Olga Koch and Finlay Christie Mine Comedy Gold from Their Privilege

At a festival where everyone’s losing money, and some can’t afford to come, how do you talk about your wealth and privilege? Better yet, how do you make people laugh about it? Many fringe shows have touched on the topic of privilege. Comedians like Jack Whitehall, Ivo Graham, and Will Smith (from “The Thick of It”, not the Hollywood star) have broached their poshness. Yet, they rarely went beyond the superficial aspects of class, and they did so before the cost-of-the-fringe crisis reached its boiling point in recent years.

Now, addressing wealth and privilege on stage requires either a lot of charm or a conspicuous touch of moral seriousness. In his new show, I Deserve This (★★★★☆), Finlay Christie leans on charm, while Olga Koch’s Olga Koch Comes from Money (★★★★☆) utilizes moral seriousness. Christie first made waves at the fringe two years ago, emerging as a star from TikTok. He won the big So You Think You’re Funny prize at just 19 and gained a massive online following in his early 20s. So, even before talking about generational wealth, his rise had a certain shine to it.

Christie’s new show, much like his first, incorporates his privilege into a persona that is happily self-satisfied. He often uses flippant remarks, as if taking anything too seriously would be inappropriate. Yet, he pulls it off because he merges light-hearted cultural commentary with solid jokes and a healthy dose of self-deprecation.

Although I Deserve This doesn’t directly address privilege as Koch’s show does, Christie’s wealth shapes his views on the ways young people strive to gain social standing. His affluence gives him a level of detachment that allows him to observe the absurdity of modern social demands from a privileged perch. For instance, he jokes that his “Vietnam flashbacks” are of nice holidays. The show navigates issues like trauma and neurodiversity, often anchored in Christie’s life stories, such as having sex with a man to seem cool or taking a racism test when in a mixed relationship.

Christie’s blend of intellect and sharp wit hits the mark for some, though others might see it as the same old upper-class humor with nothing really at stake. He admits his post-show bucket speech lacks impact, so his income might take a hit.

Olga Koch, on the other hand, makes a valiant effort to veer away from the usual paths of haughty rich-person comedy. Her show questions the myths surrounding money and its implications. Is wealth ever deserved? What moral dimensions does it have? Is its distribution justifiable in any way?

Koch navigates these questions through her life experiences in three financial systems: Soviet Russia, where she grew up; the US, where she worked; and now the UK. She openly discusses her privilege but keeps actual figures to herself, making jokes about being asked, “How rich?” This coyness is unusual for Koch, who otherwise adopts a flamboyant, assertive persona. She recounts a pampered youth, a stint working for a controversial video platform, and even jokes about holidaying on Jeffrey Epstein’s island, ensuring the audience is never quite sure if she’s serious.

One of her sharpest jokes is about how talking on stage about being rich is the hardest thing she’s ever done. Interestingly, she steps out of her “bad bitch” character midway to ensure the audience is in on the joke. Despite aiming to look at money objectively, separating it from shame or pride, Koch still feels the discomfort of addressing her wealth publicly.

Her show concludes by delving into the moral ramifications of how her family acquired their wealth during the USSR’s collapse. She questions whether she should confront her parents about this and provides an update on her father’s relationship with Putin’s Russia. Instead of a typical bucket speech, Koch ends with a fundraising appeal for Arts Emergency, a charity that aims to widen access to the arts.

Both shows, though different in their approaches, offer a highly entertaining and thought-provoking exploration of privilege and money.

Olga Koch Comes from Money and Finlay Christie: I Deserve This are both at Monkey Barrel Comedy, Edinburgh, until 25 August.

Source: The Guardian