one4review | On 19, Aug 2025

Australian comic Daniel Muggleton knows the value of first impressions—and how to subvert them. Dressed in his trademark red Adidas tracksuit and sporting a moustache, he could easily be mistaken for a Sydney backyard bouncer guarding the barbecue. Instead, what you get is one of the sharpest international comics at the Fringe: quick, fearless, and in absolute command of the room.

Muggleton has built a reputation on doing things his way. A regular at Edinburgh since 2017, he’s also a fixture on the international circuit, with tours across Europe, America and Asia, plus Network 10 and the Comedy Channel in Australia. His decision to perform on the Free Fringe is deliberate—no compromise on material, no pandering, just the right kind of crowd who want to be there. And in that environment, he slays.

The big talking point, of course, is his refusal to tiptoe around the elephant in the room. His set skewers the current “Edinburgh heatwave panic,” mocking British frailty in the face of anything over 23 degrees, and his apathy towards our weather-obsessed culture is both refreshing and deadly accurate. Crowd work is where he truly sparkles, not just the usual sparring with the front row, but smart riffs on the “lack of syllables” in certain names, turning audience members into collaborators rather than victims. It’s a masterclass in control—warm, sharp, and never predictable.

As for the prepared material, he’s packed with highlights. His riff on George Foreman’s children all sharing the same name is already a contender for one of the jokes of the Fringe. Tales of parenting are sharpened into something new, while his routine about the “true meaning of tables and chairs” deserves to be up for an award on its own. Add in his take on porn age verification, and you’ve got a set that moves from the personal to the political with ease, always landing laughs without ever feeling forced.

Muggleton thrives on rules—his rules. He sets the pace, throws in the curveballs, and leaves you never quite knowing where he’ll land next, but always happy to be along for the ride.

This is the real deal: the best mirth-and-turf Australia has to offer. If you only see one international comic this Fringe, make it Daniel Muggleton. A world-class act playing by his own rules—and on this form, unstoppable.

 

****

Reviewed by Steve H

The Pear Tree

16.00 -17.00

Until 24^th August