Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

I Regret This Already is rather doleful for a comedy show, but also full of warmth. Dementia, depression and death are the themes, Bennett Arron warns us at the start, alerting us to possibly upsetting and triggering topics. The antisemitism he’s faced was just an added bonus.

But if anyone can be trusted to handle such matters with sensitivity, it’s the mild-mannered Welsh comic with 27 years experience on the clock. This is his story, but he is careful with it, even inviting audience members to contact him if they want to talk about issues raised.  It’s a genuine and generous offer entirely in keeping with his soothing style.

A few of the regrets he covers are small – taking jobs on a cruise ship or in Las Vegas, for instance – but the show’s core comes from the biggies, especially his feeling that he did not spend enough time connecting with his parents while he could. 

The show’s format is episodic, rather than submitting to some grander structure, although the strand about a childhood friend he lost contact with provides anchor points at the start and end.

Stories of how the young Arron lived with a very religious rabbi who strictly observed the Sabbath, about a hilarious misunderstanding when his son asked about the clitoris, and a very weird mix-up at a hotel reception are among those that provide the light relief. 

There are a lot of celebrity cameos in this show, too, a reminder of how small the Welsh showbiz scene is  – or blatant name-dropping if you prefer. A story of how Arron forged, then fumbled, a connection with Sir Anthony Hopkins another of the regrets.

But it is the connections with his hypochondriac mum and his dementia-hit dad that provide the show’s emotional core, especially given the poignant understanding that his career in comedy was something of a disappointment to them.

Maybe that’s why he’s so self-deprecating as a stand-up, with numerous quips in this show about how bad he is at sex, They are relatively cheap lines, but you don’t begrudge him doing them. 

If you’re in the market for tender storytelling from a mellow, self-effacing comic, take a punt on Arron’s show. You won’t regret it.

Review date: 21 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: PBH's Free Fringe @ Liquid Room