Comedy review: Daniel Nils Roberts: The History of the World in 1 Hour, Underbelly - Bristo Square, Edinburgh

This is a ridiculous, cheesy, show.
Daniel Nils Roberts: The History of the World in 1 Hour, Underbelly - Bristo SquareDaniel Nils Roberts: The History of the World in 1 Hour, Underbelly - Bristo Square
Daniel Nils Roberts: The History of the World in 1 Hour, Underbelly - Bristo Square

Daniel Nils Roberts: The History of the World in 1 Hour, Underbelly - Bristo Square, Edinburgh * * * *

It might even be described as a cliché. It has grandiose claims, false starts, guests that don't turn up and, predictably, runs out of time. But there is just so much fun and silliness here that you cannot help but be drawn in.

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Daniel Nils Roberts is the kind of performer who starts enthusiastically and sends so much energy out into the room that you cannot help but feel it. He has slides, he has diagrams, he has music and maps, he has running gags, clever call backs and an unprecedented number of comedy similes.

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As promised, we do not merely laugh (although we laugh a lot ) we learn, Fans of Belgium will never think the same way about the home of Poirot and expensive choccies, those who love a good heiroglyph will be delighted and even those for whom no show is complete without a Brexit moment get possibly the freshest one in Edinburgh this month. As you would expect, it is a tightly packed hour, Roberts does not drop the pace for a second, even when a bit of buffering threatens the onscreen proceedings. This, for me, was probably the funniest section of the show. Fine art lovers will love it, fans of historical figure-based comedy will be in raptures. On a 'jokes per pound' basis, Daniel Nils Roberts offers one of the best bargains of the Fringe.

History, jokes, Ancient Egyptians with enormous penises – what is there not to like ?

Until 25 August