by ***1/2 (out of 5)
Robin Tran performed as a New Face at Montreal’s Just For Laughs in 2021, and has appeared on two seasons of Comedy Central’s Roast Battle as well as Netflix’s That’s My Time With David Letterman.
Of course, Tran can roast herself quite well, too, describing herself as a shitty Vietnamese transgender asexual lesbian with mental illness. “I’m not a hero for the cause.” On the platform formerly known as Twitter, Tran proved time and time again that funny trans comedians could write and tell much funnier jokes about being trans than any of the immensely more famous comedians attempting to be edgy about it. For her time in Edinburgh for her Fringe debut, she’s still coming armed with lots of jokes, but they’re woven through the more traditional one-hander format. And so we’re clued in on Tran’s upbringing as the child of Vietnamese immigrants in Orange County, Calif., the difficulties coming out to them multiplied since she hasn’t gotten around to learning Vietnamese and her parents still barely speak any English, and the ever-evolving long-term relationship between Tran and her partner. Tran’s show also seems to be evolving, so I imagine it’ll all become much smoother and more substantial as time goes on.
Robin Tran: Don’t Look At Me runs through Aug. 27 at Assembly George Square, The Box
