Fringe veteran Paul Foot begins with a classic rant on wokery – but not in the way you’d expect from a middle-aged white male comedian. Instead of regurgitating the usual moaning points on the issue, he cleverly subverts expectations by deconstructing the reactionary nature behind ‘anti-wokeness’. This is just one of many entertaining tangential rants that Foot embarks on during the hour, and all of them hit the mark in terms of engaging his audience.
However, the central point of the show is Foot’s battle with depression stemming from a traumatic incident in his childhood. This aspect is intercut with Foot’s usual comedic material in a way that not only serves as an effective contrast but also gradually reveals its true relevance as the show progresses.
Foot is able to skilfully shift focus between the two separate strands in a way that initially catches the audience off-guard but also grabs their attention. His recounting of the day his depression lifted in particular comes across as deeply moving and really manages to convey the sense of relief he felt at that moment.
Foot is at his best when talking about his mental health, combining comedy with serious discussions on public attitudes towards mental illness, childhood trauma and his wrangling with depression to great effect. ‘Dissolve’ not only works as a showcase for a confident Fringe comic, but also a therapeutic unloading of Foot’s personal struggles that succeeds on both fronts and shows why he is so acclaimed by both critics and audiences alike.
‘Dissolve’ runs until Sun 27 Aug 2023 at Underbelly Cowgate – Belly Dancer at 19:20