Post by @nataliagresty

Seen by Natalia at Edinburgh Festival Fringe on the 10th of August 2026

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – A genius tale of toxic masculinity

No Hard Felix is a one-man show by Northern Ireland-born actor Mark Ryder who takes us for a hilariously silly yet vulnerable ride with his alter ego, Felix. Felix, a man in finance, trust fund, (almost) 6ft 5, blue eyes, is the type of guy we all know well: only ever in a suit or in gymwear, awfully assured of himself, probably en route to seal a deal downtown as we speak. Yet, the façade doesn’t always match the insides, does it? Felix has a little big problem with his downstairs department, and over the course of the show, we follow him on his journey through securing the girls, offending his coworkers, and last but not least – trying to deal with erectile dysfunction in his signature alpha male way.

Ryder excellently executes Felix to the finest detail: prior to the show, he created Felix’s instagram page, which has accidentally gone viral and admittedly helped Ryder get into character too. There, he regularly updates his followers on his dating life (which includes sharing a tent with a female coworker during a company offsite) as well as a mix of manosphere-laden advice. The play sees Felix experiencing some supposed highs (mostly him bragging about events which may or may not have happened) and then some real lows when his ‘manhood’ fails him. A ridiculous inner monologue/ commentary throughout adds to the brilliant caricature, but the more obstacles are thrown his way, the closer he gets to a great reckoning, a 180 degree U-turn. Felix turns to turn to the few people who do deeply care about him, and at one point in the show he has a speech, during which this rather unlikeable, comical character manages to move some audience members to tears.

Funny, moving, surprising and wonderfully performed, No Hard Felix is a true delight. I’m not the first one to say it, but if Fleabag was a macho man, this would potentially be it. 

Aug 6th-17th at 13:20
Running time: 60 minutes
Venue: Just Out Of The Box at Just The Tonic at The Caves
Tickets and info: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/no-hard-felix  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nohardfelix/