Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Social media comedian Sophie Garrad bucks the trend of her peers this year by coming to the Fringe with a story that really makes the most of the long-form format. 

A Period Drama is the tale of 48 hours in her life when she ended up in hospital, the culmination of years of medical mismanagement for her reproductive issues, variously mis/diagnosed as polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, pregnancy and ‘hormone issues’.

Garrad is rightfully upset and angry about being caught on the sharp end of the disgraceful gender inequalities in healthcare, but you’d barely know it from her demeanour. 

I guess she’d describe her stage persona as an exaggerated version of herself: decked out in expensive-looking sparkles, she delivers chirpy, knowingly retrograde jokes from the perspective of a ‘toxic girlie’/ Pondering the possibility of becoming pregnant, she says: ‘Do I want to give birth to someone who is literally my goal weight?’

That’s kind of an emblematic joke for her, but to be fair, they all are. Whether you’re a fan of that approach or not, Garrad displays an admirable consistency in the style of jokes she writes. Almost every single one of them is about being either thin or young or disgusted with her husband.

It’s no simple thing to provide effective variations on the same handful of joke premises over and over again for a whole hour, but Garrad makes it look pretty easy. On the downside, it can also contribute to the show occasionally feeling predictable, repetitive or old-fashioned.

The story itself is frustrating to hear. The maelstrom of conflicting and unhelpful advice that Garrad receives from professionals is enough to make you cry even if you haven’t had a similar experience – and many of the predominantly female audience have. 

Still, there are a lot of laughs in the room. I guess if you don’t laugh, you just cry more.

Review date: 21 Aug 2026
Reviewed by: Tim Harding
Reviewed at: Pleasance Dome