“Festive silliness that turns into an emotional, moving piece of story-telling”
This is part of a series of shorter reviews from Edinburgh Fringe, August 2026.
A Christmas show? In August? The world’s gone mad. Or at least, that’s what Aunt Marie might write on Facebook. Chris Forbes’ stand up show promises all the joys of the season, and audiences are greeted by Christmas tunes and then forced into a rendition of ‘Jingle Bells’, while Forbes wears a fetching Christmas jumper, a perfect outfit for the Scottish summer. Whilst Forbes shares several anecdotes about Christmas adverts, songs and presents, the crux of this show lies in his reminiscing of Christmases past, as he shares many old snaps from his family photo album (and makes immense fun of Uncle George’s Christmas attire).
Whilst some of the jokes may be a little groan-worthy, the show excels in Forbes’ story-telling, as he deftly moves the show from comic punchlines to something much more moving, telling the story of how his dad passed away on Christmas Day, and how the meaning of Christmas gradually changed from one of excitement to one filled with grief. When his dad suddenly vanishes from the traditional Christmas dinner photo, his loss is felt keenly by the audience – particularly as, prior to this, Forbes has spent a great deal of time discussing his father, telling stories of his dad’s skills at turkey-stuffing and his warped sense of humour.
Yet, he still manages to find moments of humour in his grief, reminding us that this is still a comedy show, after all. A round of Christmas cracker jokes (“Knock knock, who’s there, not my dad – he’s dead”) and reworded Christmas songs add some black comedy to proceedings as Forbes tries to find a way to deal with his loss. The show culminates in an uplifting moment as Forbes shares with us the birth of his daughter in December last year, showing that both joy and sadness can coexist at Christmas, and it doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. Festive silliness that turns into an emotional, moving piece of storytelling.
Tom Morley, August 2026
“Chris Forbes: Father Christmas” plays at 13:30 at Monkey Barrel 2, Monkey Barrel Comedy until 30th August.
This review was written whilst the show was still in previews.
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