Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Sapphire McIntosh offers a standard biographical Fringe debut, offering a chronological journey through her life so far, from her precarious early days to an only marginally less precarious present of trying to make it as a performer. 

There’s very little detail or dwelling on her time in a homeless hostel nor the dysfunctional home life she came from - only as a way of framing how she used football to escape from it, with the comedian envisioning her life like an inspirational African-American sports movie. 

A supportive football coach was a godsend at this time, one of several pivotal figures whom McIntosh credits with helping her through life. Now she's following her dream to be a black Davina McCall.

You would certainly say she was warm and personable enough to follow in the presenter’s footsteps, as she epitomises the stereotype of the friendly yet no-nonsense Yorkshirewoman. However, she also believes she has a pugnacious man within her, whom she’s dubbed Graham, whom she must keep in check, reenacting him and several other supporting characters 

McIntosh proves herself to be adept at accents, but despite her engaging persona and undeniable skills for act-outs, the show is underwritten when it comes to punchlines, while she seems to be holding back on exposing too much of her true self.

Now living in a co-operative housing scheme in London, McIntosh sets up the situation in such meticulous, official detail that you might think she’s reading out their constitution – yet none of this is needed to paint a believable picture of the ‘Glastonbury whites’, the hippies she must share with. But when you hear the cost of her rent, irritating housemates seem a small price to pay.

Her career doesn’t seem to be doing too badly – with a role in the new season of Ted Lasso and voiceover work for the Just Eat ads – but she fears that much of the support that got her to this relatively good place has since been withdrawn from future generations of vulnerable young people.

Her own life story is covered in great breadth, but very little depth, which is a shame as she clearly has stories to tell and the engaging stage presence to tell them. It’ll be fascinating to see what she comes up with when she starts digging. 

Review date: 29 Aug 2026
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Underbelly Bristo Square