Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Guests to Chris Forbes’ new show are greeted by tinsel, footage of a crackling fire, and the comedian himself decked out in a garish jumper, Santa hat, and a winter coat he takes the first opportunity to remove.

This, of course, is the Scottish comedian’s paean to Christmas, famously the only time of year more wonderful than the Fringe itself, and a holiday that holds a lot of meaning for Forbes.

 As he goes on to show in intense detail, Christmas during the 1980s and 1990s is a locus of intense nostalgia for him, the time when he felt most a part of his family unit, and where his parents’ best qualities were brought to the fore.

It’s a very cosy show, in which Forbes tries his best to bring the audience into the warmth of the familial hearth and restore a sense of seasonal magic. And he’s pretty good at it – maybe it’s the lighting but his eyes really shine and his cheeks really glow when he reminisces. 

He’s really at his best in this storytelling mode, showing us the family photo album and fondly repeating some of his dad’s running jokes. The segment about his aunty’s escalating dismay at seeing unseasonal festive paraphernalia in the garden centre is very entertaining. 

His Christmas-themed observational material is a little more pat, however. ‘I don’t think anyone’s really considered the practicality of the song I Wish It Could be Christmas Every Day,’’ he ventures. Not sure you’re right about that one, Chris.

While the first half is a feelgood communal nostalgiafest, things take a familiar turn towards emotional heft in the second act. I won’t spoil the twist, but if you think you’ve guessed it, you’re probably correct. 

It’s a little heavy-handed when Forbes transitions from rattling the dopamine centres into tugging on the heartstrings, but the emotion behind it is obviously genuine, as is the uplift with which he brings it home. 

Fans of Christmas will get what they came for.

Review date: 18 Aug 2026
Reviewed by: Tim Harding
Reviewed at: Monkey Barrel Comedy Club