Daniel Foxx @ Pleasance Courtyard
Social media star Daniel Foxx’s debut proves his excellence lies in musical comedy, not straightforward punchlines
Daniel Foxx’s Edinburgh Fringe debut’s central theme is – in equal measure – made explicit and utilised as fully as it can be, and too simple; it’s pertained to so faithfully that the punchline in Villain often feels repetitive. The show’s duration is punctuated by original music played and sung by Foxx on keyboard: Villain opens with the Disney-esque It’s the Gays Who Are Evil, a whistle-stop tour of queer traits as they relate to baddies from the House of Mouse, and that’s largely where the rhetoric stays.
There is a lot of potential here: Foxx’s use of highlighting how these fictional characters resonated with him as a young child catalyses queer villainy into his late-Millennial/early-Gen Z biography, where his very real bullying highlights that the fictional villains he grew up idolising aren’t actually evil, but actually rather fabulous. That's especially true when compared to the difficulties wrought by peers and teachers in school – his real villains.
The humour in this, however, never quite reaches the dizzying heights of the musical introduction and coda. Punchlines generate laughs, but a shallow pool of pop culture references (The Sims, Shrek 2, the problematic reality of James Bond) and a played-out central thesis present an uneven hour of endearing anecdotes predicated on topics that provide little that’s new, comedically.
Foxx is strong as a stand-up in presence, and rightfully doesn’t deserve to be lumped in with the contingent that made their mark via social media – and are finding it somewhat difficult to translate their online success to stand up – as opposed to the comedy circuit traditionally. The material presented, however, doesn’t escape the glib, truncated delivery of Foxx’s characters that have helped shape his following online. This translation from phone screen to stage is harried by this, and any payoff from the audience in attendance feels transitory and fleeting, as we are fed a flurry of mildly funny zingers. But even with the strength of the thematic through line, Villain feels trite and scattershot; the laughs very much playing second fiddle to a familiar biographical narrative.
Daniel Foxx: Villain, Pleasance Courtyard (Baby Grand), until 27 Aug, 7.05pm, run sold out, returns may be available; extra show at Pleasance Courtyard (Above), 25 Aug, 10.45pm, £12