Review: EDINBURGH 2024: ANIA MAGLIANO: FORGIVE ME, FATHER, Pleasance Courtyard

“Are you ready to meet God?”

Ania Magliano: Forgive Me, Father begins with a bit of relatable comedy - stalking people on Instagram you aren’t able to follow. For Magliano, the person she stalks is her partner’s ex (who he had been with for eight years), and she tells us about the different posts she has seen from her. This leads into an interesting list - Magliano’s top five celebrity breakups (hint - they’re not all modern!).

The majority of the show focuses on Magliano’s relationship with her partner, Will, a fellow comedian. In an interesting twist to your average comedy show about relationships, Magliano completely acknowledges her own faults, portraying Will as a loving and understanding boyfriend who is willing to go above and beyond to help her. It is Magliano’s own uncertainties that lead to fights, and she must be the one to recognise her mistakes in order to make the relationship work. Magliano explores what might have led to these issues, including her fear of commitment, delving into her relationship with her father and the consequences of having divorced parents.

Something that Magliano has an incredible talent for is callbacks, weaving moments that might have seem disconnected and/or inconsequential into a full story that all makes sense by the end of the show. There is one storyline about the search for her contraceptive coil, which somehow manages to become a metaphor for many of the situations that she has faced. And don’t worry, men of the audience. Magliano has some sports facts ready to pull out of her pocket as needed!

A highlight of the show is Magliano’s story about purchasing the best-rated vibrator she can find, which ends up being what is labeled as the “world’s most powerful vibrator,” so strong that she needs to find an extension cable to plug it into the mains! The bit is so good that Magliano has decided to make merch out of it, selling tote bags with the iconic quote, “Are you ready to meet God?” emblazoned on the front. 

Unfortunately, towards the end of the show, an audience member had a medical emergency, leading to a show stop. Luckily, the audience member ended up being okay and Magliano continued with the end of her show, managing to get the audience back into the swing of things with ease.

Ania Magliano: Forgive Me, Father is a fantastic hour of comedy from one of the top comedians at the Fringe. Magliano continues to illustrate her skills in each show and I look forward to seeing what she brings next.

Ania Magliano: Forgive Me, Father ran until 25 August at Pleasance Courtyard - Above.

Photo Credit: Rebecca Need-Menear