Fin Taylor @ Pleasance Courtyard
Fin Taylor tackles the issue of harassment but is hobbled by some unconvincing jokes
When Harassy Met Sally is Fin Taylor’s latest outing in Edinburgh, and as in previous years he tackles a big issue with intellect and confidence.
Having warned the audience that the show is going to offend most people in the room, Taylor marches straight into the minefield that is sexual harassment, setting off little distasteful explosions in his wake. As he talks about the grey areas of dating and the appropriate response for a man to #metoo discussions on social media, there’s a sense that he really doesn’t want to offend anybody at all. But instead of using his jokes as a vehicle towards interesting arguments, it’s the other way around – every time he’s on the way to make an essential point, an obvious gag makes sure it lands flat.
At the end, Taylor surprisingly feels the need to explain that he makes these "horrible" jokes in the name of comedy (such as mentions of R. Kelly pissing on a 15-year-old girl) but his intentions were never really in question. It's just now we expect more from Taylor, who seems to spend the hour building up to unconvincing jokes instead of really getting to the heart of the issues he wants to raise.
Fin Taylor: When Harassy Met Sally, Pleasance Courtyard (Beside), until 26 Aug (not 15), 9.45pm, £6-10
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