Helen Bauer: Little Miss Baby Angel Face

• Craig Angus
• 14 August 2019

An assured debut with a high-energy boost

'Some shows make you think and change your options', says Helen Bauer, the implication being that Little Miss Baby Angel Face ain't that show. It isn't. For pure entertainment value this debut is a winner, though. Imagine if every Edinburgh hour threw life lessons at you? No thank you. Sometimes the escapism hits hardest.

Bauer's set is so supremely confident that it's hard to believe this is her first full-length Fringe show. There's no filler to be found and she's in total command of the room throughout a high-energy performance: 'I will snap you in two', she bellows early on, shutting down a potential crowd disruption with authority. This is the first glimpse of a quite terrifying, formidable side to her comic personality that Bauer brings out to play occasionally. It keeps you on your toes, for sure.

The subject matter is light and goes down easy. Bauer struggles to take life seriously, finds it difficult to have important conversations, and blames her parents, particularly her mother and her commitment to drama. Bauer's ability to cram jokes and comic observations into Little Miss Baby Angel Face is a joy, and they arrive with rapid frequency. There's a hint of a message about finding yourself thrown in at the close, and perhaps in real life she might have some soul searching to do. But on stage, Helen Bauer is already an assured and accomplished presence.

Pleasance Courtyard, until 25 Aug (not 14), 6pm, £8–£10 (£7–£9).