Review: EDINBURGH 2024: ALEX KEALY: THE FEAR, Monkey Barrel Comedy (The Hive)

“Anxiety is the correct response to being alive”

Alex Kealy: The Fear begins with Kealy talking about politics, discussing not only the low bar that has been set for the Labour government but also his concerns about the American election, having a conversation with an audience member about Trump’s chances of winning this year’s presidential election.

Kealy is already proving his comedy chops, being able to make the statement, “I think martyrs should be dead,” amusing and not just a dark statement related to the assassination attempt on Trump’s life.

Kealy then begins discussing one of the main topics of his show, declaring, “I’m a wife guy now!” He had met his wife on Twitter, which he now considers to be a dating app where people should create an account, get a wife, and then leave. As a self-described wife guy, Kealy has nothing but praise for his wife, calling himself an “ineffective worm” in comparison to her.

One concept Kealy focuses on is how one loses their individualism when married, forming a new language with their significant other that leaves them unable to have any thoughts exclusively to themselves.

Another major topic in the show is Kealy’s anxiety, especially his fear of death, which leads him to make the statement, “I refuse to do it.” In fact, his top three fears are judgment, death and every audience in front of him, an ironic statement for a comedian to make. Kealy is working on making eye contact with audience members as he considers himself to be a hyper-anxious person, worried about what the audience thinks of him and not wanting to face them individually.

Part of this fear includes openly acknowledging when jokes don’t land before moving on. In discussing death, his ideal afterlife is quite amusing, with the recently deceased being brought into a room by God with unlimited snacks and access to Wikipedia to search up anything they desire. 

Along with the main subjects of his show, Kealy gets into some other bits, including a fantastic one on religion that begins with the statement, “I think churches are fit” and has a hilarious bit comparing Christianity and Rick and Morty (in case you’re wondering, the similarity is that both are awesome but have been ruined by the fans). There is also a section on Kealy’s mum, who has a tendency to repress her emotions which leads to confusion on Kealy’s end. 

The show also has quite a satisfying ending with a video, which is solid as endings can be hit-or-miss with comedy shows, especially at the Fringe, though it was a bit confusing as it was uncertain whether the video was a part of it or not at the beginning.

Alex Kealy: The Fear is a fun hour of comedy that delves into a range of topics including politics, being a “wife guy” and dealing with anxiety as a comedian. Kealy does a great job of jumping from topic to topic, but I would have loved to see more of a focus on only a few topics, explaining the show’s title of The Fear through the three fears he brings up.

Alex Kealy: The Fear ran until 25 August at Monkey Barrel Comedy (The Hive) - Hive 1.

Photo Credit: Matt Stronge

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