Mary O'Connell has a dilemma. She is no fan of the capitalist system but likes nothing better than buying things. The only trouble with the latter is that she doesn't have much money. In her debut Edinburgh show, Money Princess, she expands upon these themes and tells the rollercoaster story of how her life has recently been turned upside down.

O'Connell is very much a stand-up on the rise. And when she heard about a comedy competition set up by the OnlyFans website to win a substantial amount of cash she decided to enter. She needed money and needed it quickly, and not just because of the cost of living crisis: "It costs too much to be alive". She has a great way of comparing money to a battery - as the power goes down you have to have a boost. 

The process sounds as gruelling as any reality TV show. Contestants had to stay together and perform tasks to impress the judges until they were whittled down to a winner. Imagine Squid Game without the gruesome deaths.

This queer comedian of colour had one advantage over her competitors. She is fiercely competitive and once she decides to throw herself into something she wants to win. Money Princess, directed by fellow comic Elf Lyons, gives us O'Connell's back story alongside a revealing tale of the hurdles she had to overcome to stay in the OnlyFans race. There are whipsmart thoughts about topics as diverse as girl boss feminism and the mainstreaming of tattoos. 

For those that don't know we won't reveal what exactly happened in the competition, but even if you already know the outcome O'Connell is a terrific storyteller who keeps you hooked during her ups and downs. She is assured and confident and the audience warms to her from the moment she struts onstage firing bank notes at the crowd to the tune of Hey Big Spender. The notes turn out to be fake, but there is certainly nothing fake about O'Connell. A great debut.

Until August 27. Tickets here.

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four stars