Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

He’s a bit of a shady character is Mad Ron, no stranger to dodgy knock-offs. So no wonder his version of a game show involves hookey versions of TV hits.

This charmingly cockeyed hour revels in its loose stupidity, with catchphrases, cornball gags and dumb puns given the full tacky treatment, no one taking anything even vaguely seriously. The deranged, knockabout vibe, mixing absurdity, puns, and stupidly exaggerated character work is reminiscent of Vic and Bob, albeit with material that’s more deliberately cheesy and less surreally inventive,

Yet the smalltime gangster at the centre of it all – Uxbridge’s third hardest man – is a still presence rather than being the epitome of primetime TV pizzazz. His deadpan is supposed to indicate a quiet intimidation, but it can be overwhelmed by the wild rabble-rousing of his sidekick – a reincarnation of Bernard Manning played by Che Burnley.

But Mad Ron, the much underrated creation of Steve Lee, does bring the jokes, with wordplay aplenty as he introduces the sort of games he supposedly played in prison to while away the hours. No opportunity for a daft gag is missed, with Mad Ron underselling his lines and ‘Manning’ overselling his.

Identify Theft refers to a fake identity passed around the room, which can be won or lost on certain games. The mechanics are largely irrelevant and if the contestants, and even the hosts, are prone to tripping over the format, it doesn’t much matter either, it just feeds into the chaos. Indeed, some of the games are quite demanding, requiring too many improv or memory skills of an audience who came out to relax.

To reveal much about the games would give away the punchlines, but expect an off-brand Mr And Mrs, a twist on Deal Or No Deal, and a round designed to test whether you really do know your arse from your elbow.

In one of the longer sections the show’s third wheel, Roger Swift, presents an array of visual puns with the chosen players charged with guessing what phrase is being created. It’s basically a physical version of those Dingbat games you get in newspapers, and keeps the visual gags coming thick and fast. I can envisage this as a TikTok channel, with punters being stopped in the street to solve the silly riddles.

But in a small, noisy, later-night room this just keeps the onslaught of jokes coming, contributing to the rowdily fun atmosphere. The game show concept may have its flaws, but that sense of mucking about is powerful, backed with jokes that are probably better than you think. But also sometimes much, much worse.

Review date: 25 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Laughing Horse @ Bar 50