Kiri Pritchard-McLean: Hysterical Woman

• Suzanne Black
• 7 August 2016

This article is from 2016

credit: Drew Forsyth

Tackling the ongoing fight against misogyny in comedy

For her debut Fringe solo show, Kiri Pritchard-McLean dives into the deep end and takes women in comedy as her subject. Having been subjected first-hand to the institutionalised sexism in the industry and Neanderthal audience members, she counters with a very measured, scientific approach, seeming to genuinely want to understand the situation and explore potential ways of changing it.

Her revelations about the life of a working female comedian will be surprising to many. A foray into racial inequality is a risky move, but she succeeds about as well as is possible with such anxiety-inducing material. An assured performer, she navigates these topics while making sure not to lose out on laughs.

It's dismaying that this conversation is still taking place. She mentions how heartening it is that Sarah Millican is accepted as a household name, but the same was said of Victoria Wood before her and Joan Rivers before that. As long as female comedians are subjected to torrents of vitriol on Twitter, as well as people telling them to their faces that women just aren't funny, the argument still needs to be made. Kiri Pritchard-McLean is doing a good job of both making it and proving it.

Pleasance Courtyard, until 29 Aug (not 15), 6pm, £7.50–£9.50 (£7–£9).