Edinburgh Fringe 2025
Eli Matthewson: Night Terror
Eli Matthewson
Venue: Underbelly George Square
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
Matthewson presents an hour of comedy that takes us through his last year…his very very strange last year.
Review
Eli Matthewson recounts a very very strange year during his hour long set at Underbelly George Square. From robberies to attempted murder, it’s safe to say he’s had an eventful go of it. However, instead of simply recounting his adventures, he presents an intimate and joyful stand-up show that keeps the room smiling and laughing together.
Matthewson walks a fine line when it comes to ‘dirty’ jokes. He’s a gay man who makes plenty of jokes about gay men. He manages to cover these sexual topics without over-the-top profanity. Don’t get me wrong, there is place for all (or maybe almost all) language in comedy, but it seems that often it’s used as a cop out for a bad joke. Matthewson choses his words carefully, each one working in harmony to deliver an impactful punchline. It’s a strange point to highlight, but I feel it’s important. In a field of chaotic comedy, Matthewson presents a refined, precise, and hilarious set.
There are two main approaches to stand up I’ve identified at the Fringe. There’s the chaotic set which consists of a series of stories, some connected some not, that revels something new about the comedian. The other is the story approach. This angle tackles a specific timeframe and provides the audience with a timeline of events. Night Terror takes the latter, describing the aforementioned year. In a unique twist, Matthewson doesn’t explicitly state this. He just hits the ground running with a story about a cruise ship, and, on our own, we follow the road he’s lying. This slice-of-life storytelling allows the piece to feel a bit like a one man show told explicitly in the style of stand-up. It’s new, it’s refreshing, and it’s a great ride.
One quick content note, though. There is a small aside that tackles the current war in Gaza. Much to Matthewson’s credit, the joke is apolitical. I happen to know that the audience at my performance exists wildly across the ideological spectrum, but every single person had a great laugh. In the set up, however, Matthewson shares his own personal beliefs. Although some context was needed for the punchline, it could have been done without asserting his own political stance. The sharp and short political job momentarily, for me, took the joy away and interrupted an otherwise flawless flow. But this does raise a question: if an artist has a platform, should they use it? In any case, despite this, Matthewson presents a masterclass in stand-up that everyone should experience.
