Review: Jo Caulfield – Bad Mood Rising, Fringe 2025

Jo Caulfield is in high spirits for a show about a bad mood. Performing to a packed house at Stand 3, she holds the room expertly, with a confidence born of long experience and a devoted local following.

Caulfield’s razor-sharp, caustic style is a familiar and welcome tonic for her devotees, and she’s happy to put herself, her husband, and humanity in general under the microscope. The show is titled Bad Mood Rising, and it lives up to its promise, but in the best possible way.

The Vibe: Acerbic but Affectionate

Caulfield’s act is one of controlled grumpiness, but it’s never mean-spirited. She pokes fun at her long-suffering husband and the foibles of both genders with equal wit. Her cynicism and frustration are part of the comedic persona, a masterclass in “balancing humour and anger,” as the official synopsis notes. There’s a real joy in her righteous indignation, a sense that she is daring to say what we’re all thinking. I was more thankful than ever that I wasn’t quite in the front seat, and that’s a testament to her playful but pointed audience interaction. The Stand 3, with its pub-like atmosphere and bar in the corner, feels like the perfect home for her relatable, down-to-earth comedy. She’s a familiar face, a local treasure, and the audience feels like a cosy, slightly dysfunctional family gathered to hear a favourite aunt grumble.

The Narrative: A Plot in Denial

The show’s press release mentions a masterclass in balancing humour and anger, and she delivers on that. She will deny there’s a narrative or a plot to her stand-up, preferring to focus on the jokes, but there is a clear thread of relationships that runs throughout. From her own marriage to modern dating, she weaves anecdotes and observations into a cohesive whole, demonstrating a talent for storytelling that she might be too humble to admit. It’s a slightly riskier, more vulnerable show than some of her previous work. The audience, full of couples and friends, feels this connection. She is not just a joke-teller but a keen observer of the human condition, with a wit that cuts through the noise and finds the funny side of life’s most irritating moments.

Overall

Jo Caulfield is a gem of the Fringe and a treasure for the city of Edinburgh. Her decision to make her home here after meeting her Aberdonian husband is one that locals should be eternally grateful for. She’s a true local voice, and it’s a joy to have her. The show is highly recommended, a satisfying hour of pure, witty stand-up. It might be an acquired taste for some, but it’s one that our reviewer is glad to have. The fact that she was seen after the show collecting for Macmillan, the proceeds from her book, The Funny Thing About Death, also going to charity, speaks volumes about the person behind the grumpy persona.