I’m not sure quite how to word this, because Pierre Novellie has never delivered anything other than a great show, but this one really felt like a return to his very best.

He begins by exclaiming how fed up he is with having to unravel the intricate tapestry of his lineage, yet against his better judgment, we’re subjected to a hasty lesson on the Huguenots’ banishment and journey. It does, in all fairness, come across as a begrudging tip of the hat. A Fringe audience, more than any other crowd, should know all of this by now.

But once we shift to new ground it’s all gold. There is a wonderful tale about falling out of love with D&D novels and a reading from Tolkien that needs nothing more than a look from Novellie to reinforce its ridiculousness and break the crowd. And it is this story that leads to the explanation of the shows title.

At some point in the recent past our clown received a heckle like no other, it went “You have Asperger’s, I know, because I have Asperger’s”. It turns out that this yelled diagnosis was 100% correct – although we can’t call it Asperger’s anymore due to, y’know, Nazis.

With this diagnosis in hand, and along with seemingly half of the Fringe also receiving similar diagnosis this year, our clown ponders on the correctness of us laughing at people who are classed as having a disability.

It’s both a smart and, ironically, incredibly funny take on the situation and further highlights the brilliance of this year’s show. 

This is stand-up at its finest and I highly recommend that you grab tickets if he’s coming to a town near you – pierrenovellie.com

Clown Stars * * * * *

@Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh

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