Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Gareth Mutch insists at the start of this good-natured hour that we will leave with our thoughts unprovoked. It’s one of a few self-deprecating pronouncements in this show, but what he says isn’t necessarily true: just because he doesn’t do sad bits, that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to go away thinking about aspects of his life and experiences.

With the bonhomie of one of the most popular guys in the pub, and the solid, friendly performance style of someone who’s been building a strong reputation for himself on the Scottish scene, he shares a series of anecdotes and observations, starting with the tale of a rather committed fan.

It serves more as an explanation of the show’s title than anything more satisfying, and one is left hoping to learn of further developments and insight. Similarly, his story about an encounter on a long train journey has some vivid moments of awkwardness, discomfort and enforced intimacy, but it might have been condensed to make way for the jokes he’s so good at.

Mutch’s reliable material about his Welsh father and his reluctance to engage with medical experts is fantastic, and his impression of the voice of a 12-year-old smoking Pall Malls (classic humour in the details, there) is tip-top.

And while ‘the difference between men and women’ is a well-trodden path, Mutch takes it to a fun and revealing new level when comparing confidence-boosting and body positivity. Blokes: how would your pals react if you posted an Instagram photo of yourself in swimwear?

This ties in with some elements about how certain clothes retailers treat people who aren’t thin. Their loss, and shame on them. But it never gets solemn and he keeps the pace up like a man who’s earned his stripes on the club circuit.

Review date: 18 Aug 2023
Reviewed by: Ashley Davies
Reviewed at: Stand 2