Edinburgh Fringe Review: It's Showtime for Andrew Maxwell

FULL of energy, when Irish comedian Andrew Maxwell bounds onto the stage for the first show of his August run, he’s literally just arrived in Edinburgh after driving up from Kent with his family.

While an 11am to 9pm journey might put most people in a foul mood, the fact that Andrew has had to rush on stage minutes after coming into Edinburgh only seems to add to his excitement and enthusiasm for the world’s largest arts festival.

In an interview with the Sunday Post, Andrew said his material would touch on the political events of the last year – and this is kicked off quickly with some hilarious take downs of politicians – starting with Alex Salmond.

“He thought he’d by flying around in a helicopter by now, lording it as the King of Scotland! Instead, he’s got an afternoon slot at the Edinburgh Fringe.”

Andrew tackles Brexit with some excellent tales about his new leave-voting neighbours in Kent, and takes some genuinely hilarious shots at the Tories which are sadly completely unprintable.

The material is equally weighted in that Andrew makes fun of everyone – and he takes the audience on a whistle-stop tour around the UK and Europe through some accent mastery and hysterical impressions.

No nationality is safe – not even Andrew’s own – but it’s all done with such warmth that the entire audience is in fits of laughter throughout.

The material is solid and well thought-out, although it’s when Andrew goes into his frantic rants and interacts with the audience that you can really appreciate his whip-smart wit and mastery of language. A particular rant about millennials and central heating made me emit a rather unfortunate foghorn laugh.

Verdict

****

If you’ve got limited time at the Fringe this year, Andrew Maxwell is the smart choice. Guaranteed to put you in a great mood.

tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/andrew-maxwell-showtime