#1 Mexican in Estonia
Ana Falcon opens ‘#1 Mexican in Estonia’ like a prank: blasting music, dragging the room into a dance party, then flipping the switch— launching into her late-night thesis on being “number one.” From Mexican classrooms where gold stars ruled social status to being locked outside in her underwear during an Estonian winter 🥶, Falcon spins the absurdity of competition into a globe-trotting memoir… 🌎
Her style is unpredictable—one minute she’s four years old, warned by her mother never to be “the first of the losers” (absolutely no #trauma there); the next she’s a promiscuous teenager nicknamed 7-Eleven because she’s “always open for business” 💀. These hard pivots become part of the charm: a comedy of fragments stitched into the through-line of always wanting to win… 🏆
#1 Mexican in Estonia © Ana Falcon
What elevates the set above #gimmick are the details. From Mexican schoolyard hierarchies to Estonian men’s non-existent chat-up game, these aren’t stock “expat jokes” but lived specifics, delivered with a matter-of-fact wit that resists caricature…🙌🏽
Ironically, the set wobbles when Falcon leans on more generic material—a #Trump dig that preaches to the choir but also feels out of place among the one-of-a-kind stories. And the repeated “someone once asked me…” transitions become a convenient crutch…
#1 Mexican in Estonia © Ana Falcon
She closes with a striking image: invoking María Elena Velasco, comedian & creator of the India María persona. Iconic, yet mocked for her braids & indigenous dress; laughed at rather than with (did someone say #colonialism?). Against that history, Falcon’s own pursuit of “#1” reframes itself—not ego but emblem, showing that Mexican women can be funny, proud & fully realised on our stages, screens & underground cafés-turned-comedy-clubs… 🇲🇽
Is ‘#1 Mexican in Estonia’ rough around the edges? Yes. But it’s also refreshingly idiosyncratic, defiantly feminine & steeped in specificity. Less like a polished set, more like finding yourself at a midnight afterparty with a hilarious new #bestie… 🍸 3/5
#Edinburgh #fringe #festival #edfringe #comedy