Ever Mainard: Let Me Be Your Main Man

• Claire Sawers
• 5 August 2016

This article is from 2016.

This Chicago-trained comic brings a warm charm to her trashy story

Like Bill Murray, Amy Sedaris and Tina Fey before her, Ever Mainard cut her comedy teeth at Chicago's Second City before moving to LA. Her recap on life so far is delivered with a warm, infectious twitchiness, from gigging at line dancing bars in her native Texas, being clumsily outed by the local newspaper, a failed engagement and recent 'energy healing' sessions with crystals in downtown LA.

Whether driving a pick-up truck with an inbuilt gun rack as a teenager, or recently dodging her own Pinterest-styled wedding (she'd have had to get the obligatory 'lesbian fauxhawk', she cringes), she treads a good line between tomboy hillbilly and sweetly gauche storyteller. Her laddier moments seem too performed in places, but it's also like watching her hone a heartbroken swagger up on stage, finding her feminist feet among body shame anecdotes, while swaying between dread and admiration for all things macho.

It's easy to imagine her opening for Maria Bamford (she already has) and her failed audition for a Rib Crib fast food advert is inspired, Ever Mainard's authentic, home-cooked character is full of contradiction and charm, and her wise, white-trashy voice is a welcome one.

Gilded Balloon Teviot, until 28 Aug (not 15), 6.15pm, £10–£12.50 (£9–£11).