Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Is it tempting fate for a comedian to talk about how he finds most things just ‘fine’? That away from the polarising pressure of social media which rewards only passionate love or hate over nuance, most things in life would, if he’s honest, score a six out of ten; the dreaded – but usually pretty honest – three-star review.

Pierre Novellie would be unlucky to elicit such ambivalence with this classy stand-up hour in which he does, thankfully, find things in life to get worked up by. A set list would give few hints as to how good his material is, riffing on meal-deal sandwiches, the ‘cry laughing’ emoji, irritating theatregoers and the peculiar behaviour of Charles Dickens.

Even such well-trodden paths as the parental plea to their offspring to eat all their food ‘because there are starving children in Africa’ is given new impetus, and not just because Novellie was born in South Africa. It’s because of the angle of approach and the intensity with which he drills down.

His ranting comes from a position of superiority, emphasised by the velvet jacket he sports. He mischievously appeals to the snobbery most people would not openly admit to possessing as he contemptuously puts down ‘the public’ – urgh! - outside these four walls. Nonetheless, you tend to side with him as he’s charming when despatching his scorn and because he merrily admits his own failings as well, disappointing himself that he’s not all he should be.

As befitting the high status, his attention to language and imagery is superlative. I’d imagine there are few other comics this Fringe using the world ‘sepulchral’ in their show. Who would have thought a routine about waking up in the morning could so effectively sweep the audience up in the moment? Or that an observation about sandwich wraps would elicit an applause break?

The body of the story comes from his girlfriend asking him in an idle minute: ‘What are you thinking about?’ And him – foolishly – answering, then explaining the convoluted chain of musings that got him there.

A relatively new postscript offers a revelation which gives the show a more stereotypical ‘Edinburgh’ ending, but in truth, this hasn’t been fully smoothed in to the rest of the show, so does little to elevate it. But Novellie needs no such narrative trickeries to surpass the three-star review, his superior stand-up is more than enough. 

• Pierre Novellie: Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things? is on at Monkey Barrel Comedy Club at 18:10

Review date: 4 Aug 2022
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Monkey Barrel Comedy Club