Nadia Kamil in: Wide Open Beavers!

In her debut solo show at the Fringe, Welsh-Iraqi writer, actor and comedian Nadia Kamil mixes feminism, rap and quirky anecdotes to make some serious points while keeping the tone light enough for a growling Virginia “Were” Woolf impression and a shout out for the joys of quinoa.

Kamil is winningly self-deprecating, poking fun at herself while railing against leering truck drivers and everyday misogyny. A wry commentator on social issues, her approach is nimble and imaginative, including a pointedly funny burlesque act.

The show can slip into fussiness, with envelopes the audience have to read from at regular intervals to a jingle-induced “whimsical moment” of Kamil as a unicorn after she jokes she’s been too political. This doesn’t quite come off and her ideas sometimes jostle for space rather than gelling together.

But this edge of chaos is also one of the set’s enjoyable features. Kamil is right there in front of the audience as flesh and blood rather than a polished stage persona.

She’s fun, a bit scattered at times but also sharp and articulate – great company for an hour. Her ethnically mixed upbringing is mentioned but it’s not an overriding feature, just one of the many aspects of her life that she discusses with amused affection.  

The set sometimes strains to achieve everything it sets out to do and would benefit from being less jam-packed. But what Kamil says is funny, fresh and frequently bang on the money.