Abigoliah Schamaun returns to Edinburgh Fringe for yet another year of aggressive, highly inappropriate and slightly bizarre comedy. Yes, the title is slightly misleading, but that need not discourage potential showgoers; an arsenal of thoroughly amusing anecdotes and self-deprecating jokes guarantees a laugh out of all but the most serious.
Lacking any sort of central theme, Schamaun allots herself a fair degree of flexibility to discuss just about anything that strikes her fancy at a given point in time. This is undoubtedly a ploy that plays to her strengths given the substantial amount of ad-libbed material and eclectic background: as she would readily admit, the vast majority of her observational comedy - arguably the funniest bits of the show - comes from a range of personal experiences.
The show kicked off with some pyrotechnics and impressive showmanship that set the tone for the night. Then there was an ironic story and tacit comparison of Harlem and Scotland. Highlights also included a joke about her father and some well spent inheritance money, certainly doing her best to poke fun at a few dominant gender stereotypes. Switching gears, there was a humorous piece on online dating full of puns; somewhat unsurprisingly, she managed to connect with someone with all the makings of a sexual predator. By this time, the most ludicrous and unusual moment of the night had arrived: as I mentioned above, Subtle isn’t just a stand-up gig - it also sports a whole host of other theatrical twists and turns. Not for the squeamish or weak-hearted, she proceeded to provide a brief demonstration of acupuncture.
Between the dirty jokes, pyrotechnics and various stories of illegalities, there isn’t a dull moment: if nothing else the immense variety else makes for an interesting show. Nonetheless, edgy and funny, Schamaun successfully manages to amalgamate showmanship with a definite aura of genuineness that seems oddly appropriate yet clashes perfectly with her material.
