Francesco De Carlo @ Underbelly George Square

A tame if pleasing hour with Francesco De Carlo

Review by Frankie Goodway | 14 Aug 2017

It’s unclear if Francesco De Carlo is in his comfort zone. On the one hand, he clearly delights in being on stage; on the other, he’s brought a set about Brexit, the hot topic of 2016, to the 2017 Fringe. It’s obvious why: as an Italian expatriate who spent years working for the European Parliament in Brussels, it’s a natural source of material. His perspective isn’t quite the unique selling point it seems, but his charming, enthused delivery does help the sometimes familiar jokes zip along.

His strongest material comes from his explanations of Italian life, especially when it moves beyond the stereotypical into the national comedy scene, and his twist on owning a La dolce vita-style Vespa. A section on immigration sometimes feels more like a TED talk than a gig, while a long routine on Netflix, weed and religion rambles back and forth a bit, but hits a few crackers on the way.

It occasionally feels like De Carlo can’t get a grip on his audience, over-elucidating some points and under-explaining others without comic intent. His routines loop back to the idea of a ‘comfort zone’ with a little too much insistence for the structure to feel quite natural. However, he’s a pleasant, warm presence in the room, and though he concludes that people should move beyond their comfort zones to thrive, this gentle hour of comedy will not push you to your limits, or leave you out in the cold.


Francesco De Carlo: Comfort Zone, Underbelly George Square (Wee Coo), until 28 Aug (not 14), 9.20pm, £8-11

http://www.theskinny.co.uk/festivals/edinburgh-fringe/comedy