Comedian: Three Fainted and Eleven Walked Out of My Edinburgh Fringe Show

A Scottish comedian claims she caused three men to faint and eleven others to walk out of her Edinburgh Fringe show after making light of a serious health condition. Marjolein Robertson, 34, from Shetland, bravely discusses her experience with adenomyosis—a rare condition where the lining of the womb grows into its muscles—during her performance.

Robertson, who often touches on women’s health issues, originally thought she was just experiencing heavy periods. However, at 16, she suffered an internal hemorrhage that led to a three-day hospital stint and two life-saving blood transfusions.

Today, nearly twenty years later, Robertson is using her show O to raise awareness of adenomyosis, which comes with a trigger warning for “distressing or potentially triggering themes.” The show’s poster features an upside-down Robertson appearing to bathe in blood, giving a stark hint at its content.

“We’ve had three men faint at shows and another nine leave. Seven of these early risers were men. It’s usually when I’m talking in the latter half of the show,” Robertson shared with the Metro. “The thing that really triggers people is talking about my injections, talking about the implant, talking about my condition, adenomyosis and how it rips open the muscles, and I hemorrhage from inside my body.”

She added, “Two men have had to run out at the word hysterectomy, which I think is very funny.”

While Robertson ultimately decided to tone down the medical details in her show for audience comfort, she is committed to striking a balance. “But it’s interesting because the show is meant to be about how much I suffer and all the blood loss,” she explained. “Even then, I’m toning down my own experience for the comfort of the audience. But it’s trying to find that balance of, ‘Cool I’ll make it a bit less visceral for you’, but I also need you to know what’s going on and why it isn’t right that so many people are struggling with this.”

Robertson’s decision to share her story has struck a chord with those diagnosed with adenomyosis at a younger age, although the condition typically affects women over 30, according to the NHS. “An audience member came up to me yesterday after the show and said, ‘I just want you to know that I had the same experience as you—but I was 11,’” she shared.

Despite toning down the show’s content, Robertson continues to face audience walkouts, as revealed in a recent post on Twitter/X. The Independent sought comments from Robertson’s representative.

The show O is running at Monkey Barrel Comedy until 25 August.

Source: Metro, The Independent