Ian Stone (The Plebs Pow Wow) – Edinburgh Counting House

And if you do end up with a Rhino-sized hamster in your kitchen, make damn sure it has its trousers in order and understands the recommended toilet manoeuvres. You get meh?

‘Mon there, keep up. Especially Keith from Canada. There’s audience sympathy for Keith, for so quick and break-neck is the pace of this show, it’s a tall ask. Speaking of which, just take a moment to contemplate the diminutive Hazel Blears given the responsibility for floods back in 2007? Speaking of politicians, there’s a brief assessment of prime ministers from Tony Blair, Gordon Brown et al up to and including Andy Burnham. It’s exhausting, impossible to take your eyes off him or take even a second to pass comment to your neighbour. There are twists and turns, but Stone doesn’t slow down for any of them. It’s a delightful, apparently ungoverned ramble… maybe ‘rampage’ would be a more accurate term… Stone describing his default state as ‘angry, irritable, with a hint of impotence’. The word ‘apparently’ reflects the fact that Stone’s a seasoned campaigner (check CV alert) because there’s skills-a-go-go evident; as the audience enters, he dances and greets, the words ‘infectious’ and ‘enthusiasm’ clearly coined with characters like him in mind. He ponders thoughtfully on the theme – and modern-day importance – of storytelling, highlighting how wrong’uns like Henry VIII and/or Cromwell (Brexit 1) or Boris Johnson (Brexit 2) were able to get away with illogical nonsense, yet (Sir) Keir Starmer failed so sadly. He also riffs on language (the pedantic pursuit of), homemade hash cakes, Ibiza, sleep, ADHD (wouldn’t be the Fringe without, would it?), the Australian immigration ‘points’ system, pets, phones, even finding a moment to – almost – hilariously excuse Hitler. A man let’s just say, with less to lose than those he persecuted. Although the Golf reference seemed to sail over a lot of heads.

None of the above are spoilers since, based on today’s evidence, the topics will shift and alter from show to show. The only thing that grated was the frequent use of the phrase ‘I think you’ll/we’ll all agree…’ It belongs in the bin with ‘Let’s face it/be fair’.

Playing August 6^th – 30^th (except 11th, 18th & 25^th).

Reviewer: Roger Jacobs

Reviewed: 9th August 2026

North West End UK/Theatre Muse UK Rating: