In a sheer act of heroism Janine Harouni is performing this year’s Fringe show eight and a half months pregnant. So who knows, by the end of her run it might be a double act. But it would have been a massive shame to not have this show in Edinburgh, Harouni deftly weaving both emotional and narrative threads throughout.

Her feelings about pregnancy are frank; at first she is uncertain whether she wanted kids, worried how it would affect her life and dreams. She’s brutally honest, too, about the toll it takes on the body, and makes her wonder why anyone would do that to themselves.

Also running throughout is the backstory of her singer grandmother and a potential family secret. There are themes of friendship and tragedy, and the recounting of an experience that affects many women. It’s incredible that she manages to fit all this into just an hour. Ultimately she’s cuttingly funny, the poignant parts are delivered beat perfect, a pause to absorb then the undercutting gag which is often a dark one. An exquisite piece of work. 

Janine Harouni: Man’oushe, Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 August, 6.20pm.