one4review | On 31, Aug 2026

Compilation shows are a bit hit-and-miss at the Fringe. More often, the sum of the parts makes an enjoyable evening; the premise doesn’t quite match the full entity. Not here.

The aim is to bring together Black comedians who may not be able to bring a full Fringe run and give them a platform to entertain.

Che Burnley
You need a killer MC, and Che Burnley, from Oldham, delivers. He’s playful, fun and commanding, with a real sense that Daddy is talking. His experiences in Edinburgh and his family all land well and he’s a lovely dovetail between acts too.

Bucky Carson
“I’m American, you can’t take the applause back.” Huge laughs. It’s a short set and hits. Being American, he’s also brought a support firearm in the form of a massage gun with attachments so he feels more at home, His set, much like the attachments, soothes as well as destroys where required.

Selam Amare
The Ethiopian-Swedish-born comedian is the best in show. Covering becoming a UK citizen, red flags in dating that apply to others and herself, and stereotypes of Ethiopians being preserved by the British. She delivers with certainty, leaving you with the feeling there’s a lot more to come.

Sammer Elzubaidi
His set consists of visa-picture mishaps, the dynamics of the barber’s chair, and a brilliant AI wife bit with chatbots. Brief, but a clever refreshing sorbet.

Gimp Simpson
These compilation shows need a left-field choice, and the token white guy is this American. His full-mask gimpy slave routine is bizarre, with material around pegging and sexual kinks, is exactly the sort of thing this bill needs. Some of the audience look like they’re watching Springtime for Hitler, which only makes it funnier.

Moe Singleton
Another American delight. Coming to Scotland, bagpipe etiquette, spectacles making out, even a lovely bit on Robert Louis Stevenson. Well-written material and delivered with confidence.

The show has both an early-afternoon and a late-night slot, rendering it accessible to different Fringe crowds. More importantly, it gives comedians who might not otherwise get the chance to do a full run a stage to show what they can do.

Overall, it’s very Fringe: rough around the edges and, at times, completely deranged, but that’s part of the charm. Edinburgh is about discovery, not algorithms or necessarily the same big names year in and year out. This is the perfect place to start with some serious talent on show and exactly the sort of thing you should be supporting.
****
Reviewed by Steve H

Bannerman’s