Edinburgh Fringe 2026
Paddy Young: Is Sir Laughing Alone?
Paddy Young
Genre: Comedy, Solo Show, Stand-Up, Storytelling
Venue: The Pleasance Courtyard
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
SNL UK comedian, Paddy Young, sharing with us that he’s laughing alone-(alongside 750 people).
Review
I like most people, was nervous when I heard about SNL UK. I thought it wouldn’t land. Boy was I proved wrong. One of those people who proved me wrong was a handsome 35 year old Northern Lad called Paddy Young. Along with the talented Ania Magliano, they host the news segment of the show, where they make comic jabs at today’s current climate. Paddy’s facial expressions bring in a lot of the laughs.
Paddy comes on stage in a white suit- which halfway through he admits, he’s never worn for a gig before. He looks like he has just came straight from a wedding. He gave the sense that he’s just watched the last of his best friends to marry- a story he would go on to tell. However on reflection I think he’s supposed to be a waiter, asking himself if he will be laughing (instead of dining) alone. Smart. Alone. I guess I wasn’t far off.
That’s the big theme of the show. It’s an oxymoronic image. A man in a smart suit feeling rather insecure. It’s refreshing actually. He’s an attractive guy, with most comic’s dream gig. Part of me feared someone arrogant would walk on stage, but he was far from this. He’s just a guy alone, in such a loud and busy industry.
He starts by telling us about his flatmate, who has a girlfriend. This is a running self deprecating storyline, that he dips in and out of. He talks about how hard it is to be single, even attempting to win back the girl he had his first kiss with when he was 14, now as a man in his 30’s. There’s a brief mention of the dating app, hinge, in which everyone who was single, groaned along with him.
His humour is casual and socially awkward, just like the greats of mockumentaries. In between his jokes he does little ‘Chandler-esque’ quirky dance moves. He reminds me a lot of Chandler from friends. Anxious yet charming and funny yet modest. If you aren’t a fan of dark comedy then you may struggle with some of his jokes. The first joke he came out with was; a dark humoured joke about the late Ann Widdecombe. The crowd roared with laughter and gasps. People in the audience clearly loved dark humour. He had us in the palm of his hand.
From going to a room of 100 people to 750 is no small feat. I was nervous for him before I’d even sat down. From what those who have seen him, at Monkey Barrel have described to me, is that the show is a very intimate casual chat with the audience. And that is what I saw. However the Pleasance Grand is no place for a casual conversation. The Grand is a place to be big and loud. Paddy’s set isn’t like that. It’s charming and nonchalant yet all the angst. I could imagine he must thrive in more compact spaces.
This is a strong show, especially if you’re into storytelling and self deprecating humour. You’ll feel like you’re sitting down with an old friend and catching up on what’s going on in his life.
To me it is surprising that a man like him is alone. However is he really alone? I believe he’s made a lot of people feel less alone by being so authentically real. And with a sold out run, I don’t see him laughing alone for much longer.
