English comedian Ollie Horn does something a little different with his Fringe show in 2024. In years past, he’s delivered ‘nice comedy’, which he references in ‘Comedy for Toxic People’, but this year, he’s doing what he calls, ‘Toxic Character Comedy’. Horn plays a ‘toxic’ version of himself who vapes, loves ‘Rush’ by Troye Sivan, and loves a good flirt.

The question anyone wonders while watching this version of Horn is where he ends and where the character begins, but perhaps that’s what the genius of ‘Comedy for Toxic People’ is. He’s not necessarily saying that this ‘toxic’ character is all bad, but that perhaps that everyone has a little bit of toxicity within them. We all stop ourselves from being our worst versions, but anyone has the capacity to tip over the edge of awfulness if we allow ourselves to get there.

‘Comedy for Toxic People’ is full of giggles and brilliant lines — it’ll have the audience keeling over in the sweaty yurt that Horn so adeptly dealt with. Despite the venue’s heat and lack of soundproofing (which has been fixed), Horn knows how to roll with the punches, playing with the audience’s discomfort as a way into their toxic little hearts.

Horn’s character may not be the most likeable, but that’s all the more reason we fall in love with him. He’s a clown — we can laugh at his miserable journey to finding a wife, which, like any great Fringe show, ends with a heartfelt and vulnerable moment as Horn sings his heart out. Horn, more than anything, wants to find ‘a wife’, yet fails to realise that his toxicity is the reason he hasn’t.

The real ‘non-toxic’ Horn also hasn’t found a wife — in fact, this show may mirror his real-life search for the one. As society looks at men masquerading as ‘the nice guy’, Horn starts to see that maybe his underlying toxic alter ego may be what’s stopping him. But first and foremost, before finding a wife, Horn just wants to make us laugh by taking a risk and trying something different than what he’s delivered over his past decade with the Fringe. A seasoned performer and comedian, the risk is worth it for the laughter… but will it bring him his coveted wife? That’s still to be seen.

‘Comedy for Toxic People (and their Friends)‘ is at Hoota @ Potterrow – Big Yurt until Sun 25 Aug 2024 (except Mon 19) at 21:00