2011 Edinburgh Fringe
Andi Osho review
My only previous knowledge of Andi Osho's stand-up is from her spot on Channel 4's Stand Up For The Week and, although clearly proficient on that, she left me slightly underwhelmed, as I never felt the format allowed her to fully explore the ideas she presented. So with this in mind, I was very interested to find out how, when given a full hour, Osho's material would come across. Happily she exceeded any expectations I had and excelled during an hour of charming and confident comedy.
As the crowd enters, Osho sits on stage smiling and welcoming everyone in to the sold-out venue. It transpires, however, that this is a tactic - allowing her to eye up the male audience members, as her show, All the Single Ladies, is her attempt at finding love by going for a drink with singletons from her audiences. She begins by recounting the previous dates she has had since the Fringe has begun and paints a picture of being truly unlucky in love. She continues by questioning the audience, eliciting responses in a truly professional display of interaction. Her questions are pertinent and probing and the responses are tightly incorporated into her narrative.
Her material is punchy and pacey and she has some superb lines on a range of mundane topics - from online dating adverts to badminton. Her show flows very well and is expertly structured around methods of dating, allowing her to riff on various subjects, including sport, going out, and Facebook stalking. While not the most original of topics, she relates them all back to her main theme in a way that thoroughly justifies their discussion. All this is interspersed with a level of crudeness that is pitched at just the right level. She clearly understands her audience's expectations and doesn't take it too far, again proving her professionalism and understanding of her theme - she is looking for love, not sex.
There is definitely an emotional edge to the show, evident when Osho mentions a previous relationship where the love was not reciprocated. This is one of the only displays of fragility during the show and it really adds a depth and heart to Osho's hour, but it also points to my main criticism of the show - we just don't get to see enough of Osho's personal and emotional side. Perhaps a bit more introspection about why she has been single for so long and a tad more self-deprecation would have lifted this to a truly great show. I appreciate this could have gone the other way and been too mawkish and Osho does well to avoid this, but there is certainly room for a little more self-reflection.
The show ends unexpectedly with a street/beat poem about love, which is witty and tinged with the emotional understanding that is slightly lacking from the rest of the show. This is a unique and unassuming end to an hour of excellent comedy. Sadly, the only person interested in dating Andi Osho on the night of this review seemed to be an 11 year old flouting the age restriction on the ticket. To make matters worse, he already had a girlfriend. Oh well. She has the rest of August to try. If Osho is one tenth as intelligent, engaging and charming in a relationship as she is on stage, she won't be single for long.
Andi Osho: All the Single Ladies listing