REVIEW: Where Was I?, Aalex Mandel-Dallal, EdFringe 2026 ★★★★

If the movie Memento met a ‘what’s in my bag’ video, it would look something like this Fringe debut by Aalex Mandel-Dellal. The audience is guided through Aalex’s life by trinkets and curiosities placed centre stage in a weird and wonderful show and tell.

She talks (and sings) candidly about freezing her eggs, the fear of peri-menopause, anxiety, travel, and identity. Mandel-Dallal is an infectiously genuine presence when discussing both silly and serious topics in this gloriously feminine observational comedy.

Dealing with the issues of adulthood, and particularly womanhood, can really complicate trying to find yourself, it seems. Aalex puts herself in context of the drugs she has to take, the people she loves, and the family she came from.

There’s a real heart to the material, particularly as she talks about both of her grandmother’s incredible legacies and the impact they had upon her life. Be it hating wearing knickers, or being a worrier, it is sheer feminine joy to watch her revel in her experiences and confront her flaws through medium of clown, stand-up, and musical comedy.

This show will very much resonate with the anxious over-thinker, it takes a humorous approach to the big, and little, worries in life. Much of the material spawns from topics relatable to many women, for instance is the drive to have children a societal pressure or a genuine desire? What does one do when their body clock is against them but they’re not ready to decide yet? There are big feelings around this topic that manifest into the voice of a UK Garage MC in a musical number about fertility that was, surprisingly, a banger, and absolutely hilarious.

There was also a pop ballad dedicated to the dehumidifier that saved a relationship, and a game of ‘worst case scenario’ to make you question if you should leave the house or do anything ever again. All punctuated by the titular phrase Where was I? as the narrative became derailed and split into tangents through Mandel-Dellal’s eclectic storytelling style.

In a classically Fringe venue, this show fills the whole yurt with it’s charisma. Already a very dynamic performer with lots of kinetic energy, the material is very much stabilised by the central prop of trinkets and curiosities that are explored through the show and give it structure. This allows Mandel-Dellal to drift into the audience on occasion and create an engaging dialogue where the audience has importance as well as the performer.

Overall, Mandel-Dellal presents a very personal, and also personable offering to the Fringe. It’s story telling with great tenderness and sincerity, all punctuated by humour and silliness. This is a very open show that truly invites you to share in the woes and ‘wow’s of being a grown up and not having it all figured out just yet. A highly enjoyable 55 minutes, especially for a non-ticketed show (although I recommend you get tickets), this is an endearingly eclectic, heartfelt, and whimsical romp through adulthood.

Recommended drink: A ‘Woo-Woo’ cocktail, it’s fun, fruity and puts you in a good mood just like this show- to be drank on the condition that it must alternately be called a ‘Woah-Woah’ cocktail whenever the scaries get too much.

Catch Where Was I? between the 10th and 30th August (not 15) at Hoots @ Nicolson Square 18:50-19.45 (55 mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.