one4review | On 25, Aug 2022

Tom Rosenthal is an accomplished actor, largely known for his starring roles on TV in Friday Night Dinner and Plebs. His appeal is wide and varied, there are teenage girls wearing his tour t-shirt in the front row and his stand up show at The Fringe is much anticipated.

It starts out well. Tom bounds on to stage and tells us how thrilled he is to be here performing his show in Edinburgh. There is a funny introduction and we learn that Tom is an incredibly anxious and nervous individual who suffers from OCD. He has ways of covering up this particular condition as demonstrated by showing a video clip from a past TV appearance. This is all very personal, but the whole show is about to get very personal.

You see even the title of the show is well not quite what you think it is. Manhood, or perhaps Man Hood is a thing. A thing that you can buy on the internet and it is indeed a little hood that men who have been circumcised can wear . . and find comfort in.

The whole show then descends into, by Tom’s own admission, a Ted Talk on circumcision.

It’s not that this isn’t a funny show and Tom is a brilliantly engaging performer. It’s just that the subject matter is slightly limiting. Tom is understandably passionate about the practice of circumcision and the rights and many wrongs of the procedure.

This is a very funny show and Tom uses all his acting talents and skills to great effect for the dramatic and over the top ending.

4****
Reviewed by Margot

Pleasance Courtyard (Forth)
17.20 (1hr)
Until 28th