One moment stands proud in Jo Caulfield’s latest Fringe show; a brief aside about how beautiful Scotland is, notable because it’s one of the few genuinely positive things she says.
Stand-up comedy was not built on being nice, of course. And there are some excellent gags here. But the mood of the title does weigh heavy, after a while.
Caulfield begins by dissing Fringe comics doing themed hours (i.e. most of them), and there’s a later dig at neurodivergent shows – fair game, perhaps. But telling this large, comfortable-looking audience that Morrisons’ staff are ugly feels grim. And are Leith Tesco customers mainly boozy shoplifters? She does live there, admittedly. There are boos for a mean-Scots line; clearly panto fun, but a lazy joke. And Donald down the front does sound slightly miffed about her mocking his name.
It’s an act, Caulfield does lovely things offstage; charity collections, benefits, book profit donations. And she knows her audience, but you wonder if they’ll leave feeling lighter for laughing, or with a whiff of that ‘what’s the world coming to?’ mood certain newspapers thrive on. A little more light among the shade wouldn’t hurt, particularly nowadays.
There are worthier targets here too: Reform candidates, bitter Brexiteers, and Oasis, for hijacking festival month. But is this show really in the spirit of the Fringe, either?
Jo Caulfield: Bad Mood Rising, The Stand Comedy Club, until 24 Aug (not 11, 18), 7.30pm