The Fringe has no shortage of pompous men who believe that they have written the definitive work on any given subject. However, few of them are quite as bad as the narcissistic monster that Jake Cornell plays in this comic two-hander with Marcia Belsky. The device that their hour uses is the presentation of a work-in-progress show that aims to speak to gender inequality, the catch being that Cornell’s character is so insufferably arrogant that he cannot help but centre himself, even when trying to elevate women’s voices. 

^{Pictures: Amir Khan (above) Luv Agrawal (top)}

It’s perhaps an obvious joke at a Fringe that is steeped in studies (some comic and some not) about what equality looks like today, but it is nonetheless an effective one which this duo have fun with. The play-within-a-play element does not quite hit the notes that it could, perhaps because it is so hard to sustain the humour of watching a ‘bad’ show. However, the moments when things break down, particularly during an excruciating Q&A, are undoubtedly amusing. 

More care could be given to the rising animosity between our two leads, so that when the wheels truly come off, the ensuing carnage might be more satisfying. However, the show mostly succeeds as an amusing and light commentary on progressive theatre and its ability to disappear up itself. 

Reviewed at Assembly George Square Studios as part of Edinburgh Fringe.