An amusing account of one man's battles with sex, sports and cerebral palsy

When Aaron Simmonds decided to do the Edinburgh Fringe this year, he had no clue what he was going to get up and say. But he knew one thing for sure: he was going to do it standing up.

For those of you furrowing a brow right now, we should add that Simmonds has cerebral palsy. Since he started doing comedy nine years ago, he’s won Jewish Comedian of the Year, was a BBC New Comedy Award finalist and appeared on The Russell Howard Hour, but he’s yet to do any of it without the aid of his wheelchair. Naturally his agent questioned his ability to stand for an hour straight, but the London comic was adamant.

So how do you fill an hour of stand-up when all you have to go on is, well, standing up? An anecdote based in a massive Sainsbury's perhaps? Or Jewish weddings – and how much longer they can feel when both your Grandma and Nanna have their hands resting in an alarming position on your lap. To allay any doubt, Simmonds has photo evidence. And that's not even the most surprising part of the show.

Before Simmonds was a comedian, he was an athlete. He represented Great Britain in the under-23 wheelchair basketball team and was also a world champion powerlifter. His tales of these laudable achievements are peppered with sex and revenge (it is the sporting world after all) and all the while, from the side of the stage, his bubbes stare on from that awkward photo.

True to its name, Baby Steps is perhaps a show still in its infancy. At times the topics feel a little disjointed and the flow flicks between slick and erratic, but there's no denying the humour. Simmonds is one very funny artist and you'd be hard-pressed to come away from one of his sets without at least the hint of a side stitch.

By Danielle Goldstein

Photo © Steve Ullathorne

Aaron Simmonds: Baby Steps runs until Monday 28 August. 4.25pm. £10/£11, £10/£9 concs. Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Bunker 2 @ Pleasance Courtyard, EH8 9TJ. aaronsimmondscomedy.com