On stage, six pieces of paper, fixed by clips, are suspended on a washing line. They have my full attention, wondering what is hiding behind the white rectangles, but just before I make up my mind Maisie appears, making sure to mention her new bob haircut, just in case she's no longer recognisable to fans.
Her stage presence is undeniable
Hang Fire is all about judgement, or more importantly, how we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Maisie's middle class background is a case in point as she reminds us that despite her accent, she isn't working class. Maisie follows with a couple of well-judged examples - that of her school nativity and gym apparatus, both telltale signs of discovering who went to a posh or rough school (the pieces of paper are still not mentioned).
Maisie's parents are her next topic of conversation. She speaks with a sense of vigour when talking about her parents, their quirks, their differences, but mainly the family obsession with The Rolling Stones. At last – the first photo is revealed – it's Mick Jagger's mugshot.
The subsequent five photos are all of notable people convicted of crimes - the last two images, a man and woman charged with felony child abuse, are the least familiar. However, I was too distracted by Hugh Grant's mugshot, as was Maisie, to care.
Yorkshire-born Maisie recaps the crimes committed by these celebrities, who include Winona Ryder, that leads to a great piece about knickers. There is a lot of information in this show, however, and it slightly outweighs the comedy.
But Maisie wants us to leave with a message – if you make a mistake, own it.
Her biggest lie, about having a house party, taught her this lesson the hard way. Then she hits us with a plot twist about last two images, which comes completely out of left field, and actually one of the best reveals I've seen in a comedy show.
Overall I would have opted for more laughs over learning, but Maisie delivers material with exuberance and charm and her stage presence is undeniable. And let's not forget, she's 25-years-old, with no doubt a bright future in comedy.
