EDINBURGH 2026: Review: KIM BLYTHE: PUZZLE, Gilded Balloon
Kim Blythe: Puzzle runs at Edfringe until 31 August
Kim Blythe: Puzzle is Blythe’s third solo show, and this year she’s had a significant upgrade room-wise at the Fringe.
Puzzle is her most personal show to date and it's about a particularly impactful day she had last summer. Following a breakup, she decided to go out for a solo night at the pub without her phone, and she credits this act as the first sign that all was not well.
Painfully relatable in places- especially to those of us who notice the Tiktok Tarot readers popping up on our feeds in times of hardship- this is an honest portrayal of when things get a bit on top of you but you don’t want to make a fuss.
The story of what happened last July is a good one, but that alone isn’t quite a worthy subject for a whole hour; it’s the surrounding details that make it really entertaining. Blythe’s real skill is in the setup and finding humour in the mundane. Many of us have an irritating neighbourhood group chat but the way she presents the messages from hers is probably the reason she’s the one on stage doing standup.
Packed with anecdotes including a particularly great Alan Cumming story, Kim Blythe gives the impression that she’s doing this all off the cuff- like a pal telling you a story in the pub. But Puzzle is a well-structured and perfectly planned hour of comedy.
Puzzle is already selling out some of the Fringe dates and it’s a pleasure to watch Kim Blythe go from strength to strength every year.
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