Chloe Petts: If You Can’t Say Anything Nice – Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Pleasance Courtyard

Written and Performed by Chloe Petts

Look, they’ve tried to be nice – and look where that got us?

Their sell-out hit full-debut set,Transiencetried to put the rest of the world’s persistent issues with transphobia, homophobia, and generally just trying to not be a bit of a git: it hasn’t worked.

So, this year, Chloe Petts is sick of your attitude – and she’s going to tell you as such.

It goes deeper, however, as Petts seeks to tackle their internal binaries; one comprising a “beautiful gentle queer”. The other is a touch more gruff and aggressive football-loving “the ref’s a wanker”. It’s a ven-diagram, with very little cross over, but bountiful harvest for material.

There’s a natural, if fast, cadence and pacing to Pett’s act – which comprises the usual crowd work, though it’s remarkably comfortable being in the audience. There is little vilification, but for heaven’s sake, if you need to pee – just hold it. We’re not being held responsible for the vitriol which might be unleashed.

The observational elements are consistent, and when striking the right notes hit hard and funny. From fury at slow walkers to playful back and forths with men lining up on the front row, ready to be humiliated. The side of the diagram focused on the hard-hitting and rage-fuelled football humour, however, is where things dip somewhat for audiences who just don’t have that shared background. As we come to see a touch deeper into Petts’ rage, including an incident with a threat of knife crime, and of the petty wrongs they faced as a primary school kid, these routines and insights hit far harder in both aspects of comedy and storytelling.

There’s a sense thatIf You Can’t Say Anything Niceis still striking the balance between the light and dark, the good Chloe and the hostile Chloe, the gentle queer, and the Crystal-Palace fan. There’s no real victor out of any of them, though the hint that the darkness may win out in the end does offer a delightful bit of hope for the future of Pett’s likely enormous success as a beloved, and adept stand-up.

Runs until 27 August 2023 | Image: Contributed