2011 Edinburgh Fringe
Margaret Cho review
With Margaret Cho's proven track record and accolades, you know you are going to get a competent piece of stand-up comedy, and this Cho delivers. But unfortunately that is all it is: okay. Cho is an experienced comedian, she knows what she's doing and she's under control. But it's all just a bit plain.
A lot of the humour seems to reside around the word 'cock'. Although many in the auditorium clearly find this very funny, I was after a little more depth. Her extreme (mainly sexual) comments were communicated well by this experienced performer, but in this city of comedy only providing this simply isn't enough. There were some stronger moments during the set, but the punchlines often felt stale and predictable. Along with a big reputation should come big expectations, and Cho did not reach the heights expected.
Cho spent a large amount of time saying how famous she is in America, bragging about the money she's earned and the amount of people she's slept with. After a musical number, Cho comments on what a good singing voice she has. It's obvious that Cho has high opinions of herself, but this is not matched in her material. The overall feeling one is left with is that Cho is in auto pilot.
In summary, Cho has taken the easy route with this show. The material was mostly somewhat weak, but even the funnier sections had the feeling that they had been endlessly recycled before. For a supposedly dangerous performer this show is distinctively unambitious.
Margaret Cho - Cho Dependent listing