Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Charlotte Fox is the serpent devouring its own tail in the Ouroborus, representing the eternal cycle of destruction and rebirth. In an exposé of showbiz and society, Fox uses physical theatre to depict the world of addiction and narcissism, two tricky topics which require a lot more nuance than Fox provides.

She acts out the birth of a bird called the Marabou Stork, with frenzied energy and theatrical movements accompanying a monologue. Presumably, the bird is meant to represent a woman in showbiz, scavenging for roles and preening herself. Fox switches between bird facts and skits depicting different roles in showbiz – the actress, the agent, and the boyfriend – representing a bizarre and dark world. 

Her physical comedy addresses addiction, body image, and suicidal ideation, as she pushes a measuring tape into and out of her mouth, tightening it around her neck to signify the chokehold that weight and size has on us, specifically in the world of acting. It’s uncomfortable to watch, with the comedy meant to come from the overdramatic effects and physical gestures. 

Unfortunately, it often misses the mark. Her mockery of Instagram photos, dog yoga, and crystals makes sense, and she cleverly acts out how she is pushed to play up her mental health issues to receive more roles, although this in itself is a nuanced issue. But it is her blasé comments about eating disorders and self-harm that are the problem. It is not dark comedy, but simply dark. 

Comedy around sensitive topics can be entertaining, when done right -  when you critique the society which has created the problem - not when you mock the victims.  Fox is representing her own experiences and understanding of showbiz, performing honest and unsettling scenes. However, her constant cries to be ‘skinny’ and her physicality - such as sucking in her cheeks to mimic someone starving themselves - seems to create an offensive caricature of a person with an eating disorder.

One comment she made - too explicit to write - made the audience visibly uncomfortable, and definitely should have come with a trigger warning. If this was billed as physical theatre alone, addressing darker themes, it would make more sense, but calling it a comedy show feels extremely insensitive.  

The hour felt confused and disorganised, and while this may have been intentional, it was increasingly difficult to follow.  Fox initially sets the scene at a Christmas gathering, commenting on having a bad family, with very little further context. She mentions that she is talking to Archie, a child whom she is warning about the hardships of life – something she only seems to remember at the very end, briefly mentioning it once more.

Random incidents – such as throwing a toy dog around the audience – are meant to entertain, but make very little comedic sense. And technical issues, such as missed cues for lighting, served only to highlight structural problems with this show.

Review date: 21 Aug 2023
Reviewed by: Kashmini Shah
Reviewed at: Underbelly Cowgate