberately messier, with an extremely fun routine that leaves the stage sticky and covered in foam.
With so much to enjoy, what the show deserves is a better venue (in terms of location rather than layout) and, at times, a better audience. Zetina’s closing set is interrupted by the bafflingly confident ramblings of someone who is in some way out of it (it’s hard to tell by which particular substance) and who can’t grasp that jokes need a set-up before you get to the pay-off. Zetina handles the heckling with consummate skill, mining the interaction for several minutes of improvised material, but it sadly eats into a bill which has already overrun. It’s a small blot at the end of an otherwise fun, energetic and charismatic hour.
‘Life or Death‘ has finished its run
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