“Angelone is a sharp, multi-layered comic WHO weaves nuance through aN ABSOLUTE minefield of topics“
****
When I mentioned I was going to write a review of You Can’t Say Nothing Anymore, a friend texted: “I don’t envy you, he strikes me as a ludicrously smart man who will eagerly critique a review,” and I’m tempted to agree. So if you’re reading this, Vittorio, I hope the pull quote is worth it.
Vittorio Angelone’s hour begins as a somewhat immersive experience. I’m a sucker for a gimmick, and without ruining any surprises, there’s some fun expansion of his modern commentary on cancel culture. The audience is welcomed by an Irish folk trio, and every seat is full.
He embarks on a tightrope walk through his Belfast roots, his extremely minimal involvement in The Troubles, and what exactly we should call that bit at the top of Ireland, with some pedo jokes thrown in for good measure. He discusses his appearance—the moustache-mullet-earring combo “cleverly selected to get him on TV” (because ‘you can’t get a TV appearance beyond House of Games these days as a Straight White Man, you’ve got to have something a little bit of the LGBTQ about you’). With the scene set and the crowd thoroughly warm, we move into the more meta material.
I’m no fan of ‘edgy’ comedy for its own sake, and Angelone seems to tap-dance all over my discomfort. These topics are delivered with a conspiratorial smile, daring you to take him at face value. This surfaces in his discussion of critics: he retells a joke—“I went to the theatre… Because I’m gay”—to illustrate how his words are often quoted out of context. In his version, it’s clear he’s mocking masculinity, not making a homophobic joke; as he is accused in said review, he’s mocking himself. That a fair dissection of the nuance takes up so much wordcount is part of the problem. I tend agree with him, and using the reviewer’s words on his subsequent poster feels like fair revenge.
Rug pulls, callbacks, and narrative throughlines about the untimely closure of a family-owned ice cream shop are garner constant laughs from an engaged audience. Angelone is a sharp, multi-layered comic who manages to weave nuanced ideas through an absolute minefield of topics. Whether he avoids every detonation is uncertain, but his willingness to cover the territory is admirable. It’s an extremely funny show. (A reminder from me that it is your choice if you want to take part in a provocative musical number at the end)
Whether you love or hate Angelone comes down to one question: do you take him at face value? Mostly, I do not. I do believe he’s a compassionate, intelligent comic using self-parody to explore spicy topics. But this requires trust: that his mockery is well-meaning, aimed at the right targets; bad-faith reviewers, the powers-that-be, and the harbingers of genocide in Gaza. For the most part, I trust him. One exception that jeopardises all of this is a low blow about a blind nemesis; he could have taken this on without targeting a disability and not lost any of the comedic impact.
However, within this high-wire act, Vittorio Angelone presents a thoughtful, oddly hopeful show. What does peace look like? Growing up post-Troubles, he argues peace is being able to laugh about the scary stuff. He can stand there and tell us “everything in the world is either Protestant or Catholic” and a room of either and neither can now laugh. His dream: that one day a Palestinian comic might stand where he stands, joking about their own post-war reality. It is this message, combined with his comedic prowess, and enjoyably layered nuance that earns 4*
Vittorio Angelone: You Can’t Say Nothing Anymore
Monkey Barrel 1
19:35 | 31 Jul – 24 Aug
Vittorio Angelone: You Can’t Say Nothing Anymore ****
Published on
Edinburgh Fringe 2025 
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