EDINBURGH 2023: Review: KIRAN DEOL: JOYSUCK, Gilded Balloon Teviot

Oscar shortlisted, Emmy nominated, actress, director, writer and stand up, Kiran Deol has quite the resume. However, despite her impressive career thus far, Kiran Deol is focusing on none of that, instead delivering an hour of stand up on her traumatic assault and the journey it has taken her on.

Entering the stage in what can only be described as a fashionable hospital gown, Deol begins the show by explaining her love of villains growing up. When watching Disney classics growing up she never wanted to be Ariel, she wanted to be Ursula.

She ties her own love of villainy back to her childhood, explaining the way in which she was first bullied for her race by two girls at her school and how this changed her perception going forward. 

By tying her love of villainy to her own position of being a victim, Deol opens up a fascinating dialogue about the wicked desires that exist in every single one of us and how the difference between those of us that do or don't act on said desires is sometimes an inherent goodness which is built into us from a young age.

It is a terrific conversation to be had and one that is even more engaging when hearing Deol talk about it up on stage, someone who has clearly had much time to deliberate on the topics.

Her dry sense of humour and delivery throughout the show can cause somewhat of an issue in that Joysuck isn't a show which delivers huge laughs or consistent chuckles even but it is undoubtedly a clever show and Deol is undoubtedly a very talented comedian.

Joysuck is not a show that will be for everyone and Kiran Deol's sense of humour is more certainly for a specific crowd who enjoy a specific type of comedy, though for those that this show is for, it is a great hour of standup.

Kiran Deol: Joysuck runs at Gilded Balloon Teviot until 28 August.

To post a comment, you must register and login.