Edinburgh review: Mark Thomas: A Show That Gambles on the Future (Summerhall)

If you had to place a bet on the main topics of conversation at this year's Edinburgh Festival, the likelihood is that you'd be happy to put a fiver on Trump, Brexit and the Tories featuring heavily. If so you'd be quids in on all three thanks to Mark Thomas' new show.

We all forecast things in life, Thomas says, using nostalgic recollections of his childhood to support his claim. And in The Show that Gambles on the Future – which sees Thomas return to more conventional stand-up following his success with The Red Shed in the Traverse line-up last year – he wants to hear our predictions for the next five years. It sounds like one of those awful job interview questions, but instead of worthy responses about career progression, the audience – who are polled on their way in – provide a comprehensive list of their political fantasies which include an impeached and/or assassinated Trump and Corbyn at Number 10.

Any fans of Thomas will attest to his brilliant balance of lovable Londoner roguishness and aggressive politicism, and the comic is at his best when he's decrying the hypocrisy of that DUP deal or the idiocy of that reality TV star turned world leader. But the whole thing does get a bit repetitive and at times he relies too much on hackneyed audience responses for material.

As far as Edinburgh Fringe shows go, Mark Thomas is always a safe bet, but if you're after something a little edgier then you might want to take a punt on something else.

Mark Thomas: A Show that Gambles on the Future runs at 18.00 at Summerhall until 27 August.

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