Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

On her way to the stage, Lily Phillips spots two latecomers she identifies as possible disrupters, and a perfectly judged opening line sets the tone for her audience interactions. And there is plenty of it, pulling people into the show at just the right moments, teasing out shared experiences and knowing when to push for just a bit more.

Smut is a deeply personal show, delivered with an exceptionally light touch, and Bunker One is the perfect venue for Phillips’ conversational style, with tight seating on three sides. Over the hour, the comic expertly leads us from the objectification of women to the humanising of women’s bodies and bodily functions. 

Nothing is off the table or taboo – which, of course, is the point. Phillips neatly contrasts human shame with her dog’s natural absence of inhibition and how much we can learn from this. Here, she celebrates everything about her body with the aim of empowering us all to do the same. There are no secrets, nothing to hide. The stories might be graphic, but she constantly checks in with her audience, undercutting the narrative with some great throwaway lines. 

Phillips’ first-hand experiences provided plenty of shocking examples of the objectification of women – especially young women – both through her work as a dancer and as a Disney princess for children’s parties. That job did not last long, thanks to her attempts at subversion, but it did perhaps provide the gateway into her new life as a stand-up.

Meanwhile, her promotional work took her into even stranger territory, dressed as a mermaid to promote a fish and chip shop. It’s another grim story of objectification, and one that takes the show in an unexpected direction: under the sea. You may never look at dolphins and whales in the same way again, having learned about their sexual behaviour and genitalia, with David Attenborough called out for complicity.

The hour flies by, and you feel she’s only just getting started. Even the title Smut is reclaimed and repurposed, and while it gives Phillips carte blanche – and gives the audience a content advisory – it’s underselling a show that’s way more smart than smut.

• Lily Phillips: Smut is on at Pleasance Courtyard at 7.25pm

Review date: 19 Aug 2022
Reviewed by: Matt Carwardine-Palmer
Reviewed at: Pleasance Courtyard