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James Barr: Sorry I Hurt Your Son (Said My Ex to My Mum)

 
James Macfarlane Review by James Macfarlane 5 Published: 6 Aug 2025 Underbelly, George Square Show Dates: 30 Jul 2025-24 Aug 2025

‘Domestic abuse isn’t funny, but this show is’ is a wild tagline for any comedy show – but it feels fitting for James Barr’s Sorry I Hurt Your Son (Said My Ex to My Mum). Back for its second run at the Fringe, the show has been substantially reworked – from the material and timing to the lighting – although the core story remains the same.

What was once raw is now razor-sharp: braver, funnier and more gloriously empowering

As soon as the audience steps into Buttercup at Underbelly, things feel different from last year’s show. From the upbeat entrance music to the remixed trigger warning at the start, it’s clear that Barr is changing up the vibe. He even goes so far as to bring out balloons, which he throws into the audience. As Barr states early in the hour: “If I’m laughing, I’m surviving.” This is not a show of tragedy, but of strength and joy.

Barr now wears a headset microphone – giving either TED Talk or Britney, depending on who you ask. It may seem like a small change, but it speaks volumes. With no handheld mic to restrict him, Barr can move freely across the stage, using his whole body to tell the story. It’s a simple but smart shift that reflects not just a growth in performance style, but a deeper confidence in owning his narrative.

Barr recalls some surprisingly tender moments with his ex: moving in together, introducing him to Barr’s mum (the formidable Colleen). That is, until one little dick changes everything. The stories that follow are distressing and uncomfortable, yet delivered with great care – never gratuitous, always honest.

Later in the hour, a few of the more disturbing moments hit audience members right in the gut, and they audibly react. What began as a romantic recollection becomes something far more sinister. But Barr doesn’t flinch. He holds the space carefully, never letting discomfort become alienation. That’s the strength of this hour: we’re not just witnessing a story – we’re part of the healing process. Barr earns our trust and, with it, our full attention.

What makes a five-star show isn’t just the strength of the hour, but the evolution behind it. James Barr hasn’t just refined his material – he’s reclaimed it. What was once raw is now razor-sharp: braver, funnier and more gloriously empowering. By the end, there’s a shift you can feel in the room – a quiet, defiant release that lingers long after the lights go down. This is more than catharsis. It’s a comeback.

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The Blurb:

Domestic abuse isn't funny, but this show is. Trailblazing comedian James Barr returns to Edinburgh with a bold, 'genre-defying' (ArtsHub.com.au) stand-up hour about the things his ex-boyfriend did to him, including a pushy-wushy down the stairsy-wairsy. Shortlisted at The British LGBT Awards. 'Trauma collides with one-liners. Confronting and funny' **** (List). As seen on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Hits Radio UK and the British Podcast Award winning A Gay and A NonGay.