Thanyia Moore @ Monkey Barrel

Thanyia Moore had originally planned to bring a very different show to the Edinburgh Fringe back in 2020 – but by the time 2022 rolled around, she didn’t want to do it anymore. Cue what she thought were going to be difficult conversations with her rep and producer. But long story short, here she is: ‘Just Being Funny’. And Thanyia Moore is very funny.

The atmosphere in the room is bubbling with glee from the moment she lands on stage, both from Thanyia and her audience. There’s never a sense that she’s about to lose them to the hubbub – this is a captivated room. Armed with confidence and charm, Moore knows how to play around and chat back, but still stay on task. Although she has experience under belt, it’s impressive given this is her first Edinburgh hour.

She wants to show us “who the real Thanyia Moore is”. We learn that Thanyia Moore is a lot of things: a born and bred Londoner, a comedian, a dancer, sometimes a risk-taker, a sister, and a daughter. Moore takes us through a brief history of New Cross (the district of London she grew up in), shares some choice stories about her family, teaches us about what a ‘sweetie globe’ is (it plays a special role in this show), and gives us a few demonstrations of her talents. But honourable mention especially goes to Moore’s mum, Joyce, who tends to get the last word in.

Sure, it’s a stripped-back concept for a debut hour at the Fringe; a festival that’s strewn with shows which seek some ‘greater meaning’, but that seems to be the idea here. What’s more, Moore has a gift for making people laugh, so it just works. And so, after the hour is up, you’re left feeling that the “real Thanyia Moore” is someone worth knowing.

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Thanyia Moore: Just Being Funny, Monkey Barrel (Carnivore 1), 18-28 Aug, 6.50pm, £8-10