The Komedia Comedy Showcase is the oddball jewel in the crown of Brighton Fringe. Sadly, 2026 is to be its last hoorah. 48-year-old* Luke Rollason has decided to hang up his hat on his self-named memorial bursary, finally acknowledging that he may yet remain among the living. With just a few minutes to show their stuff, ten other performers take to the stage for a two-hour spectacle. Does this humdinger of a showcase live up to the sensationally silly standards of previous years?
To start our time in the sun, Rollason takes us poolside in tiny shorts. He’s more than adequately dressed for the occasion, and shows it with a display of surprisingly futile ‘underage’ stripping. He finds an army vet in the second row to be his emotional support animal, and they’re soon bound with more than just handcuffs.
Bursary winner Zoe Cousin strides on stage as Paul Sykes. Just your average northern bloke. Or is he? Perhaps you should look a little closer. Cousin serves big talk energy with an unexpected lining. Wakefield’s finest fella, perfectly personified by Cousin.
As the personal advocate of favourite Peruvian orphan, Paddington Bear, fellow bursary winner Gabriel Featherstone has an important job to do. He asks the important question on every person’s mind in 2026: why was this clumsy children’s icon tasked with taking the departed Queen to make her maker? Featherstone is an incredibly watchable and likeable presence on stage.
It’s a tough life being a husband. So far, so stand-up. Except runner-up Anand Sankar happens to be wed to a demon, and faces an entirely more peculiar set of problems. His naturalistic style mixed with the sheer lunacy of his stories summons serious levels of laughter from the audience.
Isabelle Glinn appears as her eponymous ice dancer, with a fresh injection of sass that makes her character really shine. Ever charming, quite the songstress, and now with extra-added cheek, this skater speeds towards a round of hearty applause.
Closing out the first half, Jocelyn Affleck shares their personal story of gender identity in what must be Fringe’s most engaging use of video. Their work-in-progress show sounds like it will be an interesting watch.
After an interval, Rollason reappears, battling with an unduly tall microphone stand. He’s rescued by a friendly audience member, and the handcuffs emerge yet again. Ever the damsel. He’s a cracking host, whether playful or pre-planned.
Meet Victorian orphan with a vixen grin, Laurie Luxe. They share tales of their utmost misfortune and despair with clown-like complicité, bringing the audience in on their eternally damned glee. Style and substance in abundance.
Lady Bolognese appear in a waft of over-boiled cauliflower. With an unfortunate audience of ugly, naughty audience members to attend to, they deliver new levels of deranged. These green-faced, goblinesque dinner ladies are setting the alternative comedy scene alight. Top stars in the making.
Nathan Birkinshaw soars on stage fully be-birded, in a coat that warrants this entirely new phrase. The audience is charmed by his bird nerdery and sympathises with his attempts to make taxidermy fly. Twit-twoo.
Bursary runner-up Alice Ella is gorgeous and gassy as the Chronically Ill, Hormonal Slag. She’s a pop-princess with the voice to boot, performing poo-humour-packed songs that make light of her lived experience of long-term illness. You’ll never look at Wicked the same way again.
Our headliner for the night is the inimitable Leslie Bloom. She’s shared many a furniture store frisson with a semi-famous celeb, and she’s not afraid to share it with an adoring audience. Bloom is a gently silly, endearingly familiar character who can’t fail to make you grin – pure joy in a velour lounge-suit.
It’s a great loss to Brighton Fringe that this annual night of alternative comedy is now no more. With Rollason’s railcard revoked due to his advanced age*, it’s simply no longer economical for him to keep supplying other comedians with coaching, Fringe fees and crisps. So as the clowns and comedians descend into the night, all that’s left to say is…thank you. For the madness, the fits of laughter, and funding this important platform for up-and-coming funny folk. We will remember it fondly – fitting, for a memorial bursary showcase.
Reviewed on 30 May 2026.
*Editor’s note – this is perhaps not strictly true, but is relevant, we promise.
The Reviews Hub Star Rating
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8
