Show Rating:

With her ultra-deadpan delivery and downplayed appearance Gadsby certainly isn’t one of the most desperate-for-attention performers at the Fringe. You’re unlikely to find her plying her stuff on the Royal Mile.

Hailing from Tasmania, the small ‘woman’s pubic hair’ shaped’ island off the south coast of Australia, Gadsby’s homeland provides much of her entertaining material.

Her portrayal of the small tow where she grew up makes the Deliverance rednecks look like the height of chic, sophisticated society. It’s not difficult to see why, being a lesbian, she got out before she was outed and lynched by the village hicks – or her mother.

The story is of her life is set alongside a story written in her childhood featuring Sifen Sofen, an imaginary friend who she stole from her brother, and which features a worryingly high body count.

Interspersed with Sifen Sofen’s adventures are tales of hanging out with the octogenarian neighbours, fantasies about being a dog and her monstrous, disapproving mother.

Though her style is low-key and there are few belly laughs, her dry observations keep you chortling throughout. Despite being a relatively new stand-up, there’s no evidence of padding in Gadsby’s evenly paced gags.

Reviewed by: Marissa Burgess