Review: Jonathan Oldfield, Exquisite Corpse, Fringe 2026

Jonathan Oldfield: Exquisite Corpse plays at Below at Pleasance Courtyard as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe through to 30 August. In theatre, to “corpse” is to lose composure and laugh on stage; in Surrealism, Exquisite Corpse is the parlour game in which disparate body fragments are assembled into unexpected, often chaotic wholes. Oldfield successfully exploits both meanings in a debut solo show that is as disciplined as it is delightfully unhinged.

Oldfield is already an established director and actor, with credits ranging from Star Wars: Andor to BBC Radio 4’s award-winning Time of the Week. He directed Joe Kent-Walters’ breakout hit Frankie Monroe, which won Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards. Stepping into the spotlight himself, Oldfield delivers an hour of comedy that is every bit as skilled on stage as his work off it.

Surreal sketches built from audience art

Taking its title from the surrealist parlour game where different people draw sections of a figure without seeing what the others have created, the show opens with audience members sketching heads, bodies, and legs on cards. Some audience members show off genuine artistic talent, while others offer hilariously bad scribbles. Together, these drawings form a bank of composite figures that Oldfield brings to life.

While these drawings trigger brilliant moments of spontaneous performance when Oldfield steps outside his prepared material, this is not a full improv show. Around 90 per cent of the performance is cleverly written and meticulously crafted. Given Oldfield’s propensity for breaking his arm, Fringe comedy executed with a limb immobilised in a sling presents a brilliant physical challenge, forcing him to use the audience. Fortunately, he does not terrorise volunteers. No one winds up an exquisite corpse.

An underground venue perfectly tuned to the theme

The physical setup in Below at Pleasance Courtyard works directly in favour of the show. With walls decorated with drawn limbs and body parts from previous performances, the subterranean room creates an atmospheric setting. As Oldfield noted in an interview with Geek Native:

The rooms in Edinburgh always add something. I once did a performance inside the back of a van on Grassmarket – it wasn’t pleasant, but it certainly changed the atmosphere. Below at Pleasance has a particular quality to it, something underground and slightly held-in, which I think suits a show about things that have been buried and reassembled.”

Oldfield commands the room with complete control, shifting the mood as quickly as he swaps a character or a hat. Crucially, while the show relies on frequent audience involvement, Oldfield is a kind comedian; the participation is entirely benign, welcoming, and safe for everyone in the room.

Overall

Jonathan Oldfield’s Exquisite Corpse is a masterclass in modern character comedy that blends sharp writing with generous audience interaction. Wonderfully silly, expertly staged, and consistently funny, this debut solo show marks the arrival of a major performing talent on the Fringe circuit.