Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

Chelsea Birkby’s sophomore show is a very charming hour that consciously approaches autobiographical topics with a simultaneous high and low approach, equally interested in feminist critiques of fine art as it is the Cheeky Girls. Next to her on stage sits a small pile of reference texts which include two separate editions of Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Kim Kardashian’s Pocket Kim Wisdom.

Birkby begins her show by revealing a diagnosis of bipolar, but believes she no longer has it because she doesn’t get manic anymore. Interestingly she identifies manic behaviour as a disorder of desire rather than of mood, framing this issue (and many others) as an issue of mind vs body. This is what her smart, witty show is really about: the healing of the mind/body divide and the necessary pleasures of being embodied. 

It's a rich source of thematically-linked comedy that takes her to a few lovely places, including the recurring riff of having a horse as a therapist, the demure sexting style of Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, and a great anecdote about going on a mindfulness Retreat and having to consciously consume a Flaming Hot Mega Wotsit because she’d forgotten to bring the raisin requested by the course leaders. Appropriately, if her act needs anything, it could be a more embodied performance style to bring a little movement and physical charisma to the stage.

Her comedy is a little writerly at times, and you can feel her searching for the balance between D.H. Lawrence and Megan Thee Stallion, careful not to alienate audience members who might fall more into one cultural camp than the other. Her lines are so good though, and the connections so fun, that most audiences should be taken along without difficulty.

Researching her show by looking up 'feminist' on Pornhub, she finds her position encapsulated by the first result: 'Hardcore Feminist Turned Bimbo Cumslut.' Her philosophical appeal is simple: 'I want a world where you can be both.'

Review date: 12 Aug 2024
Reviewed by: Tim Harding
Reviewed at: Just The Tonic at The Caves