Words: Chloe Shimmin

Chloe’s career is sky-rocketing, and she gets funnier and funnier. Having recently finished touring the UK with Ed Gamble on his 2022 UK Tour Electric, Chloe brings her new show: If You Can’t Say Anything Nice to the Edinburgh Fringe.

She explores a different side of her personality in this new set: the angry side. But Chloe has not lost her open, relaxed and quietly confident nature – in fact, discussing the things that make her angry only makes her more likable. She explores the duality of her own nature through her friends and her fan base (though calling yourself a Chloe Petts fan is weird, she says), fitting us all into two categories ‘beautiful, gentle queers’ or ‘football hooligans.’ The laugh she gets means she’s not wrong.

As always, Chloe is accurate in her observations and particularly relatable when discussing how people respond to her at weddings. Though gender is a largely confusing subject for Chloe, at weddings she always ‘identifies as the man with a tie wrapped around his head.’ Lightly touching on her struggles with gender identity and anxiety over climate change; Chloe manages to share her struggles with us through hilarious punch lines. Although sometimes tripping over her words, causing us to miss a joke or two, she keeps the audience on side throughout.

Chloe feels like a very funny friend: relaxed, easy going and full of jokes. It’s no surprise that her career is taking off. Catch her now, before she sells out much bigger venues.

Chloe Petts: If You Can’t Say Anything Nice
Pleasance Courtyard, Above
18.40
8-13, 15-27 Aug