Anuvab Pal @ Pleasance Courtyard

Comprising history, politics and a healthy dose of cultural observation, Anuvab Pal’s Empire is a bit of a mixed bag. Pal himself talks with a cut glass English accent, despite having never visited the UK before 2018. Understandably, this is the basis for a good few jokes, and he does have some novel material with notably funny sections, for instance when describing the difference between Indian and Pakistani men. Bizarrely, he's able to get genuine laughs out of the creation of the Indian Constitution

However, the show suffers from a lack of focus, repetition and over-egging of the ‘funny bits’. Pal frequently stops to wait for laughs, looking round the room expectantly, which is uncomfortable in a venue this small. Notwithstanding, he seems like an amiable chap. His comedy is inoffensive, if not cutting edge, and you’ll probably learn something interesting, if not exactly have your mind boggled or sides split. Empire is not the blandest thing at the Fringe but, given the perspective Pal brings, he could afford to be more daring. 

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Anuvab Pal: Empire, Pleasance Courtyard (That), 1-26 Aug (not 13), 7pm, £7-13

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