Pleasance Courtyard

17.30

£8-£12

10-24 August (not 11)

Painting a picture with wit and charming references along the way. An honest and relatable take on oneself is hard enough without having to make people laugh – Dane Baptiste reveals plenty in his hilarious debut Edinburgh show ‘Citizen Dane’.

He starts the hour explaining what it is like having Grenadian roots growing up in London. Despite most of the audience not being able to share that feat (myself included) he turns this into something special which anyone would find funny, mixing his life into 80’s and 90’s sitcoms and comic books. Oh how the audience howled.

The show dims the lights twice for a physical comedy sequence including dancing which receives a round of applause and a couple of whistles both times. When Dane explains his place in society as an outsider (with an intelligent political agenda) he has his audience tightly listening, he then lets off a joke about ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ where the tension is released in more laughter.

Baptiste is absolutely a stand up just waiting for a next big step as his current show is very well put together and performed. The one thing that could take him to the next level in the show is going deeper into audience interaction. A great show from of the very few black comedians at the festival, as he rightfully points out. Four stars.

Review by Thomas Boglett.