The Edinburgh Fringe has reached its half-way point – the exhaustion is kicking in, but the laughs are still coming.
The festival’s return has brought with it many questions for stand-ups. Do you joke about Covid on stage or not? Will people wear masks in my shows? Do audience attention spans last longer than a 15-second TikTok video?
Meanwhile, I’ve been The Independent’s reporter on the ground watching more stand-up comedy then you’d think was humanly possible. I’ve compiled some of the funniest jokes of the Fringe – so far…
“We have about four more months where we can still call pregnant women ‘glowing’ before it’s a slur.” (Patti Harrison: Patti Harrison, Pleasance Courtyard)
“I just feel like zoos are the only place where you’re allowed to be anti-immigration.” (Vittorio Angelone: Translations, Monkey Barrel Comedy Carnivore)
“I’m only 23, which Forbes magazine recently described as one of the top 25 youngest ages.” (Leo Reich: Literally Who Cares?!, Pleasance Courtyard)
“I became a dad seven months ago. He’s nine years old, but I’ve only just started giving a s***.” (Josh Pugh: Sausage, Egg, Josh Pugh, Chips and Beans, Monkey Barrel Comedy)
“My favourite position is doggy style because I can giggle throughout it.” (Lara Ricote: GRL/LTNX/DEF, Monkey Barrel Comedy The Hive)
“How the f*** can you kink-shame a gimp? If anything, they f***ing love it.” (Liam Farrelly: God’s Brother-in-Law, Just The Tonic Nucleus)
“Retrain? I’m a stand-up comedian. That should tell you I couldn’t train the first time around.” (Aurie Styla: Green, Pleasance Courtyard)
“Why aren’t paedophiles more worried about nits?” (Lou Sanders: One Word: Wow, Monkey Barrel Comedy)
“If women went bald we’d make you live outdoors.” (Andy Field: Ideas (,) Man, Assembly George Square Studios)
“I occupy women’s spaces, like the candles section at TK Maxx.” (Jordan Gray: Is It a Bird?, Assembly George Square)
“I read this book that helps you quit smoking but I’m dyslexic so now I do heroin.” (Josh Jones: Waste of Space, Pleasance Courtyard)
“Turns out America already has it’s own answer to Glenn Moore and that answer is ‘no’.” (Glenn Moore: Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Feed Me, Glenn I’m Sixty Moore, Pleasance Courtyard)
Aurie Styla
