No one else can joke about war criminals and teenage crushes in the same 10 minutes with this much style.
Have you ever wanted to see a theatrical hour of comedy with jokes about fraternity hazing rituals, the Hague, and the American civil liberties union? Me neither but Olga Koch weaves them all into a high octane comedy show exploring fear and gender all while sprinkling in some gripping stories and emotional curveballs.
Olga has plenty of jokes about low rise jeans and teenage angst before she pirouettes (quite literally) into a joke about British government enquiries. She’s cultivated a interesting audience, the type of people to smash a karaoke after debating Russian history, and if this sounds like you, then the show is a certain hit. The show is primarily stand-up walking back through some interesting anecdotes from her life, getting revenge on unrequited crushes and university fraternities juxtaposed with three court cases from the US 1970s, with some parallels waiting to be dug up.
Her dynamism and storytelling seems overwhelming at first but she ties the show into a neat bow by delivering an emotional through line that is memorable and purposeful. Benefitting from a set and lighting that she utilises to elevate this from stand up comedy to something more theatrical in nature. Make no mistake she is a comedian first, and she has a delightful range of jokes and pacing that is incredibly tight, and physical comedy that often breaks up the tension (usually at the expense of someone in the front row).
I would have enjoyed the comedy regardless of the overall narrative and emotional finale but Olga’s use of it in conjunction with the grander scope compared to her previous specials has set the bar incredibly high for any comedy that follows. This is the kind of show fringe is for, an hour of chaotic storytelling, a finale that lingers in your mind, and the right mix of belly laughs and dad jokes. Who knows, you might just find out who Fat Tom Cruise is…
Olga Koch: Fat Tom Cruise is on at 17:30 every evening at the Pleasance Courtyard until the 30th (apart from the 29th). Tickets here.