Words: Izzy Toner

3 stars

Cheeky, charismatic and self-identified ‘weird girl’ Celya AB was a pleasure to watch at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She is a French comedian seeking to freshen up her tried and true previous material poking fun at Brits (which she admits now with the current state of the country just feels like bullying), and instead takes the audience on an ambling monologue through childhood, philosophy and romance.

Celya is very personable on stage, affecting a casual air and yet grinning ear-to-ear for most of her set, and succeeds in charming the audience from the outset. She appears to abandon conventional structure and instead chats unhurriedly to the crowd, relating funny stories from her childhood and holographic ABBA concerts, and moves in and out of deeper subjects such as break-ups, mental self-care and not feeling like a true ‘adult’.

Although at times the laid back nature of this show reveals a set without a real message or direction, it is precisely the type of ‘whimsy’ Celya tells the audience she hopes to pivot towards in the introduction of her show. It is warm, enjoyable, and refreshing to see a comedian confidently moving at her own pace whilst keeping her audience thoroughly engaged.

I can only see Celya AB growing stronger as a performer, and I would be very excited to see how her material develops in the future. 

Celya AB: Second Rodeo
Pleasance Courtyard, Beside
19.30
23-27 Aug