Ify Nwadiwe is best known as the host of Dropout.TV ’s hit gameshow Um, Actually, and his work on shows such as Tigtone and Twisted Metal. He is, famously, a massive nerd and a big fan of the sort of thing STARBURST readers love, such as TTRPGs, Gundam and Warhammer.
Ify’s debut Edinburgh Festival Fringe stand-up comedy show is simply called An Hour With Ify Nwadiwe. The comedian walks onto a stage with two microphone stands, two mics and two entirely different ideas for a show. Ify explains at the start that he had enough material for two shows; one about his deeply personal and complicated relationship with his Nigerian father and another about his very active sex life. (Ify is polyamorous, a relationship type not uncommon among nerds, perhaps because having multiple partners is easier if you’re good with spreadsheets.)
What this means is that Ify can get a big laugh by simply walking from one microphone to another, which is very cleverly done and funny pretty much every time. It’s a great set-up for what is essentially a rather detailed set about who Ify is and the choices he has made, which is great material for a debut. It’s also a very ADHD-adjacent choice; why be distracted by one mic when you can have two?
The two microphones also allow Ify to control the flow of the story he is telling. When things get a little bit too real and a little bit too personal, or a little bit too horny, Ify can flip the switch by moving to the other mic. Nwadiwe is the sort of comic who seems incredibly laid back, but is in fact powered by a thousand niche interests and observations, all screaming to be let out at the same time.
This is an excellent show; well-paced, warm, witty and an incredible showcase of a brilliant talent.
