Owen Roberts @ Pleasance Courtyard

In his solo debut, Beasts' Owen Roberts gets some help from the best and youngest comedian at the Fringe

Review by Eve Livingston | 09 Aug 2018

Owen Roberts really did let a six-year-old write his show, but luckily it takes the more meta form of a discussion about the writing process, allowing Roberts to deliver moments of straight stand-up and deconstruct six-year-old Isabella’s contributions to great comic effect.

His writing partner – and surely the breakout comedy newcomer of this year’s Fringe – is the daughter of his girlfriend, providing the context for stand-up material about family that is both entertaining and sometimes moving. It is Isabella herself, though, who gets the biggest laughs: her contributions are shared in her own voice via audio recording and the 'kids say the funniest things' vibe combined with Roberts’ on-stage reactions create real comedy magic.

Of course, while Isabella is presented in many ways as the star of this show, the concept wouldn’t work without the skill of Roberts to pull it all together. His ability to banter with a co-star who isn’t even in the room is comical and their interactions endearing. His facial expressions and physical comedy also provide some of the highlights, including a hysterical conclusion co-written by Isabella. It's an ultimately cleverer and more entertaining show than one which was actually written by a six-year-old alone. Rather, the deconstruction of the writing process and their partnership provides a strong vehicle for excellent comedy by Roberts and Isabella alike.


Owen Roberts: I Let a Six-Year-Old Write My Show, Pleasance Courtyard (This), until 27 Aug (not 13), 4.45pm, £6-10

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