The funniest Fringe gag? You must be joking… Cheesy quip about a zookeeper is voted the best of the 2023 Edinburgh Festival
The Funniest Fringe Joke? You must be kidding… A lame animal caretaker joke is named the best of the Edinburgh Festival 2023
The fact that it’s a one-liner doesn’t make it a good joke.
And maybe that’s the case with this joke about a zookeeper who was just voted best one-liner of the Fringe Festival 2023.
Comedian Lorna Rose Treen’s award-winning gag reads, “I started dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah.”
The pun comes from her show Skin Pigeon currently being held at the festival in Edinburgh which saw Treen taking first place in Dave’s highly anticipated Funniest Joke of the Fringe award.
The prestigious honor was bestowed on the London-based comic after a panel of British comedy critics selected a shortlist of gags from shows at this year’s Fringe – then anonymously submitted them to a public vote of 2,000 people.
Comedian Lorna Rose Treen’s award-winning joke reads, ‘I started dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah’
The pun comes from her show Skin Pigeon currently on the festival in Edinburgh which saw Treen take first place in Dave’s highly anticipated Funniest Joke of the Fringe award.
Speaking of the success of her “dumb” zookeeper prank, Treen said, “I’m extremely happy to have won Dave’s best prank off the edge! Are you kidding! I can’t wait to tell my mom!
‘It’s already a great joy to debut at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, and that’s a beautiful thing too. Thank you very much for awarding this title to my stupid joke!’
Treen was followed in second place by Liz Guterbock’s gentle mockery of overly apologetic Brits: ‘The most British thing I’ve ever heard? A lady who said, “I’m sorry, but I don’t apologize.”‘
And in third place was Amos Gill’s topical joke about the economy: “Last year I made a great joke about inflation. But it’s hardly worth it now.’
The prestigious honor was bestowed on the London-based comic after a panel of British comedy critics selected a shortlist of gags from shows at this year’s Fringe – then anonymously submitted them to a public vote of 2,000 people.
Ninth came in with William Stone’s pithy one-liner: “Nationwide must have looked a little weird when they opened their first branch.”
But what caught them all off guard was actor and writer Treen’s cheetah joke, told on her debut “nonsensical escapist character show” Skin Pigeon, which received rave reviews and sold out at least 28 shows during the Fringe.
Skin Pigeon can be seen at The Attic in Pleasance Courtyard until Sunday 27 August.