Review by Lucy Holz
All it took was one well-placed Instagram reel shown to me by my boyfriend to know that Jin Hao Li would be a must-see this Edinburgh Fringe. Showcasing the impact of social media for comedians, his run at the festival is already completely sold out.
The comedy begins before the show even starts, with Jin Hao inviting audience members backstage to ‘see what it looks like’ as they enter the venue. He entices those already sitting with the promise of a group selfie and it’s the perfect way to set up an hour of absurdist, non-conformist comedy.
Jin Hao begins his show at conception, determined to pay tribute to all those brothers he lost along the way to egg fertilisation. It creates a great running gag, effectively elevating future jokes. The set is constructed around 3 childhood dreams and 3 nightmares, with plenty of twists and turns along the way.
He is a master of wordplay and the delayed punchline, with lengthy absurdist anecdotes constructed entirely around a well-timed one-liner. This unique structure does waver in the final moments of his set, with seemingly unrelated stories not drawing the same laughs as they did in the beginning.
Softly spoken, Jin Hao gazes out at his audience with a childlike innocence, lulling us into a truly false sense of security. He frequently breaks this spell, jumping out at unsuspecting audience members, much like a spider at an insect rave in the 1920’s.
We get glimpses into his extraordinary life, no-one quite expects him to have served in the military, in the same way no-one expects some innocent audience interaction around spoons to lead to a punchline about dropping grenades.
He creates a truly unique relationship with his audience, incorporating everything from physical comedy and visual gags to rap and calling out his tech. No stone is left unturned in his pursuit for the perfect hour and in the case of Jin Hao Li, he’s very nearly there.
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