Following the first act of Tallinn Fringe 2026 was the comedy panel show Please the People, presented by veteran comedian and host Ana Falcón. In this show, three comedians face a series of challenges, from crafting to karaoke, to determine who will be the winner of the night. Tonight’s panelists were stand-up comedians Anastasia and Josie, and Mitsy representing Green Light Comedy improv troupe.
For the panelists, the show begins before the audience arrives, as they are set to their first task of the evening early enough that their introductions are made not by name, but as their brand-new be-costumed superhero alter ego. We’re off to the races from there, with the comedians demonstrating their quickness of wit, speed of hand, and ability to think on their feet.
Full disclosure, this reviewer was volunteered to act as techie for the show, and so had a bit more insight into the behind-the-scenes prep. A total of eight challenges were performed, some stacked on one another, and none of the instructions provided to contestants before the show painted the full picture of what they would face. Each challenge also spotlighted different skills, so even if one wasn’t a particularly good visual artist, they could easily make up for it by being a good bullshit artist. Likewise, an inability to remember the alphabet didn’t preclude someone from becoming an audience favourite as the balance shifted and underdog role passed from one to another.
The competition was fast-paced, fierce, and friendly as Ana guided the show, and honestly by the end of the eighth challenge I was glad she had assigned another audience member to keep track of the winner. It was an incredible format that I would love to see regularly, game-show style comedy allows for both stand-ups and improv comedians to shine on stage together.
Ana Falcon will also be performing stand-up as part of the P*ssy Jam Comedy show at Ratas&Kohv on Friday 4 September, and hosting The Gong Show in English at Heldeke! on Thursday 10 September. Misty Chanel-Blot and Green Light Comedy are presenting Could Have Been An Email across four shows in September. The Tallinn Fringe Festival runs through 18 September.
Author: Laurie
Laurie likes alliteration, ambiance, and lists with three things.
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