Morgan Rees @ Pleasance Courtyard

Bi and Large is a quietly confident debut Edinburgh Fringe hour from Welsh comic Morgan Rees

Review by Yasmin Hackett | 16 Aug 2022
  • Morgan Rees

Morgan Rees has many weird and wonderful stories under his belt. Sure, many would say it’s a prerequisite of being a stand-up comedian, and that is true, but the Merthyr Tydfil-born comic’s debut hour is full of them – giving him that quality of someone who always has a mad story up his sleeve, ready to entertain. Be it aunties with a knack for video-editing and sharing ghost stories, cousins who get a little too close for comfort, or having literal children for an aunty and uncle, Rees has evidently lived a life coloured with unique experiences.

What makes Bi and Large a success is its quiet confidence: Rees knows how to keep his audience laughing. More specifically, Rees finds great opportunities to fill in the lulls that follow a story with sharp gags, keeping the momentum rolling. He has a true knack for pulling a punchline out of the bag where it wasn’t expected to be. It makes for an hour that is filled with the kind of laughter that bursts out of you in spite of yourself (particularly when it comes to an extended description of bumming). There are moments of nerves where the delivery is perhaps less crisp than it could be; it’s nothing that a little time for polish can’t solve.

To add to it all, Rees’ show is heartfelt in its more confessional moments. The Welsh comic shares his experience of bisexuality, masculinity and a genuinely touching relationship with his younger brother (despite any disgust Rees may feel for his sibling’s teenage ways). After spending an hour in Rees’ world, his brand of stand up feels almost relaxing in its assuredness; because of that, an hour flashes by. It’s exciting to imagine where this can take Rees next.


Morgan Rees: Bi and Large, Pleasance Courtyard (Bunker One), until 28 Aug, 6.10pm, £9-11