At just 26, Rhys James is becoming a Fringe stalwart. The first time I saw him he was doing a Free Fringe show in a forgettable venue (I have actually forgotten where it was), now, his latest show; Wiseboy, is selling out a premium space in the Pleasance Courtyard. Over the years the venues have improved and so has the act, because this is possibly Rhys James’s best Fringe show yet.
Rhys doesn’t shy away from the fact that he’s middle-class and white. Quite the opposite, he uses it to make fun of himself to great effect. He’s toned it down just a touch this year, but it’s still incredibly funny. Like all good comedy the jokes come from everyday life and observations, with a hint of the absurd thrown in.
There’s a superb rapport with the audience and he does a great job of adapting to the crowd. His quick wit allows him to turn any situation into a piece of comedy gold; a shoeless audience member was all he needed to create a thread that ran right through the show that I saw.
That’s what he’s always been good at, with Wiseboy no different, a seemingly unimportant joke at the beginning layers up to be the basis of something entirely different. Gone this year is his modern brand of poetry, but its exclusion does nothing to diminish the expertly-crafted show.
Rhys James is a superb comedian, audiences can connect with him easily and it’s impossible not to be totally charmed by him and the way he puts together a show is a masterclass in comedy. For me, at least, it wouldn’t be the Edinburgh Fringe without a trip to see the Wiseboy that is Rhys James.
