Edinburgh Fringe 2026
Phil Ellis: Bath Mat
Phil Ellis
Genre: Comedy, One Person Show, Solo Show, Stand-Up
Venue: Pleasance
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
For the entirety of his hour (and a bit) set, he was in complete command of the audience, even restarting a whopping three times with the lilting serenade of Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On for a couple of unsuspecting latecomers.
Review
“A six hundred quid projector and they couldn’t even get the lighting right.” Sometimes lighting issues can fall into the category of happy accidents, and that was certainly true during this particular performance of Phil Ellis’s new show, Bath Mat, as he delivered anecdotal hilarity to a packed Pleasance audience. An added date to his already sold out Fringe run, Ellis seems to have been on a roll since his stint on Taskmaster last year, and that momentum has certainly been well deserved.
For the entirety of his hour (and a bit) set, he was in complete command of the audience, even restarting a whopping three times with the lilting serenade of Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On for a couple of unsuspecting latecomers. He demanded the appropriate reactions from his audience to side-splitting carnage, even coming into the crowd at one point to point out unsuspecting 40-somethings who hadn’t responded well enough to his previous punchline.
Ellis is particularly skilled at crowd work, which is useful given that the majority of Bath Mat relies on a string of random anecdotes loosely tied together, as well as titbits gleaned from the audience throughout. He’s incredibly quick on his feet, a talent that he showcases throughout the set – hence why this particular performance overran just so he could cram all the jokes in. Finishing with a belly-bursting story about a sheep and lavender farm, he presented an hour(ish) of chaotic comedy that had the whole room in stitches throughout, and got a welcome rapture of applause by the time he eventually bowed out.
Certainly a great night out for anyone that tends towards silliness and anarchy in their comedy, Bath Mat is well worth a watch. You’d be lucky to snag tickets at this point in the run, but it’s definitely worth the hype – and be sure to catch Phil Ellis on tour whenever you can for a set to remember.
