Brighton Fringe Review: ED MULVEY: PREGNANT GOLLUM, Half A Camel - The Caxton Arms

Ed Mulvey: Pregnant Gollum is self-described as “next wave feminist nerd comedy from the Elon Musk of emotions,” so, as one can imagine, audiences are in for quite a few interesting opinions being shared by Mulvey on stage.

The poster for the show is intriguing as well, with Mulvey holding his belly in front of a volcano that one can only assume is in the land of Mordor from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Mulvey even mentions the poster in the beginning of the show, expressing his surprise at the fact that the bar was willing to hang it up - he admits it’s a bit unsettling compared to the average fringe poster. 

One thing should be noted about the particular performance I attended - as it was a later evening performance on the Monday bank holiday, there was a smaller audience, three, to be exact. I don’t believe this is reflective of Mulvey as a comedian as he has done shows in the past and has gotten reviews from publications like The Scotsman and Entertainment Now. So, one must keep the low audience number in mind with this review, as the show I saw may not be a full representation of what Pregnant Gollum can be. 

That being said, Mulvey does a fantastic job working with such a small audience, choosing to not do any crowdwork and instead just going with his written material. Quite a bit of Pregnant Gollum focuses on Mulvey’s thoughts on feminism and masculinity, as well as his relationship with his girlfriend. Some of Mulvey’s thoughts may be controversial, but he’s not afraid to share them, being fully self-aware of his own masulinity and how it has affected his worldview. There isn’t much of a storyline to be found but one joke tends to lead nicely into the next one, making for a pretty smooth journey. 

There are a few jokes that don’t land as well as they may have with a larger crowd, as even if one in three audience members aren’t laughing, it’s quite noticeable. But Mulvey doesn’t let the lack of laughs stop him, continuing to go on with the show and only stopping a few times to ask the audience about different jokes or to muse on getting rid of a particular joke for the show’s Edinburgh run. I personally would have liked a few more references to Lord of the Rings, as Mulvey only does one or two impressions of Gollum, as there was quite a hilarious bit when Mulvey pulls his notes out of his jacket, referring to them as “my precious.”

Ultimately, Ed Mulvey: Pregnant Gollum is a clever and fun show that, with more than three people in the audience, will certainly be bringing in the laughs. I look forward to seeing more of Mulvey’s “tummy-turningly good” comedy in the future - hopefully with a more appreciative crowd!

Ed Mulvey: Pregnant Gollum runs on 10, 18 and 31 May at Half a Camel - The Caxton Arms at Brighton Fringe. 

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