Note: This review is from the 2016 Fringe

Every four years, the Olympics suffers from flagging viewing figures… due to its persistent coincidence with the dates of the Edinburgh Fringe. Big-hearted soul that he is, Mark Watson has taken it upon himself to chair the Edinborolympics so that comedy enthusiasts can still enjoy a tenuously-linked show in the shape of several silly games participated in by a handful of talented comics.

On this particular edition of the event, Tom Ballard (representing Australia) will go head-to-head with Phil Wang (of Malaysia) and Zoe Lyons (for Ireland… somehow). The three comedians will be joined onstage by a trio of volunteers from the crowd for a quadrathlon of infantile events, including Dickhead Dressage, Back, Sack and Crack Race and one specially tailored to the Malaysian guest, Wang on Wang.

The actual activities involved range from tossing a welly into a bucket to putting on as many clothes donated by the audience as possible, in a sort of celebrity It’s a Knockout extravaganza. The whole thing is compered by Watson and soundtracked by Adam Kay on the piano, who opens the show with an edgy song about Oliver Pistorius and then appears to be generally forgotten.

It’s all good clean fun (apart from the liberal swears being thrown around) and anyone who’s a fan of such shows will surely love it – especially if they’ve partaken of a few liquid refreshments, as the entire ensemble seem to have done. However, the largely non-speaking format of the show allows the comedians limited room to flex their muscles and there’s not a whole lot on offer that you wouldn’t get from staying at home and watching Ant and Dec of a Saturday night.

It’s undoubtedly good for a late night laugh and the participants do their best to drop in as many quips or variations on the theme to make things interesting. In the end, though, there are only so many ways in which to throw a welly before the whole thing becomes a little repetitive. Having said that, if you go into the show without expectations of clever writing or incisive observations, you won’t be disappointed – and a drink or two won’t hurt, either.