The opening salvos of Bostonian standup Alex Edelman‘s Edinburgh debut are characteristic. He starts with a joke about coming out at his family’s Thanksgiving, the first punchline of which (and don’t worry, there’s more to it) is that he’s not gay. It’s simultaneously amusing and a bit glib; Edelman’s chuffed with the stunt he’s pulling, and unconcerned that a straight man coming out for laughs might look in any way cloth-eared or insensitive.
That’s also characteristic of what Edelman calls the “millennial” generation; he’s not the first comic of his age-group to appear oblivious to – or to have progressed beyond – the race and gender sensitivities of those of us in our 30s and 40s. Edelman is 25, and considers himself the very essence of Generation Y – so much so, that his image (he claims) is Google’s shorthand for “depressed millennial”.
This representative-of-a-generation conceit supplies the show’s structure, but it’s a baggy one, which allows Edelman to talk about whatever he pleases. This includes stories about Neil Armstrong, his graduation (he claims that “I spent $193,000 on my university”; his parents may quibble with the personal pronoun), and several skits about shooting his mouth off in public places.
Those stories (arguing with a cupcake shop assistant; muscling in on someone else’s break-up in Starbucks) would work better if Edelman portrayed himself as ridiculous; in fact, he seems pleased with how witty he’s being. Much of this show justifies the self-satisfaction: the material on campaigning for Obama is engaging, there’s a good joke about a woman’s 9/11 tattoo, and it’s all delivered with precocious poise and authority. It can feel too studied, and a bit facile – as if Edelman’s technical flair outstrips his awareness of the effect he’s having. That may come – in the meantime, this is an accomplished first solo hour.
• Until 24 August. Box office: 0131-556 6550. Venue: Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh.
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