EDINBURGH 2023: Review: SUSAN RIDDELL: WONDER WOMAN, Gilded Balloon

You don’t really expect for a show titled Wonder Woman to open with comedian Susan Riddell listing all the things she’s shite at. It turns out this isn’t some sort of superhero complex and the show is largely just about all of the things she wonders about. One example being- what is she doing with her career?

This is Riddell’s third Fringe show and it is a mix of straight stand-up and filmed sketches. She steps offstage for the filmed sections of the shows, as she feels awkward watching us watch them. She’s also not keen on starting and ending shows and there are some really brilliant jokes here with a couple of excellent callbacks. 

I tend to avoid audience interaction but there’s a fun gameshow element to Wonder Woman which is brilliant and interactive without anyone being picked on. 

Riddell’s biggest strength is observational comedy. Due to her also being allegedly terrible at memorising things, she has a notepad on stage. It’s been pointed out to her that this could be seen as unprofessional, but she compares it with restaurant staff waitstaff that don’t use a notepad to take your order- therefore proving that a notepad can instil confidence in some situations. 

Another highlight is a sketch about men not being recognised by passport control when returning from Turkey with new teeth and hair. This sketch was originally on BBC Scotland but has been extended for this show and it is truly brilliant.

With lots of big laughs and some very clever setups, Wonder Woman is an excellent hour of comedy from a brilliant talent.

Susan Riddell: Wonder Woman runs until 27 August

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