Sam Lake @ Pleasance Courtyard

Comedy with warmth and well-earned sentiment, Sam Lake makes an impressive Edinburgh Fringe debut

Review by Laurie Presswood | 15 Aug 2022
  • Sam Lake

Sam Lake is a nasty little bitch (or so he’d have us believe). The impression he gives in Cake is more kindly – a cheeky but big-hearted jester who even manages to elicit the elusive snort react from his debut Edinburgh Fringe hour.

Cake is essentially a marriage story, starting at the very beginning and taking a few detours along the way – he sets the scene prior to their meeting with tales of dating app misadventures, a deep dive into various aspects of his personality, and how these may or may not leave him well equipped for finding love in the world. He leans into what he knows are the audience’s (usually correct) assumptions about him, treating us to stories about "man noises" and how, in a bind, he problem solves to work out the correct amount of narcotics to purchase in one go.

The show does have a technical element, with Lake making use of a projector to land certain punchlines and affectionate moments – but the tech is used only sparingly and never becomes a crutch. It arrives, delivers the best joke of the set, and then makes itself scarce.

The secondary thread that runs alongside all of this is how different groups of men misunderstand one another: drug dealers and drug purchasers; gay men and straight men; young gay men and old (read: early 30s) gay men. It’s this theme that introduces most of the show’s best moments, especially where discussions around the workplace are involved. It also helps Cake’s more sentimental moments to feel more special – you come away with a feeling of the persistence of love and of friendship. By the end we don’t begrudge Lake the poignant turn that is customary of Fringe hours – Cake is the rare case in which it actually feels earned.


Sam Lake: Cake, Pleasance Courtyard (Cellar), until 28 Aug (not 16), 9.50pm, £8-10