Mark Nelson: Brexit Wounds

• Murray Robertson
• 16 August 2019

credit: Trudy Stade

Wonderfully sharp stand-up from a comic reclaiming his edge

Mark Nelson's latest Fringe show covers the perpetual fall-out from David Cameron's 2016 EU referendum. Now identifying as middle-aged (he's 38) and middle-class, Nelson continues to rail against the ills of the world, and recent years have gifted him much to bemoan. Perhaps some of this brooding comes from the prospect of raising his two young daughters in a world melting under the hot air of global warming, Donald Trump and Boris Johnson.

Nelson's skill at killer punchlines is as sharp as ever, focused by the ongoing disastrous Brexit process and the idiots nominally in charge. While he often goes off-topic – including an eye-wateringly candid and uproarious story about rogue sex toys – he always manages to bring things back to bear on his bête noire. It's a well-considered diatribe and he's careful not to insult his audience, refusing to pick on the one person in tonight's gathering who admits to voting Leave, despite him being a very easy target indeed. Brexit Wounds is a typically wonderful hour, packed full of brilliant observations and featuring a constant barrage of big laughs. And there are hints of the Mark Nelson of old as some edgier material occasionally rises to the surface.

Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 25 Aug (not 19), 8pm, £12–£14.50 (£10).