Depths of Wikipedia

In Depths of Wikipedia, viral social media experimenter Annie Rauwerda turns the oddities of Wikipedia into a lecture-style comedy show, drawing laughs from the strange things people have collectively decided are worth documenting.

Clearly well-practised and polished over many years of touring, the show makes its Edinburgh debut with Rauwerda equipped with nothing more than a slide clicker and a distinct ability to bring warmth and intimacy to the audience, in the grandeur of the Reid Concert Hall.

It is very well presented and, importantly, very funny. The show has the easy rhythm of a good lecture performance, moving through its bizarre subject matter without losing the audience. The unashamedly nerdy deep dive does not let down. And what could have been merely a parade of internet trivia develops into something slightly warmer towards the end, where the strange world of Wikipedia becomes a way of talking about togetherness and community.

That shift works precisely because the show earns it through all the weirdness beforehand. Very funny, very well presented, and ultimately rather touching.

Depths of Wikipedia by Annie Rauwerda. Credit Bryan Berlin.