Formed in a dingy pub about 15 years ago, this long-running comedy duo return to Edinburgh for the last time. Max & Ivan’s new show presents itself as an unhinged TED Talk, complete with PowerPoint presentation. Both members of the act are placed on a personality scale that explains how passive, active, risky and safe they are. The lead of the duo, Max, lies at the furthest point of active-safe on the map. His partner sits comfortably at passive-risk, for reasons that become apparent throughout the performance.

We follow this chalk-and-cheese duo as they recap their lives since their last Fringe show, pre-covid. Ivan has become a father and got scammed into joining a very expensive screen-printing class. Meanwhile, Max had been meticulously planning the trip of a lifetime to Thailand, every waking moment of which was scheduled in his diary. They also developed a wrestling sitcom, Deep Heat, for ITV last year, which was unfortunately not renewed for a second series. 

The pair are pleasant to watch, telling quirky tales about their eccentric fathers, who sit even further away from each other on their personality graph than the duo themselves. Despite a slow-ish start to their show, they drive their audience with an increasing momentum that ends in quite a showstopper. The pair radiate a warm atmosphere of friendship that rubs off on their audience, no matter the questionable life choices either of them have made. 

Max & Ivan: Life, Choices, Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 August, 5.20pm.