Sasha Ellen: Pickle
Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2019

Self described ‘angry little woman’ Sasha Ellen is clearly a great storyteller, but in Pickle she misfires slightly.

Pickle is a story about the isle of Herm, a missing fiancée, and a date on a boat. All aspects of it are woven together well, and Ellen moves into and through the story with ease and competence. She is an impressive story teller, and the story is well written. She quips that telling stories to the disinterested is her wheelhouse, and it’s true that her drive through the show is strong. The hour passes quickly.

However, whilst there are a few moments of comic brilliance, they get lost amongst some punchlines which don’t quite land. The story itself witty and entertaining, but the jokes that are added in are sometimes great and oftentimes not. Ellen’s commitment to this is unwavering and, though not completely, at times this makes it feel like the show is lacking a certain self-awareness. The delivery and timing of the jokes doesn’t entirely match up with that of the story being told.

Pickle has real comic potential, which unfortunately goes unfulfilled in places. Sasha Ellen is herself an engaging storyteller, who I would definitely see again. But in Pickle, something doesn’t quite click for me.