post by @nataliagresty

Seen by Natalia at Edinburgh Festival Fringe on the 19th of August 2024

4 stars – clever, witty and wonderfully performed

To review Mo Fry Pasic‘s fast-paced solo show does require quite a bit of afterthought. It’s rich with jokes and references from minute one; and before Mo even gets on stage we see screenings of ironic old-school notices such as: “Throw your gums out!” or: “Everyone, look under your seats, there’s a surprise. Really! See? NO GUM!”

The show then starts and an aspiring, distressed actress named Jolie Klein takes us through her current emotional rollercoasters. She can sing, she can dance, she wants to act, she longs to be beautiful and perfect. She is also real, mind you; we catch her masturbating to her own Instagram feed, later on genuinely googling what are the odds Chris Evans (the Captain America actor) will split with his wife one day. But she has experienced deep pain, her trauma response is that she thinks she’s the worst, often worrying she’s about to die, panicking easily, having a hard time dating – all of which she is hyper aware of. We swiftly move through her auditions, therapy sessions, throwbacks to her childhood and first dates and she doesn’t fail to make us laugh (with a healthy amount of heartbreak) at every turn.

The fine balance between comedy and tragedy, portrayed by a beautiful and powerful young woman or non-binary person suffering is something we are finally seeing more of. Mo admits the show is based on their life experiences. With their spectacular performance, fresh writing style and years spent putting on shows in the Brooklyn alt-comedy and improv scene, it is truly exciting to see what comes next.

31st July – 25th August; 4.15 pm

Running time: 60 minutes

Venue: C Arts/ C Venues/ C Aurora

Tickets and Info: ​​https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/worse-than-you 

Group: Disco Nap

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worsethanyoushow/