Is it possible to describe Katherine Ryan without using the word ‘sassy?’ No. Right, now we’ve gotten that out of the way, we can proceed with reviewing this sassy Canadian comic.The backdrop to Katherine Ryan’s show is a sparkly Little Miss Conception banner, handmade by the comic herself. It looks like something a class of schoolchildren would cobble together. It’s cute, but slightly flawed. A bit like Katherine Ryan. She emerges onto the stage dressed as a ballerina, an adorable eight-year-old who has incongruously materialised in a woman’s body. Then Ryan begins to speak, and all notions of cuteness go out the window. She’s filthy. One moment she’s discussing child beauty pageants - the next it’s bestiality and well-endowed exes.Katherine Ryan has the mouth of a sewer, and yet you’d still kiss it. Of that much, both sexes are in agreement. She’s a ball of energy as she prances and preens her way about the stage, bitching about licentious male comics and small-town rednecks. The best moment is when she launches into song. The music is ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’, but it could be any song playing in the background. You’re not listening to it because you’re too mesmerised by Ryan’s choreographed routine, complete with an inspired rap about the perils of not conforming to male expectations.There are many different forms of humour. Watching Katherine Ryan cut loose is not the stuff that belly-aching laughs are made of, and yet there’s no denying that she’s a smart, funny girl. Much of her material deserves more laughs than it gets - is this due to a lacklustre audience or lacklustre delivery? Whereas a more experienced comedian might hold back and allow the weight of the punchlines to sink in, Ryan charges on like a runaway train. This is a woman who can speak for 60 minutes without drawing a breath.She’s funny, she’s sexy and she’s very sparkly. With a more appreciative audience to feed off, she would probably have earned four stars. As it is, she’s just a damn good three. The sassy, sultry devil.
