Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

On the night I saw Sasha Nezlobin on a sold-out show, Russian speakers or people who understood Russian outnumbered the English language-only audience by about eight to one, surely a mark of the esteem and respect in which he is held in his former homeland?  

And on balance, deservedly so.  He has a large presence, not dominant, but you wouldn’t miss him and an endearingly bashful demeanour which probably comes from doing stand-up in a second language.  If I acknowledge how haltingly reserved I am trying to do anything in French, I have to give him unlimited respect for telling stories and gags requiring wit, nuance, irony, technique and performance not in his mother tongue.  It’s obvious he is restricting his performance, but only while he is acquiring confidence in delivering English-language stand-up.

He has a story to tell which wouldn’t be out of place on Graham Norton’s sofa; he really makes you want to know ‘How did you get here?’  He’s well known in Russia. He has stand-up specials, he’s a film director, a respected live performer, a face.  But it turns out you can be all that there and still can’t say just what you like about the war in Ukraine; things can get a bit prison-y.  

It’s not a spoiler to say he realised that he needed to leave, virtually overnight, and take his nine-year-old, frankly princessy, daughter, soon to be ex-wife and the dog –escaping is not too strong a word – to the US.  

The stories of visas, unsafe accommodation and dramatic reversals of fortune are presented wryly and with a survivor’s tough humour. His rock bottom, whilst further off the ocean floor than most, is still a breaking point where he can only start to rise again, and such is the charm of the man, you really want him to do it.  Who wouldn’t get on board with a riches to rags story, with hope of redemption? 

Currently, a few gags are occasionally a bit on the nose or quaintly old-fashioned ('Don’t women go on?’)  but I know I missed some subtleties because he was holding back the delivery.  He’s not the first straight white man to think ending on a rap is a good idea, but to his credit he might be the quickest to realise that it’s not. 

All in all, a strong story from a genial act who needs to trust his own performance.  His likability buys him forgiveness for the occasional verbal infelicity.  He’ll put a smile on your clock.

• Sasha Nezlobin: I'm Fine is on at Pleasance Dome at 21:30 during the Edinburgh Fringe.

Review date: 8 Aug 2026
Reviewed by: Julia Chamberlain
Reviewed at: Pleasance Dome