Local Heroes: Carrot Man

More Tania Edwards videos

Performing since late 2007, Tania Edwards was a finalist in the 2009 Funny Women Awards

Tania Edwards: Fringe 2012
Live Review
Underbelly Bristo Square

Tania Edwards' stage persona is akin to a female Simon Evans – a bit posh and something of a sociopath – and serves as a fantastic character on which to project her material.

Though perversely she's also great with audience banter. When the house lights stay up in a room you know that either the tech's incompetent or there's going to be some audience participation, and sure enough Edwards fearlessly chats to  all members of her audience.

The Dutch ladies, a builder and a doctor newly got together, a young, apparently happy ,couple on the front row who have been together three years yet are both just, 22. She acerbically comments: ‘That's just a practise relationship, one of those ones you know will never last...’

The only downside to the banter, as enjoyable as it is, is that there's a feeling that it's being used to pad out  material that doesn't quite stretch to a full hour. She opens excusing a small amount of material about the Olympics, reckoning that although they've ended there's probably a few more days in it yet. Probably an understatement across the circuit.

The main meat of the show is concerned with how she feels about being just over thirty having gained a live-in boyfriend and a 13 year old tabby cat called Hilary to replace her flatmate Rob. But despite the signs that suggest she's settling down, her career ambitions override all; she'll stop at nothing to impress her pushy (female) producer - who is known as Jimmy throughout - who may or may not get her a DVD deal.

Edwards confesses that her self-centred nature makes her an hilariously inappropriate guest at dinner parties too. Her disdain for kids is displayed when she finds a small child thrust into her grasp, and recalls a method Russian peasants used to get baby boys off to sleep at night – one that is so dodgy you daren't even google it to see if it's true.

In fact there's a fantastically seamy side to most of the material. Se's unafraid to head off into taboo territory and she uses that to eschew what society still, even in these enlightened times, seems to think 30-year-old women should be desiring – a husband, house and babies.

Elsewhere she's adept with the descriptions, her simile for the music of Captain Beefheart is sublime. Throughout the tale she parodies the 'funny because it's true' adage - though we hope for her boyfriend and cat's sake that some of this  is fictional.

If she tightened up the material, this could be brilliant.

Tania is the funniest comic in the UK today. Period.

Phil, January 2011

I saw Tania, I thought she was okay, but she wasn't really that funny. Very good, but no real jokes in my opinion. I can see why everyone is raving over her on stage, but at the end of the day you do still want to hear some jokes. When she does get some jokes though she will certainly go far.

Jennifer Howley, January 2011

I love the way she takes to the stage and takes you on a journey, the reviewer is not wrong, you are in good company with Tania! She is consistently funny throughout her set - which for me is better then having really big laughs and lulls in the set. You go girl!

Tina, December 2010

I agree with the other poster - Tania Edwards star certainly shines bright. She is incredibly funny! Bravo Tania!

Tariq Mukar, December 2010

Tania really had us in stitches - which is very rare. Was easily the best on the night, with a charming on stage persona, that left us doubled-over in laughter. How she is not doing bigger and better gigs is beyond us. She has the looks, the stage-presence, and more importantly the jokes. She is hilarious. Easily one to watch. The best comic - male or female - on the circuit today without a doubt. See her before she is playing arenas.

Steve Dovett, December 2010