Lorna Shaw: Shaw and Order

• Brian Donaldson
• 26 August 2019

A true crime fan delivers her own brand of comedic justice

When we look back on the Fringe comedy story of 2019, the obsession with true crime will appear high up on lists of recurring themes. There have been a number of Scandi acts looking at things from their own particular cultural perspective while a made-up Nord created by Naz Osmanoglu mused on the fact that every murder investigation in Sweden is a 'cold case'. Where Lorna Shaw differs for her punningly-titled hour, is that she has no interest in the gore or gossip: she just can't get enough of the justice system as it's played out in Britain and further afield.

Her love of justice goes back to schooldays when she dreamed of being a human rights lawyer but wound up enrolling in drama school. Finally, with Shaw and Order, she gets to merge those twin passions. She gets a fair bit of double-entendre mileage from the phrase 'pro bono' while attempting to crack the case of her stolen car. Traumatised that her day in court never came, Shaw thought she'd put on a Fringe show instead in order to recreate the legal battle that might have ensued before an enthralled jury. Shaw is an amiable and slick host and while great gags are not in abundance, her hour zips by and might have you digging out the latest true crime podcast.

Run at Gilded Balloon at Old Tolbooth Market ended.