Leo Reich: Literally Who Cares?! | Edinburgh Fringe comedy review
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Leo Reich: Literally Who Cares?!

Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Leo Reich represents everything that is wrong with Generation Z: egotistical, narcissistic, judgmental and shallow. And he is as hilarious as he is accurate in how he nails the worst of his cohort.

The grotesque stage version of himself commodifies every aspect of his life, like a good attention-junkie social media consumer. He puts a remarkably high price on it, too, convinced he is unique and special and worthy of being the ‘thought leader’ he appoints himself.

There is, of course, absolutely nothing behind the personal brand he has so carefully constructed, like a human algorithm copying everybody else’s equally artificial projections. He doesn’t understand himself or any of the fashionable beliefs he half-heartedly thinks he might hold (if only he hadn’t lost the phone he wrote them on). But with every emotion, every principle, he believes he can fake it till he makes it.

He’s sure he must be a victim, though, as that is such a valuable currency. He’s gay, so he must be oppressed, not least by the schoolboy crush who did not reciprocate his feelings, and which Reich is definitely, absolutely over. Or will be, once the screenplay imaging how this romance for the ages should play out makes it to the screen.

The vanity inherent in his character makes him a compelling performer, camp, commanding and with a delicious superiority complex. He struts the stage and belts out tunes as freely as he drops buzzwords. There’s a danger of this persona becoming one-note, given he is so vacuous, but Reich offers enough facets to keep us interested.

And while the show is sold on this irrepressible personality and note-perfect parody, there are no shortage of jokes in the irony-rich script. For a persona that’s all about having zero self-awareness, Reich has got a surplus of the stuff, with each punchline cutting to the heart of what’s wrong with this age group. (Of course, there’s plenty right with it too, but this is not the time or the place) 

Reich is to this generation what Rik Mayall’s Young Ones alter-ego was to his parents’: a spot-on parody of the self-importance of youth, convinced of their genius yet blind to the world beyond their narrow window.

It feels like his moment has come.

Leo Reich: Literally Who Cares?! is on at Pleasance Courtyard at 9:35pm

Review date: 8 Aug 2022
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Pleasance Courtyard

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