In the dimly lit cavern of Underbelly Cowgate, a new star of the Edinburgh Fringe has emerged. Undersigned, a darkly comic examination of workplace power dynamics, delivers laughs that stick in your throat like swallowed bile - and that's precisely its brilliance.
A Masterclass in Uncomfortable Humour
The show's unnamed protagonist navigates the Kafkaesque nightmare of corporate bureaucracy with terrifying relatability. What begins as familiar office satire gradually twists into something more unsettling, holding up a funhouse mirror to our collective workplace traumas.
Performance That Cuts Deep
The lead actor's physical comedy walks a razor's edge between hilarious and horrifying. Their transformation from eager new starter to... whatever comes after is a masterclass in gradual unravelling. Supporting cast members shine in multiple roles, each more grotesquely recognisable than the last.
Why This Show Stands Out
- Timely themes: Explores modern workplace anxieties with surgical precision
- Visual inventiveness: Uses minimal props to maximum effect
- Perfect pacing: Builds tension like a tightening vice
This isn't just another Fringe comedy - it's a show that lingers in your mind long after leaving the venue. The script's razor-sharp observations about power, consent and workplace dynamics feel particularly potent in our post-#MeToo, post-pandemic professional landscape.
Final Verdict
Undersigned manages that rare Fringe alchemy: uproariously funny while delivering genuine emotional gut punches. It's the kind of show that makes you laugh while making your skin crawl - and isn't that the best kind of theatre?
