Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Caroline McEvoy is unfailingly nice in her Fringe debut, making latecomers feel welcome, chatting charmingly to the audience  (no ‘comedian DESTROYS’ crowd work clips will come from this) and ensuring we get all the references, even asking if we know about Northern Ireland, or autism.

She maintains that demeanour when talking about the sibling rivalry at the heart of the show. We’re never in danger of believing she has anything but love for her brother Jonathan, even when his arrival cost her the position of ‘centre of attention’ as the first-born, and even when his behaviour causes family disruption – which is often, given his neurodiversity.

‘Nice’ does not usually suggest hard-hitting routines, and so it is here. Besides, how angry can you really get over losing your bedroom to your brother’s train collection after you’ve moved out?  Very little trauma needs to be dumped.  

 Indeed, when McEvoy does launch into a political rant – signified by a dramatic lighting change – it’s very out of character.  It’s also hard to get behind as she’s taking an isolated incident as evidence of systemic problem. Such problems surely exist, but we don’t have enough information to share her robust reaction to her brother’s specific case. But it meant the end of his long-held dream, so McEvoy’s vexation on his behalf is very understandable.

The comedian’s own dream was based on the Disney princesses she idolised growing up – and she does apologise for not being as feminist as she could be in that respect. A couple of the song parodies from the movies demonstrate a decent singing voice, and her ideas of what a Northern Irish princess might look like are amusing.

After moving to London from her native Bangor to find her fortune, she didn’t quite get a Prince Charming but more like a Baron Anxious, in the form of fellow comic Alfie Packham. Dispatches from their six-year relationship – including family pressures to marry and have kids – form another strand of this easy-going hour.

All these are tied together nicely (that word again!) in a well put-together show that remains engaging and charming, with a few strong jokes to pick up isolated laughs without building up a momentum of hilarity. Which may be precisely what you want from a 1.30pm slot, a light lunch of comedy that won’t spoil your appetite for heavier fare later.

Review date: 23 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Assembly Roxy