On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, Eli Matthewson’s Night Terror at the Edinburgh Fringe is a hilarious, heartfelt exploration of paranoia, privilege, and the night his boyfriend accidentally tried to strangle him.
Night Terror
Acclaimed New Zealand comedian, writer, and podcaster Eli Matthewson is bringing his sharp wit and deeply personal storytelling to the Edinburgh Fringe this August with his new show, Night Terror. A proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and a vocal advocate for its rights—famously as part of New Zealand’s first same-sex pairing on Dancing With the Stars—Matthewson’s latest hour of stand-up is a chaotic, laugh-out-loud exploration of modern life, long-term relationships, and the unsettling line between safety and panic. At its heart is a bizarre true story: the night his boyfriend, in a sleep-deprived haze, mistook him for an intruder and accidentally tried to strangle him.
Matthewson’s show is rooted in a string of anxiety-inducing incidents that have left him rattled in his own home. After enduring four break-ins, he invested in security cameras, only to watch helplessly as a thief casually stole his beloved flamingo garden ornaments—live on his phone. For someone who grew up with little to lose, Matthewson now finds himself in a surreal new phase: financially comfortable, professionally visible, and increasingly paranoid.
The flamingo theft, absurd as it is, becomes a symbol of Matthewson’s broader existential dread. It’s a relatable yet uniquely ridiculous tale, blending the modern anxieties of surveillance culture with the sheer silliness of losing lawn ornaments on a livestream. These moments of petty crime spiral into deeper questions about safety, privacy, and the vulnerability that comes with having something worth protecting.
Champagne Socialist or Budding Conservative?
As a proudly left-leaning comedian, Matthewson is grappling with an uncomfortable tension: the creeping fear that he’s becoming the kind of person he used to mock. After the break-ins, he caught himself thinking, “Maybe we should be tougher on crime”—a far cry from the progressive values he’s always championed. Night Terror dives into this messy middle ground, exploring the conflict between personal comfort and political conviction. Is he embracing his “champagne socialist” era, or is the instinct to protect his hard-earned life pushing him toward conservatism? It’s a question that resonates with anyone navigating the uneasy balance of privilege and principle in today’s world.
A Near-Death Bedroom Mishap
The show’s centerpiece is the nightmarish yet absurd moment when Matthewson’s boyfriend, disoriented after swapping sides of the bed and spooked by recent break-ins, mistook him for an intruder. Triggered by a friend letting themselves into the house at 2am, his boyfriend’s half-conscious panic led to a brief but terrifying struggle, with hands around Matthewson’s throat. What should have been a safe haven—his own bed—became a scene of accidental violence, raising profound questions about trust, intimacy, and the fragility of feeling secure.
With his signature sharp writing and quick wit, Matthewson transforms this heart-stopping moment into a deeply funny and slightly unsettling hour of comedy. Night Terror asks: What does it mean to trust the person lying next to you? Can we ever truly feel safe when we close our eyes at night? The show blends relatable anxieties with absurd observations, capturing the chaos of modern life and the strange intimacy of long-term relationships.
A Comedian at the Top of His Game
Matthewson’s accolades speak to his comedic prowess: he won Best Comedy at the 2024 Dunedin Fringe Festival, Best Show at the 2021 NZ International Comedy Festival, and the Director’s Award in 2019. His return to the Edinburgh Fringe promises a compelling mix of personal anecdotes, silly humor, and incisive commentary. Night Terror is a show for anyone who’s ever tried to keep the outside world at bay, only to find chaos creeping into their most private moments. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, honest, and filled with the kind of humor that lingers long after the lights come up.
Catch Eli Matthewson’s Night Terror at the Edinburgh Fringe this August for a sharp, relatable, and absurdly funny take on love, loss, and the things that go bump in the night.
30th July – 24th August
(not 11th August)
60 minutes
0131 510 0395
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