Standing defiantly under the glare of a neon working men’s club sign, Kiri Pritchard-Mclean tackles schema in a bold and impressive solo hour. Pritchard-Mclean lays down her own world of pre-conceived notions and invites us to do the same- after all, it’s only human nature. Her anecdotes and casual delivery invoke a tradition of assumptions, only to pull the rug from under the audience’s feet in the show’s conclusion: the result is a fantastically funny stand up show with carefully researched social commentary.
The diligence with which Pritchard-Mclean backs up her argument is intelligent without becoming preachy, informative whilst still highly entertaining
Pritchard-Mclean has a delightful and engrossing persona, though her anecdotes make her out to be far from perfect: from waxing mishaps to pick-up techniques, the nature of the show doesn’t shy away from filthier topics of conversation. It’s nice to see a refreshingly unashamed act from Pritchard-Mclean: yes, her show has a feminist influence which pays off brilliantly as the show progresses, but that doesn’t mean she has to stop talking about enjoying sex and swearing like a sailor.
The lack of censorship shows how little Pritchard-Mclean is worried about ‘putting her audience of’ when it comes to discussing social stigma. She isn’t restricting herself to cute stories expected of her by the promoters who book her in the ‘girl spots’: this brand of stand up is fearless and pays off as she receives nothing but love in return. A few of the home truths delivered by Pritchard-Mclean about her work in the comedy circuit don’t raise a laugh so much as cause the jaw to drop open, but they’re necessary in her plight to separate her gender from her career.
The diligence with which Pritchard-Mclean backs up her argument is intelligent without becoming preachy, informative whilst still highly entertaining. She has killer punchlines one moment and sobering heckles to relate the next, all under a neat construct in this incredibly memorable solo hour in Edinburgh. Catch this star on her way up: Pritchard-Mclean is headed for fantastic success.
