My Shows
News on your favorite shows, specials & more!

EDINBURGH 2023: Review: CHLOE PETTS: IF YOU CAN'T SAY ANYTHING NICE, Pleasance Courtyard, Pleasance Above

A fun hour of comedy but also an honest look at anger and the effect it has on ourselves and others

By:
EDINBURGH 2023: Review: CHLOE PETTS: IF YOU CAN'T SAY ANYTHING NICE, Pleasance Courtyard, Pleasance Above

EDINBURGH 2023: Review: CHLOE PETTS: IF YOU CAN'T SAY ANYTHING NICE, Pleasance Courtyard, Pleasance Above ImageChloe Petts is here and she’s ready to be mean. Or is she? Chloe Petts: If You Can’t Say Anything Nice is the second show for Petts at the Fringe, and instead of playing it nice like she did in her debut hour, she’s here to be rude. For those unfamiliar with the comedian, Petts herself splits her fans into two categories; hardcore football fans and beautiful queer people. According to her, it is a Venn Diagram of fans with only a few in the centre circle.

Indeed, the show does begin with a bit of heckling, which was quite amusing and led to a hilarious back-to-back between audience members to see which one was taller. Petts made fun of short guys in the front row when two out of three of them ended up being over 6 feet, ending with her claiming she would protect the 5’9” man from the other men sitting near him. 

Even though the show claims to be Petts “being really rude” and begins with her heckling members of the audience, it takes a serious tone and goes into the consequences of anger, focusing on a particular incident that happened when Petts confronted someone on a bus. It is interesting to see how Petts is able to blend honesty about her anger with her comedy, especially as she built a reputation for being a nice person. 

Ultimately, Chloe Petts: If You Can’t Say Anything Nice is a fun hour of comedy but also an honest look at anger and the effect it has on ourselves and others. The ending is a powerful reflection on how we can view the world and still manages to have a fantastic punchline.

Chloe Petts: If You Can’t Say Anything Nice runs at Pleasance Courtyard, Pleasance Above at varying times until 27 August.



Reader Reviews

To post a comment, you must register and login.

Theater Fans' Choice Awards
2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats
Best Featured Performer in a Musical - Top 3
1. Ali Louis Bourzgui - The Lost Boys, A New Musical
23.3% of votes
2. Ben Levi Ross - Ragtime
6.6% of votes
3. Bryce Pinkham - Chess
5.5% of votes

Don't Miss a Scotland News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Spring season, discounts & more...


Videos


Trainspotting The Musical in Scotland Trainspotting The Musical
Alhambra Theatre (3/01-3/06)
Glass Child in Scotland Glass Child
Summerhall (Old Lab) (8/06-8/16)
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in Scotland Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Alhambra Theatre (10/07-10/10)
Giraffe in Scotland Giraffe
Pleasance Courtyard (Cellar) (8/05-8/31)
The Listies: 110% Ready in Scotland The Listies: 110% Ready
Assembly (Studio One) (8/05-8/16)
Disney''s Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert in Scotland Disney''s Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert
Usher Hall (12/03-12/03)
Baby Wants Candy  in Scotland Baby Wants Candy
Assembly George Square Studios - One (8/05-8/30)
Sapphire McIntosh: Squeaky Bum Time in Scotland Sapphire McIntosh: Squeaky Bum Time
Unerbelly Bristo Square - Daisy Room (8/05-8/30)
Gallant Pioneers in Scotland Gallant Pioneers
OVO Hydro (8/28-8/28)
Felicity Ward: I Wish I Could Come Out Of My Shell in Scotland Felicity Ward: I Wish I Could Come Out Of My Shell
Cab Vol 1 @ Monkey Barrell (8/17-8/30)