7 of the best reviewed female comedians at the Edinburgh Fringe so far – including former MP Mhairi Black

This year there are plenty of stand-out stand-up comedians taking to the stage in the capital this month, including those such as former SNP MP Mhairi Black.

But with so many shows on, and so many excellent options to choose from, here we take a look at some of The Scotsman’s best reviewed shows so far.

Mhairi Black: Politics Isn’t For Me ⭐⭐⭐

After entering a career in politics aged 20, Mhairi Black certainly made a name for herself as an SNP MP in Westminster.

Now having moved on, Black is appearing at the Fringe with her show Politics Isn’t For Me which The Scotsman’s reviewer Fiona Shepherd gave three stars.

With mentions of gleeful gossip, Shepherd particularly notes that Black is an “accomplished storyteller” and that her stand-up debut also feels partly like a “fascinating walking tour through the corridors of power”.

So while it may not be for everyone, it could be worth seeing for those interested in a glimpse behind the curtain.

• Mhairi Black will be performing at the Fringe until August 25 at Gilded Balloon at the Museum - Auditorium (Venue 64). Tickets can be purchased via the Edinburgh Fringe website.

Chloe Petts: How You See Me, How You Don’t ⭐⭐⭐⭐

According to reviewer Ashley Davies, Chloe Petts “spins comedy gold out of her own personal and professional experiences”, focusing on everything from her time on Sky Sports News to her time as a Head Girl in school.

Charismatic and with a wide appeal, Davies highlights one particular bit which is “mischievously strong” as well as praising Petts for making “comedy look easy”.

• Chloe Petts will be performing at the Fringe until August 25 at Pleasance Courtyard - Forth (Venue 33). Tickets can be purchased via the Edinburgh Fringe website.

Amy Mason: Free Mason ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Covering topics such as redefining yourself as an adult, Amy Mason’s experience of coming out as gay at 38 years old is “cheekily boundary-pushing”.

The distinctive comic discusses everything from living with her ex-husband during lockdown while co-parenting their children to sticking up for herself in the wake of homophobic WhatsApp messages in what The Scotsman’s reviewer calls a “consistently very funny performance”.

• Amy Mason will be performing at the Fringe until August 26 at Pleasance Courtyard - Cellar (Venue 33). Tickets can be purchased via the Edinburgh Fringe website.

Hannah Platt: Defence Mechanism ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Making her Edinburgh Fringe debut, Hannah Platt delivers a show which is “Unsparing in its candour yet often brutally funny” according to The Scotsman’s reviewer Jay Richardson.

Discussing her life offstage, from her deep seated problems with body dysmorphia and the realisation that she’s non-binary, Defence Mechanism is “a supremely accomplished example of how to reconstitute deep, personal trauma into punchy, affecting stand-up”.

• Hannah Platt will be performing at the Fringe until August 25 at Pleasance Courtyard - Bunker Two (Venue 33). Tickets can be purchased via the Edinburgh Fringe website.

Natalie Palamides: WEER ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Previous Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner Natalie Palamides returns to the Fringe with her new show WEER which is “fiercely watchable and outrageously funny”.

With Palamides taking the central concept of her masterful 2018 Fringe show Nate to the next level by portraying couple Mark and Christina – with each side of her body a different character – she is “a tour de force of clowning physical comedy that’s unlike anything else on the Fringe”.

• Natalie Palamides will be performing at the Fringe until August 25 at Traverse Theatre (Venue 15). Tickets can be purchased via the Edinburgh Fringe website.

Alice Snedden: Highly Credible ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The co-writer and co-director of BBC and HBO's Starstruck, Alice Snedden makes a triumphant returns to stand-up with her new show Highly Credible.

Given four-stars by The Scotsman’s reviewer, Snedden’s new show delights audiences with “near-perfect” comedy which features “wheezingly funny” moments and confronts how certain we are about being right and what happens when you’re wrong.

To sum up the show, reviewer Davies said: “It’s no exaggeration to say that she’s one of the funniest people in Edinburgh this month, and she makes this look like a doddle.”

• Alice Snedden will be performing at the Fringe until August 25 at Pleasance Courtyard - Upstairs (Venue 33). Tickets can be purchased via the Edinburgh Fringe website.

Ania Magliano: Forgive Me Father ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A show which covers Ania Magliano’s life now that she’s taken a huge step and moved in with her boyfriend, Forgive Me Father sees the comedian dive into everything from a gynaecological issue to questioning what happened with her parent’s divorce all “delivered with a deftly refreshingly light touch”.

The Scotsman’s reviewer describes Magliano as “effortlessly funny” concluding that her show “will make you laugh, make you think and make you fall in love with Anna Magliano a little bit, even if you aren’t already”.

• Ania Magliano will be performing at the Fringe until August 25 at Pleasance Courtyard - Pleasance One (Venue 33). Tickets can be purchased via the Edinburgh Fringe website.