REVIEW: My Date With Pierce Brosnan, Alistair Aitcheson, EdFringe (2026) ★★

It turns out Pierce Brosnan is quite the romantic…and desperately in need of media training. Alistair Aitcheson is Mademoiselle Cafetière, a lonely clown who asks her fairy godmother to let her date her dream man: Pierce Brosnan.

The show is heavily driven by audience interaction, with the rather fun feature of allowing the audience to write in suggestions through a QR code. The suggestions allowed the Mademoiselle opportunity to riff with the audience and create games for everyone to join in on.

It was pretty wacky, Aitcheson’s clowning is alive in it’s desire to interact with the audience. The character of Mademoiselle Cafetière is enjoyably ridiculous and raunchy, providing plenty opportunities for laughter. The decision to let the audience have such a say in the language of the show is definitely risky, especially in a late show. Aitcheson rolls with the inevitable punches pretty well, quick witted and gleeful.

It’s a piece in three acts, beginning with the audience suggesting a location in classic improv fashion. Then the dating begins, and it is fun to make a dating profile, to write dialogue for Brosnan, and to see what madness unfolds onstage. I was interested in the format, and it certainly was fun but could use more structure. It wears somewhat thin after a while, being much the same gimmick every time, and somewhat relies on the audience providing interesting enough suggestions to play upon.

Furthermore, whilst this clown is clearly talented in slapstick and silly gags, in combination with all of the audience interventions, it feels somewhat overcrowded and sometimes struggles to find a strong footing for the comedy to stand on.

This is a clown who does not fear the weird, and is certainly open to love, but the show could use more substance to support it. If you’re looking for a late night dose of zany romance, or if you’ve always thought you could be Pierce Brosnan better than Pierce Brosnan can, this is a good show for you.

Recommended drink: Martini, shaken and then stirred.

Catch My Date With Pierce Brosnan at Nineties at Laughing Horse @ City Cafe from 16th to 30th August at 23.10 (1 hr). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.