F E S T I VA L C O M E DY | Reviews
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LOU SANDERS: SAY HELLO TO YOUR NEW STEP-MUMMY Former surrealist in politically engaged hour ●●●●●
After a profile-boosting turn in TV gameshow Taskmaster earlier this year, where she excelled at completing a series of bizarre and futile contests, Lou Sanders’ latest Fringe hour feels like a culmination of her previous shows. Familiarly, there’s plenty of material about her much-discussed labia, now with tote-bag merch to boot. Jill in the Pyrenees (her energy healer and spiritual adviser) makes a reappearance and provides the motive for many of Sanders’ exploits.
There are copious amounts of the kind of ‘yer dad’ jokes she likes to share on Twitter as well as oodles of frank sex chat in which she clearly believes there’s no such thing as TMI. The surrealism of shows past has been cast aside in favour of more political engagement as she tackles feminist issues, especially in relation to sex and being a public figure.
Mary Beard’s recent book, Women & Power: A Manifesto, describes
the more-than 2000-year history of women who speak out in public being called strident, whinging, whining and much, much worse. In Say Hello to Your New Step-Mummy, Sanders addresses the abuse which women, especially the opinionated and funny ones, are subjected to online. Her persona is a refreshing antidote to all of this rancour, and she presents herself as unabashedly horny and with bullet-proof self-esteem. And so she should.
There are a few elements in the mix that don’t work, such as a folk song with barely intelligible lyrics which leaves the audience a few steps behind her accompanying commentary. As a side note, it’s early days for Lou Sanders’ show and her new venue, but the seating arrangement may deny a number of the audience a chance to see some of her fine visual gags. But don’t let that put you off a comedian of genuine calibre. (Suzanne Black) n Monkey Barrel, until 25 Aug (not 14), 3.15pm, £8 in advance or donations at the venue.
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ZACH ZIMMERMAN: CLEAN COMEDY Finding fun despite the tragic darkness ●●●●● JOSIE LONG: TENDER Positive hour amid the global wreckage ●●●●●
In the five years since her last Fringe show, one major life change has occurred for Josie Long and this forms the basis of her new hour. Tender is not just about her journey into motherhood; it explores the dichotomy between feeling full of hope at the arrival of a baby, and the dread and guilt that comes with knowing their future is, in many ways, already damned.
MAT EWINS: ACTUALLY CAN I HAVE EIGHT TICKETS PLEASE? More brilliant nonsense from former Comedy Award nominee ●●●●● First things first, Mat Ewins does not look like the picture above. Or the photos on his website. He gets those from his favourite site, Shutterstock, in a long- running joke that’s confounded some journalists at the Fringe for some years.
Raised in the American south by a Christian pastor father and his similarly conservative mother, Zach Zimmerman faced a lot of challenges when he realised he was gay. He was brought up to feel ashamed of his sexuality, was bullied at school and encouraged to regularly pray for salvation. Happily, he managed to navigate his way into adulthood, and in Clean Comedy he recounts the various trials and tribulations that made him the man he is today. It’s a fun journey through the comedian’s
varied experiences, including a hilarious tale of unsportsmanlike conduct during his time performing as a football mascot. When he rhetorically asks ‘has anyone else here been a mascot?’ he’s astonished by a positive response from a fellow American. And it serves him well to regularly dip in and out of audience interaction given that he handles his crowd with aplomb.
As is often the case with a life-story show, it’s not all fun and games. By the end of this hour, events take an unexpectedly tragic turn, but Zimmerman deftly balances darkness and light, culminating in a barnstorming finale that sends everyone out on a high. (Murray Robertson) n Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose, until 26 Aug (not 19), 10.45pm, £9.50–£10.50 (£8.50–£9.50).
56 THE LIST FESTIVAL 7–14 Aug 2019
There may be an expectation for Tender to be a It’s typical of Ewins’ anarchic comic style to keep
deeply political hour of stand-up but the three-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee’s return goes beyond her thoughts and observations on the dire state we presently find ourselves in. Her jokes about the unglamorous reality of being pregnant and giving birth fit neatly with some asides about the growing anxiety that comes with knowing time is literally running out to save the world. Still, it's a genuine joy to spend an hour with Long, and despite her admission of being unable to avoid the perpetual doom and gloom, her quoting of Greta Thunberg and ‘children are the future’ approach provides a sliver of positivity among the horror. As she notes here, it’s not edgy to be a prick anymore; what’s really unconventional is showing love and kindness amid the mayhem. (Arusa Qureshi) n The Stand, until 25 Aug (not 12, 19), 8.20pm, £12 (£10).
such an inane gag running for so long. That it continues to be funny is testament to his talent and his ability to make sublime jokes out of the truly ridiculous, with a little help from Adobe After Effects. This year’s show takes on everything from Fleshlights and fire-exit signs to the bad video games which Ewins made himself. For most of the show, it’s literally one laugh after another, and while a few technical hitches bring the pace down a little, Ewins recovers quickly (even if he does self-consciously refer to ‘The List reviewer’ a little too often). Since his Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination in
2017, Ewins has broken out of his cult following to become a must-see in August. This year’s show is more brilliant nonsense, which will likely win over new devotees before the month is over. (Yasmin Sulaiman) n Just the Tonic at The Caves, until 25 Aug (not 12), 9pm, £8–£9 in advance or donations at the venue.