Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

This is a hard show to review, for objectively it is not the funniest nor most inventive offering on the Fringe – but those taking part are having so much fun, it’s impossible to deny the joy it brings. 

Energetic and effervescent host Jake Bhardwaj presides over a real pub quiz – but with an all-bangers soundtrack and ridiculous shenanigans between, and sometimes within, the rounds offering bonus, if near-worthless, spot prizes.

DJ Barry Styles – Harry’s less successful brother, allegedly – keeps the young crowd bouncing in and out of their seats, while a creepy Severus Snape prowls the tables, checking for illicit phone use. Characters introduce questions and games, from Cupid (Australian for some reason) to Andy Murray (Welsh for some reason) and the children’s favourite, Arthur, the aardvark now washed up, drunk and lonely. 

For the vibe, imagine a daytime social event an Ibiza beach club might throw. The person who can wear the most clothes in 60 seconds can win a clue for their team, we find out who can slap a bap the furthest, and try to guess which one of four ‘hunks’ is wearing a vest, rather than a T under their jacket.

It’s loud, boisterous and a bit silly. One question exists just for an excuse to play a clip of Gregg Wallace being weird, for example. Later, the clown act PUSS PUSS made a guest appearance, asking audience members to lick her with fake tongues, which felt a bit creepy outside the context of her own show. 

But the mood is overwhelmingly ebullient, with Bhardwaj and his colleagues maintaining an entertaining party atmosphere as the chaos rolls out at a cracking pace. The night is cacophonous and rowdy – which you can take as either a warning or an endorsement.

Review date: 31 Aug 2026
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Gilded Balloon Teviot