Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Australian clown Jeromaia Detto looks to his Italianate heritage for his latest show, performed in character as the lovehound Giuseppe. 

First impressions, with Detto dressed as a gondolier and clutching a dozen felt roses, are that Giuseppe is going to be a Adam Riches-style macho horndog, but he quickly proves to be much gentler and more whimsical. He claims to never have experienced love, nor kissing, nor even a hug, so it’s up to the audience to educate him.

To his credit, this dynamic never gets creepy. Detto plays Giuseppe as a big-hearted, lanky naif, reminiscent of Borat but without the implicit challenge to his audience’s sensibilities. A little more of that wouldn’t have gone amiss, actually, as this show is never more than gently amusing. 

There are plenty of ‘aww’ moments as Giuseppe, for example, gratefully experiences a hug for the first time – but little in the way of pre-written jokes. Instead, he has an almost uncontrollable need to make weak puns based on his audience’s names. For Giuseppe, performing in his third language, they have the ring of triumph. It’s less impressive for native speaker Detto.

So if you want to hear him make a pun on your first name, this is a good place to be, because almost every member of the audience is addressed directly at some point, usually to be asked childlike questions about love. Have you ever had a kiss? What did it feel like? Why do you think it felt nice? 

It’s an interesting example of a show where more audience manipulation might have been a good thing. Giuseppe’s approach is conversational, but his technique of asking the same question to five audience members in a row without much payoff quickly becomes repetitive. 

He’s clearly not above putting his audience in stickier situations, as evidenced by one section in which he cajoles a man into dressing up as an adult baby, but as a character act he seems largely content to coast on good vibes.

Review date: 16 Aug 2026
Reviewed by: Tim Harding
Reviewed at: Underbelly Bristo Square