There is a theory that in the future all comedy superstars will emerge through TikTok, Instagram and YouTube rather than via good old gigging. But the Edinburgh Festival Fringe still makes big names. Look at Hannah Gadsby, who had worldwide success on Netflix with Nanette. Or Romesh Ranganathan. Maisie Adam. James Acaster. Oh, and Baby Reindeer's Richard Gadd… And then there is Alex Edelman.
I first saw Just for Us in a matchbox-sized venue back in 2018. It did not surprise me when it picked up an Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination for Best Show. And since then its success has snowballed. Following sell-out tours and a Broadway run at the Hudson Theatre, it was filmed for HBO (you can watch it in the US via Max) and bagged an Emmy for Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special. It now airs on Sky Comedy in the UK on Saturday, November 2 at 9 pm.
And boy, does it deserve all those accolades. Just for Us tells the compelling story of how Edelman found himself sitting in a semi-circle of white nationalists at a meeting in a New York apartment. Or as Edelman puts it, an "anti-semite circle". Did I mention that Edelman is Jewish? It's the kind of incident that Louis Theroux or Jon Ronson might have made a chilling documentary about, but Edelman turns it into hilarious stand-up while also making profound points about racism, white privilege, echo chambers, identity, and empathy.
It starts with a brilliant joke about a gorilla who can use sign language being told that comedian Robin Williams has died and then keeps getting better. It helps that Edelman is a captivating performer, smart yet self-deprecating, darting around the stage, and acting out scenarios.
His timing is pitch perfect, at one point surfing a wave of laughter, elsewhere ramping up tension so that the audience is pin-drop silent. He sets the scene neatly by filling us in on his family background growing up in Boston. He prefers to use the name Alex, rather than his Jewish birth name, David Yosef Shimon (and that's only about half of it). His father’s name is Elazer, which, he jokes, makes him sound like he is in Slytherin. You can tell that this central incident happened a while ago because it happened after he received anti-semitic tweets, rather than X posts.
He spotted on social media that a gathering was planned in Queens close to his apartment, so he decided the natural thing would be to go along. His account of the meeting does not turn out as you might expect. These aren't pointy-hooded Klan members. There is a benign old lady at the entrance doing a massive jigsaw. There is a young woman called Chelsea who Alex takes a shine to. He wonders if Hollywood could make a meet-cute romcom out of this and he could star alongside Anne Hathaway.
On second thoughts Jesse Eisenberg would probably get his part. Things do get awkward though. Particularly when someone in the group makes a racist statement and they all nod in agreement. Some might have made their excuses and left but Edelman is determined to see it through. Perhaps he thinks he can "heal" them. Or maybe he is thinking he might get a date out of this. If he gets out alive.
There are countless memorable moments in this whipsmart show that don't miss a beat. Edelman has a great ear for a telling turn of phrase. He describes being Jewish as "a mailing list you can't unsubscribe from." He explains that his brother took part in the Winter Olympics sport of skeleton, "like luge but head first, the dumbest sport in the world". It kept me on tenterhooks until the very end while watching an advance screening even though I had seen it before.
At the start, Edelman says "I love a dumb joke, I love a silly joke, it’s my job." In Just For Us he has taken dumb, silly jokes and turned them into a breathtaking comedy monologue. One that plays out in directions you would never expect a story about a Jew meeting white nationalists to go. It is a remarkable balancing act. It would not surprise me if this unique, fantastic piece does get turned into a series, particularly after Baby Reindeer proved that an Edinburgh Fringe hit can become a global smash. Who knows, maybe Jesse Eisenberg won't be available and Edelman will get to play himself after all.
Just for Us airs on Saturday, November 2 at 9 pm on Sky Comedy and NOW (see our TV guide for full listings).
